Malaysia- Jalan Alor

 

 I was thwarted by the unexpected Malaysian heat. Little did I know that Autumn in Malaysia still lends to sweaty armpits and diminishing appetite. But I came prepared..
Being the diligent blogger that I am, I scoured foreign blogs for good eats in Malaysia. I came up with a compacted list of must try hawker food stalls.

1. Wong Ah Wah's Chinese Malay Cuisine . Wong Ah Wah, started out with a small hawker stall selling notoriously good grilled chicken wings. News of the chicken wing spread like a virus and attracted hawker trotters from all over the world. Thus, one stall turned into three restaurants.

 

Aromatic basil, chili and garlic stir fried with clams. Fiery flavors oddly cooperative in this sweltering heat.

 

 Wong Ah Wah suggested the pairing of ice cold beer to temper the spicy dishes and tropical heat. Amidst panting and fanning, I managed to squeeze in momentary sighs of bliss as the ice cold beer hit my palate.

Ahh.. the infamous grilled chicken wings! A hybrid of Western BBQ wings and Asian teriyaki wings, it managed to achieve the best of worlds. Delicious!

2. Meng Kee Fried Sting Ray
In hindsight, tearing on stingray flesh should be the last thing a diver should be enjoying. After all, wasn't I frolicking with one only a few days later. Guilty as charged.

Upon my research on Malay eats, I was intrigued to find oyster pancake a top contender. This version is pan fried with less starch which lends to a crispy crust, slightly different from the Taiwanese version we are accustomed too.

 

Jalan Alor, one of the biggest food hawker centers in Malaysia, is a kaleidoscope of colors, smells, sounds, and people. Interspersed amongst locals are vaguely local foreigners (if there such a thing!) brushing away hawkers and their persistent laser lights and trinkets. Clamoring of pots and pans, fanning of charcoal grills and bilingual hawkers urging you to "sit and eat" encompass only a tip of the iceberg of Malaysia's exotic multi ethnic society.