vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
Snack / Dessert
Inexpensive yet satisfying titbits
Orang Hock Rojak @ Jalan Pasar, Bukit Mertajam
Dec 15th
In Bukit Mertajam, there’s a battle of fruit Rojak among three stalls all located at the same intersection. Even the stalls have similar names as well in like 黑人罗惹 (Orang Hitam), 白人罗惹 (Orang Putih) and 黑白人罗惹 (Orang Hitam Putih). Was it a case of riding on other’s fame to confuse the unknowing customers, or was it a lack of naming creativity, I really don’t know lol.
But if my memory serves me correctly, Orang Hock is the first stall and hence so-called the authentic BM Rojak. By the way, Bukit Mertajam’s rojak sauce is quite good and usually bought by visitors as hand gifts to bring home.
But as far as taste goes, I feel all three of them are quite similar. There’s really no distinctive difference except maybe on the quality of fruits that they use. But if you ask me which stall gives the most crushed peanuts, I’d say it’s Orang Hock’s.
Kopi Time Kopitiam @ Atria Shopping Centre, Damansara Jaya
Dec 3rd
Just when you thought there couldn’t be more Kopitiams, new ones are coming up every now and then. It could only mean one thing, yum cha is Malaysians’ favorite past time, and Kopitiam business is still a growing business in Malaysia.
Some of my friends like to yum cha a lot, and they go Kopitiam hopping around frequently. And one of their recommendations is Kopi Time at Atria Shopping Center for the toasts. By the way the Kopitiam’s name is quite catchy.. Anytime someone asks “Hey what time is it?” You can simply say “It’s Kopi Time!” lol lame joke. Anyway, good yum cha place must be shared right?
The main reason the toasts are popular is because Kopi Time doesn’t stinge on the butter and the breads are charcoal toasted (located next to the counter), which gives it a nicer fragrance. It’s a no-brainer really. Just make sure your toasts are generously coated with butter and kaya, reasonably priced and the crowd will come on their own.
Usually I won’t want to blog about Kopitiams, because I feel they are way too commercialized and the food quality deteriorates with every new franchise opened. But I will make an exception for Kopi Time. Besides, I think this place is well known among the locals but not featured on food blogs prominently enough yet.
BM Best Cendol @ Medan Selera Jalan Danby, Bukit Mertajam
Nov 7th
First, just let me say that Bukit Mertajam has never been famous for cendol. My hometown has some great food like Yam Rice, Duck Egg Char Koay Teow, Laksa, Char Koay Teow, Wantan Mee, Mee Goreng, Koay Teow Soup, Dry Prawn Noodle, Curry Mee, Nasi Lemak and so on. But cendol is definitely out of the list.
But if you are ever in Bukit Mertajam and looking for a cheap and refreshing bowl of cendol, then you must give BM Best Cendol a try. It is located near the town’s wet market along Danby Street, just behind KFC. Click here to continue reading >
幸春三兄妹冰品店 (Shaved Ice Desserts) @ Xi Men Ding
Nov 4th
Among the many Shaved Ice Dessert we had in Taiwan, Three Brother and Sisters’ (幸春三兄妹冰品店) version of shaved ice had the most silky smooth texture. They call it Snow Ice (雪花冰), as soft and white just like snow. The shop is located at the ever happening Xi Men Ding (西门町), with a chirpy fella trying to attract passer-by to try their famous shaved ice dessert.
“Lei hai mai hiong kong yan ah? (Are you from Hong Kong?)”, he asked when he noticed us walking towards the shop. “Wo men shi ma lai xi ya ren la (We are Malaysians-lah“), we answered. “Ooooh! Selamat datang ke Taiwan! Saya suka nasi lemak dan satay. Please try our shaved ice” he quickly changed channel. Impressive, a Taiwanese speaking Malay to us was the least expected for me lol.
Another surprising thing for us was that the shop actually had a staircase leading down to a basement seating area. And the walls surrounding it were full of writings, mostly compliments from the satisfied customers.
Being a sucker for anything mango, we had a Snowy Ice Mango @ NT$120 (roughly RM12) Throughout the entire Taiwan trip I think there were only two occasions we didn’t choose mango as the topping for shaved ice. Can’t really blame us though, even Taiwan tourism is heavily promoting mangoes in their advertisements recently.. The one with Jolin Chai and another uncle? I am sure most of you have seen it. Click here to continue reading >
