16th May 2007

16th May 2007. This is the 2nd time for Mr. Editor as well and Gan and Kimmy to ‘Walk Walk Search Eat’. This time, a different group of people followed on this excursion. Our destination. Kuala Selangor. Kuala Selangor is Nicole’s hometown and we are grateful that she brought 8 of us there. These are the people who made up this group of ‘pemburu makan’.

Elles sont Nicole, Annie, Roslyn, Francisca aka Cheeka et Kimmy. Ils sont Zen, Adam, Shawn et Gan.

So, how did we get to Kuala Selangor? We went in 3 cars. A Proton Wira, a Perodua Kancil and Perodua Kelisa. Sorry, no luxury of space for anyone this time. Anyway, it was a rather long drive to Kuala Selangor. If you’re wondering where this fishing village is, it is after Klang. Pretty far. About 40 minutes drive from Leisure Commerce Square. Picture this. Modified Wira vs Kancil & Kelisa = Slow and boring for driver behind the wheel of the Wira. So what he does…he speeds off way in front of the Kancil and Kelisa as though he knows the way which eventually makes him slow down and wait for the rest. After 40 minutes of tailgating each other, we were more or less on the main road of Klang to Kuala Selangor. It is along this long road that we made our 1st stop. This is a corner coffee shop in front of a housing area. So what did have here? ‘Woo Kok’. Yam Puff in English.

Now, this is one of the best yam puffs I have ever eaten. It is stuffed with BBQ chicken like a ‘Char Siew Pau’. The reason I say this is a good yam puff is because it is made with pure yam. No flour. What you get is a light, non-sticky, non-starchy puff. Excellent!

In the same coffee shop, we came across this rather...uhmm…interesting list of items served. I’ve heard of White Coffee before but not the other two. Green Coffee anyone? No. How about Blue Coffee then? I guess it is a product still in the making because there is no price.

Along the same stretch of long road we made a turning to one of Kuala Selangor’s beaches.

Next off, we did some sightseeing from higher grounds. We made our way to Bukit Malawati. As we slowly climbed up the hill with all 3 cars, we made it to the landing and guess what we were greeted by. Not 1, not 2, not 3 either but scores of monkeys!! DO NOT stand under the tree as the monkeys are prone to piss and shit on you. Just be careful. As for the canons, it is evidence that Bukit Malawati was a fort during the times of war with the Dutch from around 1780s – 1870s.

On the way down, everyone needed to quench their thirst. We found a small stall selling coconuts, pandan and lotus flowers. We had a coconut each. Unfortunately the day was hot and the coconuts were rather warm. It would have been more refreshing if they were cold. It was almost time for us to have our main meal. But before that, we went to one of the restaurants to purchase our local sea ‘escargot’. They amount we bought was more than we could handle. Eaten alone, the sea snails are rather bland and not very appetizing. The sea snails came with chilli sauce which you mix with crushed peanuts. With this, the snails taste much better. Now, in Kuala Selangor, if you eat such shell fish and you’re nearby the sea, don’t be afraid to throw the shells back into the water. It’s common practice in this village. We all caught on after we saw a small boy do it. We brought the ‘escargots’ to the restaurant where we had our dinner. For 9 people, I think we ordered just enough. Of course when you’re in a fishing village, you would eat seafood. Therefore, we ordered ‘Kam Heong’ style Lala, prawns cooked with chives, ginger and garlic as well as ‘Lai Liu Har’ aka Soft Shell Prawn, cooked in the same style. This prawn is one of the species of the langoustine (the 'prawn' that Mr. Bean ate in his latest movie). Other than that, we also had Crab Meat and Tofu served in Superior Broth and 2 types of crab. We ordered Sweet and Sour crab and Salted Egg crab. . The soup was heavenly, just like shark’s fin soup. In any seafood restaurant, the best accompaniment for the crabs is the ‘Chow Mantou’. Deep fried buns. This is especially when your crabs comes with lots of sauce like the sweet and sour crab. Not forgetting, we also had steamed ‘Siek Pann’ which is known as garoupa en Anglais. Later, we finished our meal with a serving of ‘Black Seafood Noodles’. It is the normal hokkien ‘Orr Mee’ with shellfish like clams and lala. Great Food. Great People. This is Adam the Mauritian guy who's teaching us the right way to balance objects on your head. After such a wonderful dinner, we adjourned to Nicole’s house to have some…palate cleansers. Our journey was far from over. At her house we had some green bean ice lollies and chilled logan and lychee with syrup. Having let our tummies rest for a while, we were soon on our way to check out another place. Round 2! When we arrived at the place, we couldn’t believe the place we were going to eat at. Somewhere along Simpang Tiga Jeram, there was an old house which resembled an old wooden shack which served simple but tasty food. Here, we just had a few dishes. 1. Deep fried batter Squid with squid egg. 2. Rice wine Chicken. 3. Claypot vegetables. 4. ‘Kung Po’ style frog legs. (Hmm, frog legs…again) 5. Stir fried lettuce with soy sauce and onion oil.

The rice wine chicken was fantastic. The flavors of the dish were just wonderful. The frog legs were more enjoyable to eat than our previous expedition in Kepong. Not as spicy though.

Finally, surprisingly even after eating so much we all managed to walk to our cars perfectly fine. We said ‘au revoir’ to each other and went our separate ways. Alors, c’est tous pour cette fois de ‘Marche-Marche Chercher Manger’.

9th May 2007

9^th May 2007 marks the day of the beginning of our expeditions. Where would our adventures begin? Kepong. So, we met up at Leisure Commerce Square and started our journey from there. Unfortunately, even for our very first trip, Mimi was not able to join in the fun. But she joined us later that night. This is how we traveled.

We went in 2 cars, 1 Toyota Estima and 1 BMW 5 series. Although, we all could have fit in the Estima, thanks to Crystal, 4 of us managed to make our trip somewhat more luxurious. With the women in the front and men in the back of the BMW, Gan and I took in the luxury and dubbed ourselves ‘Datuks’. For a moment, we really felt like living the life of the rich and the famous. Sitting in the back seats, being chauffeured…we just couldn’t help it. As for the Estima, 3 people in an Estima. They had luxury too. The luxury of space that is.

Look closely. Ever seen female chauffeurs and navigators. No? Well too bad, we managed to hire them. Need their services? Just visit www.youreallywantustodrive??!!.com

So the journey begins. 1^st stop, Thong Kee. One of the most famous bakeries in and around KL. Their most popular item is their ‘Tan Tart’. Egg Tart. People who have tried it will agree that it is the best in town. With warm, light, flaky pastry on the outside and sweet melt-in-your-mouth custard…just delicious. For those who want to try, you can find your way to this Thong Kee outlet or you can get some of their pastries in 1Utama Shopping Complex.

Greedy Bugger!! We ordered 1 tart for each person but he walloped 3 tarts.

Haih. Haih. Haih.

Next stop, a few lanes behind the Thong Kee bakery, we found ourselves cooling down with Ais Kacang and Cendol. You would think that all Ais Kacang comes either in pyramid or round shape. Well guess what, this stall’s Ais Kacang came with a ‘Flat Top’. The portion we ordered was really large so much so that even 7 persons couldn’t finish it. (What kind of food hunters?? So fast already beaten by 2 bowls of ICE!!)

After the Ais Kacang we all needed a pit stop. Where would you find free parking, free and reasonably clean toilets. Fast food outlets. So we made our stop at KFC. 7 people in 2 cars going in just to use the toilet. As Hokkien people would say "Pai Say". But I guess we all had thicker skin than we should have had.

Carrying on. Many seconds and many minutes later, we finally reached the place to have our main meal. According to Joan, it is one of the best porridge in Kepong. Although I don’t normally eat porridge but for the sake of ‘Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan’ I tried it and I dare to say that this was really nice and I enjoyed it. So did everyone else except Apple who didn’t even try. Fussy Pot!! We ordered 3 types of porridge. 1. Century Egg Porridge. 2. Pork meat and liver porridge. 3. Supposedly frog porridge but they served us fish porridge by accident. No problem there. Delicious nonetheless. Then, the owner of the place recommended to us their popular dish. ‘Kung Po’ style frog. This dish made Crystal 'syok' I guess. Hot and spicy stuff.

Unfortunately, the porridge place did not sell their own ‘Oil Fried Ghost’ aka ‘Yau Char Guai’. Luckily, we could get some down the street. ‘Yau Char Guai’ marries well with porridge. There’s a myth that gives the long fried dough its name. The story goes that, once upon a time SOMEwhere in SOME village, there were 2 mischievous people who created a lot of problems for the village. One day, the villagers managed to capture these culprits, tied them together and threw them into hot oil hence the name ‘Yau Char Guai’.

Beware! Some say that the spirits live in these pieces of dough!

Nahh!! Who am I kidding??!!

Our last stop for the day was at SEA Park for supper. There is a very popular place behind the Shell petrol station which only opens at night. The 2 main dishes they serve are the Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng and Indo Mee Goreng. I’m not sure if they serve anything else. Mimi joined us for this part of

the journey. By the way, it seems really easy to cheat and pay a cheaper bill. The workers there are... (how would I put it??)...NOT mathematically advanced, if you know what I mean.

So, after ‘cheating’ the vendors, we said our ciao-ciaos and parted our ways and that concludes this round of ‘Marche-Marche Chercher Manger’.

Who's In The Entourage?

This group of food hunters is made up of 8 people. Occasionally, I guess in the future there could be others who follow. Anyway, I shall give a brief description on each of the members. I shall describe in the 3rd person in alphabetical order.

Apple Leong Always seems to be the transport provider. She has the means to accommodate passengers from 7 to 8 persons. Her looks belie her age.

Chong Yi Shawn Due to his proficiency in the English language, he has been nominated as the editor of this blog by default. Despite the number of outings, he always tries to maintain his health and figure.

Crystal Lee Do not be fooled by this young lady. She has very high tolerance for hot and spicy stuff which would put many people to shame.

Gan Chong How When you go for any trips, always remember to bring this guy. Your trips will not be dull as he brings life to it with his jokes and antics.

Joan Elaine Seems to know quite a lot of places to eat and always takes care of the little things that would ensure the contentment of the group.

Kantharuban Adventurous in trying new foods mostly not within his style of cuisine.

Kimmy Yong She may be petite but her personality makes her fun to have around.

Mimi Chan Can make a very good secretary as she can ensure that things are done in orderly fashion.

Ok!! Enough with the formal and positive descriptions. This is who they really are.

Apple Leong She’s the baby of the group and acts like one too. Ask Kantha. He knows best.

Chong Yi Shawn Think he’s all calm, quiet and innocent. Think again. Give him a many, many drinks and see the changes. You’ll be baffled.

Crystal Lee Nicknamed “Auntie”…I can’t remember why but I’m guessing it has something to do with the way she acts sometimes. Think ‘Malaysian Chinese Auntie’ and you’ll get the picture.

Gan Chong How Batman and Robin's arch nemesis. The Joker. Enough said.

Joan Elaine She is the ‘Big Mama’ of the group. Don’t you dare pick a fight with her because you’ll most probably lose. *whisper* She’s that big.

Kantharuban Which entourage is complete without a ‘nigga’...hmm?? Described as adventurous, but in his head he’s probably thinking, “How the hell did I end up with this bunch of crazy Chinese students who take me on these joy rides to eat these weird foods?”

Kimmy Yong If you’re mean-hearted and still want to steal food from this small girl…that’s easy. Just make sure the place you eat has loads of cats (yes, cats…you know…meow meow??) and I’m pretty sure she’ll give up her meal.

Mimi Chan Human GPS system. Need a navigator around KL, PJ, Cheras, etc…make sure she tags along.

Well, that makes up the entourage which will try their best to find as many interesting places to eat as possible.

On a side note. As the editor of this blog, I feel compelled to try my best to go to as many places as possible. So, some of ‘nos aventures’ may include different groups of people. But be rest assured that all the upcoming adventures are all in the name of good times and good food.

Cheers!

Editor’s Note

Dear Friends, Before I begin posting, I would like to say a few words. As I write this blog, I try to make it as professional as possible but at the same time try to keep it fun. Please read this blog with a light heart and not take any of the comments too seriously. I have no intention to disrespect anyone but I do take bits of reality to make things more interesting. (Don’t tell me they’re not true). Anyway, as a novice blogger, I would appreciate any comments and suggestions that would make this blog worth reading for everyone. And oh yes, I may describe things as they are as I want this blog to be honest.

Thanks a bunch.

Kampai!!

Bienvenue à Tous!!

Welcome all. "Marche-Marche Chercher Manger"...what kind of title you must be thinking. Simply put, it is the french translation of our famous phrase of "Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan". Literally, it would mean "Walk Walk Search Eat"...sounds kind of funny when you say it in english..don't you think?

I'm sure you'll be thinking this another one of those FOOD blogs. Well, you know what? It just might be. So, will this be the adventures of a group of educated gourmets...or...hungry gourmands?? Naahh!! I think it will be pretty much the adventures of a bunch of hungry TCHT students taking on the streets to fill their stomaches. How about I let you have your own take on our adventures...hmm??

Anyway, as much as we enjoy our adventures I hope that you will enjoy this blog. So, as we tackle the back alleys in search of some great and some not so great food (you'll never know), we hope that you will be adequately informed and perhaps help you decide where to eat on your next outing.

Thanks for visiting this blog and stay tuned for "nos aventures".

Food of Malaysia...here we come!!!