Sweeds

They come and go quick even though the short stretch of shophouses is packed with customers at night. I went there to look for lunch just the other day and not one place was opened in the day, curiously.

Sweeds.

Sweeds was the only place serving lunch on the last visit to the elevated enclave. Their tasty Black Pepper Chicken was RM12.90 before a 20% discount. Nice to see discounts offered when so many eateries are hiking up prices.

Sweeds is at 18 Jalan Siput Akek, Taman Billion, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Where is the exact location of Taman Biliion in Cheras? Map and directions:
http://www.mycen.my/jalan-siput-akek-taman-billion-cheras/

Olympus OM-D, ISO 800, f14, 1/60 sec.

#foodphotography #cheras #chicken #lunch #tbt #sweeds

Nasi Ayam Kunyit at Auntie’s Kopitiam, Kuala Selangor

That Sambal.

Nasi Ayam Kunyit (Rice with Turmeric Chicken). A favourite dish of mine at the humble Auntie’s Kopitiam in Kuala Selangor’s old town.

For so many years, I have always stopped here for a Kopi-O or for a simple meal when I am on the way to the paddy fields of Sekinchan.

A ray of sunlight, reflected off my car’s windscreen, crept through the edges of the wax paper holding the dish; highlighting the sambal and part of the rice.

You may want to park your car strategically when doing on-location food photography. Heh.

What makes the food special here? The food is of Nyonya and Hainanese heritage. Two cultures famous for their unique cuisine.

The eponymous Auntie or Madam Foo told me she inherited the coffee shop from her Hainanese father-in-law and Baba mother-in-law 43 years ago.

The shop was founded 80 years ago under a different name. Madam Foo is assisted by a Malay chef in the kitchen now. No pork is served.

What I like even more is that the kopitiam is patronised mostly by locals. A Chinese contractor treating his Indonesian workers to a good meal after completing a project.

A multi-racial group of schoolchildren celebrating a classmate’s birthday. An Indian lady letting her young grandchildren try chicken chop for the first time.

A couple of Malay cops having tea with a Chinese farmer. I don’t know whether the cops are off-duty or in plainclothes. I can hear the chatter on their walkie-talkies.

A lone French backpacker with a Lonely Planet book in her hand. Auntie’s Kopitiam is in Lonely Planet and is highly rated in TripAdvisor, according to her.

For me, the clientele is its testimony. Such a wonderful microcosm of the people in this fishing, agricultural and tourist area.

Where exactly is Auntie’s Kopitiam? Map and directions:
http://www.mycen.my/aunties-kopitiam-kuala-selangor/

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 320, f4, 1/60 sec.

#foodphotography #localfood #ayamkunyit #hainanese #nyonya #koptiam #kualaselangor #sonyalpha #a7r #zeiss

IOI City Mall, Putrajaya – Part 14

I went to the higher floor on IOI City Mall where all those so-called IT lifestyle stores are located. Wanted to get a SD card reader for my iPad 2. I had one but misplaced it. Went back to the ground floor for Apple Machines. The floor staff don’t seem to know their own stock situation and rummaged the rack helplessly, I told them specifically that is is for an older iPad 2, they dont listen and wasted time hunting down a device with a newer and incompatible lightning pod (for RM 133).

Went back to the second floor and spoke to the guy at the ASUS shop about something else. He suggested I get an OTG cable and recommended All IT Hypermart next door. I wasn’t hopeful as the staff there are usually clueless from experience with outlets elsewhere. A young Malay gentleman served me and surprisingly he knew what an OTG cable is. He also knew what I was talking about when I mention the ASUS is a USB type C port – different from a Samsung.

He brought one out to show me and I asked if I can try with a USB 3 card reader for which I will buy together, if it works. He agreed. I inserted the SD Card from my GM-1 camera and he showed me how to retrieve the selected files on the card and how to copy it to the gallery’s camera folder in the phone. Which means I can upload the file to email it to my iPad for editing. Product knowledge and willingness to demonstrate before purchase saved much frustrations, time and the possibility of a return trip.

I think it is the best accessory any field photographer can get as one can now upload pics from any camera, anywhere. The GM-1 has wifi connectivity but it is messy to set up and configure.

Nothing beats pulling out the card and downloading the files manually, like how one does on a desktop. RM39 for the OTG cable and RM59 for the compact Kingston USB SD card reader. Probably cheaper at Low Yat Plaza but important thing is; you are not buying blind. In one fell swoop, the young gentleman redeemed the tattered image of the retailer.

Panasonic GM-1, ISO 2000, f4.2, 1/320 sec.

#documentaryphotography #ioicitymall #mall #shop #shop #otg #cable #usb #asuszenphone

Chicken At Kafe Beriani Gam Putrajaya

This time, the chicken version with the GM-1 camera. There are reasons not to eat it everyday. Besides being very rich food, it is also very expensive for a roadside stall (shack).

The kambing kuzi was RM24 and chicken RM 15, excluding drinks. Kafe Beriani Gam Putrajaya is located after De Centrum Mall and before IOI City Mall, opposite Serdang Hospital. Map coming up.

Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 3200, f3.7, 1/320 sec.

Where exactly is Beriani Gam Putrajaya? Map and directions:
http://www.mycen.my/nasi-beriani-gam-putrajaya/

#foodphotography #chicken #beriani