The second week of my Malaysian adventure has now come and gone. I suspect people are growing weary of my #Malaysianpersuasion Instagram handles and food pictures, but this journey is just only approaching the halfway point, and thus, we carry on.
The second week was a flurry of a heavy workload; training was continued in the office, while simultaneously my own clients were anxiously vying for attention, making for long hours (they are, after all, in varying time zones) and little sleep. Nonetheless, the week was survived and all is good in sales world.
With there being such long hours, there were few (okay, no) weekday evening adventures. My only exploits outside of the office were within the confines of my lunch hour (again), but this did not disappoint. Perhaps I should just start qualifying this as a food blog..?
This week my taste buds were introduced to a number of complexities, my favorite lunch being Penang Hokkien Mee (prawn soup). My colleague is constantly trying to push my culinary limits, convinced time and time again we will finally meet my match; a dish I will outright refuse. It's quite the game he loves to play, pushing harder and harder as time goes on. We've been through pig intestines, fish head, huge prawns in the shells, other various fish items and chicken feet; none have stopped me in my tracks, much less slowed my pace of endearment. Not entirely sure why they thought prawn soup would be any different, but hey, whatever they want to try.
Prawn soup is an entirely simple concept (prawn stock, garlic, yellow noodles, bean sprouts, small prawns, etc.) yet once again packs au eagerly welcomed flavor punch. While eating this dish I never would have imagined the stock to be so flavorful (especially now, seeing the limited ingredients), but my tongue was constantly confused by new, startling discoveries with each bite. I would love to make this dish for my friends back home, given my ability to procure prawn heads to make the stock (yes, prawn HEADS, boiled into the stock for hours until ready.... disclaimer, there are no actual heads in said soup), alas, given that Milwaukee isn't exactly the home of prime Asian seafood markets, this dish will most likely remain a mere memory.
While the prawn soup topped the lunchtime desires, I was finally able to bear witness of the evening street food markets last Thursday. Through the weeks I've been picking up on the theory that Malaysians tend to have specific foods for specific times in the day; i.e. curry puffs for breakfast, mee goring for lunch, hokkien noodles for dinner... they all have their place and time. However, being a foreigner, this was (and still is) not exactly clear to me; French toast, cold cut sandwiches and warm dinners? Blasphemy. So, quite generally, I've been wandering around in an air of confusion, looking for items off my Pinterest "Malaysian food wish-list" and finding myself completely backwards in my timing assumptions. Example? Rendang chicken (another one of my favorites- I presumed a dinner dish) is a breakfast favorite. That's right- a curry(ish), heavy chicken and rice dish-breakfast. Ok. Fine. Curry puffs (look like a tiny little snack pastry)- thoughts? Yep. Also breakfast. I don't know about you, but I'm more of a mid-afternoon curry puff girl myself. Nonetheless, I've adjusted appropriately and I have to say, I am far less hungry throughout the day (hello thinning waistline, I'm loving you) so I really think they're on to something here. Bring on the puffs, daddy-o.
Anyways, back to the street dinner. We went to our favorite Hawker (the street food cafeteria of sorts) where multiple vendors provide a variety of different meal options; picture a very Asian version of a mall food court, only instead of established areas, the vendors work out of carts and makeshift stands. Wait, I have a picture here somewhere...
Ok, so there are your typical hawkers. Plastic tables, plastic chairs, delectable homemade Malaysian, Chinese, Indian and Thai specialties; all generally providing a full meal for under $2USD. If my sensory overload weren't already totally enthused with this place, my wallet is also breathing a sigh of relief and welcomed savings. Malaysia, you sure are beautiful.
Okay so seriously, back to our dinner. We had a version of Malaysian BBQ of sorts- chicken and beef satay. Oh heavens, lord have mercy. These are chicken and beef skewers, marinated overnight in a curry, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, cumin (whatever your heart desires, basically) that are grilled and then served with raw cucumber and onion slices. The kicker? The dipping sauce that join this melody. A curry, lemon, garlic, soy peanut sauce that will make you want to commit yourself, all of you, 100 percent, to this dip, for now until forever, until death do you part.
My friends, you're looking true love in the face right there. True fairytale magic.
Other highlights from our dinner were chicken wings (spicy, but just to a pleasurable amount), popiah (burrito looking thing) and a pork steam bun.
There you have it; street dinner.
So finally, onwards to my tourist musings. This weekend my (wonderfully generous, amazing, caring, thoughtful, fun) colleagues took me on a mini adventure around KL. We partook in more local type activities, which I adored. We started off the morning with a dim sum breakfast (derived from the Chinese portion of the Malaysian roots) which blew my mind. This breakfast is served in a group style (perhaps the term 'tapas' rings a bell?) which a large variety of items to choose from and share amongst one another. This is where I encountered my first chicken foot, and not so sadly to say, my last. I was able to get past the mental element of eating a chicken foot, truly, but the fact that you have to suck out each individual bone, leaving only a weird textured skin.. it wasn't for me. That being said, I came, I saw, I conquered. Would you do the same?
Here's some photos from the breakfast:
Since you've heard enough long-winded explanations of food in today's blog already, I'll spare you the details. But just note; it was amazing, perhaps just not before strenuous activity.
Such as, let's say, hiking.
Earlier in the week my colleagues asked me if I wanted to go hiking. "It won't be that steep," they said. "It's a smaller hill," they said. "It'll be fun!" They said.
Liz and Kelly, I know where you spend your days. Revenge is awful.
Just kidding- we did have fun; a lot of fun. I don't know the name of the hill (probably the name on the sign pictured below) or how high it was, but one thing I do know, I ran out of oxygen at about 6/8 of the distance, and ambition embarrassingly close to the top. There is something to be said about hiking in 98 degree weather with 75% humidity, straight up what would almost be called a rock wall, were it not to have maybe 2 degrees short of the straight standing incline: bring an extra shirt; or three, and a happy as a bird with a French fry type attitude, or else you won't make it.
We sweat buckets.
But we lived to tell the tale.
Perhaps the most unique part of this experience was the fact that we were very obviously sharing the jungle with a new variety of friend; one never seen on Wisconsin hikes. Anyone have a guess?
...
If you guessed monkeys, you're spot on. Unfortunately they don't tend to sit still for photos (sorry) but they were quite interesting to observe hoping from one tree to the next. Oh, the things you see in Malaysia.
Naturally the next course of action after a long, hot hike is lunch. We enjoyed a round table affair of massive, delicious prawns, chile fish, fried eggs and other delectable plates.
Clearly, some of us were a bit more excited about the prospects of the fish head than others..
Finally our day took us to the federal administrative centre of Malaysia; an area which has been impressively developed over the last ten years, not sparing any costs or details. This area is called Putrajaya and holds the Prime minster's office building, many of the government offices, government housing, a series of beautiful, modern bridges, and a very large, ornate mosque. The mosque and prime minister's office were truly unlike anything I had ever seen before; both towered over the city and almost sparkled in brilliance. Well done, prime minister. Well done. I also learned that Malaysia has a form of royalty; a sultan. I really can't expand on that much since I really didn't ask, but I definitely had the song Arabian Nights swirling around in my brain as I wandered the boardwalk..
Really, these pictures don't capture the beauty of this area to even a close degree, however, they are worth sharing. As this is largely a governmental office space, there is little activity and things are awfully quiet in this area on weekends; a startling difference in comparison to the bustling downtown streets of KL.
After these adventures I spent the rest of my weekend relaxing and catching up on grad school homework; nothing really to write home about. I hear it has been snowing in Wisconsin, so I'll leave you with this note:
Life's a b*tch.
Until next time!
"It's time to remember what it's like to feel alive." -Northlane, Quantum Flux
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