Monday 12 September 2016

Food Hunting

‘’Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like’’ – Mark Twain

     Food is the essence of life. No one in this world can live without food. Some people are even willing to travel around in order to get good food. I myself love to go food hunting especially during the weekend.

     Food hunting has been part of me since 8 years ago. During weekend and public holiday, my husband and I would travel around KL and sometimes even out of the city to hunt for good food. Before I decide on where to go, usually I would read reviews and get comments from those who had gone to that place. Allow me to share some of the nice places to eat around the country. Who knows maybe some of you would want to try it out.

1.  Sin Kok Thye, Klang

     Sin Kok Thye is an old school cafe situated at in Klang. Usually, on Saturday, my husband and I will drive all the way from Taman Melawati to Port Klang that takes about 1-hour drive just to have lunch at this shop. Known to serve good authentic Hainanese cuisine, it has always attracted the attention of the local community as well as people from outside the state. Because it was kept free and easy for all, it is a norm to see people from all walks of life and beliefs coming to sample the cuisine from this quaint Chinese coffee shop. The shop is located at Jalan Kem, Port Klang and has been in operation for almost a century. Currently, the shop is being managed by the third generation of the family.

     Those marble tables, wooden chairs, and mosaic-tiled floors, with quaint decorations adorning the walls, and an antique grandfather clock are an amazing view to look at in the shop. When you are inside, you will feel like as if you are living in the year of 1950s. Good food is one thing but pair that with fast service and you’ll have a shop worth going all the time. However, the parking here can be quite a nuisance as the shop is right in front of a main road but try your luck at the back of the shop.  Sin Kok Thye is famous for its Hainanese Chicken Chop and Hainanese Beef Steak. Another popular dish in the shop is Hailam Mee. The food and drinks in the shop are being prepared in a traditional way. A simple tip for everyone: order one set of each of their signature dish then ask for small plates so that you can try all the dishes.
Check this place out if you happen to be nearby.



Sin Kok Thye ( Pork Free )
23, Jalan Kem,
Port Klang, Selangor
Opens from 6:30am-6:00pm
Close on Sunday

 2. Hameed Pata Mee Sotong, Penang

     The Padang Kota Lama aka Esplanade is next to the famous Fort Cornwallis in Penang. On one end is this food court, aptly named Padang Kota Lama as well. As with all food courts there are many stalls sharing the business and dining space. In the afternoon, Hameed ‘Pata’ Mee Sotong reign supreme as almost 90% of the people in the food court are his customers. It has been operated since 1978. The cook doesn’t prepare each order individually but dishes out the noodles quicker by cooking in large quantities.

     Your option here is either the wet Mee Rebus that comes with gravy or the dry Mee GorengBoth would be heaped with a generous helping of ‘sambal sotong’ just prior to serving and you would need to mix it up as you eat. A small plate is RM4 while the large plate is RM6. To top it off, just beside Hameed is the beverage stall where the staple order is either the Coconut Shake or Cendol. The famous Coconut Shake is a refreshing concoction of coconut water, sweet coconut flesh with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top. Do take note that during public holiday, you may have to queue up for about 30 minutes to order your food.


If you happen to be around Penang, do come and try out their Mee Sotong.

Hameed Pata Mee Sotong
6, Padang Kota Lama Food Court (next to Fort Cornwallis)
Jalan Padang Kota Lama
10200, Penang
Close on Sunday

3Hai Thien Restaurant, Perlis



     Kuala Perlis, a place full of natural port and seaside scene we found an amazing Chinese Thai Muslim seafood restaurant “Hai Thien” that serves authentic menus since year 1986. At first, they successfully established their very first and owned seafood restaurant named “Restoran Hai Thien” along Jalan Kampung Perak, Kuala Perlis introducing their Thai Muslim seafood selections, running for 28 years. While in year 2014, with the great response from the public allowed them to expose further and moved to wider and more strategic location at Jalan Jeti Baru. They continued their exposure in the business famously known as “Hai Thien Seafood”, which is the recent location.
    
     In Hai Thien, the founder’s top recommended dish will be their Siamese Steamed Fish which is the best signature seen on almost every single table.  Local “Siakap” fish commonly selected, steamed 15 minutes and poured onto their in-house soup sauce which is prepared in more than 10 recipes, then served above charcoal flames brings sour & spicy taste you must try.
     Nonetheless, their daily top order is Salad Batenkor or locally known as Deep Fried “Char Kueh”.  Deep fried stuffed dough sticks filled with generous squid paste, topped with homemade mayonnaise surely you cannot resist!
Do check them out.

Restoran Hai Thien
Jalan Jeti Baru,
02000 Kuala Perlis,
Perlis.
Business Hours: 5:30pm to 12:00am (Daily)
     Thus, nothing beats the feeling of having good food. No matter how stressed or choosy you are, when you eat good food, you will have a sense of relief. That’s all from me.
 Hope you enjoy reading!

Prepared by,

Fazlieza Merican
Lecturer, English Department
Vision College