Mini Gourd

If you still recall, I have a thing for mini foods--vegetable, tartlets, or anything small and cutesy. When I was home last month, I stumbled upon this curvy mini gourd in the market. Called Hu Lu, or 葫芦 in Mandarin, this fruit usually shows up in the market during Chinese New Year. As one of the essential items during the festive season, Hu Lu is usually wrapped around in a red-color paper ribbon that signifies luck and prosperity. Hu Lu is mostly used as a ceremonial offering to the god. I sliced it up but did not eat it. In fact, I am not even sure if it's for consumption. Have you tried it before? Is it edible? Continue Reading "Mini Gourd"

Photoblog: Kuala Lumpur/KL, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur--intimately and commonly known as KL by locals--continues to hold a special place in my heart. For more than 3 years, KL was my home away from home when I attended college there. Today, it remains one of my favorite cities in the world. Walk down the streets of downtown KL brought back a ton of sweet memories: my favorite food stalls, hang out hotspots, shopping outlets, and other old haunts. Through my camera lense, I present you KL, the Garden City of Lights. Continue Reading "Photoblog: Kuala Lumpur/KL, Malaysia"

Photoblog: Petaling Street and Jalan Alor, KL

Hawker food/street food is a big part of Malaysian culture and can be found anywhere in the country. If you are a foreign tourist to KL, don't miss out Petaling Street and Jalan Alor. A tad touristy, the foods are delectable nonetheless. Here are some pictures snapped at Jalan Alor and Petaling Street during my whirlwind 36 hours in KL. Mangosteen--the queen of all fruits--has a milky color flesh which is sweet with just the right tint of sourness. A friendly street vendor with his hot wok. His stir-fried Hokkien Mee is cooked with lots of wok hei (the breath of wok). A very colorful and festive open-air restaurant at Petaling Street. Another street vendor watching over his Portuguese baked fish wrapped with aluminum foil. Claypot chicken rice. This is how the the real stuff are done--with two electric fans fanning the charcoal flame. View the complete set and take a virtual tour of the food scenes in KL...enjoy! Related Post: 36 Hours in KL Continue Reading "Photoblog: Petaling Street and Jalan Alor, KL"

Photoblog: Chinese New Year

Click here to view some pictures I snapped during the first two days of Chinese New Year. As I am on a painfully slooooow 56K dial-up connection now, I will keep this short. I hate jetlag, I miss my broadband connection in the US, but Chinese New Year has been very fun so far. I will post more soon, hopefully; the WIFI connection at Starbucks seems like a promising alternative now...please stay tuned. Continue Reading "Photoblog: Chinese New Year"

The Art of Communal Dining: Lok Lok

When I first came to the United States to pursue my Master's Degree in Communications, the first thing I learned in my Multicultural Communication class was the distinct difference between Individualism and Collectivism. Here comes the lecture notes: "Individualism stands for a society in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family only. Collectivism stands for a society in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong cohesive in groups where group-oriented culture is the ultimate standard of value." Put simply, individualism is that of the western worlds and collectivism is of the east. And yes, this will be on the test! The art of communal dining is a great example of a collectivism culture such as Malaysia. Eating in Malaysia is often marked as a communal affair--be it the Chinese New Year's Eve reunion dinner, Malay's Kenduri, or Indian celebrations. During the feast friends and families come together under the same roof--eating, socializing, and mingling. Never mind the different ethnic origins or walks of life, when it comes to communal dining events, there is no barrier as we speak the same language of food. One of the best illustrates in the art of communal dining in Malaysia is "Lok Lok." Lok Lok is like a steamboat / hotpot / shabu shabu with a wide range of fresh foods such as meat, seafood, fish balls, vegetables, quail eggs, etc. placed on little skewers and laid out upon a round table with a pot of boiling water as the centerpiece. The half the enjoyment of Lok Lok lies in the DIY preparations (the other half is the eating). Once everyone is seated around the table, they pick out their selections and dip the skewered food into the pot and wait for them to cook. After the cooking process, sauces are added to the food. In a way, eating Lok Lok is like masak-masak (a little cottage game where kids play with foods) for adults. Everyone talks and laughs amidst the preparations and that's exactly the fun and art of communal dining. Food: making social science fun for over 10,000 years. Best places for Lok-Lok fun in Penang: Padang Brown Hawker Center, Jalan Perak-Anson, 10400 Penang. There are two Lok Lok stalls to choose from. Stalls usually open after 3 pm. The Lok Lok stall at Pulau Tikus Market evening hawker center. Opens from 6 pm to midnight. Esplanade Hawker Center - at night only. Continue Reading "The Art of Communal Dining: Lok Lok"

How Do You Pull Tea?

Here is how. Teh Tarik, which literally means "Pull Tea" is a popular drink in Malaysia. Teh Tarik can be found at Indian stalls or Indian restaurants and has become the de facto national beverage of Malaysia. There are valid reasons behind "pulling" tea--it makes the tea extra aromatic, smooth, and forms a killer froth. To many visitors to Malaysia, watching this act is both new and entertaining. Now are you ready to pull some tea? Continue Reading "How Do You Pull Tea?"

Photo Essay: Introducing Penang Hawkers

To many people in the West, the notion of hawkers, roadside stalls, and kopi tiams (coffee shops) is as blurry as a smoked mirror; the concept is vague and hard-to-grasp (no, they are not like a food cart selling cotton candy, nor are they a McDonalds or Starbucks). Therefore I would like to take you on a journey through the narrow streets of Georgetown, Penang and introduce you to the hawkers that have shaped the Penang culinary scene. They are essential to Penang traditions and our everyday lives; without them this island state would be a hollow shell. With this post I give my highest tribute to these masters; whose dedications and hard work I so admire and praise, and whose creations and concoctions I so relish and savor. They are the true unsung gourmet chefs and 4-star restaurateurs of Penang. So let the homage begin... A Hokkien Mee hawker and his customer. Taking a break during downtime. A Chinese Java Mee stall in a narrow alley. Making mouthwatering Apong Manis is no easy task. Cendol Stall in Penang Road, Georgetown. Kacang Putih (peanuts and snacks) hawker in Little India, Georgetown. Flipping roti canai is his passion; he does it with a smile on his face. A hawker with his freshly roasted chestnuts. Stalls selling refreshments and fruits. More roadside stalls. A Mamak (Indian Muslim) busy frying his food. A typical Chinese kopitiam in Penang. A not so busy kopitiam with a few patrons. A very popular and busy kopitiam with many patrons. A hawker center bustling with activities. Pictures of mouthwatering Penang hawker food: - Photo Blog: Penang Hawker Food - Photo Blog: Penang Hawker Food - Part II - Eating Penang: A Quick Snapshot - Eating Penang: Nyonya Kuih Continue Reading "Photo Essay: Introducing Penang Hawkers"