tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53062730594265601322024-03-05T22:56:28.137-08:00Eat Your Heart OutAn Occasional Chronicle of Our Culinary AdventuresHowardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12672308448529605680noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306273059426560132.post-27201668109925844712023-02-12T03:42:00.551-08:002023-02-12T20:36:23.907-08:00US Cuisine in Our Neighborhood<h2><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Matt's Question</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After seeing the Port Klang seafood dishes, Matt wondered <i>i<b>f our Malaysian neighbors ever asked about American food like BBQ wings and specialty pizzas</b></i><b>.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, yes and no. US fast food chains started penetrating Asian countries in the 1970s. For good or bad, fast food burgers from Mac and fried chicken from KFC have defined "US food" to the masses. An online article (link below) states that A&W was the first US chain to land in Malaysia in the early 1970s, followed by KFC. Many more have since arrived, and many have thrived. (1971 was when McDonald's landed in Japan, FYI.)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So no, the locals don't wonder about pizzas, burgers, and chicken wings; they know all about whatever the fast food chains choose to sell them. Occasionally a local entrepreneur will start a "real" pizza restaurant featuring wood-fired ovens or a grilled hamburger restaurant featuring hand-shaped patties that are more than a tiny fraction of an inch thick. But they tend to be relatively expensive and clustered in the more expensive neighborhoods.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">US Food in Our Neighborhood</span></h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I thought I'd show you how extensively US chains have penetrated our neighborhood of Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI). Take a look (click on the image to enlarge):</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDxjGLwSYIqNf6H7RREdwvU13M4tjAgl8xVFPbSBL-0c3bKLGyBN-sa8B2CtQ_mrJwXz9G8e9fJ4XjMiTzWQlsTsAyHT8a9LwV7TtfXGEe9PR_g_jafxtQ8uU_3XgOIKxlr2dXs9GXPDnQ0oGwnUvWzNoRq14RkUxwBjJWXPRB1P3-Vk93nk16N5h/s1090/00_eatery_locations_withLabels.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1090" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDxjGLwSYIqNf6H7RREdwvU13M4tjAgl8xVFPbSBL-0c3bKLGyBN-sa8B2CtQ_mrJwXz9G8e9fJ4XjMiTzWQlsTsAyHT8a9LwV7TtfXGEe9PR_g_jafxtQ8uU_3XgOIKxlr2dXs9GXPDnQ0oGwnUvWzNoRq14RkUxwBjJWXPRB1P3-Vk93nk16N5h/w400-h301/00_eatery_locations_withLabels.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>There are at least 10 US chains near our building!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Our 28-story condo building (Sinaran TTDI Condo) sits smack dab in the middle of a commercial area surrounded by single-unit residences and terraced houses. (Pat and I are on the 10th Floor.) About 300 meters away, there's a <i>KFC</i> and a <i>Subway</i> in the same building (I think the same company operates the two franchises). Attached to our facility, more or less, is a <i>Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf</i>. Elsewhere (clockwise) are an <i>A&W</i> and a <i>Burger King</i>. There's a <i>Startbucks</i> and a <i>McDonald's</i>, the 800-pound gorillas of the US chain eateries. When Pat and I returned in December, we found a brand-new <i>Taco Bell!</i> Rounding out the menagerie are two pizza chains, <i>Donino's</i> and <i>Pizza Hut</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">These US fast food stores all fit into pre-existing "shop lots," so they might look different from what you're used to seeing in the US. Scroll down and take a quick tour of the fast-food storefronts in TTDI! (Again, click on each image to enlarge it on your screen.)</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">KFC and Subway</span></h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There's an interesting building about 1,000 feet away from our condo. The ground floor contains our local post office. The first floor has a KFC and a convenience store attached to a gas station, and the second floor is a Subway. (I'm counting the floors the British way.)</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfxif6Mkm7Ndd2xDoN4rPxp7_WJNcW8-eTbdMiZ1whltBMonFD8PUXvcT7rhuYezsxXdUsWxCCUFhxULfXyCXFNk6FObZy2okV4x1vL68I3G3FI8N2vbgQkKB7gzNs2FHdAXU_FpvyP0peA0gX_wOpFJ7rY0CgZFcNw--XCCjDqXSAuVtkQ_SwYo8/s3568/01_kfc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2688" data-original-width="3568" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfxif6Mkm7Ndd2xDoN4rPxp7_WJNcW8-eTbdMiZ1whltBMonFD8PUXvcT7rhuYezsxXdUsWxCCUFhxULfXyCXFNk6FObZy2okV4x1vL68I3G3FI8N2vbgQkKB7gzNs2FHdAXU_FpvyP0peA0gX_wOpFJ7rY0CgZFcNw--XCCjDqXSAuVtkQ_SwYo8/w400-h301/01_kfc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The Colonel says his store's open 24 hours!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqx_Du5xuHArZ7YDXEuVuYktXzMyci7pugamwUs_eIqnMLv5fkNFd0OW-Zkc7w7_snMLt3LjuBYrxAqhOxrJhIb2BX-R1fIUR7SExW9bEl6ags2dYu1tZN5ylaBF96YosFZNnw7nPjiia1lQ5q2ZhCnyJS_Tu-xrHev2X1IFHu8eUjiPCyshsPxw_/s3600/02_subway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2704" data-original-width="3600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqx_Du5xuHArZ7YDXEuVuYktXzMyci7pugamwUs_eIqnMLv5fkNFd0OW-Zkc7w7_snMLt3LjuBYrxAqhOxrJhIb2BX-R1fIUR7SExW9bEl6ags2dYu1tZN5ylaBF96YosFZNnw7nPjiia1lQ5q2ZhCnyJS_Tu-xrHev2X1IFHu8eUjiPCyshsPxw_/w400-h300/02_subway.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The Subway is behind KFC and above the convenience store deli.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Burger King</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Burger King landed in Malaysia in the mid to late 1990s. This one showed up in our TTDI neighborhood a year or two before the Pandemic, and it managed to snag a premium corner lot. Pat and I enjoy eating whoppers there once in a while!</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-90Zhms2yt1xX3SrJlmBEnQjG3U71QF3XEjGR-vxfyTjG7ESD0FvGpFH14SrJt1yPbe8g6owh15JPPDSe9Oce8OL5MPKXWPGgXd7ABm1CjGz77DXdHggDNmZPPQNcOKy0aOIE8fkw_89VI-kZE1r-860Cr4hfcCrqBMOf93opCWkex_WdbEPdIeS/s3508/03_bk.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2628" data-original-width="3508" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-90Zhms2yt1xX3SrJlmBEnQjG3U71QF3XEjGR-vxfyTjG7ESD0FvGpFH14SrJt1yPbe8g6owh15JPPDSe9Oce8OL5MPKXWPGgXd7ABm1CjGz77DXdHggDNmZPPQNcOKy0aOIE8fkw_89VI-kZE1r-860Cr4hfcCrqBMOf93opCWkex_WdbEPdIeS/w400-h300/03_bk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Burger King, the home of flame-broiled goodness!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Starbucks</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>This Starbucks was already here when Pat and I moved to TTDI in 2012. Starbucks' being in Malaysia forced traditional local coffee shops to adapt and fight back with interesting improvements and presentations. This is SE Asian coffee culture at its best! (Note the </span><b>7-Eleven</b><span> across the alley from the Starbucks!)</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ8BiMxuoh2OZhFR0VPxmH0gbE4BFqxDkFE_nxAX1wTBWRlWkKxwEvYWU7fnewKyw8qJen3TrYfdPFhFe2xf3y1_AU0lW6oHklRsH8eQGFufLVmEWEjH6kvU7q82z63Rc6QmlQ-soUP6kkdKSySAKvJzCOTEAn2yVsiRtYwjaKqD5_Js1rOgKOChZ/s3648/04_starbucks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2748" data-original-width="3648" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ8BiMxuoh2OZhFR0VPxmH0gbE4BFqxDkFE_nxAX1wTBWRlWkKxwEvYWU7fnewKyw8qJen3TrYfdPFhFe2xf3y1_AU0lW6oHklRsH8eQGFufLVmEWEjH6kvU7q82z63Rc6QmlQ-soUP6kkdKSySAKvJzCOTEAn2yVsiRtYwjaKqD5_Js1rOgKOChZ/w400-h301/04_starbucks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The sticker shock at a Malaysian Starbucks is as nasty as in the US!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">McDonald's</span></h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In our part of the TTDI neighborhood, each shop lot is a three-story building, and each story typically contains a different tenant. Burger King, for example, occupies only the ground floor, and the Starbucks above uses two floors for customer seating. However, our 800-pound gorilla, McDonald's, uses all three floors of a corner shop lot for seating. The menu is the familiar McD menu, but some seasonal, local items like the "Prosperity Burger" are offered during the Chinese New Year season.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g84siHy3eu2ZhKNMZ9ah9y7YOzznnO2JaNyIZmZFbi2wueFC9ZmNWFetuhNeDxBntpeKw9K2tipqlxIk8Q1REii39nY6b5Y2TenwS-DwmMfXykhYWcYnIWwvAHadT_pWFovDid-Gy6W6vuT2jecPZCAJUMlvJRj0gmIbFI9ytd9sOYkmiKjb0P8-/s3632/05_mcd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2732" data-original-width="3632" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g84siHy3eu2ZhKNMZ9ah9y7YOzznnO2JaNyIZmZFbi2wueFC9ZmNWFetuhNeDxBntpeKw9K2tipqlxIk8Q1REii39nY6b5Y2TenwS-DwmMfXykhYWcYnIWwvAHadT_pWFovDid-Gy6W6vuT2jecPZCAJUMlvJRj0gmIbFI9ytd9sOYkmiKjb0P8-/w400-h301/05_mcd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>McDonald's wants you to use their phone app or in-store electronic ordering system.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>.<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Taco Bell</span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the new kid on the block. This opened sometime between May and November last year while Pat and I were back in Michigan. We have yet to try it!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcf-NWaMFrqfoRWyWF1OyAWIbWiusbhyCehj98idCEarm_2lQOBDqxfaP1N_GVqhWDOciGmCGfAKGg4Bz7Xehbslf6Vi30Oe7ZguPAEtpFP4H-qtf4i0YVM-e2J_7WLqqochUCbjfjgYbSkxYXNtaghdTIvej1Fdj6weYZ0wJu7nPtmT0rwiPaqe8P/s3864/06_taco_bell.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2908" data-original-width="3864" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcf-NWaMFrqfoRWyWF1OyAWIbWiusbhyCehj98idCEarm_2lQOBDqxfaP1N_GVqhWDOciGmCGfAKGg4Bz7Xehbslf6Vi30Oe7ZguPAEtpFP4H-qtf4i0YVM-e2J_7WLqqochUCbjfjgYbSkxYXNtaghdTIvej1Fdj6weYZ0wJu7nPtmT0rwiPaqe8P/w400-h301/06_taco_bell.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>There isn't much seating available on the ground floor.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A & W</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The A&W was already here in our neighborhood when we arrived in 2012. Since there are so few A&W's in the US, it may be easier in SE Asia to get your root beer float fix! Singapore and Indonesia have many A&W outlets as well. Root beer, fried chicken, waffles, and sandwiches dominate their menu, along with a local menu item or two. When I first arrived in Malaysia as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1975, there were already KFCs and A&Ws in the country!</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraSz2TTrTd1taGaiP5vVrDQdmtg5HfmukqVr-tHn1r9C53vPXDvgNLpp20-Xk0b9XecSCl_Sl_7-Et_-Jjn7JRHZHoxfiqvy4kCyJWNQN747Z-EHrL2qUj8KKEOB3Enlv554b6FCZmcPpqxPw9oWkxKUZaDMpo-EWEgibjqweJkaOVFiPLlTjkKun/s3808/10_a&w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2872" data-original-width="3808" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraSz2TTrTd1taGaiP5vVrDQdmtg5HfmukqVr-tHn1r9C53vPXDvgNLpp20-Xk0b9XecSCl_Sl_7-Et_-Jjn7JRHZHoxfiqvy4kCyJWNQN747Z-EHrL2qUj8KKEOB3Enlv554b6FCZmcPpqxPw9oWkxKUZaDMpo-EWEgibjqweJkaOVFiPLlTjkKun/w400-h301/10_a&w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>A&W's presence in Malaysia is modest but is half a century old!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Coffee Bean</span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://coffeebean.com/our-story" target="_blank">Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf</a> (CBTL) is a Southern California-based coffee shop franchise relatively unknown in the US Midwest. There are a couple of outlets at Detroit Metro airport and nowhere else in Michigan (for now). Pat and I prefer this chain over Starbucks; the stores are cleaner and quieter, and the staff is usually less harried and more mellow! They have an interesting Asian expansion strategy: they're in cahoots with <a href="https://www.welcome-aeon.com/" target="_blank">Aeon Mall Co.</a>, a Japanese suburban supermarket-cum-department store chain expanding aggressively in East and SE Asia. New Aeon malls in Malaysia have CBTLs, and I assume that's how CBTL will expand in Japanese suburbs. (There are over 1,600 Starbucks outlets in Japan.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1vQDpW50uB1cBJY97kyeoKA6YI82c8ZzcfAGHrF4z_gNtfNnbr8prfVbm3rAmMWu89ArMX8g0uCe9j1LEIXSEhESfDnm5-TAxIMytuEXlA33HdKQH-FGrphptqqaceXCIaFw4-kbM18gVZN-sXuCZeSt_rX_c6n_Jur8b_atZBBFOESiBDjwCCXg/s3348/09_coffee_bean.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2516" data-original-width="3348" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1vQDpW50uB1cBJY97kyeoKA6YI82c8ZzcfAGHrF4z_gNtfNnbr8prfVbm3rAmMWu89ArMX8g0uCe9j1LEIXSEhESfDnm5-TAxIMytuEXlA33HdKQH-FGrphptqqaceXCIaFw4-kbM18gVZN-sXuCZeSt_rX_c6n_Jur8b_atZBBFOESiBDjwCCXg/w400-h300/09_coffee_bean.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>This outlet is part of a commercial building in our condo complex.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Domino's and Pizza Hut</span></h2></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, Matt, Malaysians love pizza! In the TTDI neighborhood, we have two representatives of US pizza chains: Domino's and Pizza Hut. They are so confident of their popularity and survivability that they're located right across the street from each other! Their menu is similar to the US menus, but they also have Asian items like mochi and squid as toppings. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBb_iWx9dxhVueN1e7bUcGfOiFBWPzMbpLybkFagPmL6qjiUjkkCPhwr4eNlkZje9ad45QzYjLzGHiQuQ6kA5m6e0KzMNwfqnNWKR4Dg-_u65Cg0FMYDALzyGciIG03Z5NKi_TlGsk2WKgNY-7CaDK5dd-lF-5LJqc9hmWBb4V84EPbzgP5LHTUD5A/s3680/07_dominos.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="3680" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBb_iWx9dxhVueN1e7bUcGfOiFBWPzMbpLybkFagPmL6qjiUjkkCPhwr4eNlkZje9ad45QzYjLzGHiQuQ6kA5m6e0KzMNwfqnNWKR4Dg-_u65Cg0FMYDALzyGciIG03Z5NKi_TlGsk2WKgNY-7CaDK5dd-lF-5LJqc9hmWBb4V84EPbzgP5LHTUD5A/w400-h301/07_dominos.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Domino's occupies only one shop lot in our neighborhood ...</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>..<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pLlUYmxFMUC97myvyOxNSDryqom6GtJYxBpDSSR8D5cm6ybuah2c1jJIfqqFiMbkwhVl6aEcJJaiI22y_YYINADTqQ-uocfff7iQxpFeWWZ9ONyCUwfAjsnFpj9vtrf4jgkw2zNmhor672BSbrACvYpzTB3B6vIHf9nwZbEuSRXyaYgYcWrLliGv/s3480/08_pizza_hut.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2620" data-original-width="3480" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pLlUYmxFMUC97myvyOxNSDryqom6GtJYxBpDSSR8D5cm6ybuah2c1jJIfqqFiMbkwhVl6aEcJJaiI22y_YYINADTqQ-uocfff7iQxpFeWWZ9ONyCUwfAjsnFpj9vtrf4jgkw2zNmhor672BSbrACvYpzTB3B6vIHf9nwZbEuSRXyaYgYcWrLliGv/w400-h301/08_pizza_hut.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>... but Pizza Hut occupies a corner of a large commercial building.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Others </span></h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There are many other US fast food and dining chains that you can see in shopping malls but not in TTDI. These include the Malaysian franchises of <a href="https://carlsjr.com.my/" target="_blank">Carl's Jr.</a>, <a href="https://chilis.com.my/#3" target="_blank">Chili's</a>, <a href="https://www.tonyromas.com.my/index.html" target="_blank">Tony Roma's</a>, <a href="https://www.dunkindonuts.com.my/" target="_blank">Dunkin' Donuts</a>, and <a href="https://www.krispykreme.com.my/" target="_blank">Krispy Kreme</a>. <a href="https://www.baskinrobbins.com.my/content/baskinrobbins/en/location.html" target="_blank">Baskin-Robbins</a> of 31 Flavors fame has stores in shopping malls all over the country. Another fried chicken franchise is <a href="https://www.texaschickenmalaysia.com/" target="_blank">Texas Chicken</a>, the international name of <a href="https://www.churchs.com/" target="_blank">Church's Fried Chicken</a>. The name "Church's" doesn't quite make it in Muslim communities, so "Texas Chicken" it is! There are probably many others I don't know!</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Those That Didn't Make It</span></h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally, here's an interesting article on the US fast food franchises that <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/food/2022/03/13/6-fast-food-chains-that-went-extinct-in-malaysia/" target="_blank">came and went in Malaysia</a>. Wendy's was one of the failures, unfortunately.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Matt, if you want to cash in on the fast food market here and spend even more of your life on your feet, then by all means, check out this <a href="https://entrepreneurcampfire.com/american-franchises/" target="_blank">article</a> <grin>. (April, please restrain him.)</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Local Innovations</span></h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On the other hand, Matt, you have a wealth of innovative food ideas, such as the many, many burger ideas you showed me once. (I still have the list somewhere.) If you'd like to try your luck, there's always the food truck route. They're everywhere now, and here's an example just outside our condo building:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqNIvE3qu5YLi25lQ1nRXnF_YBsarFcqsunYQgAKcTZXpqXh4LOT-BWuMe48Zrj9B_h1f8Bm2MiSTnTTQ2871Ez0pE8hU-CPUWG3oFLRT4GG2JePASQs7dCjaOZIwNDXBcH6QgHraZ_FdN-qb8NIjVY_8EwbZp3DpsF7jjM83p1RIncFPXOaS8off/s4032/11_food_truck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqNIvE3qu5YLi25lQ1nRXnF_YBsarFcqsunYQgAKcTZXpqXh4LOT-BWuMe48Zrj9B_h1f8Bm2MiSTnTTQ2871Ez0pE8hU-CPUWG3oFLRT4GG2JePASQs7dCjaOZIwNDXBcH6QgHraZ_FdN-qb8NIjVY_8EwbZp3DpsF7jjM83p1RIncFPXOaS8off/w400-h300/11_food_truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Start your own franchise and bring the kitchen to the people!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed creating it! Ciao!</span></div><p></p>Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12672308448529605680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306273059426560132.post-49225768366833704582023-02-05T21:13:00.006-08:002023-02-16T22:40:15.092-08:00Ayesyah's Birthday Dinner<p>Hey, Matt and April! Hello, fellow food fans!</p><p>Two days before Chinese New Year, our friends Anis and Ana invited Pat and me to accompany their family and some friends to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Port%20Village%20Seafood%20Restaurant,%20Tanjung%20Harapan%20Port%20Klang/331737566945121/" target="_blank">Port Village Seafood Restaurant </a>in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Klang" target="_blank">Port Klang</a>, Malaysia. Klang is the seaport for Kuala Lumpur, <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1ZF7s2YRcX2uJwNe3x2Xjek0SiwQBENM&ll=3.1406476158457424%2C101.62774692272454&z=18" target="_blank">where we live</a>. The occasion was the 28th birthday of their daughter Ayesyah, and she asked for the restaurant in Klang. Pat and I were delighted! We hadn't been there in years (thanks, Covid!), and the food is always excellent! Ayesyah is in the center of the photo below. Ayenaa (left) is her younger sister and a newly minted lawyer, and Farah (right) is their younger brother's girlfriend.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo9-Hu4jUkpISsir7K_iluaxUkV3C0WQ-sr-muMpKNcaD9bi5U8us2LjDryB0v-gWKJ3wC-gExbxlTnObvWj6Vj1pwEN-mfePecYncrOnb72-ndgdOhCuVRx6WSUh7k5ZyjpSO2knZBX2YCK0vJSpTwLQDrMjHKkOyaaW7Asx4ZjduwvezEwx551l/s4032/PXL_20230120_113140320.MP.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo9-Hu4jUkpISsir7K_iluaxUkV3C0WQ-sr-muMpKNcaD9bi5U8us2LjDryB0v-gWKJ3wC-gExbxlTnObvWj6Vj1pwEN-mfePecYncrOnb72-ndgdOhCuVRx6WSUh7k5ZyjpSO2knZBX2YCK0vJSpTwLQDrMjHKkOyaaW7Asx4ZjduwvezEwx551l/w320-h240/PXL_20230120_113140320.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>L-R: Ayenaa, Ayesyah, and Farah<br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But this blog is about food, not pretty girls. On to the dishes we ate! (You should be able to click on the photos to view an enlargement, especially if you're using a PC to read this blog.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Butter Prawns</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sTRJ9H2OWt2gpVGMlIH7OnCrw0JdFkQfdufx8kQkoGU4DECmNaEOX30urMhv1KZM_36vR0hyePVg4ILKNx3JUd0lT5JpNuTY9DkLXT4PJcaJ6KTJZqVYcSdC0PMroJOgIi1nAMOxV-M0n7PMysxhjMOfQ0xNABDLPqqKhC8JDGcGkzDtr2iZirqS/s4032/butter_prawns.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sTRJ9H2OWt2gpVGMlIH7OnCrw0JdFkQfdufx8kQkoGU4DECmNaEOX30urMhv1KZM_36vR0hyePVg4ILKNx3JUd0lT5JpNuTY9DkLXT4PJcaJ6KTJZqVYcSdC0PMroJOgIi1nAMOxV-M0n7PMysxhjMOfQ0xNABDLPqqKhC8JDGcGkzDtr2iZirqS/s320/butter_prawns.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>Butter prawns remaining after the initial onslaught</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">These are deep-fried prawns (so crunchy you can eat most of their shells and legs). This dish is a Malaysian favorite and is available at most seafood restaurants locally. Here's a blogger's take on a <a href="https://farahjeats.com/recipe/malaysian-fried-butter-shrimp-prawn/" target="_blank">recipe </a>for the concoction.</p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Marmite Crab</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLCt8_O286rxOYDUuNs6MOIp11BZYfz_4uLTMepoBtZc3B7oZ18wdvTRoA8Lg78UpY6JJhGXTUCLdSzTSkfvybERp0OrVA-eaqQGMNYZlCRI1a_syJsrEzkPeAuKFOeLCl_PhnHDl76MMDy29zLbq2UxPbS7DB_euM7FV_5O1RoMS5RUoJB60RsCn/s4032/marmite_crab.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLCt8_O286rxOYDUuNs6MOIp11BZYfz_4uLTMepoBtZc3B7oZ18wdvTRoA8Lg78UpY6JJhGXTUCLdSzTSkfvybERp0OrVA-eaqQGMNYZlCRI1a_syJsrEzkPeAuKFOeLCl_PhnHDl76MMDy29zLbq2UxPbS7DB_euM7FV_5O1RoMS5RUoJB60RsCn/s320/marmite_crab.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>Malaysian ingenuity has rendered marmite edible and actually delectable in this dish!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">I don't care for the British Commonwealth dietary peculiarities like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite" target="_blank">Marmite</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite" target="_blank">Vegemite</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovril" target="_blank">Bovril</a>. However, Malaysian seafood chefs have neutralized marmite's original taste (thank God) and have concocted a delicious, sweet sauce to cook soft-shelled crabs. This dish is a little messy to eat (you use your fingers), but it's well worth the effort. The restaurant provided several small hammers to help crack open the shells. Care to cook your own? Here's a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marmitemalaysia/videos/1044255015714922/" target="_blank">recipe</a>.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fried Calamari</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18qpcFZ0n_ubexBRO78lXTirt0yXaH_4Y9IuzkxqSFsbVVhf0Cm2vBQEV2U1GuaII_IHfy3ZV2258F1KEKXGdgux2DnjdHYNuRlVpYEdgNA-AwxOb6k8SU0ZWURCeDo7HpxcbQ8d1O4q14ymnmRBfMy_0shDKv6ARce2z-ZF8Qim-6nxFPI6BBLFl/s4032/fried_calamari.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18qpcFZ0n_ubexBRO78lXTirt0yXaH_4Y9IuzkxqSFsbVVhf0Cm2vBQEV2U1GuaII_IHfy3ZV2258F1KEKXGdgux2DnjdHYNuRlVpYEdgNA-AwxOb6k8SU0ZWURCeDo7HpxcbQ8d1O4q14ymnmRBfMy_0shDKv6ARce2z-ZF8Qim-6nxFPI6BBLFl/s320/fried_calamari.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>A familiar dish everywhere!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>This dish is a global favorite. We don't have to elaborate on this dish, so I'll just include a photo to show you they all look the same everywhere!<h3 style="text-align: left;">Fried Gailan</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCAEKPTBdqZnIveekatkugm97lIe1iCN5hNHa3l5h8NkqRmDg9ATL1oKWDyPcw1NQAzV2n3a_iwV8h9Vfl510m_Y_DKesvD0qeAosFY7AHSc2GAL9XLg35jgO4roq7YGVaJxK5q1AsRyzJ9jah-8JD7_lRgxBZMxleUHeidWsCepIcgy4MrKplRRi/s1222/gailan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1222" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCAEKPTBdqZnIveekatkugm97lIe1iCN5hNHa3l5h8NkqRmDg9ATL1oKWDyPcw1NQAzV2n3a_iwV8h9Vfl510m_Y_DKesvD0qeAosFY7AHSc2GAL9XLg35jgO4roq7YGVaJxK5q1AsRyzJ9jah-8JD7_lRgxBZMxleUHeidWsCepIcgy4MrKplRRi/s320/gailan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>Fried Gailan (Chinese broccoli, Chinese kale)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gai_lan" target="_blank">Gailan</a> is one of the family-style dinner favorites in any Malaysian gathering. The vegetable is commonly translated as "Chinese broccoli" or "Chinese kale," but I believe it's neither broccoli nor kale! The fried dish usually contains lots of garlic and often uses oyster sauce. See one of many possible recipes <a href="https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/gai-lan-oyster-sauce/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Kangkong Belacan</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip61mpYIyui0Y9ymwYmI7kjIelTmdQN992A8pvED2qYS4KSf54ck0RcrwLl3kGdvE3MJoVROuttjrB1wWbmpeZGrYSGiZlhGtzldJSCTD85Xt8I8102RVq3O4eV90u1NlWetMrKEPMeUFXXUsbaGxWwPhzrUKdodki8Xuqag8FYu_Ux6cbHNTXcEop/s4032/kangkong_belacan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip61mpYIyui0Y9ymwYmI7kjIelTmdQN992A8pvED2qYS4KSf54ck0RcrwLl3kGdvE3MJoVROuttjrB1wWbmpeZGrYSGiZlhGtzldJSCTD85Xt8I8102RVq3O4eV90u1NlWetMrKEPMeUFXXUsbaGxWwPhzrUKdodki8Xuqag8FYu_Ux6cbHNTXcEop/s320/kangkong_belacan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>Kangkong belacan: you'll have to get used to the <i>belacan</i> flavor first!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Another favorite dish in insular SE Asia, from the Philippines to Indonesia and everywhere in between, is Kangkong Belacan. (In Malay, you pronounce<i> Belacan</i> as "b'-la-chan.") Feel free read an overly technical description of <b>kangkong</b> from its entry in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_aquatica" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>. It's a hollow-stemmed water reed ("water spinach") that can grow in ponds, drains, and other waterways and is a match made in heaven when paired with a wok and belacan! <b>Belacan</b> is an aromatic (<i>heh, heh</i>) shrimp paste. Read about the horrified reactions of early European colonialists encountering belacan for the first time (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrimp_paste" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>). It's delicious once you get used to the idea and aroma! You can order it from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=belacan&crid=B7NTNZW9M0HS&sprefix=bela%2Caps%2C429&ref=nb_sb_noss_2" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Matt, give it a try following this <a href="https://thewoksoflife.com/kangkung-belacan-water-spinach-with-shrimp-paste/" target="_blank">recipe</a> and stink up your house (but it's worth it)!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sambal Razor Clams</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmK_sYadv5xOxHoThykKIXnY8Z4yROwCapvNk86hW9Jj1jF0c3Rotl_cCfWmEk3JxF_sA0RBQl7Vfcq2hW-9KF-_IgG6mMadXjtlaKLlVCixMVkBNvt4P0GI5r7MoJlUmAt2wbvi5a_CfeIyhdKwXXsDiKEBfxXufwvBOaOs8kXW2VYT_grPLkSaL/s1222/sambal_razor_clam.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1222" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmK_sYadv5xOxHoThykKIXnY8Z4yROwCapvNk86hW9Jj1jF0c3Rotl_cCfWmEk3JxF_sA0RBQl7Vfcq2hW-9KF-_IgG6mMadXjtlaKLlVCixMVkBNvt4P0GI5r7MoJlUmAt2wbvi5a_CfeIyhdKwXXsDiKEBfxXufwvBOaOs8kXW2VYT_grPLkSaL/s320/sambal_razor_clam.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>Sambal Razor Clams: the razor clams here are the long, tubular type</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">These tubular clams are sometimes called "bamboo clams," better describing their shape. In many parts of the world, "razor clam" shells are more oval. They're clams fried with sambal or Malaysian-Singaporean chili paste (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DLjZgLs7Cw" target="_blank">recipe</a>). You slide the clams out of the shell and eat them with rice. I looked for a recipe featuring razor clams but couldn't find a good one. I give you instead a recipe for fried <a href="https://friedchillies.com/what-to-cook/chinese/sambal-lala/" target="_blank">sambal clams</a>. You can substitute your favorite shellfish or prawns instead.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sizzling Fried Egg Tofu</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrg7ivVM9R5V22sGKTB-n26mBWVHuKN7UEhD8XVdGdYk1UStpGRV-Q1QHzCJKEuhOthXmi2i2UT3HEy4nq3Om9N3a_lO2Ghxs9TnzZpJmfY48pHXO3JygsFnmKYxk1KtA2eikxNFx4pUZ0i-uBORVurOIPDuNiGDYWWAe6XFRlSMSIiOUvxEYDiXI5/s4032/sizzling_fried_egg_tofu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrg7ivVM9R5V22sGKTB-n26mBWVHuKN7UEhD8XVdGdYk1UStpGRV-Q1QHzCJKEuhOthXmi2i2UT3HEy4nq3Om9N3a_lO2Ghxs9TnzZpJmfY48pHXO3JygsFnmKYxk1KtA2eikxNFx4pUZ0i-uBORVurOIPDuNiGDYWWAe6XFRlSMSIiOUvxEYDiXI5/s320/sizzling_fried_egg_tofu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>The tenderness of tofu provides a nice contrast to the texture of the other items.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This dish uses the soft Japanese "silken" tofu cooked with minced meat of some kind, served over a layer of beaten eggs on a sizzling hot plate. It's a great veggie dish accompaniment to meat and fish dishes! I know you're dying to try this, so here's the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBHK8J6v2Cc" target="_blank">YouTube video</a>!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Nonya Steamed Fish</h3></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajhqcFbfJAN1s_hCTjGF1xzcz7u2npFXaXucb6kIrpjJinTnZyJ-Nt20BM2Wxrw2ZHY1K1bGq7UnGe1B7arQiFZtnpXgeoxjMbM5TV5xGlgcPjtlqJYBopBIUQ-GAwjWY21QohjDv19MZZzznxKZxu1vU2MwpVA-AANBMR1p09U7H8ztFR4gASIe5/s4032/nonya_steamed_fish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajhqcFbfJAN1s_hCTjGF1xzcz7u2npFXaXucb6kIrpjJinTnZyJ-Nt20BM2Wxrw2ZHY1K1bGq7UnGe1B7arQiFZtnpXgeoxjMbM5TV5xGlgcPjtlqJYBopBIUQ-GAwjWY21QohjDv19MZZzznxKZxu1vU2MwpVA-AANBMR1p09U7H8ztFR4gASIe5/s320/nonya_steamed_fish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>There <i>is</i> a splayed and flattened fish underneath all the curry and garnishes!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">An eagerly anticipated dish in any Malaysian seafood banquet is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sihUdz2EYOw" target="_blank">steamed fish</a>. This evening Anis ordered the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peranakan_cuisine" target="_blank">Nonya variety</a> for us. This version is spicier and has more uniquely SE Asian flavors built in than the purely Chinese recipes. Americans may not care as much for steamed fish dishes as Asians because the fish flavor and taste are preserved much better than in typical US fish dishes. Steamed fish is a spectacular way to share a big fish family-style around any table! Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMtunYUh9M0&t=32s" target="_blank">video</a> on how to prepare Nonya steamed fish.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So that was the dinner at Port Village Seafood Restaurant! As you may have noticed, I favor the YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CookingAhPa" target="_blank">Cooking Ah Pa</a> channel for recipes and instructions on preparing typical Malaysian dishes. Matt, you should check out Ah Pa's channel. If you teach yourself to speak like Ah Pa, you'll have learned Malaysian English and have no trouble finding your way around Kuala Lumpur 😁!</div>Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12672308448529605680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306273059426560132.post-62258948073192299922016-02-03T21:28:00.002-08:002023-02-16T22:30:03.982-08:00At the Hadramawt Yemeni RestaurantFor the inaugural post of Eat Your Heart Out, let's look at the food some of us had at the Hadramawt Yemeni Restaurant located at The Curve mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<br />
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The Hadramawt is a successful chain of restaurants featuring the cuisine of Yemen. According to its <a href="http://www.hadramawt.com.my/" target="_blank">website</a>, they operate two stores in Kuala Lumpur, one of which is fairly close to our place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykCO_8jSA0BTgIFImlU540olKYH2tuGlXenFmuRrUfJnvOqISW4sNg07IFAHlgew7j7qxUAi2s0L4UWCWU069iXo-X7oRfmXMJe4-FWSCylwLJTrFKoDn9_4n50ibH01jGzJYGEnisBM/s1600/yemen_200.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykCO_8jSA0BTgIFImlU540olKYH2tuGlXenFmuRrUfJnvOqISW4sNg07IFAHlgew7j7qxUAi2s0L4UWCWU069iXo-X7oRfmXMJe4-FWSCylwLJTrFKoDn9_4n50ibH01jGzJYGEnisBM/s200/yemen_200.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Wikipedia Commons</td></tr>
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If you're wondering where Yemen is, check out this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemen" target="_blank">Wikipedia article</a>.<br />
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At first glance, the menu items are similar to what you might get at a typical Lebanese restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan. But our friend Prof. Mohd Anis of the University of Malaya (a colleague of Pat for the last, oh, 35 or so years), tells us that's not so!<br />
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Yemen's position facing the maritime trade routes to India and the Spice Islands in SE Asia makes their cuisine a lot spicier (and tastier) than what you might get in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levant" target="_blank">Levant</a>. Check out this installment on Yemen from a <a href="https://www.thespicery.com/blogs/spice-travels/stwp-980" target="_blank">spice blog</a>,<br />
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The occasion was the birthday of Ana, Anis' wife who's also our attorney here in Kuala Lumpur. Anis and Ana introduced us to Hadramawt recently, and Pat and I loved the food there, so we jumped at the chance to go there again!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJgn2W88s6U7Gb-35nr2HQXc2efGEjDTL7fevrfBgpEAho2PeJMvP83om3GYCalVVKBCfOSKmTKg71pN-OdzuzaB-HFnGAspX67RAyZQO5lJNu9LQc3PE8ID74qnjaRcY2azU_jpn7Ws/s1600/eyho01_03.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJgn2W88s6U7Gb-35nr2HQXc2efGEjDTL7fevrfBgpEAho2PeJMvP83om3GYCalVVKBCfOSKmTKg71pN-OdzuzaB-HFnGAspX67RAyZQO5lJNu9LQc3PE8ID74qnjaRcY2azU_jpn7Ws/s320/eyho01_03.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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We ordered some Arab mint tea for me, Arab coffee for Pat and Anis, and Turkish coffee for Ana. I had to get up early the next morning, so no strong coffee for me! And we ordered some Greek salad to share.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsNU7W7EtnHA40XYxSIwbQTkP_-di6aCsHNmtc2otMojnPPI8ZaUooEZeXMXc-3qemS_DjLzJZRY-Pgu_PBg7UmZRddm1HxnJioW6WgTD9ZYZEvGLLzR0VIYUWi0maaPbSAtDGXqzz5I/s1600/eyho01_09.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsNU7W7EtnHA40XYxSIwbQTkP_-di6aCsHNmtc2otMojnPPI8ZaUooEZeXMXc-3qemS_DjLzJZRY-Pgu_PBg7UmZRddm1HxnJioW6WgTD9ZYZEvGLLzR0VIYUWi0maaPbSAtDGXqzz5I/s320/eyho01_09.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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We're at a Middle Eastern restaurant, so naturally we ordered two hummus dishes (one spicy, one spiced) to start off the major part of the meal with a humongous, and tasty bread with which to swab the hummus! The spicy (as in burning hot) hummus is the orange one on the left, and the one on the right is the spiced (as in lots of unusual spices) dish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS4EUymHAI48fbRghKo8qGKYWos9rE502UpHm_Kw3lpt8_Fdp2McKPuxnFJyQEtYcHLClvCUqHSBiMZ9Nr9jp1gvrr3lHfuq9alMauzBprCUsIQN673NENAvPt1W6qd7f2IQgDqFTMaA/s1600/eyho01_02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS4EUymHAI48fbRghKo8qGKYWos9rE502UpHm_Kw3lpt8_Fdp2McKPuxnFJyQEtYcHLClvCUqHSBiMZ9Nr9jp1gvrr3lHfuq9alMauzBprCUsIQN673NENAvPt1W6qd7f2IQgDqFTMaA/s320/eyho01_02.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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And THIS is the Moulawa bread, which we all shared. It's a delicious baked bread, both like and unlike the various baked or fried versions we get at Indian restaurants in Malaysia. It's certainly a lot bigger! We break off pieces and dip them into the hummus dishes (and later with the meat dishes).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPFHznp6V_WyZeKPM5Djwre1XjJOve_NYFVPLt5XSGiMQNYWnrmyBe31cUMnYTFlfI6oGmBEcFBr-Jsug8wyZdbxrM7ELWjo9DGma2eA8U4MO-hnvQVXFF2soCjWhKnzZPSzSHR8K5kE/s1600/eyho01_06.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPFHznp6V_WyZeKPM5Djwre1XjJOve_NYFVPLt5XSGiMQNYWnrmyBe31cUMnYTFlfI6oGmBEcFBr-Jsug8wyZdbxrM7ELWjo9DGma2eA8U4MO-hnvQVXFF2soCjWhKnzZPSzSHR8K5kE/s320/eyho01_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I ordered one of the lamb-and-rice dishes at which this restaurant excels. The chefs cook the lamb chunks (big ones!) in this Lamb Madghout dish with the rice and spices. I barely finished half (what with the bread and hummus and other goodies already in me), and took the rest home. It was great!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpZ9P2BH6hpvAoQCh4I8nFCqffIJMigj-isZW_Ik3lbMBzFbX_69I0OUFQtQxIAEvcWOY1XAfNw3gbxMfh3OiPdU912VK1v9RIZn-eyXVDxI_XSEvmAHt_h46XhV9I5psGzPKnlPo7Co/s1600/eyho01_04.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpZ9P2BH6hpvAoQCh4I8nFCqffIJMigj-isZW_Ik3lbMBzFbX_69I0OUFQtQxIAEvcWOY1XAfNw3gbxMfh3OiPdU912VK1v9RIZn-eyXVDxI_XSEvmAHt_h46XhV9I5psGzPKnlPo7Co/s320/eyho01_04.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Pat and Anis ordered the Halabi Kebab dish. The kebab chunks are pretty much what you'd expect from a Middle Eastern restaurant, albeit spiced subtly and well. The red sauce in which the kebabs sat were particularly interesting. The sauce is one of the spicier concoctions that the Yemenis seem to make. Ana thought that the sauce was reminiscent of a Mexican salsa of the fresh Pico de Gallo variety.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUalbhujdqnKE02QtITTMn7f1P4y2R6OMUBzCBdD2EhfrddAzNlxy9FpXZLITrZDJBvrKl_uWVs1fQD3Vl8oKrpxXmBbFe7hQffpev7nB-rTpGyLPwJ6G5OwRQMeJ-5RaWM64EOrqFMw/s1600/eyho01_07.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUalbhujdqnKE02QtITTMn7f1P4y2R6OMUBzCBdD2EhfrddAzNlxy9FpXZLITrZDJBvrKl_uWVs1fQD3Vl8oKrpxXmBbFe7hQffpev7nB-rTpGyLPwJ6G5OwRQMeJ-5RaWM64EOrqFMw/s320/eyho01_07.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Ana ordered the Lamb Mendy dish. I've had this dish before. The chefs bake the lamb, together with the rice, until it's incredibly tender. It is another great concoction. I was never a big mutton eater, but this restaurant may change me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQFKJUOMCmhEUnfqV1ojgieKE3JRcJZ2gZRMWWHepeXaJtZP22mKfqCs_zNOQwvSFM7V6aeWTqV0BmFMSYfnNW_1J5UXgGdmsBpWxMD9W0yPcMcnG2MwzK_s5E9qlHSvjHn0nm7KMLyo/s1600/eyho01_08.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQFKJUOMCmhEUnfqV1ojgieKE3JRcJZ2gZRMWWHepeXaJtZP22mKfqCs_zNOQwvSFM7V6aeWTqV0BmFMSYfnNW_1J5UXgGdmsBpWxMD9W0yPcMcnG2MwzK_s5E9qlHSvjHn0nm7KMLyo/s320/eyho01_08.jpg" width="320" /></a>Anis and Ana's three kids (two teenagers and one 21 years old) were sitting with their grandmother, a boyfriend, and a maid at the other end of the table, munching away at similarly excellent dishes. I was too far away to get any good photos. But here the kids are posing as Ana cuts the birthday cake after the meal. They are Ayenah and Ayezat, standing, and Ayesyah, seated, next to Ana, who's cutting the cake. We've known the kids since they were toddlers.<br />
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The food shots are less than stellar (hey, it's a phone camera, whaddya expect?), so check out the menu on their website. Be sure to click the "full screen" button (the arrows pointing diagonally up and down): <a href="http://www.hadramawt.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=18" target="_blank">click here for menu</a><br />
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So there you are, Matt! Reading this in blog format is a lot better than just getting photos on the phone, no? Stay tuned for the next instalment!<br />
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<br />Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12672308448529605680noreply@blogger.com2