Boopalicious.

I'm having a special someone visit from faraway at-the-other-end-of-the-world...Canada this month. So I decided to compile a list of 10 Malaysian foods that I absolutely HAVE TO let him eat.

The more culture-shock there is from the food- even better! (ﾟ∀ﾟ)

Despite being Malaysian, I must admit I have not had authentic Malaysian food in a while...I'm the kind that's somewhat particular about what I eat (in the recent years I've embraced the healthier side to eating) and I have not laid a finger on most Malaysian hawker staples. My staples include home-made salads, low-GI sandwiches, tofu dishes, home-made Japanese dishes and I occasionally nom on fruits and I'd treat myself to some sinful items once in a while. So when he comes, I'd have to eat whatever he eats because I can't like...order a flour-free wholemeal low-GI pita with cottage cheese, romaine lettuce and smoked salmon at a Char Kuey Teow place, can I? （´∀｀）

So now, in no particular order...

#1. Won Ton Noodles or Wan Tan Noodles, however you spell it

When I used to be really chubby, I'd occasionally have Wan Tan noodles for breakfast before heading for afternoon classes in high school. If available, I'd ask for the thicker, flatter "Cho Mee" in place of the stringy Wan Tan noodles. And I'd opt for just Wan Tans with no Char Siew on the side as I'm not a fan of the fatty layers on the meat- super lean Char Siew is acceptable though :D

#2. Nasi Lemak

One of the most sinful but hellishly delicious foods ever! The rice infused with coconut milk is so good you can eat it on its own or just with the accompanying sambal. I used to eat 2-3 packets of Nasi Lemak on the spot- it's that good! My favourites were the RM 1 packets that used to sell on the streets.

#3. Char Kuey Teow

I believe they say the best comes from Penang but I reckon there are Char Kuey Teow places just as good, if not better, in KL! I think there's a stall that's really good located in Taman Desa, which is where I live. I have not had this in almost 3 years now (and I've been in KL all my life) so I guess I'm gonna reunite my taste buds with Mr. CKT soon!

#4. Satay

The best Satay I've had is still from Kajang. There's a restaurant in Kajang with "Malaysia" in its name and I love the Satay there because they only use very lean chicken meat, absolutely chicken-skin-free! Which makes it easier for me to eat because I wouldn't have to gag on that one piece of disgusting, oily chicken skin. ...ew (*´Д`)

#5. Chicken Rice/ Hainanese Chicken Rice/ Chicken Rice Balls

Blogspot messed up the pic making it two-toned...

I adore those cute round rice balls that they have in Malacca. When I was there I ate 'em like they were marshmallows, haha.

The secret to good Hainanese Chicken Rice is of course, the rice. I prefer having mine with Roasted Chicken or if it's steamed chicken, without the skin. I love the ginger and chili sauce and I'm still trying to make my own, teehee.

#6. Roti Canai (his fave!)

The Mamaks are just so creative with their Roti names! The last time he and I went to a Mamak, I tried Roti Tissue and Roti Bom. I kinda freaked out when I saw the amount of sweetened condensed milk and sugar the Mamak dude was adding to the Roti Bom! That fat little Roti Bom thing that ended up in front of me had a layer of sugar glistening on top and in between every layer was ghee, condensed milk and more sugar...so sinful I'm even getting goosebumps thinking of it! ...I'm sticking to just plain roti now :D

#7. Prawn Noodles

One of my staples back then, I loved having the combination of bee hoon and hor fun in my Prawn Mee. The soup never ceases to make me crave for more and the little bits of lean pork, prawn, hardboiled egg, kang kong vege and bean sprouts made it so much fun to eat! I like having variety in a dish so I can take my time and pick at different ingredients- just seems fun. I'm odd that way, haha.

#8. Hokkien Noodles

...makes me proud to be a Hokkien. Not that I could speak Hokkien though- just a teeny bit maybe. NEVERTHELESS, Hokkien Mee is the bomb! There are so many stalls out there selling Hokkien Noodles, claiming to be the best in the area and stuff but I know for a fact that there is one guy in Taman Desa who makes Hokkien Mee so good, it'll make your taste buds cry. OK, taste buds can't cry but they might when you eat his Hokkien noodles! I'm not bullshitting you either because my grandpa who's had his share of Hokkien Mee all over KL for the past 60 years told me that this Taman Desa Hokkien Mee guy's noodles are one of the best he's had, ever! With the other good one being in Petaling Jaya but I don't like that one...meh.

#9. Assam Laksa

Best Assam Laksa I've eaten is near a temple in Air Hitam, Penang. I ate every noodle, every peppermint leaf, every onion slice, every piece of fish, drank every last drop of soup- everything. Why must Penang be so far from KL...damn it.

#10. Popiah

Had a bit of a hard time thinking of the 10th food to pick but I thought back to when I was little and I remembered the Popiah! My grandpa used to buy me this every time we went to a Pasar Malam (night market). Back then, the fillings of the Popiah were rich and flavourful compared to the ones now that are lacking in the most basic Popiah ingredients. A good Popiah should have thin slices of Lap Cheong (Chinese waxed/cured sausage), shredded egg omelette, French beans, tofu pieces and the other basic ingredients like steamed/braised grated turnip. The commercial ones now like the horrendous "Crispy Popiah" kind are a shame! They only have grated cucumber, the radish filling, a lot of crushed peanuts and all the crispiness that comes from deep fried batter pieces. Lacking in flavour-a shame. I've had really good Popiah with crab meat (real crab meat ok, lol) at Gurney Drive at the Gardens, MidValley but the place has ceased operating.

Well I've certainly made myself hungry at 3 a.m. and am looking forward even more than ever now to go all "foodie" with him. （´∀｀）

If you're reading this, what's your fave Malaysian food? ^__^

Note: The above pictures are not mine. They were sourced from Google. If any of these pictures are yours, I'm sorry for "stealing" them and would take 'em off if you want me to. OH the CHICKEN RICE BALL PIC IS MINE! :D

I made dinner today and I tried cooking Paella for the first time. Looked at a couple of Paella recipes online and decided to improvise with the ingredients so it's a modified paella :P

For all you curious ones, Paella's a Spanish rice dish that originates from Valencia. It's famous for being cooked in a Paellera (big, round, shallow skillet/pan that varies in size- it can be hugeee) and for the rice being a bright yellow/orange in color. This is probably one of the more popular non-Asian rice dishes out there, alongside the Risotto from Italy.

Looks yummy doesn't it? Well...it's not mine xP

Instead of using calasparra or bomba rice, I used Japanese rice, lol. I bought a whole bag and used only 1 cup for sushi last time. Hence, the balance in rice that I have to start cooking! But Japanese rice is similar to bomba rice as they're both short-grain, so can lah.

This gloppy mix is a Sofrito, a Spanish onion & tomato base for dishes like Paella

I prepared the sauce base, fish stock and other ingredients first before adding the rice to the pan.

Added stock to the pan after removing the Sofrito. Allowed all the yummy caramelized bits on the pan to melt into the stock. Added tumeric powder for that bright yellow color as I don't have Saffron (which is hella expensive and also turns things yellow)