Cabai is an integral part of the Penang diet as oxygen is to life .
You take away the cabai, sambal or cili padi and poof ,you extinguish the fire from a Penangite's very reason for living .
Over the top dramatics aside , the paired combination of thick soy treacle with tangy hot chilli paste is what maketh the shop , as well as what ignites and endows the salty sourish soup with that extra kick .
This cabai is unlike any you will ever have had before , it may look like cili boh but I am certain it is a special blend because it is so addictive , I felt so sexy mexy each time I dipped my chopstick in for another lick .
It is lunch and I managed to get the last available table space .
To " tap toi " or share table space in Penang unlike in Hong Kong and other parts of Malaysia ,is an almost unacceptable practice . Some local diners will not be so understanding should you insist on sandwiching in . Unless they offer you a space , which is highly unlikely , don't do it .
One merely waits for one table to finish before securing a spot .
It's funny how the regular pork offal eaters in Penang manage to look so trim , healthy and radiant .
Some people attribute it to the freshness of supply , thanks to the lightning speed of dispatch from local abattoirs .
If the pong stinks as bad as a puddle of pig sty poo , even after cooking , obviously , that won't be very beneficial folks , no matter how much white pepper seeds you dump in, to mask the smell .
So in a way , pork offal fans in Penang are a healthy glowing beautiful bunch of people who are mostly trim ( cept me cos of the amount of junk I eat ) with very good complexion .
Not pulling your leg .
Stomach , tongue , liver , kidney , intestines , you name it , that fancy cut is probably swimming in that bowl of murky soup up there .
Beneath it, is a bowl of white rice and yam , with deep fried dried shrimps , somewhat like a drier version of cheap lotus rice .
Quiet a few places serve this type of rice on Penang island but when it comes to kiam chye soup , the mainland is the place to go .
Trotters slow stewed in soy sauce are an antidote against the ravages of time .
I am positively sure it contributes to a double chin but better that than hobble around in creaking joints wracked in pain .
Used to protest at the sign of this dish but over time I have come to terms about adhering to a regular intake ( maybe 2 or 3 times a year ) .
Here is where that addictive serving of cabai comes in mighty handy .
Location : Chai Leng Park , Penang
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