Temperature Rising Researching the Research Centre

[IQRA'-READ]

I should be studying. I should be revising. I should be memorizing cases and sections of some Act of Parliament. I should be dissecting and scrutinizing the four scholars of Islamic jurist opinions. But I am sitting in front of my lap top churning ideas into words, words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs with a hope that it will eases my stress and tension. I think the panic button had fully become operative and there is no way to turn it off. It is ringing, blaring and buzzing into my heart, body, soul and mind. At last folks, I am writing this very piece of my observation of myself as per my tagline.

The panic button actually did not suddenly go off blaring reaching 7 or 8 on the Richter scale. It is more like the volcanic activity, slowing spewing smoke out. It started few weeks ago when I realized I needed a certain book published by the IIUM’s Research Centre. I drove to the varsity and making a mental note of the centre. Since it was a week day, I cannot park at the Law Centre where I could easily walk to the Research Centre. There is ample parking at the Research Centre, but then, IIUM is a one way street. And the Centre though situated near the entrance, one has to drive a full circle, and I missed the entrance. Hence, I have to make another circle around the varsity!

Circling the varsity campus twice gave me a different perspective of things. First, do not take for granted that you know the place, given the fact I frequent it every Saturday for the last 7 months! Secondly, driving and walking is two different activity altogether. Third, do not do things last minute, i.e. do not procrastinate. The walk to the Research Centre was pleasant with nicely crop greenery and well trimmed pathway. A beautiful garden. Well, IIUM tagline is Garden of knowledge and virtue anyway. With minimal signage I ended up in the office level instead and was politely directed to the ground floor where they sell their publications.

Sitting for an examination after years of obtaining my first degree was an over whelming experience. The answering technique is another 300 word story by itself.  Though the tension and stress is the same, being matured students have its advantages. Upon observing fellow course mate leaving the examination room a good hour ahead of time, I calmly told myself that they must be writing at neck breaking speed while I have to practically write each alphabet like preschoolers!  Two papers down another 2 to go. To our disappointment, no one died today, no one commit murder either intentionally or accidental except for one euthanasia.  The day before, people died by the dozen and we had our hands full handling all their estate and distributing them to their rightful heirs! Exam temperature is rising on Acepaizah...

[motivating frame greeted me @ the Research Centre]

exam fever butterfly kisses
~Acepaizah~

NASI LEMAK FINALE in NEW ZEALAND

Acepaizah & NZ's Nasi Lemak

By now every one knows that I am a Nasi Lemak addict. I have Nasi Lemak for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And sometime even supper. Originally Nasi Lemak is eaten only in the morning. A plate of Nasi Lemak with some delicious sambal, fried peanuts and anchovies and few slices of crunchy cucumber. It is a basic morning meal full of calories for our fore fathers (and mothers) to kick start the day and sweat it out in the fields.

As time passes by, the humble Nasi Lemak initially finds it way into the evening as late tea’s quick snack after office. This is about two decades ago when my own mother was flabbergasted when I told her that I just had a packed of the elusive Nasi Lemak triangularly wrapped in banana leaf with friends after office while stuffing my self through dinner at home.  Thereafter the evolution was fast and furious. We can have them at any time of the day. There are few outlets that specializing in them. The humble Nasi Lemak has not only evolved in full circle in Malaysia but abroad too.

 As a Nasi Lemak fanatic, my first choice is always Nasi Lemak. Sometimes, I will diligently leaf through the menu but ended ordering Nasi Lemak! When I was in Wellington New Zealand, we came across a Malaysian restaurant, Istana Malaysia Restaurant. Without much ado, I ordered the humble Nasi Lemak. Oh my God, it was really humble. A dash of sambal, half hard boiled egg, some peanuts and a piece of minute chicken rendang. It was the most expensive humble Nasi Lemak I ever ate at $NZ15 per plate. Unfortunately, it does not have that distinctive taste or aroma of Nasi Lemak for want of ingredients, I presumed. But it relieves me of my hunger pang and addiction in the land of kiwis.

The following morning, a good friend of my cousin, invited our group to her abode for breakfast before we took off to Lake Taupo. I was expecting a simple breakfast of some toast with jam and probably some scrambled eggs. Instead we were served with near authentic Nasi Lemak with all its condiments and some fried rice vermicelli!

What differentiate one Nasi Lemak to another is in its sambal; when all the ingredients is mixed and cooked in harmony. Next is the rice; It must be cooked with just the right amount of coconut milk with a sprinkle of salt, few slices of ginger and few pieces of pandan leaves. Yes, the pandan leaves will give “the” Nasi Lemak aroma. There you have it. A perfect plate of the humble Nasi Lemak way out of its country of origin and definitely satiates my typical Malaysian palate at 5*C! Thank you NS & lil’ Yan.

However, the most delicious Nasi Lemak is of course Nasi Lemak prepared with love and passion by my sis Dr S. Dr S’ sambal is the true prototype as prepared by my late mom. The anchovies in the chilies paste were roughly grounded to soften the bony anchovies.

I am giving a 6 for Istana Restaurant Nasi Lemak for satisfying my cravings. A 9 for its atmosphere and hospitality since it was nice, warm and friendly. And lil’ Yan’s Nasi Lemak an 8 on Acepaizah and 10 for NS and lil' Yan hospitality. And Dr S? Well as the legal Latin maxim: res ipsa loquitor! (The thing speaks for itself), of course a perfect 10 on Acepaizah scale!

lil' Y's Nasi lemak  & piping hot tea

Another version- NS' @ Palmerston
(home grown salad!)

kiwis kisses

~Acepaizah~

Vermicelli Chicken Soto @ Sri Melaka Satay

[Soto- shredded chicken pegedil & hot chili on the side]

On most days I have my meals in a proper and decent family restaurant. The upmost criteria are their cleanliness, hospitality and delicious finger licking good food.  In that particular order. Once in a while I will scout the streets for hawkers’ delicacies either at a lonely stall, along rows of them or simply open air hawkers’ fare. On one of the previous Thursday, when my BFF was in town we went to have a quick warm tea time snack at one of our old food joints. It was initially an open air stalls built in a row with one common eating space. The early days of food court before the concept being hijacked by marts, giant shopping complex and up market commercial center. I am going off tangent again. This place is at the far end of the eastern part of Kuala Lumpur. The area is called Taman AU. (It is really “A” and the alphabet “U”- my guess is that it stand for Ampang/Ulu Klang- and that’s another story altogether.)

The stall that we always frequent is called “Sri Melaka Satay”. Besides selling satay (meat on skewered bamboo stick), they serve a varieties of soupy dishes. On this day, besides ordering their famous satay, both my BFF and I ordered a bowl of soto. Soto is a traditional soup made of broth, some pieces of chicken and blanched bean sprouts.

I ordered vermicelli soto ayam (ayam=chicken).The bowl is reasonably small but the soto is full to the brim.  The soto broth is flavored and colored with turmeric and other spices.  It was topped with shredded chicken, blanched bean sprouts, chopped celery leaves, golden fried shallots and pegedil (fried mashed potato patties) with hot chili black sauce on the side. It shredded chicken were tender. However the broth’s flavoring was too overwhelming for me with loads of spices. There was clear aroma of galangal or garlic. To soften the aroma, I squeezed some lime and the citrusy flavors really balance the strong spicy taste of my bowl of soto.

After a hard day at work and I was on the road driving from one end of the city to another it was really refreshing to sit among strangers spooning one after another a bowl of warm comfort food which was easy for the gastronomic desire.

The vermicelli chicken soto only manage to notch a 6 on Acepaizah scale, food presentation a 7 and for comfort, atmosphere and value for money an 6 base strictly on the street food compass.

soupy soto smiles 

~Acepaizah~

13/9

Celebrate Malaysia Day

[Sultan Abdul Samad Building built 1894-97 formerly houses the Federated Malay States' Building]
[in between the copper dome on the left is the 421 metre Kuala Lumpur Tower]

Malaysia Day is celebrated on the 16^th September. This year marks the 49^th year the Malaysia nation was born. On 16^th September 1963, North Borneo (then known as Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore agreed to form the Federation of Malaysia. Each of the states came in as an equal partner to Malaya. However, due to ideological differences between leaders of the State of Singapore and the federal government of Malaysia, leads to the Independence of Singapore on 9^th August 1965. To me both dates, i.e. 31^st August 1957 and 16^th September 1965 are equally important.

It must be noted that Malaysia Day is a national celebration and not a celebration exclusive to Malaysian Borneo only. This day is about the whole nation celebration irrespective of our differences dates in obtaining our Independence. I hope Malaysia Day will be given more focus and highlights in the future and we celebrate it as one. Lets us celebrate her people, land and future and recognized our diverse and unique culture and help together to envision a bright beautiful future together.

This year, the Malaysia Day celebration is held in Bintulu, in the state of Sarawak. Most buildings in the town Bintulu are flying the Jalur Gemilang (name of Malaysia Flag) as the whole country too and the celebratory mood was evident. Let’s close the gap and celebrate and embrace our differences with its beautiful places and exotic people which make Malaysia a true melting pot of diversities which enriches Malaysia culture.

# The above building is an example of Moghul architecture with its elegant symmetrical brick structure features a 41-metre high clock tower, arched colonnades and copper domes. Once houses the High and Supreme Courts of Malaysia where along it corridors I walked, marched, rushed and scrambled years ago in search of justice! It was in this historical building too that I was called to the Malaysian Bar on the 28^th May much to my late mother contentment, delight and pleasure; a debt which I cannot compensate till the end of time. 

embrace differences

~~prayers & doa's for mom' 13th anniversary...~

~Acepaizah~

Lunch @ Pinang Masak Cafe

(Pinang Masak Cafe)

I was driving along Jalan Kucing (Jalan= Road) to go to Mawar Restaurant for lunch today. However the traffic was so bad beyond my expectation. As the clock is fast leaving lunch time, and we were practically inching our way instead of cruising, I made a quick decision to turn left into a lane leading to the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex and taking another left turn into Jalan Duta, thereafter taking a round about and turning another left into Jalan Langgak Duta. About 200 meters take left into an old but elite apartment building. Pinang Masak Café, a small, nice and quaint cafe situated at the end of the apartment block.

There were rows of tables and chairs along the side walk of the café, which were fully oxygenated by green creepers. The unique feature of the restaurant is the door. Unlike the wide door of most restaurants, Pinang Masak Café’s door is made of glass with wood panel and it is about the size of your standard bedroom door! This reminds me of a café in London, where we sat and enjoy the scenery. Pinang Masak Café is quite small with a very Malaysian decor. The quaint, cool and calm ambience is worth every cent spent here. 

Today, I have mixed rice. The veggies were long beans with fresh prawns in coconut milk gravy. It is my childhood favorite dish prepared by my late mother sans the prawns. The yellowish gravy is perfect to the “t”.  The long beans were not overcooked. I think the cook added the long beans just as the gravy starts to simmer. My protein for the day is fried fish in fermented soy beans sauce which have a sour-ish taste.  The fermented soy beans nicely covered the fish. No short changed here. Another protein is cockles’ rendang. It was spicy and I shared it generously with my companion M. I ordered another plate of rice much to my companion astonishment!

Pinang Masak Café opens daily except on public holidays. Though Pinang Masak Café is not in my neighborhood, it was worth the drive. In fact, it was like really out of Kuala Lumpur cosmopolitan and I think it serve the Bukit Tunku (formerly Kenny Hills) elite society!

Today dishes are 9.9 on Acepaizah scale and the ambience is 10 on Acepaizah! My only gripe is that, for its quaint ambience, value for money food, Pinang Masak Café should have better tableware made of at least  stoneware and not melamine ware to serve its finger licking food. For record, I frequent Pinang Masak Café for its ambience first, food second. 

{My lunch-the creamy gravy all over!}

fishy kisses
~Acepaizah~

PUTU KACANG – ACEPAIZAH's KING OF RAYA COOKIES

What are cookies?  I am not talking about the http tracking cookies of the IT world. It’s about cookies that are baked until crisp or just long enough that they remain soft, but some are not baked at all. Cookies are made in a variety of styles, using an array of ingredients, the softness of the cookie depend on how long it is baked or let to dry. The cookie in almost all its forms has abandoned water as a medium for cohesion.

I love traditional Malay cookies. I am a traditionalist when it comes to Raya (Eid) cookies. I am not a fan of modern cookies which comes in all shape, size and color but tasted almost the same, contains the same ingredients, eggs, flour, and butter! My favorite Raya cookies is the famed Perak-ian (a state situated north of Kuala Lumpur city) Putu Kacang (Mung Beans Cookies). The main ingredients are the mung beans and sugar (lots of it) and very minimal water, just a few droplets to dampen the mixture.

My late mother, being a Perak-ian was known to make Putu Kacang for Raya. I missed the opportunity to master it much to my disappointment. Rumour has it that it is easy to make it. Dry roast the mung beans till it has a tinge of yellow then smashed or grind it to separate the membrane from the kernel, grind into fine flour, sieved it, mixed with fine sugar (our ancestors grind and sieve the sugar!) dampened it with very small droplets of water, press into the mould, usually made of wood and gently tap the Putu Kacang out and leaves it to dry under the sun. It is simple and easy to make but for the pressing it into the mould which your thumb will sore and sting. However if you are texting freak, the throbbing soreness that stung your thumb tenderness should be bearable.

Then, enjoy it one piece at a time with tea or coffee without sugar since it is very sweet. Putu Kacang should be very healthy cookies but for the amount of sugar in it. The Putu Kacang should just melts in your mouth.

 I have yet to master the art of making Putu Kacang and every Raya I am dying for the real Putu Kacang. There are many commercialized Putu Kacang which were baked instead of sun dried. However, the original home made Putu Kacang almost elude me year in year out. My BFF being a Perak-ian, and knowing my fanatic obsession of Putu Kacang, never fail to satisfy my Putu Kacang Raya desire. Thank you dear BFF for sourcing me Putu Kacang every year.

This year the Putu Kacang is a tad below par. Some of the Putu Kacang pieces were gummy which may be caused by too much of water or being exposed to the windy weather while being sun dried; but for its originality, it’s an 8 on Acepaizah scale.

{Putu Kacang's wooden mould}
 more than half a century old - courtesy of my BFF, her family heirloom}

~putu kacang melting kisses~

Acepaizah

Feasting @ JomBali, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur

JomBali's Tiger Prawn Nasi Lemak

More makan stories. From my observation, I observed that Malaysian love their food more than their money. And I am no exception. Sometimes I tried to defuse my mind and thoughts of foods but to no avail. Hence, I have a collection of digitalized pictures of various dishes to satiate my eyes when the real thing is out of sight. The other day I went to this restaurant called JomBali at Carrefour, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur for dinner.  This is one of my many usual makan places since it is just a stone away from my residence. The restaurant itself is of medium size but a little cramp where chairs may collide with each other if the other person is not courteous enough while seating on or getting up from it. However, the foods that were served made up for the little inconvenience that one have to endure during peak hours.

As a starter I ordered some rojak buah, a kind of fruit salad made from mixed fruits with thick sweet, sour & spicy gravy top with grounded peanuts. It was a bit spicy, an assertive spicy that kick start my taste buds but I managed to finish it all by myself.

Next I had my usual Nasi Lemak with tiger prawn sambal which was relatively mild to my taste. There were two pieces of tiger prawn which is relatively big in size and I believe it was added into the sambal upon my order. I realize that it still very juicy and I think the tiger prawns were stir fry in their shells for a more flavorful taste. The Nasi Lemak which was artfully arranged is accompanied by slices of cool cucumber, generous heaps of peanuts and a piece of 2 halves hard bolied egg. It was true to the status of the iconic Malaysian dish, ha ha! Picture perfect, tasteful, colorful and flavorful to my liking.

I ended my calorie hoarding activities with sago Melaka, a perfect partner to soften the assertive spiciness of the rojak buah and Nasi Lemak but a dessert that will raise a very big red flag to a diabetic person and make a doctor’s night mare. The sago Melaka was so sweet that I had to add a few table spoon of plain water! I think I have to go on a frantic dieting.

True to its tagline, “Truly Malaysian Favourites”, JomBali is one of many restaurants that served a decent, value for money and nearly just like mother’s cooking in the city of Kuala Lumpur. I will give a 7 on Acepaizah scale for all the food that I had, 8 for value for money and 6 for the ambience and probably 8 for
food presentation. This is not the place for intimate socializing. This is the place where families come in troves and friends chatter at the top of their voice and babies crying out loud for attention.

{sago melaka & rojak buah}

[rojak buah & Teh Tarik]

regarding sugar attacks

~Acepaizah~