Posts from the ‘Asia’ Category

Sep 5

Spring Deer

1/2I'm sorry to have missed the famous roast goose at Yung Kee, but at least I got a dose of Peking duck (and plenty more roasted meats in between). If James had it his way we wouldve had peking duck every night in Hong Kong.

I'm sure there are fancier spots, but Spring Deer provided all that a peking duck meal should be: fun, mildly theatrical and fat-filled. We accidentally upped the cholesterol quotient by ordering a "vegetable." At least bamboo shoots and scallops sounded semi-healthy. Our charmingly intimidating mobster-esque waiter did warn "its fried," which didnt make sense at the time. What arrived was a massive tangle of shredded deep-fried greens speckled with deep-fried bamboo shoots and dried scallop floss. I had no idea how this dish was supposed to be eaten–in small quantities, as an accompaniment to something? We just plowed into it, and well, it was good, especially since were already fried greens converts thanks to Sripraphais watercress salad, which is deep-fried and battered.

Finally, the duck arrived. It took some time, but allowed us to snoop at the proceedings at nearby private dinner parties (we were seated in a weird back room, which was our own fault for showing up over an hour early. On the train ride from the airport James called and made reservations for 9pm, which made the host seem to freak out, so me being a nervous person about being the only diner in an empty room decided we should just show up at 8pm, especially since the whole reservations craze in Asia seemed like a joke half the time as wed end up in near vacant rooms. But this restaurant was crowded and they had a little name plate Mr. James made up for us for 9pm. We totally threw things off). There was lots of cognac and what looked to be sweet and sour prawns we were envious of. One party was wheeled over a salt baked chicken, which was ceremoniously cracked open with a wooden mallet wielded by a drunk and/or goofy member of the group.

We were carved a lot of duck, really too much for two people, and on vacation getting food to go isnt terribly practical. But the duck was perfectly crispy and fatty, the flesh a different stronger better flavor than we were used to. The pancakes were also thicker and floury, almost tortilla-like. My only complaint would be that the cucumbers and scallions were cut too thick and stubby, making the roll ups too chunky. But thats a minor source of contention in the scheme of things.

Spring Deer * 42 Mody Rd., Hong Kong

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Sep 4

Newton Food Centre

I had big plans for our sixth (dating) anniversary. Originally, No Signboard Seafood, which isnt fancy fancy, but eating crab feels special. Then I was leaning towards a belated celebratory meal the following night at Opia, the new sleek "Australian freestyle" in the JIA. But we'd already splurged a bit, so we opted for low key. I didnt imagine quite as low key as a hawker center, but it just kind of happened.

This was the only hawker center where we were really hawked at. And aggressively. I'd avoided Newton on the last vacation because I was aware it was touristy and pricier than others, but it was sort of on the way from the Night Safari and certain to be open.

I had chicken murtabak, James the chicken rice. I later ordered char kway teow (from a woman who appeared to be falling asleep at a table, which made me wonder if cooks get really bored during down time) just to sample the Singapore style. We fended off attacks from all the pushy seafood vendors, but after seeing a young couple gorging on chile squid, mussels and grilled fish, I kind of wished we tried some, after all. I was just afraid of getting gouged by inflated prices.

I also made a sourpuss stray cat hang out with me. He didnt take much coaxing to come over to our table, especially since no one else seemed terribly fond of him. Loose non-pet animals just dont evoke much sympathy from locals, which I can understand. But I was fascinated by S.E. Asian cats, which tend to be tinier than American felines and almost always have short kinked tails that look like theyve been chopped off or broken (I'm assuming theyre all distantly related and not hacking victims). The Newton cat wouldnt eat the satay tidbit we handed him, though he munched a few bean sprouts from our char kway teow. Maybe he was a halal cat.

Newton Food Centre * Newton Circus, Singapore

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Sep 3

Banana Leaf Apolo

Who knew that a humble fish head could be so tasty? I inadvertently bypassed Little India on my last visit to Singapore, so fish head curry was a must on this trip even though I wasnt super excited in comparison to other classic local dishes like chile crab. I wanted to have at least one banana leaf meal (where the rectangular frond serves as placemat and plate). Maybe hands-as-utensils is tradition, but everyone seemed to be using spoons and forks. And I'm not one to buck a trend.

As usual, we over ordered. Partly because everything sounded so good and partly because its hard to gauge portions. Here, I usually know what to expect and choose accordingly (its usually going to be big). We had a chicken biryani, which came with two vegetable sides, one a daal concoction, the other spiced tomato-y green beans. That, with naan and the small fish head (small wasnt that small) wouldve been plenty. But we also ordered a vindaloo just to see how its done in Singapore.

The fish head curry was much hotter than the vindaloo, and came in a broth dotted with okra or lady's fingers, as they call them. For some reason I'd envisioned the curry as being more chili-sweet, not chili-sour and unexpectedly bracing. The extra hot spice combination and soupy quality reminded me of Thai yellow curries more than typical Indian food (which isnt surprising since yellow curry paste uses dried spices typical to Indian food where most Thai curry pastes use fresh herbs) Fish head curry is really a Singaporean-Indian invention so the mish-mash comes with the territory.

Banana Leaf Apolo * 54-58 Race Course Rd., Singapore

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Sep 2

No Signboard Seafood

We tried Jumbo's chile (I know they spell it chili, but I'm trying to be consistent) crab during our last visit, so this time 'round, pepper crab, a close competitor for Singapore classic status, was a must. I already had my sights set on No Signboard, and the Esplanade location, too. Not because its the new, classy branch, but primarily because it is centrally located. My plans were cemented when Jamess coworker, Alvin, who lives in Singapore, said hed show us around Friday night. When we mentioned pepper crab, he immediately suggested No Signboard. It was a go.

I had anticipated ordering the aforementioned pepper crab, cereal prawns that I'd heard about and sambal kankung. But Alvin was a total enabler (hes a sales guy and you can tell hes experienced at wining and dining clients–most interestingly, he doesnt seem to drink) and encouraged ordering practically everything we showed an interest in. We went wild and had small crabs prepared both ways: chile and white pepper with fried mantou on the side. James preferred the dry spice of the pepper crabs, while I'm still sticking with the original sweet, hot, sour and soupy rendition. Ill admit the dish is a peculiar invention, considering it contains ketchup and scrambled eggs, a gruesome twosome if there ever were one.

The cereal prawns were sweet and crunchy, possibly honeyed and rolled in oats, which I hadnt imagined. For some reason, I was envisioning Rice Krispies. At Alvins suggestion we had seafood served in a lacy yam (taro) basket, and if that werent enough we also had a little something called you tiao salad, which was most definitely not my idea. You tiao, I like, theyre fried dough sticks, Chinese crullers. It's the salad component thats tricky. If something says salad in S.E. Asia, in my experience that means mayonnaise. I'm guessing it has something to do with British ties and their fondness for salad cream. So, you tiao salad was fried bean curd wrapped crullers with a side of mayo for dipping. Eek.

There was food and Tiger Beer a plenty, and only the beginning. Luckily, it ended up expensed as a business dinner. As a librarian, its fair to say that I dont experience many expense account meals, free Monday morning bagels are as good as it gets. We (well, I) continued on with chendol at a nearby food court, then we headed up for drinks and a 70-story panorama at City View, the cigar bar atop the Swissotel, which wasnt terribly trendy but still commanded a cover charge and wait for seating (lists, waits, entry fees were rampant. I guess the same is true in NYC, I just don't frequent those places).

cereal prawns	yam basket, you tiao salad in background
pepper crab	chile crab

No Signboard Seafood * 8 Raffles Ave., Singapore

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Sep 1

Xin

Malaysia was an odd duck when it came to dining. Maybe its just the New Yorker in us, but were accustomed to crowds, especially for restaurants that come highly recommended, and especially for dim sum, which is always a mob scene here. Once again, our early rising (thanks to trouble with the twelve-hour time difference) caused problems.

Xin didnt open until 11:30am and we showed up half an hour too soon. The restaurant happened to be in our hotel, which was kind of cool, especially in comparison to the Hard Rock Café, which was also downstairs. We killed time until quarter to twelve, figuring a lunch crowd would be showing up by them. But we were the first and only diners for quite a spell.

It's unnerving and unappetizing to have five staff members corralled around your table, every bite watched, every tea sip replenished. We ordered lightly, as to make an escape as sooner rather than later. What we find fun about dim sum is the selection, the commotion, the excess, and this was anything but. Perhaps the quality is higher, creations more innovative, but those nuances are kind of lost on me.

Quite clearly, because I'm hazy on what we even ate. Post traumatic stress will do that to an eater. I know we had egg tarts, probably pork buns, chee chong fun stuffed with scallops, er, and thats it. Recovering repressed memories is painful.

Xin * 2 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Sep 1

Madam Kwan’s

I can't think of a New York equivalent off hand. Madam Kwan's isnt touristy because locals eat there too. I guess it's overpriced if you compare its menu to hawker equivalents, but its not expensive. $3 for a bowl of laksa is still a bargain to me. Madam Kwans is the kind of restaurant where youd take out-of-towners for Malaysian classics without folding tables and plastic chairs.

James wanted rendang (as he did all trip long) and I figured they'd have it here. They did in a nasi lemak platter. I had high end curry laksa with unorthodox add ins like eggplant and curlicued chayote(?). A young Malaysian couple whod been on the elevator with us, were seated nearby and ordered exactly the same two dishes, he the nasi lemak, she the laksa. Who knows if that's any testament to our brilliant ordering skills, but I like to think so.

Madam Kwan's * Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Sep 1

A&W

It had to be done. James became fascinated by this mall A&W with semi chic design, not fast food style at all. I liked the idea that Malaysia was teeming with forgotten American brands–Orange Julius, Long John Silvers and Body Glove, too (and actually not that forgotten, I had no idea there was a combo Long John Silvers/A&W in Canarsie).

Having been put off root beer floats for life after a childhood stomach sick experience, I refrained from their signature beverage, which seemed to be popular with fellow diners. We ordered a double cheeseburger meal with curly fries and plain root beer. Not bad and perfect for an American food craving (even being S.E. Asian food crazy I still had urges for things like bagels, tacos and pizza).

A&W * Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Aug 31

Ahwa Coffeeshop

1/2It's a rarity for me, but I'm going to have a go at this one in (blurry) photos because I happen to have to have so many from this particular meal. I spent Merdeka with some equally food obsessed near-strangers I met on the internet who were kind enough to chauffeur us around and show us the best of Kuala Lumpur. We never wouldve found this suburban hawker center in Petaling Jaya without them.

Hokkien mee. We also had a version with rice vermicelli, which isn't
pictured. Lardy, greasy goodness.

Squid with kang kung (water spinach). It's peanutty.

Or chien (oyster omelet)

Chicken satay. I think–there was also beef at the table.

Balitong, a kind of snail/whelk creature that's nearly impossible
to suck out

Bbq stingray with a tasty condiment made of cincalok (fermented
shrimp–James thought it was fish sauce, which is for the best)
and lime juice.

Ahwa Coffeshop * near Jalan 222, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

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Aug 30

Frangipani

This almost ended up being our most expensive meal (top honors went to Mortons in HK) at $150, half the bill coming from a pricy (for us) bottle of wine. And we almost didnt find the place. I dont know what it is with Malaysia, Singapore and directions. No one seems to know street names or addresses. They tend to go by landmarks. Our cab driver dropped us off randomly in the Bukit Bintang shopping area, which isnt the same as Changkat Bukit Bintang, luckily we were able to track that specific street down (we were standing right on it, but had no idea because signage is severely lacking in Malaysia. And on top of things, the public maps You Are Here dot was completely inaccurate) despite addresses not being in chronological order.

This was Merdeka, Malaysias Independence Day , so half the city was out and about celebrating. (I swear, if you squinted and ignored the lack of blaring salsa and reggaeton, youd think it was Puerto Rican Day.) The atmosphere was hot, steamy, chaotic and overwhelming– the dead opposite of Frangipani. Two different worlds, for sure.

Even the crappiest NYC restaurants are full any given night of the week. Not so, in Asia. There was huge rigmarole with reservations, needing a number to confirm and reach us when we didnt have one. I think they just like following rules (same thing happened in HK). I'd counted on crazy fusion and high for Kuala Lumpur prices. What I hadnt expected, and encountered numerous times during our travels, was that wed practically have the entire restaurant to ourselves.

When we arrived, the entire lofty space was occupied by a one couple. The modern opulence almost feels wasted by the silence and lack of audience. Frangipanis centerpiece is an enormous, dark, reflecting pool surrounded by tables with plush chairs. You are reminded not to step into it, as its so still and glassy. It did indeed look like marble, but I couldnt help wondering who would dare step out of bounds in such a sterile, reserved atmosphere. Service is big in S.E. Asia. Too big for me. You are constantly being watched from angles and corners, hovered over while eating and stood behind while paying the bill. I'm not sure if its part of the culture or a lack of patrons for the staff to attend to.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I cant really remember what I ate, which is absolutely no testament to the forgettable-ness of the food. It was just complex in comparison to much of the hawker food we ate, lots of ingredients, unusual pairings, the menu descriptions consisted of large (intentionally) humorous paragraphs per dish, which would likely draw criticism in NYC. I do know that my entrée involved tea smoked duck breast, I had caviar on my appetizer and the dessert contained chocolate and banana mousses. Frangipani would really benefit from having a website (Malaysia stuck me as lacking in web presence).

The dining experience left me feeling a little traumatized. I remember from visiting Bangkok in 03 that I vowed to avoid upscale restaurants if I visited again, despite their good value. Mainly because of the stifling vibe and suffocating service. I wonder if Europeans get off on this, theres something old world and master/servant about it all that I cant get comfortable with. Youd think after being annoyed by NYC attitude–pointless posturing, velvet rope culture–that I'd enjoy being treated well. But what I used to think of as noise, crowds and obnoxiousness actually feels more like energy in comparison. This passion and verve is what I found lacking at Frangipani, despite the creative cooking.

Frangipani * 25 Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Aug 28

Kayu Nasi Kandar

Nasi kandar restaurants belong to a broad genre called economy rice, kandar is the Indian version while nasi campur is Malaysian. You point and pick items to be served over rice. But you kind of have to choose wisely or its not quite as economical–at least not by local standards.

We went hog wild, taking a little of this and that, everything looked so good. And besides, I wasn't super sure what everything was, so the more new stuff the better. I asked for the same crimson battered blobs that the person in front of me had ordered, figuring he must know what he's doing. I didn't expect them to be fish eggs, which is what the counter guy explained. I'm still not sure how they were eggs (bottom left corner of photo). In addition, I got shrimp, chicken, squid, black curry, at least five things. I'm certain the counter guy had us pegged as foreign moneybags because he defaulted to biryani when I noticed everyone else had white rice. I said yes to all the extras like meat floss and cucumber relish.

When all was said and done are two meals came to RM40, which is a freaking lot for Penang. But being a boatload of food and still only $5 apiece, we were in no position to complain. It's nice when the exchange rate and local cost of living actually works in your favor for a change. After sitting down, we observed that most diners had only plain rice and two sides, making us look like the American gluttons we truly are. That's ok, its not every day I get to indulge in a nasi kandar feast.

Kayu Nasi Kandar * Penang Rd., Penang, Malaysia

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Posts from the ‘Asia’ Category

Spring Deer

Newton Food Centre

Banana Leaf Apolo

No Signboard Seafood

Xin

Madam Kwan’s

A&W

Ahwa Coffeeshop

Frangipani

Kayu Nasi Kandar

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