I ate my way through Malaysia

MANILA, Philippines – People travel for many reasons. But for someone who is passionate about all things yummy, food alone is a valid excuse to pack your bags, leave the house, and embark on a culinary journey.

A recent trip organized by Bea Totanes of Tourism Malaysia had journalists and tour operators traveling to Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, a charming oasis in Sarawak, for a gastronomic tour of Malaysia.

We arrived in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak, just in time for the Gawai Dayak Festival. It’s an annual celebration by Sarawak ’s indigenous people to mark the end of a good harvest, and the start of a new farming season. And when there’s a celebration, there’s definitely good food.

Sarawak has quite a reputation for its delectable array of local fare. Just ask any native around town and he’ll gladly enumerate the best places to savor Sarawakan delicacies.

In Kuching, Kuchingnites (the locals) take pride in their pastry bar called kek lapis. These colorful, multi-layered cakes are believed to have originated from Indonesia and are served during religious or cultural celebrations such as Gawai, Eid ul-Fitr, Christmas, birthdays, and weddings.

Living up to the Malaysian adage that the best eats can be found in the humblest locations is Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah, where the best-tasting kek lapis can be found. This concrete edifice, tucked in a quiet neighborhood at Kampung Garsik in Petra Jaya, has been pulling in crowds since it opened in 1997.

As they say, a trip to Kuching isn’t complete without savoring this delectable work of art. At the entrance, we were greeted not just by the aroma of freshly baked kek lapis, but by the sound of happy guests sampling the eat-all-you-can fare neatly arranged in covered trays. We, too, had our fill. Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah is soft, moist and yummy. It’s a steal for only RM10 (P130) per bar.

Another must-try is kolo mee, one of the staple dishes of Sarawakans. Customers have the option to have the noodles either wet or dry.  Upon ordering, the raw noodles are dunked into a large pot of boiling water. Once cooked, the server then tosses the noodles into a bowl with seasonings and garnishes it with slices of barbecued pork, minced pork, leafy greens, fried crispy shallots and spring onions. In some restaurants, diners have the option to enjoy kolo mee with a bowl of piping-hot pig innards soup… a surefire treat for adventurous diners.

On the roadside, one can buy pickled fruits and other fresh produce from locals who have set up makeshift stalls outside their homes for added income. And just like in the Philippines, paluto restos also abound in Kuching. Diners can buy fresh seafood in the wet market and have them cooked in the resto for a minimal fee. Most restos serve à la carte dishes. The oyster omelet and shrimps and crabs in spicy sambal sauce are “to dine for.”

“Malaysians are passionate about food,” says Fazlin Hj Fadzil of Tourism Malaysia Kuala Lumpur. “Kuching is a place where you can find good food anytime, anywhere.”

The origins of the city’s name, according to our tour guide Rose, have never been clear.

“Kuching means cat in Malay. Others say that the city was named after mata kucing or cat’s eye fruit which used to grow in abundance by the riverbanks,” explains Rose.

Contrary to what its name suggests, Kuching doesn’t have a significantly large population of cats. In fact, the many cat statues scattered around the city and the Kuching Cat Museum are just part of a modern effort to promote tourism in the area. Well, one thing’s for sure, though. Kuching is a gustatory haven waiting to be explored.

A Gourmet Paradise

Kuala Lumpur, affectionately called “KL” by Malaysians, is known for its tempting array of varied culinary delights. Thanks to the potpourri of different ethnic origins, each group has contributed vastly to the nation’s gastronomic heritage.

Food outlets of all types and for all budgets are easy to find in KL. Just be ready to set your taste buds on fire as most dishes are sizzling hot.

Our culinary adventure in KL started the moment we stepped out of the airport. The gracious hosts Bea Totanes and Fazlin Hj Fadzil of Tourism Malaysia made a reservation to Country Farm Organics for our late lunch. Located at the ground level of Bangsar Village 1 in Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru, Country Farm Organics is a restaurant cum café that serves wholesome, organic, and semi-organic dishes using mostly ethnic ingredients and recipes. Here, the dishes are prepared using the “slow cook” method to retain the food’s valuable nutrients. Don’t be shy about informing the wait staff if you don’t want your food spicy. If you fail to do that, be sure to have a glass of soya milk handy to wash down your overheated palate. Inside the café is a mini grocery that offers organic food items.

Another interesting food joint is the O’Fren Café in Petaling Jaya. The café popularized the Blood Type Diet, which is believed to help improve one’s overall health.

O’Fren Café serves food based on research by Dr. Peter D’Adamo, the New York Times bestselling author of Eat Right 4 Your Type. The author believes that following a diet that’s designed specifically for your blood group makes you lose weight, feel healthier, and lowers the risk of many diseases.

Before dining in the resto, find out your blood type first to determine which list of food items your body will be best able to digest and utilize. Those with Type O blood should have a high-protein, meat-based diet; Type A, a vegetarian-based diet; Type B, varied diet with meat, grains, dairy and vegetables; and Type AB, primarily vegetarian with occasional meat, fish and dairy. Sadly, the manager on duty couldn’t explain to us how one could benefit from eating according to his blood type.

“Just Google it,” he said with a grin.

The highlight of our food trip was a cooking class at Rebung Restoran owned and operated by chef Ismail and Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar, the first Malaysian to go into space.

Chef Ismail began cooking when he was 10. His grandma would ask him to peel onions, chop garlic or go to the grocery to buy all the ingredients she needed for her specialties.

“That developed my passion for food,” the celebrity chef enthused. “My efforts were often rewarded with a plate of nasi lemak and prawn sambal.” Nasi lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves. It’s accompanied by a spicy sambal (chili paste with onions and anchovies), eggs (fried or hard-boiled) and cucumber slices.

After he graduated from high school, chef Ismail took up hotel management and catering with a specialization in chef training at Mara University of Technology. Soon after, he enrolled in a course at the Hilton International Kitchen Apprenticeship Program for three years.

“The experiences I’ve gained gave me the confidence to open my own restaurant – Restoran Rebung. The food we offer here is a tribute to the varied tastes in food that I inherited from our forefathers,” explained chef Ismail.

Restoran Rebung is known for its traditional Malay fare and Nonya cuisine, the blending of Malaysian spices like ginger, lemongrass, galangal and fresh chili paste with Chinese ingredients and techniques.

“At Restoran Rebung, we felt that the best way to appreciate and understand Malaysian cuisine was through a cooking demonstration. And so we decided to offer cooking classes for gourmets as young as 10 years old,” noted the Malay chef.

The lessons were hands-on and all of us were required to participate. Some of us aren’t experts in the kitchen but chef Ismail made sure that we put our aprons on, took hold of our ladles and whipped up the culinary delights Malaysia is known for in a huge wok. We had to give it our best shot because the dishes we prepared would be served for lunch. Thank goodness our chicken rendang tasted like, well, chicken rendang.

“Rendang is a kind of dish you have to cook ‘til dry. The main ingredients are chicken, coconut milk, ginger and dried chili. This dish is normally served during festive occasions. It can also be kept for months without refrigeration. In our home, only grandma is allowed to ladle the dish from the clay pot to prevent it from spoiling,” chef Ismail explained.

Aside from the dishes we whipped up, we were also invited to sample other typical Malaysian dishes at the restaurant’s daily lunch buffet such as ayam goring (turmeric fried chicken) and sambal udang (prawn sambal), among others. For dessert, we enjoyed the sticky rice with durian puree and the sweet and savory rice cake and pudding called kuih.

We left the restaurant satisfied, happy, and armed with new recipes we couldn’t wait to try in our kitchen back home.