I’m back in Minneapolis. I never cease to be impressed by how very, very far it is from Malaysia to Minnesota.
Here’s my last bunch of out-of-context food photos from the last week or so.
An ice kacang from a western-style coffee shop in a mall in Ipoh. I’m not sure if the ice cream and peanuts are Ipoh-style or just a feature of that particular cafe. The green frog-egg looking things are basil seeds… apparently they do that if you soak ’em in water for a while.
Also from a mall in Ipoh, ‘Claypot Rice.’ The pot is heated over a gas flame until it’s dangerously hot, then rice and chicken are scooped in where they get all toasty and crispy around the edges. The food is pretty basic, but there’s an element of excitement in that customers are expected to carry these glowing-hot loads on a plastic tray through a crowded food court to an empty seat. It’s a miracle that I didn’t require salve and bandages at the half-way point.
“Kao Soi Kai” from a roadside stand in Samoeng. Kao Soi is the default noodle dish of Chiang Mai. It’s coconut soup with flat, rich egg noodles and a bit of meat. Every version that I encountered also had crunchy chow mein noodles sprinkled on top.
From Huen Phen restaurant in Chaing Mai: Jackfruit salad and ‘crispy pork’ (which turns out to be the same thing as chicharones.)
Stuffed bamboo shoots, also from Huen Phen. I’m happy to report that you can get this same dish at Ruam Mit in St. Paul, and I like it slightly better there. Of course, the jackfruit options are a bit limited in St. Paul.
Back in Singapore, my first priority was getting a bowl of mee pok at Bedok Market. I will rejoice if I can find a place in Minnesota that serves Malaysian-style noodles in chili, but I suspect that you have to have a noodle factory nearby to produce the same effect.