Unique Dessert Restaurant in Chinatown

This morning we went to a little restaurant located in Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur. It’s just a half shop and the rental is expensive, according to Mr Poh, the owner. The rental, he shared is RM6500 per month. It is located at the lower end of Petaling Street.

                                               His sign board inside his restaurant

Mr Poh is from Melaka so he serves a few select nonya dishes from Melaka and his main niche is the taufu fa dessert which is very popular among Malaysians and tourists.

                                            Some of the nonya dishes which we ordered

                                                  Basic or Original Taufu Fa

His taufu fa differs from other vendors’ in that he offers different toppings served in sets.

                            Cendol Taufu Fa which also has sweet corn, grass jelly and red beans

The basic taufu fa, which is a soya bean custard sweetened with either white  or brown sugar syrup is sold by itinerant hawkers on tricycles which carry a big wooden tub containing the bean custard.
Mr Poh offers a variety of toppings shown in his menu. His prices are reasonable.

The walls of this little restaurant are decorated with many antiques which Mr Poh has collected over a long time.

There are also different types of vases and old granite equipment which were used back in the 1940s and 50s, perhaps up until the 70s in the rural communities. I saw the old wooden coconut scraper which I used to scrape coconuts with, the granite roller which many Indian homes would have and the bottom half of a grinder. He didn’t have the top half.

                     Granite roller used to grind spices; the coconut scraper is behind it.

                                           Bottom half of the grinder standing on its side

This grinder is what my grandmother used to grind rice and water into a watery mix that she dried later and scented with jasmine flowers for use on her face to keep cool. It was known as bedak sejuk. She gave me some to use whenever I visited her. It left powdery streaks on my face but it was very cooling.

So visiting this little restaurant was like making a trip into one’s past when we looked at his antique collections, most of which were very familiar to us goldies (senior citizens in our seventies!!).
It is very well patronised and the restaurant is always full. Should you visit Kuala Lumpur, this place is not to be missed.

Mr Poh kindly took a photograph of us after our meal.

Lunar New Year Décor in the Malls

The Lunar New Year is almost upon us and a quick visit to the shopping malls is a must. Not only to do some last minute shopping but also to take photos of the creative décor that malls come up with.
In all the malls, the predominant color is RED.

Red is the color of prosperity and good luck. So red lanterns in all sorts of shapes and sizes are everywhere. Then there are the flowers, red, pink, yellow, red….peonies and this year hydrangeas have made their entrance, apart from orchids.

Early visitors get the opportunity to take photos without having people blocking their views.

It is also customary for a mall to schedule lion dances to entertain their visitors during the weekend in this festive season. Families with young children and adults alike are prepared to wait patiently for the lion dancers to set up their props. Then the drums begin and the lions spring into life. The lion dancers are very nimble and agile as they prance atop the raised posts, drawing gasps and admiration from the spectators. 

Malaysian Food (Simple Dining)

I would like to introduce two simple types of food which are very tasty and which any visitor to Malaysia should try.

One is the Nasi Kerabu which is very appetising and filling. As you can see, the rice is blue and its colour is derived from the blue pea flower. This dish comes with either fried fish or fried chicken and is accompanied with condiments such as spicy sambal sauce, kerisik, salted egg, pickles and keropok.
It is accompanied by a drink which is also blue pea flower based mixed with soda which makes it very refreshing.

              My friend and I opted for the fish. It was a slice of mackerel and was fried very well.

The other dish is the fish head curry and this particular dish is to die for!! It comes with condiments which include an appetiser which is pickled sour lime, vegetables and other dishes with which I’m not familiar but taste good. Your rice is served on a banana leaf and even if you’re not a big rice eater, you will easily consume two helpings because of the fish head curry.

This dish is readily available in all Indian curry houses.

Local Malaysian Food (Madras Lane)

Malaysians love food and I’m no exception. I enjoy my food, especially street food. This is a place which I used to frequent after school, together with my classmates. So it has been in existence way back then, in the nineteen fifties!!

What do you think these people are queuing up for?

See the yummy fare available? Collectively it’s known as Yong Tow Foo. They are actually vegetables and tofu stuffed with fish paste. There are also springy fish balls available.

Has to be good, right, with so many people willing to queue up for their lunch.

Note the place. It’s not fancy. In fact it’s a back lane parallel to Petaling Street, the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur. It has been roofed over but it’s still very hot and fans are on full blast. Despite this, when the lunch crowds thicken, the place is like a sauna!!

People still patronise the place because the food is good and prices are reasonable. The other stall which is a hot favourite sells noodles, curry laksa and you choose what goes into your curry noodles, whether it is chicken, cockles, vegetables, etc. The other noodle is assam laksa, which has a sourish soup because it is tamarind based and comes with pineapple, fish, cucumber, onion rings, ginger torch flower, and two types of garnishing, daun kesum and mint leaves.

You have to try it and you’ll get hooked!! It’s that good!!

So visit Madras Lane whenever you’re in town but you have to be prepared to sweat it out as you partake of your food.