As you all would've guessed, Penang Assam Laksa would be my first food to be blogged about. Well, how can I not? It is after all, the proud of our country to be in the CNN food list. Anyway, I'll start this post off by feasting your eyes with a bowl of Assam Laksa.
Ok, first, I'll define what a bowl of Assam Laksa means, the wiki way:
Penang laksa (Malay: Laksa Pulau Pinang), also known as asam laksafrom the Malay for tamarind, comes from the Malaysian island of Penang. It is made with mackerel (ikan kembung) soup and its main distinguishing feature is the asam or tamarind which gives the soup a sour taste. The fish is poached and then flaked. Other ingredients that give Penang laksa its distinctive flavour include lemongrass, galangal (lengkuas) and chilli. Typical garnishes include mint, pineapple slices, thinly sliced onion, hε-ko, a thick sweet prawn paste and use of torch ginger flower. This, and not 'curry mee' is the usual 'laksa' one gets in Penang.
Now you have it, Wikipedia's definition. But what is MY definition of Assam Laksa? It's a bowl of goodness which makes me salivate by just smelling it. The soup has to be very fragrant, has to have the right acidity, and of course the right amount of HEAT! A good Assam Laksa has to have GENEROUS amount of fish. Last but not least, probably the most important component, is the shiny black prawn paste which brings a whole new level of goodness to the dish.
Penang Hokkien Har Mee (prawn noodles)
Confucious once said, 'The best way to start your day off is by having a good bowl of Har Mee'. Alright, that was made up, Confucious never said that, but ONLY because he has never tasted Penang Hokkien Har Mee!
Yet again, I'll kick it off with a mouth watering picture of Har Mee :
From the name of the dish, it is obvious that prawns are the main ingredient for this bowl of wonder(not exaggerating). Prawn are not only used as the garnish, but as the stock for the soup! Prawn shells are lightly fried and then boiled as a stock for many hours.
Anyway, the secret to a good Prawn noodle lies in the stock. It HAS to be packed with flavour, prawn flavour of course.
Traditionally, small cubes of fried pork fat are added to the soup, but this is now less common due to health concerns. It is garnished with prawns, fish cake, leafy greens, pork ribs, squid, vegetables, crisp deep-fried shallots, spring onions and fresh lime. The dish is served with sliced red chili, light soy sauce and sambal.
Another reason why we know Har Mee is a fantastic dish - instant noodles maker, Ibumie made an instant noodle version of Har Mee! Haha i do find this funny.
Penang Hokkien Har Mee is find throughout Penang, either at hawker stalls by the road or in coffeeshops.
Dim Sum
If you’re a Malaysian or Chinese, chances are you’re already very familiar with what Dim Sum means. For those who don’t, Dim Sum are Chinese snacks in many forms, may it be steamed dumplings, steamed bread, fried spring rolls or even braised chicken legs! They’re served in bamboo baskets which they are steamed in.
Dim Sum are served only during breakfast or lunch, and they are served with Chinese tea. Penang’s Dim Sum is famous for it’s freshness of ingredients and served steaming hot fresh from the large steamers. Many argues that Dim Sum in Penang are cheaper than in KL’s, and with a larger portion too!
Char Koay Teow
As you can see, Char Koay Teow is a plate of stir fried flat noodles with baby clams, bean sprouts, eggs, chili paste and soy sauce and prawns, garnished with scallions. This is truly a Penang specialty as the cooks in Penang claims Char Koay Teow anywhere else does not taste as good as theirs. A good plate of Char Koay Teow has to have fresh ingredients, just the right amount of seasoning and the right volume of heat. Although Char Koay Teow is known for being unhealthy due to it’s fat content, that doesn’t stop Malaysians and even foreigners to indulge in this truly original Penang dish.
No comments:
Post a Comment