My First Love

"Eat to live, live to eat."
I am one of those people who will say, without a doubt, I live to eat. In fact, I'd venture so far as to say that living to eat doesn't quite sum it up, because to me, living IS eating. If I had to rephrase that, it'd be:

" Eat to live or live to eat. To live is to eat." 

As you can tell so far, and if you've read my blog posts, i'm pretty obsessed with food. Today, I'd just like to share with you my love of food, and perhaps tell an interesting story or two.

It is rather embarassing, but my earliest memory of my father is one of me and him at a hotel lobby in Italy, just waiting around and chilling. And yes, we were eating. I must have been about three years old or so, and I vaguely remember a hotel with black marble and glass doors, sitting in a cafe. But what I can remember very distinctly though, was the food we were having. We were having plain and simple, but fresh bread, with crushed olive and olive oil. That taste somehow lingers in my mind today, sixteen years later. 

The second earliest memory I can recall is of me in a restaurant in Australia ( I think I was four or five), eating ( yet again) rice. I remember being disgusted by the unfamiliar texture and feel of Australian cooked rice, and wanting a bowl of nasi instead. Haha. And then another memory, of me in China ( 8 years old?) pointing at a Beijing barbecued dog meat restaurant, wanting to give it a try. Haha.

Somehow or rather, all my childhood memories are about food. I find it amazing that I do not remember Disneyland ( Paris, where I apparently kissed a random French girl), Waterworld ( Australia), or the Forbidden City. Food, glorious food always. The Elvis Presley song comes to mind:

Maybe I didn't treat you 
Quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn't love you 
Quite as often as I could have
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time


You were Food was always on my mind
You were Food was always on my mind

Food creeps into my daily life. I think 80% of all arguments in my family are about food, usually about where to eat, what to eat, how much to order, who gets what portion. My mother says I will end up marrying whoever can cook well. Hmph. When I meet up with friends, it usually goes something like this:

Before the meeting

Ring ring!

Me: Hey! What's up?

K: Nothing much. You wanna catch lunch?

Me: Sure, where? 

K: Ah I have a new place to recommend, this place called "Ridiculously Yummy and Cheap Food"

Me: Are you sure it's any good? I remember the last restaurant you recommended, so much hype and so disappointing.

K: No no no, this time it's for real. They have this dish.... check this blog... food review... 4 stars...

( half an hour later)

Me: Ok fine then, see you there!

During the meeting

munch munch chomp chomp

Me: This dish is really good. But the food at "Even more ridiculously cheap and yummy food" restuarant is even better.

K: No no no. I know this other place, which is even better...

( eating lunch while comparing other lunches at other places)

One hour later...

After meeting

Me: Mmm that was pretty good. But the next time we must try this other restaurant at this other place...

K: Oh yes and the next next time we must eat this dish at this place...

( one hour later of talking about the next next next next dinner/ lunch/ breakfast/ tea).

Hehe.. I talk about food all the time, and think about it all the time because I love food. They say the kingdom of heaven is in every man, and well not so sound blasphemous but I completely agree- once that piece of the kingdom is in my belly! 

My mother also said that my wife will be a sad woman, even if she can cook well, because her food will be my first love. ( my mom says many things, not all of them true). While I think this is a case of exaggeration, I can't deny that in this material world- food keeps me happy. Whenever I am in a bad mood, no matter how bad things get, all I need to do is eat some good food at my favourite restaurant, and voila! The world is alright once more!

So there you have it, my raison d'être, my love, my life. Long live food!

Kampung Attap Fish Head Curry ( Restoran ZK)

Ikan merah a.k.a. Red Snapper fish head curry.

Type of food: Indian
Signature dish: Fish Head Curry
Location: No. 76, Jalan Kampung Attap, 50460 Kuala Lumpur.
Map: http://g.co/maps/jwmgb
Opening hours: All days except Sunday, 11.30 a.m. - 2.30 p.m. ( or until they run out of fish!)
Contact: 03-22739786
Other: Halal. Medium spicy.

Restoran ZK, or more well known simply by the name Kampung Attap Fish Head Curry is a nice cozy shack with an old style zinc roof, under a giant tree. It's been a favourite haunt of local big wigs, politicians, , families, and policemen whose station is only a few minutes walk away. It attracts people from all walks of life, and it's because there is something for everyone.

Zinc-roofed shack under a tree, dining a la Malaysia.

Before we move on to the food, you will notice that right next to the shack there is another Restoran ZK, in a proper shoplot, selling the exact same dishes and belonging to the exact same owner. I would ask you to not eat there. Somehow, it seems like the shack's food, tastes fresher and better. Maybe it's purely psychological, or perhaps it's something to do with the higher turnover at the shack, but in any case, eating under a giant tree and dodging leaves when the wind blows is part of the fun!

Clockwise from far bottom left: salada, tauge, fish head, pappadum, ayam madu, sotong.

Anyway, so my family and I ordered quite the feast. There was some pappadum*, a plate of salada, sotong, ayam madu, tauge, and of course, who can forget the fish head curry itself.

The fish head is ikan merah, and is cooked very well, giving a nice, firm bite. The meat is smooth, and gelatinous at the cheeks, giving a good balance between meat and supple ( and healthy!) fish oil. The gravyis a good blend of herbs and spices, the star anise, turmeric and curry powder is particular prominent, giving the curry a thick, fragrant flavour.

Ayam madu.

The ayam madu is a personal favourite of my younger brother's. The chicken is fried to the right degree with just a light coating of curry powder, and is tender and crispy at all the right places. When you dip the chicken into the madu, that blend of gooey sweetness and savoury crunchiness is a fantastic combination.

Salada

The tauge are fresh and juicy, but really nothing to shout about. Far more worthy is the surprisingly simple yet refreshing salada. It's an original concoction of thick soy sauce, light soy sauce freshly chopped onions and green chilies. I was rather skeptical when I first saw this, but after trying it, it's definitely a tasty and worthy compliment to the fish head curry. Think of it as a freshener, after all the thick, heavy, spice-laden curry you have this cleansing, potent salad. I'm a believer.

Sotong.

The sotong here is also done very well. Unlike many other restaurants, ZK manages to cook fresh sotong to the right degree- bouncy yet tender, with a bite yet not chewy. The gravy is a light, sweet and savoury addition that contrasts very well with the heavy tones of the fish head curry. You could also try his kambing dishes if you're into more meaty dishes.

The fish head itself cost RM 80, quite a hefty sum, but considering the head was really quite big, and it is from the rather expensive ikan merah ( about RM 25-RM30 a kg at markets), I would say that it is an alright price to pay. The other dishes are within the RM 4- RM 10 range, fairly reasonable. Overall, definitely a must go if you're into fish head curry.

Restoran ZK
Taste: 8/10- Great fish head, and really well done side dishes.
Value: 7/10- Fish head is on the pricey side, but other dishes are reasonably priced.
Health: 7/10- Well, there are a lot of calories involved, but this is largely seafood and spices, so it's alright.
Overall: 4/5 durians!

 

Notes*:
Pappadum- Indian crackers, have a slight salty taste.
Salada- Malaysian for salad.
Sotong- Squid
Ayam madu- honey chicken
Tauge- Beansprouts
Ikan merah- Red Snapper, a deep sea fish prized for its meat.
Kambing- Mutton

Les Deux Garçons

The White Truffle macaron. Mmmm. ( mentioned further down)

Type of food: Western
Signature dish: Macarons
Location: 36, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 KL, Malaysia.
Map: http://g.co/maps/q7mnc
Opening hours: All days, 12.00p.m. - 8.00p.m.
Contact: 03-22847833
Other: Non-halal ( one flavor has alcohol, but that's about it I think)

Note: This post was written in February 2012, a full one year before their Facebook PR disaster. At the time, service was alright though not spectacular, but it was definitely not rude or hostile in anyway. The ill-conceived response to a customer's genuine complaint is deeply regrettable and has no place in a supposedly "quality establishment".
See for yourself here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151289601617735&set=o.190072754350375&type=1&theater

Les Deux Garçons is a deceptive little pâtisserie. For a start, its name literally means in French the two guys. No guys in sight, only one woman. Perhaps they should have named themselves La Seul Fille* instead. But beyond labels, this "boutique" holds many surprises- good things do come in small packages after all.

The restaurant has a very stylish, modern; simple yet elegant kind of feel. The white walls, with the expertly done marble tops are simply stunning. The orchid adds a nice dash of colour. Together with the white deck chairs and tables outside the shop, the whole sheer whiteness of the place just gives you an impression of- wait for it- heaven. And boy, it sure is heaven.

There is a wide menu of desserts and pastries to choose from, ranging from tarts to cakes. But of course, the macarons are what we are here for. I'm told that there are more than 12 flavours to choose from, including the berrylicious blueberry, traditional coffee cream, and for the adventurous, a spicy chilli one. 

After mulling it over, my friends and I decided to try five flavours-white truffle (rm 9) a premium flavor, vodka lime, pistachio, coffee hazelnut and dark chocolate ( 4 for RM 18.50).

Clockwise from far left: white truffle, vodka lime, dark chocolate, coffee hazelnut and pistachio.

First off, we tried the white truffle premium flavour. Yes, we shared that tiny thing. Imagine, three guys taking a knife and cutting these tiny sugary things into three pieces. What to do, we wanted to try more flavours without going bankrupt ma, a la Malaysian style. ANYWAY, back to the white truffle.

The white truffle is just elegant. Its got gold dust on it, making it almost too good looking to eat. Almost. A bite into it reveals an excellent balance of crunch, sweetness and gooey centre- melt in your mouth goodness. It feels like drowning in waves of pleasure. My friend, Kenneth insisted on this being the best flavour, but he's an elitist with food- expensive taste, ooh I love the truffle oil blablabla. ( I hope he's not reading this. Hehe.)

We followed that up with the vodka lime. It was rather disappointing to be honest. It has got an initial tangy, refreshing feel that strikes a good balance with the sweetness, and then as you're waiting for that final kick that will push it into pure bliss, it doesn't come. To me, the vodka was just not strong enough, and was just washed away by the sugar and lime- making this flavour rather one dimensional.

Dark chocolate is just great. The ganache for this flavour is more firm and chewy, giving it a good contrast to the other macarons. It has a rich, thick, natural cocoa taste that is just so sinful. 

Coffee hazelnut is my personal favourite. It brings back childhood memories of Kopiko- but now sandwiched in between two layers of sugary goodness and a fragrant background of lovely hazelnut. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Food-gasm.

Pistachio is yet another fantastic flavour. The texture of the ganache for this macaron is almost kaya like, and the nutty feel of the macaron just leaves you with a taste-bud busting aftertaste.

Drinking the illy coffee served at the shop, eating macarons on white deck chairs; makes me feel like I'm almost French. After the meal, the three of us sat there with our eyes closed. I felt like an angel bouncing on pink fluffy clouds. Or maybe it was just the sugar rush. Heh. Find out for yourself.

Les Deux Garçons
http://www.lesdeuxgarcons.com.my/store/
Taste: 9/10- Crunchy outside, gooey inside; pieces of heaven.
Value: 6/10- Pretty expensive, at RM 5 a pop. Only real reason overall rating goes down.
Health: 7/10- Great, natural ingredients, but it's still a lot of sugar and calories. 
Ambience: 8/10- Pure, chic decor gives an almost blissful feel.

Overall: 3.5 durians!

Notes*:

La Seule Fille- the only gal

Pâtisserie- French term for a bakery that specialises in pastry.

Macaron- sweet confectionary made with icing, egg white, etc; usually has a 'jam' sandwiched between two 'cookies'.

Ganache- Filling for pastry. The previously mentioned 'jam'.

Nasi Lemak Tanglin

Type of food: Malay

Signature dish: Nasi Lemak ( coconut rice)

Location:Kompleks Makan Tanglin, Jalan Cenderasari, Tasik Perdana, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan

Map: http://g.co/maps/ktnw6

Opening Hours: All days, 7.00a.m.-10.30a.m.

Contact: 03-22843366

Other: Halal. Medium spicy.

Nasi Lemak Tanglin is one of the best known Nasi Lemak stalls in Kuala Lumpur, situated in a food court near Lake Gardens/ Bukit Aman. It's been around for ages, and past 8am the crowd starts to form a long line. My father swears by this place, and it's easy to understand why.

The nasi* is fresh, fragrant, and especially in the early morning is hot and fluffy. The sambal is a good, deep-flavoured spice infused prawn base, it's obvious it has lots of herbs and spices that give it a layered taste. It might be a bit mild in terms of spiciness for some though, I find it just right.

There is a good selection of lauk to choose from, ranging from the more mundane fried egg to the more exotic cooked beef liver. I went for their specialty ayam dish, the sambal sotong, and fried ubi. The ayam is a fantastic one- it is not quite rendang, not quite curry, but is something born out of a union of the two. It has a good, thick santan and herb infused yellow gravy, the chicken is cooked perfectly, and with some rice, the aroma of kunyit is just sublime. The sotong is relatively tender, but otherwise nothing to really shout about; whereas the fried ubi is a nice, filling side dish for carbo-suckers like me. 

The meal, for both me and my dad costs RM 9.50. A pretty reasonable price, definitely worth it. It's near the Lake Gardens, so it's ideal spot to eat breakfast after a morning jog. Heh, I know, what's the point of exercise then, but I can say its worth the extra calories. 

There is also a Chinese kopitiam stall at the other end of the food court which serves decent coffee, tea and Hainanese toast, if you like your breakfasts a la muhibbah style.

Nasi Lemak Tanglin

Taste: 8/10 - One of the best nasi lemak in town.

Value: 8/10 - Can't complain about the price.

Health: 6/10 - Calories, but really, who cares?!

Overall: 4/5 durians!

Notes*:

Nasi- rice

Sambal- spicy paste

Lauk- dishes

Ayam- chicken

Sotong- squid

Ubi- Potato

Kunyit- Turmeric

LRT

Facets of A Malaysian’s Life. Episode 1

It’s been a long day. I try to sleep, back leaning against the metal pole, half-hugging it as the carriage vibrates, try to close my eyes as the drone of the train goes on.

“STESEN PUDU.”

I open my eyes, hoping for a newly vacant seat. I’m beaten to it by two men, Burmese by the looks of them, who run into the train just as the BEEP BEEP BEEP of doors close.

Damn la.

Anyway, those look rather dodgy. Heh, when the Star reports about illegal immigrants being criminals, for all you know, its these two. Best keep my distance anyway, no big deal.

Next to them, a young Chinese man in a shirt and tie is sweating away, a file used as a fan. Opposite him, a group of Indians are talking animatedly to each other. Diagonally across, a Malay lady is playing with her Iphone. Angry Birds from the looks of it.

“STESEN PLAZA RAKYAT.”

All look up as the door opens.

An elderly mak cik walks in, almost tripping over the tiny gap as she carries all her Mydin plastic bags, flimsily clutching her purse. She stands just by the door.

A few moments pass, they all look away.

Except the two Burmese men.

The two of them rise with alarming urgency- they begin to walk towards her, hands outstretched, fingers curved- ready in a grabbing motion. They reach for the bags.

——-

Mak Cik is sitting on the train bench with her goods parked next to her. The two Burmese men are standing where she was, smiling and talking to the mak cik.

All look down- at Iphones, at files, at shoes. Anywhere but at Mak Cik.

“STESEN MASJID JAMEK.”

The two men get off, mak cik waving to them as they leave.

Damn la.

Note: This is the first of an ongoing series of short stories on the facets of Malaysian life. Be sure to catch the next story, City of Cutlery next week.

Overhaul!

Hello everybody! Real sorry for the delay in posting anything. The truth is, the IB has been catching up with me. This delay looks like it'll be here to stay. There's good news though!

The delay will stay because:
1.Diversification
I've decided that holing myself up as a sociopolitical blogger is just stifling, and besides, its boring to read about the same thing all the time. Therefore, Durian Democracy will now feature everything under the goddamn hot Malaysian sun- food, cars, art, literature, news from other sources, debate etc. My aim is to make this blog a piece about Malaysian LIFE, and not just politics. After all, most of my political posts are on LoyarBurok anyway. As you can tell, I'm also going to make this blog reach out and more intimate.

2. Perestroika
Ooh what a fancy word. Nah, its just a Russian word for restructuring. Yes, restructuring! This blog is going to be changed, wiped clean, no more weird, badly cropped durian background! The blog is going to be revamped with a cleaner, easy to read format- as well as- individual pages for different categories of things- all the better for all you readers out there!

3.Originality
Now that I have obtained an all new camera, soon, we shall be witnessing original photos! I am also considering taking on new writers under the Durian Democracy wing, and really, just making this blog a more lively place!

Anyways, thank you to all my readers, and hopefully, you'll see me again soon enough!

From the core of the durian seed,
Kar Jin.

Generation wh(Y)

Dear Youth,

“Generasi muda ialah bakal pemimpin negara dan merupakan...”

Yeah, yeah, what a load of crap.

You’ve heard this line everywhere—from politicians, principals, teachers, parents. You’ve read it in some cryptic, preachy moral textbook that assumes memorising moral values will somehow make you a better person. You’ve absent-mindedly invoked this phrase in some clichéd BM karangan (because your teacher promised you it was worth 5 marks) along with some peribahasa (idiom) about how we all should join shoulders like the aur (bamboo) tree and the river bank, hop around and sing Kumbaya till 2020, at which point we would have reached our ultimate life goal and floated off to a sort of utopia where all is perfect (complete with an endless supply of free food—how else would it be perfect?)

So if young people like you and me are the heralded future leaders who will march our country into a glittering future where no man, woman or child will ever go hungry, why are there so many complaints against us? Why is it that we’re so often accused of being obsessed with Justin Bieber (God forbid!) or Jessica Alba (guilty!) and care about little else? Why do older people constantly describe us as apathetic, lackadaisical and immature? Why do they complain that we don’t know anything about the world, and that we shouldn’t  have the right to vote because we wouldn’t know how to use it anyway?

Well, while some of their accusations may well be true, I think we’re not entirely to blame. Here’s why.

Why we like that one?!

Let me give you a simple analogy. My mother expects me to get straight As. She nags gently reminds me every single day that I should not disappoint her and dad, my aunties, uncles, the countless generations of illustrious Ongs and our family dog.

Her expectations push me to work hard. A tiny little voice in my head whispers “you are destroying your future!” every time I reach for my book—Facebook, that is.

On the other hand, I have a friend whose parents don’t expect as much from him. Okay, perhaps that’s an understatement. They reward him with fantastic prizes such as an iPad just for taking the SPM. They say he can always just take over the family business.

He’s a nice guy and all, but his academic results just aren’t that great, to say the least.

My point is, when people expect more of us, we tend to work harder, care more. This applies in everything, and that includes caring about the world at large. When we ask curious questions or butt into intense political discussions to give our two cents’ worth, we’re often told that we’re too young for these things, that we wouldn’t understand, that there's no point worrying, that we should run along and busy ourselves with our studies instead.

“Aiya... no need to care la.. No point now, wait till you get older,” they say.

Our elders don’t expect us to care about civil society. Sometimes even, they don’t want us to care. And because of that, a lot of young people don’t bother! Why should we? It’s not like politics or stuff like that concerns us, right?

Wrong.

Why we should give a sh**

The complaints students have are largely the same. They complain about how stupid and stifling the education system is, how they hate sejarah (history) because it’s so rigid and didactic, how there aren’t enough scholarships, and how annoying it is to keep switching back and forth between BM and English.

Hmmm. Don’t these seem like political decisions to you? They are all decisions made at the top level of administration, that trickle down and profoundly affect our lives. Even for people who aren’t the type to complain, don’t forget that the rising costs of living and the way the budget is used still affects what shoes you can buy, which restaurants you go to and how many nights you can afford to go clubbing.

But you know why we should care even more than anybody else? Because policy decisions affect us more than many other segments of society. Take as an example the recent government move to extend and improve the LRT service to the larger Klang Valley (the My Rapid Transit project). By the time the project is finished around 2016 or so, the people who are going to be working and utilising public transport will be us. Another example is the government’s move to regulate and limit medical degree programmes—again, the people who should really care are potential medical students: you and me! Need any more convincing? The move to abolish bumiputera quotas will probably only really take effect in four or five years time—again you and me. The Lynas plant, which will process rare earth minerals, could be a potential health hazard—to our health and our children’s.

The point is, we should care for the simple reason that we have a huge stake in how things pan out. But how can we contribute? Is it possible to make a meaningful contribution?

Yes, We Can.

Not to plagiarise Obama, but it’s 100% true. There are plenty of ways for us to contribute. UndiMalaysia is a fantastic civil education programme that educates people on their rights, and has workshops on how to exercise those rights, open to all. LoyarBurok is another such website, where people of all ages and backgrounds are given the opportunity to express their opinions. Then there are also venues such as the Malaysian Public Policy Competition where young Malaysians harness their brain power to rethink public policy.

But beyond the large-scale events and camera flashbulbs, there are plenty of simple ways we can empower ourselves. Sharing a news story on Facebook, simply mentioning issues while at the mamak stall, and just reading the newspaper (not just the comics or sports section, mind you). Awareness goes a long way in making us better-informed citizens and voters for the future. Remember Auntie Bersih? Her photograph was taken by Hugo Teng, a youth just like you and me, and look at the waves those poignant shots created. Small steps can move a nation.

The reason so many oppressive regimes ban universities students from participating in politics or rallies is simple. It’s because they fear young people. They fear us because we are powerful.

It’s time to wield that power.

Yours sincerely,
Youth.

As published on the HELP A-Levels student newsletter, the A-Voice.