Laksa Jitra Mai

In KL, a good laksa utara is hard to find. Although this laksa is freely available in pasar malam's, most of them fails in two main parts. One, the laksa broth is too runny and does not have enough fish taste. Two, the laksa comes from a packet and is too hard. And yes, you want your laksa to be al dente. It's not just for spaghetti. But, we found Laksa Jitra Mai that can simply be said as one of the best in KL, on a mobile motorcycle, underneath a big tree in Kota Damansara.

Jitra Mai simply serves it the original way. Laksa noodle, sliced cucumbers, sliced raw onions, cut spring onions, daun kesum, half cut lime and the hallmark of laksa kedah, a half cut boiled egg. That's it.

The laksa broth is simply magical. Thick and chockful of fish. They say that they use sardines but I suspect that they throw in other types of fish as well to give the broth a much richer taste. Laksa Kedah normally uses ikan termenung (a variant of lkan kembung) and I can taste a hint of this in the broth.

The broth is left to simmer in the laksa cauldron from noon to about six pm so if you come just before closing time, you will have a much thicker yummy fishy broth because the broth has gone through a slow reduction process.

The laksa noodle here is al-dente most times. It has slightly irregular shapes as opposed to the perfectly tubular machined shaped noodle. This may mean that their laksa noodle is handmade although they claim otherwise. It's just too irregular to be machine made.

At RM3.50, this is happiness in a bowl. Rice noodle served with a thick fishy broth, with boiled eggs and condiments on the side. However, the whole thing comes in a styrofoam bowl with tinny plasticky spoons which is actually quite disappointing. Stuff this good should at least merit the typical plastic bowl. Pretty good stuff by our standards. 

We've had people who previously only preferred the Chinese assam laksa finishing a bowl or two of Jitra Mai's Malay laksa. Now, Chinese version laksa have a completely different taste profile compared to Malay laksa. Broth is clearer, cooked using sardines with the addition of pineapples. Laksa Kedah has a thick broth, Laksa Perlis uses eels, and Malay Laksa Penang uses a mixture of fish.

Jitra Mai does not sell any water with their laksa. They have something even better. Cendol. This is a special cendol that compliments their laksa extremely well. Ice is thinly shaved, then cendol and kidney beans are added, before gula melaka and coconut milk are poured in. A simple cooling drink that we highly recommend. They also serve a pulut version here.

This is a simple mobile 2 man unit. One serves the food, the other picks up plates and co-assists when it gets busy. This is street food at its best. Eating beside the street and underneath a tree. If it rains, everybody just have to cower and eat under the one umbrella shack.

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Mee Bandung

A popular Johorean dish, Mi Bandung is made by cooking noodles in a thick broth and then garnishing it with beef strips, prawns and veg. The addition of poached egg makes it even more tastier. So flavourful that you'll want more than one bowl!

Ingredients

To be blended :

7-8 Shallots

4 Cloves Garlic

15 Dried Chilies

½ Cup Dried Shrimp

1 Cup Water

Noodles and Ingredients for the broth :

4 Tbs Oil

1 Tbs Oyster Sauce

6 Cup of Beef Stock

A Handful of Sawi ( Chinese Mustard Leaves ), roughly chopped

A Handful of Chinese Cabbage, roughly chopped

15 Fresh Prawns

200 gm Beef ( Boil the beef until tender for about 20 minutes then slice into strips)

2 Eggs

600 gm Egg Noodles

A pinch of Salt

1 tsp Sugar

Method

1. Blend the shallots, garlic, dried chillies, dried shrimp and water into a fine paste. Heat up oil in wok, sauté blended ingredients until fragrant.

2. Stir in oyster sauce and beef stock.

3. Mix in sawi, chinese cabbage, prawns and beef strips. Leave to simmer.

4. Then, bring to boil and crack eggs into wok. Do not stir.

5. Season with salt and sugar.

6. Lastly, add the egg noodles and let it cook for about a minute.

 Mix in sawi, chinese cabbage, prawns and beef strips.

Add egg into the wok. 

 Make sure to season with salt and sugar before you add the noodles.

 Add in the noodles.

 Let the noodles cook for a minute.

 Once the noodles are cooked, ladle some into a plate.

Mee Bandung Ready!!!!....Nyum..Nyum

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Mirrors George Town by Ernest Zacharevic

Mirrors George Town is a street art project by international artist Ernest Zacharevic, commissioned  for George Town Festival 2012. 

The project consists of several large-scale wall paintings, all located within the core heritage zone of George Town, Penang.

The idea behind the project was to turn the streets of Penang into an open-air gallery that can be admired and experienced as one takes a walk while exploring the heritage enclave. The murals – figure drawings and portraits – celebrates the multiculturalism and diversity of the city’s inhabitants, the living heritage of George Town.

George Town Festival (GTF), as described on the official website “is a month-long celebration of art, music, theatre, dance opera and film to commemorate George Town’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage listing on July 7, 2008. Each year since 2009, GTF transforms George Town into an exciting and unique platform for the arts, heritage and culture.”

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Top 10 Adventures in Malaysia

Located in the tropics, Malaysia is separated into two halves by the South China Sea. The peninsula is home to the sprawling modern cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang, while Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo boast jaw-dropping landscapes and vast amounts of endemic flora and fauna. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country with a very diverse culture and heritage. It is the abode of tropical evergreen forests, huge national parks as well as rugged mountain terrains.

Here is my bucket list of some great Malaysian adventures that I would love to do when I visit this beautiful country!

Hiking in Mount Kinabalu:

Mount Kinabalu earns the distinction of being the tallest mountain in South-East Asia and offers an astonishing panoramic view of Sabah from it’s highest point. It is one of the easier peaks to conquer but the addition of a 1.2 km long Via Ferrata now offers various routes that have different levels of difficulties. The hike to Low’s Peak, which is the highest point (4095m) is the best part of the tour as the views from the peak are stunning and make all the effort worthwhile!

Yachting:

Malaysia boasts a fascinating coastline and the best way to enjoy the beauty of it is by chartering a yacht. Sailing to Langkawi islands would be a serene experience. Langkawi is home to uninhabited islands, lush rain forests, beautiful white sand beaches, astonishing caves and lakes. You can also spot long tailed macaques, Langkawi sea eagles, hairy nosed sea otters as well as the shy yet beautiful langour. It would be a perfect sailing holiday for all nature lovers.

Mountain Biking:

Mountain biking through the tarmac roads of Borneo is a great way to see what Malaysia has to offer. It’s a rustic way to discover mountains, beautiful rivers, beaches and the dense forests of the country! It is an adventurous way to get a feel of the country as it moves under your wheels!

Jungle Trekking in Taman Negara:

Taman Negara is Malaysia’s largest national park and is home to numerous wonderful species of wildlife and dense, lavish rainforests. The canopy walk which affords you a view from atop the forest, and the night watches for nocturnal life, makes for once-in-a-lifetime experiences!

Scuba  diving in Sipadan:

Sipadan is considered to be the Mecca for most diving enthusiasts. Sipadan is an exquisitely beautiful habitat for over 500 species of coral and over 3000 species of fish. Scuba diving in the Sipadan waters is unique as it features a majestic drop-off that cascades down into 700 meters of endless beauty. The diving site offers a visual treat as the waters feature a diverse range of marine life ranging from the hawksbill turtle to the white-tip shark.

Platform Snorkeling:

The Langkawi islands offer a unique experience of exploring the beautiful coral reefs, not through scuba, but from a floating platform that is accessed by a speed boat. This gives a rare opportunity for snorkelers to tour the radiant coral garden that is enriched with great marine life!

Whitewater Rafting:

The Sungai Kampar river in Perak offers a thrilling rafting adventure as you can ride through the beautiful river that is set amongst a luscious rain forest and tackle 14 exciting rapids. The river flows along extravagant caves and temples, and also features hot springs. The whitewater rafting will make you go on an adrenaline rush and is a great way to get in touch with nature!

Living with the Penan Tribe:

This is a great adventure as you can get to explore some unprotected areas in Sarawak and live with the tribes as well as learn about their fascinating rituals. You can experience their activities of blowpipe making, rattan weaving and wildlife tracking, and learn the value of medicinal plants as well. It is a truly fascinating way to appreciate nature among those who are closest to it.

Wreck Diving:

Diving enthusiasts can indulge in wreck diving as four great wrecks await exploration in the stunning Labuan Islands. They include an Australian wreck, an American wreck, a blue water wreck and a cement wreck. The crystal clear blue waters give great visibility for all the wrecks.

Jet Ski:

Another great, fun water activity is the jet ski tours on the waters of the Menumbok river, in Sabah. The tours last up to almost three hours and the jet skis can be rented from the many watersports centres in the area. Jet skiing is a great water sport for people of all ages and probably the best way to enjoy the sun and waters!

With such rich natural beauty, culture and heritage, Malaysia is indeed “Truly Asia”!

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R.A Nasi Lemak

If we have to choose a national dish, nasi lemak would be a worthy contender. It's the most familiar and widely enjoyed dish in Malaysia. In KL, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to nasi lemak. One of our all-time-favourite NL haunt is R.A Nasi Lemak.

Paru goreng at R.A is what makes me come here over and over again. Theirs is the dry version where cow lungs are deep fried with ginger and shallots until crispy. To tenderize the lung, they boil it whole for a few minutes before cutting it into thin slices and then frying it. The texture of the lungs is like beef jerky, crisp on the outside and a little chewy when you take a bite. If you're a paru fan, be prepared to come early because these dream-worthy lungs would be one of the first things to run out every day.

Sambal sotong is also popular here. The squid is covered with thick sambal while the texture is springy with plenty of bite. 

Even eaten plain, the nasi lemak here is pretty good. Rice is cooked almost al-dente so it's not clumpy and dense. It falls into individual grains making them the perfect transporter for the chilli sambal. The rice is flavoured with just a hint of coconut milk, which makes it light enough to enjoy on a workday morning. 

The sambal is not overly sweet and has just enough heat. So, if you love chillies, this could be a bit mild for your liking.

You can find R.A Nasi Lemak at Raja Abdullah ( hence the R.A in their name ), near the Dang Wangi police station. A cook named Haji Gedek created most of the popular dishes here and the recipes have remained unchanged since he started selling nasi lemak more than 25 years ago.

Although Haji Gedek is no longer around, his legacy lives on through his grandchildren, Puan Roslin and Encik Fendi. Now, they're the ones handling the business. The business has prospered and nasi lemak fans still flock here every day to get their nasi lemak fix. With so many fans, it's no wonder that R.A goes through 5-6 barrels of rice daily.

Another plus point for R.A are their prices. Even though it's located smack in the middle of the city, the prices have remained low. For 'nasi lemak biasa' you only need to pay RM1.50 and even with lauk, a plate of nasi lemak would usually only cost about RM3.50. This makes breakfast here tastes even more tastier! 

For lung aficionados who don't mind waking up early to sample the best paru goreng in KL, I urge you to try the ones sold at R.A. Even if you're not an early-riser, you'll have to try it at least once. I won't be surprised if the paru goreng here would actually motivate you to wake a little bit earlier than usual because they're just so totally worth it. 


Address:
15A Jalan Raja Abdullah, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur. 
(Roadside stall behind Dang Wangi train station)

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