In my life there’s been yellow and pink
I don’t know if I can face it again
Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far, to this Slim River town
I want to know what blue lemon is, I want you to show me
I want to feel what blue lemon is, I know you can show me
Blue Lemon is the most popular drink at the Slim River Ramadhan Bazaar but nobody gave me a straight answer. Finally at one stall, the lady said: “It’s just colouring”.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f7.1, 1/320 sec.
I was walking by a restaurant in the Hartamas area when I saw a hipster choking on a black burger. Yes, it’s 2015 and our hipsters are still into burgers with charcoal buns (and green tea Kit Kat).
Fortunately, someone else there knew the Heimlich maneuver and administered it. The victim’s frantic partner called 999 and insisted on a hybrid or electric ambulance.
I shouted: “Give him a lemongrass drink or a mason jar with infused water and he’ll be alright”
The slumped, choked guy nodded in agreement.
“Later get him a Central Market T-shirt with an owl or dreamcatcher motif to cheer him up. Or find an inspirational quote for him to post on his Instagram”, I added.
Tears welled in everyone’s eyes.
As I exit the restaurant, I saw the manager running around the al fresco dining area in circles, as if still in panic.
I asked: “WTF, madam?”
She replied: “Oh. I’m plotting my running tracks to upload to Facebook”
Olympus OM-D, ISO 250, f6.3, 1/100 sec.
*juicy burger with charcoal buns photographed previously at myburgerlab. Not related to incident mentioned here.
Behrang is essentially a Hokkien town. Where Hokkiens ( 福建话 – Fujian people) live, you will find authentic Mee Hoon Kueh in eating places. By chance, I discovered one of the best here. Mee Hoon Kueh is similar to the Hakka hand-pulled “pan mee” or flat flour noodles.
Instead of noodle strips, the flour dough is delicately hand-kneaded with egg and oil into bite-size pieces. It is then brought to a simmer in a broth of ikan bilis (anchovies), pork balls, pork belly slices and sawi (mustard greens). It takes time to cook the dish as you can’t hurry love.
Good thing the boss of Vivian, the Indonesian cook, is always busy with mahjong. She learned the craft, refined it and now makes one of the most awesome mee hoon kueh I ever tasted. She said she might set up a stall back in Surabaya when she retires.
‘Mee Hoon Kueh’ is usually pronounced as ‘Mee Hoon Ker’ outside Penang and the north.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 500, f4, 1/80 sec.
Yik Mun kopitiam in Tanjung Malim was a popular stopover during the heydays of Federal Route 1. The Chinese steamed buns shop was an institution.
Now run by third generation descendents, the restaurant is located outside the old town. A shophouse factory in town churns out the assembly-line buns. They are no longer hand-made.
I didn’t order their famous pau (steamed bun) this time. It tasted lousy on a previous visit. Fortunately, the shop sells other local food including the famous Malaysian invention; the Hainanese Chicken Chop.
I am a bit OCD when I see salad dressing carelessly splashed all over the dish. The Hainanese chicken chop’s gravy is a speciality by itself. Typically, it has oyster sauce, HP sauce, Worcestershire sauce and blended secret ingredients in it. It must not be contaminated with Thousand Island dressing.
That aside, the chicken chop here tasted “so so” and the portion seems to have gotten smaller. At RM 14 ++, it is not cheap for a small town.
Nevertheless, the shop was packed when I was there. I guess a good reputation from the past can go a long way. Try it yourself and let me know what you think, if you are in town. Yik Mun is Halal.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 1000, f4, 1/60 sec.
Known was Air Batu Campur (mixed ice) or ABC locally, the icy dessert is found across Southeast Asia in different variations. Hitz Cafe of Tanjung Malim serves the traditional Malaysian and Singapore version.
It is shaved ice with assorted jellies, beans, nuts, maize, sago seeds, topped up with evaporated milk and rose syrup. Ask for ice cream, if you fancy.
ABC is also Michael Jackson’s monster hit when he was 11. I can’t remember if he sang ‘ABC’ in his 1996 concert in Malaysia but I still wonder if he had ABC during his stay here.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4 1/125 sec.
