There is a saying in Singapore ‘Life is like a Pisang Goreng, when you are hot, you are hot.’
This is also true of Laksa Lemak, Char Kuay Teow, Teo Chew Porrdige…...all favourites of Singapore food. Well at least they are my favourite.Thinking of these mouth watering yummylicious food makes me feel quite home sick.Luckily Penang street food is pretty damn satisfying so it's a great consolation that I'm still surrounded by great food.
If you re lookin for the yummiest Pisang Goreng in Penang,you must try the stall in Tanjung Bungah .It is located opposite Alpha Foot Reflexology .It 's been there for the last 40 years.I just had a bite of the crispy fresh-from-the-deep-frying pan Pisang Goreng.The batter is light and it cracks at the slightest bite to reveal the inside ,a sweet and soft Raja Pisang.Divine!Only RM 0.80 for a satisfying snack.Serve it with ice cream and it makes a heavenly dessert with lots of oomph.
Being a Singaporean, I am surrounded by a food culture that is so deeply entrenched that it’s impossible not to love food. It is the best ice breaker in conversations in my hometown. Anybody who is anybody knows his or her favourite hawker stall. A common conversation amongst Singaporeans is to trade tips for the hottest places to get the yummiest dish or to argue over the correct amount of spices in their curries. Even the expat community succumbs to the food culture and makes it a part of their lifetsyle.
When I reminisce about my childhood hangout in Chomp Chomp (a hawker centre in Serangoon Garden),I can’t help but be seduced by the smell of Hae Mee (prawn noodles) wafting through my nostrils ;the sizzling Char Kuay Kuck ( fried rice flour cakes with finely diced radishes) was divine .The rojak (salad drizzled in prawn paste) was to die for and Hokkien Char (wok seared noodles with beanpsouts), irrisistable. There I often found myself deliberating over whether a plate of fried beehood (rice vermicelli noodles wok-seared with a dash of soya sauce) is ‘shiok’ enough or should I go for a bowl of silky smooth Tou Hua (Soy Bean Curd sweetend with palm sugar). Or better yet, the rich aromatic broth of Singapore Laksa thickened by coconut milk beckoned and all of a sudden, I knew exactly what my palate craved.
These represent a small fraction of the huge food varieties available in Singapore. You may decide to spend a month’s salary on an exquisite meal in a French restaurant or you can enjoy a $ 1 roti prata fare. Both culinary experiences are potentially satisfying in their own way.
But what is Singapore food? Briefly, it has its origin in Malaysia, Indonesia, China, India as well as the West. Many claim that there is no such thing as Singpaore food for that reason. They are only partially right. You'll still find authentic and tasty versions of each of these cuisines in the Garden City.
What interests me is to do a parallel comparison of these hawker fare in different parts of Southeast Asia .I'm about to embark on the journey.My first mission is to do a comparison of Laksa from Singapore,Penang and Johore.Anyone interested?
1 comment:
Laksa? Hmmm. I had a good (very large) bowl of nyonya laksa in KL last week. Couldn't finish it! Made me guilty as hell. The laksa was good and lemak but the portion was way too big! Had it at Precious, Central Market - Precious is run by the same people of Old China Cafe. ;-)
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