A Malaysian Blog about Food, Family and Friends – by Lyrical Lemongrass
Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. When it was time for them to leave home to seek their fortune, their mummy told them, “Whatever you do , do it the best that you can because that’s the way to get along in the world.”
So the first pig built a house out of straw, the second, out of sticks, and the third, out of bricks.
One night, the big bald eagle appeared at the house made of straw and said, “Little pig, little pig, let me in!”
The little pig replied, “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!”
And the bald eagle said, “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down!”

Bacon, lettuce and tomato roll
The house of straw came down, and the bald eagle took the little pig to Nambawan and got the good people there to make him a french baguette with crispy fried bacon together with lettuce and tomato. The baguette was surprisingly soft with a crisp crust; it made for a good first meal, and the bald eagle was pleased.
Somewhat satiated but still rather peckish, the bald eagle made his way down the road, and soon came to the house made of sticks. The big bald eagle appeared at the house made of sticks and said, “Little pig, little pig, let me in!”
The little pig replied, “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!”
And the bald eagle said, “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down!”

Stone charbroiled pork belly with roasted potatoes and salad
The house of sticks came down and the bald eagle took the little pig to Nambawan and got the good people there to make him a stone charbroiled pork belly dish with roasted potatoes and salad. The bald eagle found the pork belly rather chewy and not extremely succulent, so he went out in search of more little piggies.
He soon came to the house made of bricks, a massive and palatial structure, ostentatious and vulgar. The big bald eagle stood before the house made of bricks and said, “Little pig, little pig, let me in!”
The little pig replied, “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!”
And the bald eagle said, “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down!”
Unlike the traditional fairy tale of yore, this piggy’s house was built by a Malaysian contractor, and sure enough, the house fell on the third puff. The bald eagle grabbed the squealing pig and took him away to Nambawan where the good people turned the pig into a juicy, scrumptious pork burger, plump and pink, with generic fries on the side.
There is no moral to a story where no morals are involved.
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We first read about Nambawan (No.1) Restaurant and Cafe in Masak-Masak’s blog, and subsequently in Minchow’s blog, and were impressed that such amazing non-halal western type food could be found in a rather unlikely location (you will know why if you are familiar with this area). The prices are insanely cheap – a pork burger with a homemade patty at only RM6.90, a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich at also RM6.90, and a charbroiled pork belly slab that will feed two easily at RM13.90! The cafe is pleasant enough with white walls and white furniture and bold bright pictures plastered on one of the walls. In addition to sandwiches and burgers, they also serve a selection of pastas and rice. For more reviews, also check out Food-4-Thot’s blog.
Nambawan Restaurant & Cafe
No. 10, Sri Manja Square One
Taman Sri Manja
Jalan Klang Lama
46000 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 016-224 1533 (Yap), 013-263 2772 (Gilbert)
Business hours: 12 pm till 3pm, 6pm till 10pm. Open daily.
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Note: When I first had a glimpse of my photographs, I thought I couldn’t salvage them, and so to save my readers from being assaulted by bad photography, I resorted to one of my *cough* well-honed skills – drawing – to illustrate my fabulous dining experience. If you find them pitiful, be gentle, save me the brickbats and enjoy the actual pictures instead.
Food, for me, is a means to an end and not an end in itself.
Food, for me, represents the love of family, the fellowship of friends, and the community and communality it brings.
uLi
February 8th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Hahaha….interesting story plus nice porky food pix
Life for Beginners
February 8th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Hehe, at first I thought all them pigchers, er, pictures drawn with Illustrator/Paint was cos you forgot to bring your camera, dear. But ach so.
More a-whiff-of-fairytales, please!
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 8th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
uLi: you are too kind!
LFB: I obviously need lessons from you. And I need a program other than MSPaint to draw. Hahaha.
Sean
February 8th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
this post is sooo good, it begs for a sequel someday! i suggest lemongrass and the three bears (u should have no problem finding porridge that’s too hot or too cold).
Bangsar-bAbE
February 9th, 2010 at 12:02 am
So cute la your drawings! Especially the pig in the burger. Love the story line too!! =)
J the chocoholic
February 9th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Yay – I love fairy tales… especially those that end in yummy pork burgers.
(Your drawings are so cute! – please feel free to forget your camera/ think that your photos are not good* more often… )
*Crazy gurl! The photos look nice lah.
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 9th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Sean: So sarky! Maybe I shall cast you as the villain in the sequel that will only come out in 2011.
BB: Thanks for humouring me! *grin*
J: *gasp* Are you saying that my drawings are better than my photos?
*running wee wee wee all the way home*
Manggy
February 9th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Hmmm? I thought the pictures were excellent! Thanks for sharing (I wonder if Bald Eagle got his comeuppance, lol).
cumidanciki
February 9th, 2010 at 6:55 am
lovit! .. ur rite.. i do love it:D
my fav is the piggy akimbo in the burger.. too damn cute!
excellent shots.. i need more fairytales so i can go to sleep. tomorrow ar.. write another one!
lotsofcravings
February 9th, 2010 at 9:06 am
i cnt believe ms paint can draw such ahem artsy fartsy drawings 1 lor..hahaha..
those pics from p&s!???
KY
February 9th, 2010 at 9:40 am
excellent writing, meena you are my hero!!! <3 max!
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 9th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Manggy: Thanks…you’re very sweet. The truth is, I get extremely critical of my photography (and evidently more critical of it than of my drawings!). Yes, Bald Eagle was pretty pleased with his piggies.
cumidanciki: I was kidding about it yesterday.
Another fairytale? Hmmmm.
lotsofcravings: *ahem* MSPaint is just a tool to help you translate the ideas in your head to artsy fartsy drawings lor. They’re all mine.
No, those pics are from the DSLR.
KY: Hahaha….as you are mine, KY! <3
thule aka leo
February 9th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
LOL! I kinda forgot this story if you didn’t tell it once again!
But your drawings of the pig were so cute that I can’t bring myself to feast on them
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 9th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
thule: Papa needs to learn his nursery rhymes.
What? You’re giving up pork? LOL.
Marian Eu
February 9th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I love your piggy drawings — so cute, so original!! Do more and compile them into a book. It will sell like hot pigs
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 9th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Marian, you’re so funny! I’d love to compile some of my drawings, but first, I need to standardise the length of the legs. *grin*
mimid3vils
February 9th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
oinks oinks shop is mushrooming the town!!!
unkaleong
February 9th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Where got pigs leg so long wan? *ROFL*
There is no moral to a story where no morals are involved
*chuckles*
J2Kfm
February 9th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Seriously, RM6.90 for a pork burger is DAMN cheap. Just hope they wont get all big headed and gone the commercialized route, and increase the price like nobody’s business.
A Lil Fat Monkey
February 9th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Wah! I go down south one day and you came up with this? Clap clap clap. You are like KING of THE UNIVERSE lah
I also found my way there. Charbroiled pork belly was good hor?
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 9th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
mimid3vils: yes they are, but I’m not complaining.
unkaleong: only in my world, dear!
J2Kfm: Yes, damn cheap. Currently, I don’t see that happening. The place is still rather empty.
A Lil Fat Monkey: Thank you, King of the World! Always proud to be associated with you, coz you are my Guru! Yes, it was good.
Pureglutton
February 9th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
I lurve your piggy drawings – so cute! Can’t believe those insane prices – are they making any money or not??
minchow
February 9th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Hahaha! I actually felt rather sorry for the protagonist piggy! Time to reassess our porky inclinations??…. NAH! I think this may be the start of a new wave – food anime! You’re my new Stan Lee!
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 9th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Pureglutton: Thanks..hehe! Yar, I wonder too…
minchow: Yay, thanks for the encouragement. Will this be the advent of Spider Piggy?
Nate @ House of Annie
February 10th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Great little story, especially the joke about the Malaysian contractor! Pork fat rules! Was there enough of it in the pork burger?
kampungboycitygal
February 10th, 2010 at 11:38 am
whats wrong with the actual photos? *tilt head left n right*. that would be the best shots that i can take, queen.
ai wei
February 10th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
the pig pig so cute one!!!
marked this down. love a try!!!
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 10th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Nate: Thanks.
It was sufficiently juicy, so I reckon there was some pork fat in it.
kampungboycitygal: LOL….glad you like the pics.
ai wei: thank you!! yes, do try it.
babe_kl
February 10th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
LOL ohh myyy!!! you made my brothers or was it sisters looked so cute albeit in between buns, on top of toast or platter!!!
tummythoz
February 10th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
All have said is all so just lol!
daphne
February 10th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
this is hilarious!! what great cartoons/graphics to go with it as well. Totally illustrate your point. Esp the last one with the pig in between burger buns! Winner.
That looks like an ultimate juicy burger to me and what great joy it must have felt to have a bite of that. Lucky u! and such cheap prices!!!!!
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 10th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
babe_kl: your brothers and sisters? And all this time, I thought “Babe” followed “Hawt”.
tummythoz: LOL back at ya!
daphne: Thanks! I had fun drawing them.
Yes, terribly cheap, even by Malaysian standards.
Katie
February 11th, 2010 at 8:40 am
I loved your photos AND your drawings! Anything with pork in it is absolutely a winner in my eyes!
ladyironchef
February 11th, 2010 at 11:32 am
oh my god, you are so evil! ‘there’s no moral in a story where no morals are involved..’ hahahahha
just look at all the pork! hahahaha can i have the pork burger? pretty please?
mystic
February 11th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
love your drawings…so original!!!!
Baby Sumo
February 11th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
What a cute story! Love your little piggies…
superwilson
February 12th, 2010 at 3:29 am
Pork pork pork! The drawings are so cute!
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 12th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Katie: Amen to that.
ladyironchef: I’m evil? lol. *smiling angelic smile* Hey when you’re down (up?), will take you for pork burger.
mystic: thanks! I had fun drawing them!
Baby Sumo: Hehe….thanks!
superwilson: Hozit going, Argentina explorer? ^_^
fatboybakes
February 12th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
snigger…so breeeeelliant. one can only dream that God will bestow such brilliance on oneself.
Hairyberry
February 12th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
at times when pork is gold (cny mah), maybe we can just 4get siew yoke (the belly, not the girl) and tar pau from this numero uno instead, eh?
What tok u, woman? Pics are lovely, both drawn and snapped.
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 12th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
fatboybakes: God has bestowed more than brilliance on you, my child. He’s also bestowed sarcasm.
Hairyberry: Yar, true oso, but i don’t think they have the chinese style siew yoke here. You’re too kind with your compliments. I’ll wait for the brickbats when we talk in private.
wiZsurf
February 20th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Wonder what happens if there ain’t no more porks no more, like say those tragic clowns living in kayaraya squalor in Putrajaya imbibing whiskycumchampagne 38% proof with gallavanting naked virgin women suddenly ban piggy from the streets and the homes !
Marcky
February 21st, 2010 at 5:02 am
Finally got around to reading your blog. Been so busy lately, with the move to my private domain and work and eating and photo-taking and gym and …
This post is absolutely hilariously done! Nice to see such an unconventionally-written food review.
I think you can just give your camera gear to me, you obviously should stick to drawing instead!
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:31 am
wiZsurf: I hope that day never comes.
Marcky: Welcome to my blog.
Yeah, I can see that you’ve been busy! Give you my camera gear? Sure…come and get it.
Ninehitz
February 25th, 2010 at 1:27 am
Wow.. awesome! Look damn delicious la!! Pork meal… erm.. wil give a try, thanks for sharing1
Simon Seow
February 26th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Oink. Oink. Broke this month. Have to stick with my grain powder, no money for real food T_T
Lyrical Lemongrass
February 26th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Ninehitz: Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I have!
Simon: I suppose the shop will still be there next month, so you may still have your chance to savour this.
thenomadGourmand
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Heck..those prices are cheap even by my scrooge standards! ;p
Lyrical Lemongrass
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:01 pm
LOL…they’re cheap, alright.
lola
June 8th, 2010 at 4:34 am
must. try!
Pork lover
July 4th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Went there the waitress told me need to wait for about one hour or more.and the restaurant is not even half full