A meal free of charge

What gives you more excitement than discovering banknote between the pages of an old book which you are about to send to the recycling centre? Stacking up all my uni books and tying them with strings, one book caught my attention. The title was "Tamadun Islam" (The civilisation of Islam). The book was almost brand new as I had not even once read it after paying RM35 for it. The civilisation of Islam was a compulsory course in the uni but I hardly showed any interest in history. I started flipping the pages and was so surprised to see a RM10 banknote inside. Being a meticulous person (particularly on money matters), I don't recall keeping money inside any books. So, the question that has no answer is: Is that my money? 

Well, since the book belongs to me, the money would go to nobody but me! Haha... with the red coloured banknote, I treated myself to a scrumptious Bak Kut Teh meal at the hawker centre. It's not a sin to use the money which I found inside a book that belongs to me, right?

Singaporean Fried Vermicelli @ RM4.00

Bak Kut Teh for one @ RM6.00

Taman Tasik Food Court

Lake Garden, 

34000 Taiping, Perak.

Malaysia

Yam Rice @ Kedai Kopi Soon Loong, Chai Leng Park

I had never eaten yam rice in my life until I was posted to Segamat in 2006. My landlady is a good cook and her family enjoys her home-cooked meal very much particularly her special yam rice. Even though I am not a fan of rice, I had never turned away from her yam rice that is almost always perfectly done. I usually ended up wolfing down more than one serving. Ever since I was transferred back to my hometown, I stopped eating yam rice because I always find the yam rice in Taiping and Ipoh rather tasteless. Two weeks ago, I went to Butterworth to meet up with my former classmate who is married to a Penang guy. We both went to Chai Leng Park for lunch and she recommended this shop. If you search the internet, you will find that yam rice is the most popular dish in Butterworth and most bloggers usually go to the shop by the name of C*** H***. However, this friend of mine assured me that the neighbour of C*** H*** serves even better yam rice. True enough, the yam rice at Soon Loong is very fragrant and the taste is so close to my landlady's.

Yam Rice @ RM0.40 (small) & RM0.80 (big)

Braised beancurd and hard-boiled eggs

Pork offal sour soup

Think of cholesterol, think of them!

I am not a health-conscious person. I have never spent a single cent on body check-ups, blood test, cholesterol test, visiting doctors etc. No insurance coverage, no medical card, not making use of any medical benefits given by the government, even though it is free. Malaysian government should be grateful that they have hired such a 'faithful' civil servant for she has contributed so much in the effort of saving the tax-payers' money. I am who I am. I don't need all the above. When it's time for me to go, I'll go. So whenever I feel like eating my favourite food, regardless of how unhealthy they are, or how much harm it could do to my body, as long as I want to eat it, I will stuff myself till the brim. 

Cholesterol food No.1: Roast Pork

Huge slab of roast pork with layers of fat and lean meat, plus the oh-so-tempting crackling skin. 

Cholesterol food No.2: Pig's trotter

Cholesterol food No.3: Kum Chin Yoke (bacon-wrapped pork fat)

A grand ensemble of CHOLESTEROL!!!

Cholesterol food No.4: Pig's Intestines

Cholesterol food No.5: Pig's Stomach

Think of cholesterol, think of us!

This mobile van can be found in front of the Pasir Pinji Market after 2.30 in the afternoon. 

Pasir Pinji Market

Ipoh

My name is cholesterol!

I love to eat pork offal! I love to have them in my bowl of noodles, a pot of stew or even as braised items in a pot of flavoured soy sauce.

The preparation of pork offal is as sophisticated as any other thing in any other international cuisines. The large intestine, small intestine, liver and stomach are all major ingredients in this pot of stew with a robust flavour.

 

 

The use of organs is classically represented in this stall here.  It has its own recipe for preparing the stews of intestine, liver, and stomach The big pot is often placed facing the street and next to the entrance such that the mouth-watering aroma is the best draw for the the shop′s business.

Contrary to a common people's disgust for these dishes due to unfamiliarity and sanitary concerns, these offal items are very well cleaned. The pork intestines' tough inner skin (which is exposed to bolus and pre-fecal materials) is completely removed. Then, the intestine is exhaustively soaked, cleaned and rinsed. The stomachs are skilfully excised, and soaked for several hours and cleaned.

Apart from selling offal, this stall also sells roast meat, barbecued meat and 'Golden Coin' meat (Kum Chin Yoke).

And mustn't forget their grilled-to-perfection trotter. 

Pasir Pinji, Ipoh

(Opposite Pasir Pinji Market)

Business hour: 2.30p.m. onwards