The Luxurious Roasted Pork Rice, A San Cha Sio Pui, Medan

This post should have been up long time ago but couldn't find the right time to post it so well here it is. In Medan, you can find various stores selling Cha Sio Pui or Roasted Pork Rice, with each offering unique taste. While there are many discussions about the nicest Cha Sio Pui in town, A San Cha Sio Pui is the nicest in my humble opinion.

The place can be pretty crowded especially during lunch. A note to be taken if you want to visit this place: it is only open from morning till afternoon. Also, as a Kopitiam, it doesn't have a separate place for smokers and non-smokers and thus, can be quite frustrating for the non-smokers to eat there. I would recommend you to come early i.e. at about 11.30 if you do not wish to join in the longggg queue (I really mean it when I say loooonnnggg). 

Came at the right time; tables were still empty until about 1 hour after my arrival

Coming into the menu, I am pretty sure they do not have many variations. So, this Kopitiam is really for those who know what they want to have. The Cha Sio Pui is really luxurious as it is dubbed the most expensive one in town; one portion costs Rp. 35,000, a pretty hefty price for that small portion of meat and rice. However, in my opinion, the taste is worth every cent you spend on this dish. The crunchiness of the Cha Sio and the tenderness of the Sio Bak make this meal unforgettable and would leave your tongue tingling in happiness for hours. The brown sauce topped on the meat brings out the fragrance of the hearty meat.  

One portion will look like this: a plate filled with Cha Sio, Sio Bak, cucumber and egg, a bowl of Kiam Chai soup and a plate of rice

Aren't you enticed by the pretty looking Cha Sio?

In conclusion, while the price can be a bit exorbitant, I think it would be good if you can have it as a reward for your hardwork once in a while. Fattening it may be but I ensure you that you won't regret eating this.

the Little Nyonya Cuisine, Penang

A late late post but oh wells. So this time is about the food served in a country which shares similar kind of food as Indonesia, Malaysia. I was on a SHORT holiday trip to Penang where I found this lovely family restaurant called the Little Nyonya Cuisine in the Gurney Plaza.

This is where the restaurant can be found, the Gurney Plaza

Atmosphere wise, it was a typical family restaurant, bustling with people and gatherings. The place was quite large -- I would estimate that it could fit about 30++ people. I would really recommend those who love bustling and lively atmosphere to dine here; for those who do not or prefer not, I suggest you go to a cafe :)

A family dining in the restaurant

Menu wise, this restaurant serves Peranakan food i.e. food that is influenced by Chinese and Malay cultures. Ranging from Curry to Nasi Lemak, this restaurant provides bountiful of choices. I had the chance to try its famous Melaka Kapitan Curry which cost RM 8.90; not too shabby for the huge portion I got. I would say the taste of the coconut milk was a tad too strong; milder should bring out more of the real spiciness of the Curry. That said, the chicken breast was tender and really chewable. Accompanied by freshly cut vegetables, the Curry, I would say, was appetizing.

The HUGE portion can feed two people!

Not to forget its White Coffee. As we would already have known -- if you don't, this is a good chance to expose yourself -- Penang is famous for its White Coffee. And as expected, the White Coffee served in this restaurant was really nice. At a price of RM 4.30, this coffee would wake the sleepy soul up with its not-too-creamy texture and strong flavour.

They do serve hot White Coffee!

 In a nut shell, given another chance, I would really love to visit this restaurant again to taste other food on its menu. To rate this restaurant, I would give 8/10 for its affordable yet good quality food served. 

Street Food in Medan

The bustling atmosphere at Cemara Asri Bundaran's Food Court

Street foods has long been famous for its wide variety, ranging from snacks to full meal. Despite its questionable hygiene, it is still very popular amongst the foreigners and even the locals; the food served is often the specialties of that area. Thus, for the very first post, I believe it is apt to introduce you to my hometown's street foods. 

Before the foods come in, let me introduce you to the places where these food can be found in Medan. Jalan Selat Panjang and Semarang are two of the most popular streets where these food are in abundance; you can practically find any kind of food, be it noodles (thin, fat, flat, etc), rice, and snacks.  

So, without further ado, LET THE FEAST BEGINS!

First up, we have the Martabak. It comes in many shapes and fillings. While some people will like the thicker ones, I personally love the thin ones. The ones below can be bought at the junction between Jl. Selat Panjang and Jl. Bogor.

The golden yellow base looks so enticing

Multi-tasking at its finest

The crispy sides and the sweet-while-salty fillings will make you want more of this

Next up, presenting to you, our very own version of chicken rice, Nasi Tim Ayam. With acar, hebi, lontong kari, lap chiong, and well seasoned chicken thigh, this dish is indeed mouth-watering. It is usually served with soup to enhance its chickeny taste. For those who love spicy food but at the same time not very adventurous, I can assure you the chilli served will not disappoint you; the chilli is spicy enough to get your tongue dancing. You can find this dish at Jl. Selat Panjang, at the stall in front of Mie Tiong Sim.

This dish is very goood to start a long day

Let the ball keeps rolling. Next, we have the Wantan Mie. While every stalls will serve different unique taste, the ingredients do not differ much; the Mie usually contains curly,yellow noodle (the thickness and texture usually differ amongst different stalls), meat (usually pork or chicken), secret sauce (this differentiates the Mie served by different stalls), vegetables and Wantan. For this post, my friend had the Mie that is dubbed the tastiest Wantan Mie in Medan, Mie Tiong Sim at Jl. Selat Panjang. 

You can see the brownish sauce that makes this noodle different

The perfect combination of ingredients results in this ULTIMATE dish

Moving on, we have Hokkien Mie Medan Style; I realised there are different kind of Hokkien Mies. With its thick and juicy noodle, accompanied by fresh prawn, tender meat and hearty fishcake, this dish brings out the vigor in you when eaten any time in the day. However, people who have high cholesterol level should avoid eating much of this dish as it is quite oily. This dish is sold by a stall at Jl. Selat Panjang, across Mie Tiong Sim.

It can be eaten wet or dry or semi; it is based on personal preference

Subsequently, we have the most special food (in my opinion), the food every Medanese who live or study abroad will yearn for. Presenting to you, Sate Padang. Sate or Satay is a dish where meat of various kind of animals are cut into small yet juicy pieces and joined by a stick. What makes Sate Padang different is the Padang Sauce. Spices and chilli are mixed to create this MAGICAL sauce. Sometimes, people eat the sauce with snacks such as Kerupuk, mie kremes, etc. This Sate Padang can be found almost everywhere in Medan. The one below can be found at Komplek Cemara Asri, near the Bundaran.

Look at the deceptively mild sauce; many have fallen into its trap and left devastated (PS: prepare LOTS of water before eating)

We also have some special beverages to go with these awesome dishes, namely Teh Botol Sosro, Kietna Juice and Tehtong.

Teh Tong

Teh Botol Sosro

Kietna Juice

So, those are some of the street foods and drinks you can find in Medan. Stay tune for other food that will be coming up real soon. Ciao.