Tag: cincau

ABC

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.

Shaved Ice And Light

Iced dessert from Kak Jah’s Cendol stall in front of the post office in Kuala Kubu Bahru. I poured Nescafe Ice into a take-away pack and it tasted pretty cool.

Photography Tip: It is possible to do nice food photography at a roadside hawker stall. It can be done without any additional equipment but it requires a systematic approach.

Survey the ambient light before finding a seat. Note the direction of light, plus the shadows and highlights it will cast. Then, choose a table and seating position in relation to that.

Travel food photography is not about climbing on a chair (blogger-style), taking a overhead shot and tagging it as #foodphotography.

It entails an understanding of light that you cannot control. Harness the existing ambient light and use it to shape the food or to highlight its textures.

What if the light is really bad? Don’t bother, then. Just enjoy the food. There are no laws compelling you to post every meal you had.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4, 1/320 sec.

Mastan Ghani

Mastan Ghani.

I’ll take a brief break from Chinese New Year programming to share a few remaining pictures and thoughts from my Teluk Intan trip last week.

Mastan Ghani’s Mee Rebus is a must-try for any first time or even repeat visitors to the town. Their rojak is equally delicious and both the dishes look deceivingly similar when served. According to the boss, the ingredients for each gravy are indeed quite different.

The drink seen at the back is an iced rose syrup with black jelly (cincau). Not that I mind; they added the cincau without asking. It is a Teluk Intan thing it seems and, by that, I mean the cincau thing and not the choice thing. This is from one of two outlets near the famous Leaning Tower, at the unique and rustic tailor’s row. Yumz.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 200, f11, 1/80 sec.