Nyonya Roots

Pie Tee- Top hats

Type of food: Nyonya ( Peranakan Chinese)
Signature dish: Various dishes
Location: 3K Sports Complex Subang Jaya, Jalan SS13/1, Persiaran Kewajipan 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Map: http://g.co/maps/ukjsu
Opening hours: All days except Monday, 11:30am-3.00pm & 6.00pm-10.00pm 
Contact: 012-2857668
Other: No pork. Medium spicy.

Being an Ampang boy, travelling to Subang Jaya for me was quite the journey. A 40 Minute long drive, got a bit lost on the way, into this road and that highway- very hungry by the time I got there. And like an oasis appearing before the desert, the big sign shouting Nyonya Roots appeared before me in that godforsaken place Ampang people call Subang Jaya. It was well worth the journey.

Before I delve into the food though ( today it'll be more brief in descriptions, lots of dishes to cover), allow me to talk about Nyonya food in general. For those who don't know, Nyonya cuisine originates from a Malaysian culture called the Baba Nyonya. These Baba Nyonya are also called Peranakan Chinese, as they are the descendants of the first Chinese settlers that came to Malaysia ( then called Malaya) a long long time ago. These Chinese settlers had intermarriages with local Malays, and adopted many of their customs, and as you will soon see this resulted in one truly delectable mixing pot of a cuisine.

And Nyonya Roots is a fine example of this great heritage. With a nice comfy environment, reasonably priced and tasty dishes ( more on that in a while), and great company- you can pretty much set up home base in here and lay down your roots. ( pardon the simply awful pun!)

Nonya Roots

Anyway lest we stray too far from the roots of the issue ( and again!)... The first dish we had was pie tee- Nyonya Top Hats.( see title image) Top Hats are named as such as they look like those hats the "cultured" meme guys and "high class" people used to wear. It's certainly a dish worthy of that. The pie tee at Nyonya Roots is a bit more on the heavy flavoured side, with a nice crispy cup, and a smattering of juicy vegetables inside. The shallots and chilli sauce add up to make this an instant classic.

Lorbak

Next came the Lorbak, which is essentially minced wrapped in a taufu skin, deep fried and served with a light garlic chilli sauce. Lorbak is traditonally pork, but here at Nyonya Roots they serve chicken lor bak.

Assam Laksa

Then came a plethora of dishes. Assam Laksa, a fish soup noodle, a specialty of Penang was fantastic. The Assam Laksa here at Nyonya Roots is an excellent example of Penang Cuisine. The laksa here strikes a delicate balance between soupiness. There are some assam laksas that feel too fishy, and some too diluted- but this one is a perfect equilibrium- like a tightrope walker on the line of Penang Perfection. A mighty fine specimen!

Australian Lettuce

Australian Lettuce was done well in the usual stir fried style, but otherwise quite normal.

Inchi Kabin

Inchi Kabin- Nyonya style marinated fried chicken with a herb sauce
Crispy, crunchy, juicy, sauce blend of Lea and Perrins and some herbs and spices. Could have been more robust and tender in my opinion though.

Gulai Tumis

Gulai Tumis- A Nyonya favourite, it is their own version of "assam fish" or "curry".
Nice chunky bits of tenggiri. The fish is fresh, and a beautiful blend of herbs and spices give it a fantastic fragrance and wonderful depth of flavour.

Ju Hu Char

 Ju Hu Char
Yet another Penang specialty. Its basically some vegetables cooked in a broth like substance;giving a really juicy, nutrient filled bite. We had this with lettuce- using the lettuce as a wrap and stuffing in the Ju Hu Char with some chilli sauce... YUM. There is no better way to eat it!

Otak-otak

Otak-Otak- steamed fish paste.
Very good. A good balance between fishiness, and spice. A nice soft pasty texture, wet with the spice-infused juice of the otak, slides into one's mouth.

Cincalok omelette

Cincalok Omelette- omelette fried with preserved small prawns
Appropriately salty, eat with rice, good filler, otherwise nothing to shout about, lacks the wok hei* of a true Master level omelette.

Beef rendang

Beef Rendang
This one was a great find. Fiery, robust and packed with a punch of spices- the burst of flavour in this dish is quite a memorable experience.

Paku

Paku- this is a local fern, quite unusual to find it here.
Very intriguing taste. First a crunchy standard veggie feel, then as the "gel" inside this fern gets to you, you get a sort of flaky aftertaste in the mouth.

So far so good... but quite standard fare for the veteran Nyonya foodie. But there is more... after that brief breakdown of dishes... Ladies and gentlemen.. I present to you the piece de resistance of the meal... in the form of...

WHEAT.

Gandum a.k.a. wheat

Yes, you heard me right. Oh don't give me that face. This wheat is no ordinary wheat. Boiled over a grueling number of days, allowed to somewhat ferment to give it a potency, infused with the flavours of natural wheat and other ingredients- the result is a bowl of simple, sinful, dessert heaven. A big surprise for myself, but an immensely gratifying ( and fattening!) one.

Pulut hitam

And as if that wasn't enough, Nyonya Roots delivers a double whammy. The pulut hitam ( black glutinous rice) is so... GOOD. The sweetness and gooeyness of the pulut, blended with a spoon of fresh santan- the black and white dancing in swirls of heavenly dessertness ( is that even a word?)... forget about Soya Cincau, this is the real Black and White of food!

Cendol

Speaking of cincau.... The cendol is definitely one of the better ones I've had. Simply a burst of santan and light refreshing flavours that make you want to have another.. and another... and another... and OK you get my point. My Egyptian friend was absolutely enamored with it, calling it the Nectar Of the Gods. What a drama king.

All in all, Nyonya Roots is true to its ... Nyonya roots? Haha... terrible puns aside... the food here is authentic, has good flavour profiles, and is reasonably priced. Sorry I can't quote direct prices, lost the receipt, but the meal mentioned above for 9 people cost about RM 180. A really reasonable deal if you ask me, compared to all the pricey posh Nyonya wannabes you get nowadays.

Nyonya Roots is also open for lunch, and from what I can see from their menu, they have set lunches. Also, they serve perut ikan, which is a rarity nowadays and my friend swears by it, if you're feeling adventurous. In any case... Nyonya Roots- definitely one to go for!

Nyonya Roots
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nyonya-Roots/119392814802211
Taste: 8.5/10- While the dishes range from decent enough to delicious, the dessert and other standouts really make this restaurant shine.
Value: 7/10- For this kind of food, this kind of environment, it's very reasonable.
Health: 8/10- Well, depends on the dishes, but overall, I would say its a healthy meal. 
Ambience: 7/10- Comfy seats, air conditioned area with nice large pictures of more yummy food.

Overall: 3.75 durians!

and a lil piece more!

* Wok hei- It is the "essence" of the fire being imparted to the food. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok#Wok_hei

The 1Malaysia Ban

You know, Malaysians ( politicians in particular) seem to have a string of bad habits. Besides our previously discussed preoccupation with leaks, we also seem to ban everything not to our liking. A few years back yoga was banned by the syura council ( apparently because the 'om' sound yoga practitioners recite in the beginning means 'God' in Sanskrit or what not); soon afterwards tomboys were banned, and now.... even the 1Malaysia slogan is going to be banned?!

The Selangor government under the helm of Pakatan Rakyat has been embroiled in controversy over the issue of OneMalaysia. They say that it is a political slogan, and are moving to ban the slogan on all billboards within the state of Selangor.

Now let me get this straight. Banning yoga ... okay, perhaps because of the Hindu elements in some forms of it... Banning tomboys... fine, we're a pretty conservative country... but banning 1Malaysia?! It's an act that far surpasses my lowly level of understanding. I would much rather they ban smoking, chow tau fu ( that vile smelling evil mess), or those horrendously ugly and ridiculously expensive roadside ornaments ( like a giant corn cob, or a giant pitcher plant in the middle of a roundabout. Hurts my eyes every single time.) than ban 1Malaysia.

Let us think of why would anyone ban the logo or the slogan. Hmm. Can't really think of anything reasonable. Give me ONE, just ONE good reason why the Selangor government should ban the slogan on all billboards. Let me think ... alright it's a political slogan. Really now? Didn't see anyone banning Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah or Cemerlang, Gemilang & Terbilang. Even if it was politically motivated, and is indeed aimed at "cheating the rakyat", Selangor is only proving that the slogan is effective and something to fear by moving against it. Alright then, so there goes one reason crashing down. How about the allegations that 1Malaysia was an expensive waste of the rakyat's money, hiring a foreign company to design the concept? And that it is connected to 1Israel? Alright, assuming these allegations are true, banning the billboards is still no way to confront the issue. Investigate the matter! If the Parliament will not approve a committee to investigate the matter, do it privately, and publish the findings. Banning the slogan from being displayed is like covering a mole hill. You will only cover the surface, and the mole will eventually dig its way out. Its a pointless exercise that brings only frustration and a damaged reputation to the PR led Selangor government.

On the other hand, there are plenty of reasons NOT to ban the 1Malaysia slogan. Firstly, whatever the slogan's hidden political machinations are, what I see, what the rakyat sees is an effort towards national integration. Of being recognised as Malaysian instead of Chinese, Malay, or Indian. By banning it, and not giving any further explanation other than it being 'political', PR is seen to be going against all that it has worked for. Less discrimination towards race and religion. More equal rights. A Malaysia that finds unity and diversity. And by doing this, they are betraying their very own principles in the eyes of the rakyat.

At the same time, how many anti-ISA rallies have PR parties taken part in? How many times have they called the government a draconian, authoritarian regime that takes away freedom of speech? And now, they are imposing those very same restrictive measures on BN. Seeing their actions, I cannot help but wonder if they would be as against the ISA as they are now if roles were reversed. Would they still abolish the ISA if they were the ones who stood to gain from wielding its power? From the events that have thus far occurred, the implications are at best gloomy.

There's an verse in the Bible that goes, " If a man slaps you on the right cheek, offer him the left." Foolish perhaps. But if we slap back, we are proving ourselves no better than the offender. By offering them the left, we are showing our kindness and greatness.The Pakatan Rakyat should withdraw the ban on the 1Malaysia slogan, and truly practice what they preach. Rather than banning 1Malaysia, PR should be clever enough to twist the slogan to their advantage, lending its advertising power to their cause. By conducting themselves in a manner beyond reproach, and embodying the principles that they stand for, then, and only then will a good and incorruptible government prevail.