A Whiff of Lemongrass

“Don’t come into the kitchen. I’m cooking!”

“Stay away from the hot stove!”

“Don’t touch the oven! You’ll burn yourself.”

Familiar words in my childhood. I was familiar with good food, but not with the preparation.

When I was in Form 1, I was initially not given a choice but to enter the Sains Rumahtangga (Home Science) stream. I cried for days. My biggest fear was lighting the gas stove. I didn’t know how to. When the school subsequently announced that the Perdagangan (Commerce) stream was available as an alternative choice, I grabbed it and never looked back. That choice eventually shaped my future as an accountant.

Mum sometimes allowed me to enter the kitchen. When she wanted someone to prepare the ingredients for the rasam (an Indian hot and sour soup), I was the girl for that job. I would pound the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek and garlic in the stone mortar and inhale the smell of the concoction I had just pulverised.

But when it came to the big jobs, like chopping up a chicken, it was a job for a grown-up to do.

I experienced the joys of cooking after I got married. Because my husband wasn’t too fussy about food, I would bravely throw in different types of ingredients to come up with my own recipes. When the food turned out delicious, I knew that it must have been a blessing, for what other explanation could there be for someone who had no knowledge of ingredients and how they worked together?

So there is the odd day when I would put too much salt into the food, or burn my chicken perattal because I was too busy reading the newspapers. But seeing my husband gulping it up anyway and saying “thank you for the lovely meal, dear” motivates me further.

Friday lunch, and this time we knew what we wanted to eat. I was in the mood for Roti Babi at Yut Kee, Jalan Dang Wangi, so we all piled into Ecstatic Eeyore’s car to make that journey to the other side of town. As luck would have it, it was the first day of the Malaysian Mega Sale AND PC Fair @ KL Convention Centre, so a quick change of decision was made as we waited impatiently in the traffic jam on Jalan Tun Razak somewhere near KLCC where it was ALL happening.10 minutes later, thanks to the blessing called the Elevated Highway, we (and our growling stomachs) were at Ampang to eat the famous Ampang Yong Tau Foo.

Having lived in Ampang practically all his life, Ecstatic Eeyore managed to find parking easily. I did, however, notice that parking in front of the restaurant is crazy, and I wouldn’t risk it on my own.

There were a couple of options to choose from, but we decided to go to the original yong tau foo place known as Restoran Foong Foong.

I was fascinated by the system in place in the restaurant. After giving your order at the counter (just tell them how many pieces you want and what you don’t want), the person at the counter relays the order to the production line via microphone. Then the mechanism begins whereby the items are fried/prepared and passed to the next station where the food is put into the correct receptacles and subsequently presented on our table. The downside is that one can hear ALL the orders being given via the mic!

The yong tau foo selection consisted of fried sui kow, chilli, brinjal, ladies fingers, fish balls and soft beancurd. We all had our personal favourites, but the general consensus was that the fried sui kow was the best. I enjoyed the stuffed chilli which was not overpoweringly hot (pedas) and the fish paste used to stuff the yong tau foo was sufficiently salty without making you want to reach for your drink. The red and dark sauces were excellent and perfect complements to the yong tau foo.

My office is located near Petaling Street, and is a short walk away from one of my favourite restaurants, Old China Cafe. It’s not so much the food that appeals to me, but the feeling that I get when I push open the swinging wooden doors and find myself in the dark mirrored room with old chinese music playing in the background and a rickety old table fan in the far corner of the room. Perhaps it will be the subject of a future restaurant review.

But for now, my review is on its sister restaurant, Precious Old China. Located in Central Market KL, it seems to target the tourists rather than locals. But since I am no expert on property markets and locations, I shall keep my two cents worth to myself. BUT if one thinks of restaurants in Central Market as overpriced tourist traps, then he will regret his decision for not giving Precious Old China a chance to prove itself.

We decided to go to Precious Old China last Saturday night. Precious Old China serves predominantly Nyonya (Straits Chinese) food. And at times like this, I claim my “chinese heritage” by saying that this type of cuisine is the stuff my grandma used to cook.

For starters, we decided on the Ju Hu Char and Pie Tee (top hats). Both these dishes have the same type of base, i.e. shredded sengkuang and dried shrimps. The Ju Hu Char has an added ingredient, i.e. dried cuttlefish. The Ju Hu Char was served with lettuce, where one can make cute little popiahs by wrapping the ingredients, and sambal belacan, in the lettuce. I thought it was great, but Gard and Olav found the smell of either the cuttlefish or the sambal a little overpowering. Something about the smell of a barn….? The top hats were also DIY and the outer layer was nice and crunchy.

For our main course, we ordered Kari Kapitan (Chicken), Beef Rendang and Sweet and Sour Fish (Olav’s special request). The Kari Kapitan was rich and creamy, the beef rendang was tender and not too pedas, and the sweet and sour fish was up to Olav’s expectations. 🙂 Yummy bario rice, naturally coloured with blue sweetpea flowers and cooked in santan (coconut milk), was served together with the dishes.

I love the decor at Precious Old China. Uncoordinated antique furnishings, glass chandeliers and huge vases add an opulent touch to the restaurant.

Further information can be found on the website: www.oldchina.com.my.

After that very satisfying meal, we proceeded to SevenEightNine at the Ascott (see earlier review) and got ourselves drunk on cocktails.

Precious Old China

Restaurant & Bar, Lot 2, Mezzanine Floor, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur.

Reservation: 03-22737372Fax: 03-22745687