Monday was a day off. Everyone got up late, ate too much (again), and generally chilled out. We took Poppy down to the Pavillion, her favourite hang-out, and she promptly disappeared into its commercial depths for the better part of the day. Meanwhile, I did a little bit of my own shopping, and Hubby similarly did his.
After an afternoon spent in retail heaven, we rejoined forces and headed back to the Ascott. Poppy was due to fly back to Singapore that night, so she stayed at home to pack. She later took a cab to the airport.
Hubby and I went to the Saloma Theatre to join the rest of the family (ours, mine, Diana's) for a buffet dinner and cultural dance presentation. After a stunning performance which included blowpipes, we dropped everyone off home. I went with my brother to fetch one of the family cars, and the two of us drove Diana's cousins to a truly Malaysian pastime - the mamak stall.
The word "mamak" is actually the name for descendents of Indian Muslim settlers, and used to describe a very unique sort of informal (and usually roadside) cafe run by them. These cafes open for dinner and stay open until the wee hours of the morning. Many Malaysians are used to growing up around this culture, which reflects the 24-hour nature of the people. It was not at all unusual for teenagers to call one another up at 2300H with a request to meet up at the mamak stall for a chat, some teh tarik ("pulled tea" - frothed by pouring milk tea from a height, armlength to armlength, between two tin mugs), and perhaps a Ramli burger.
The Ramli burger itself is completely Malaysian, completely unlicense-able by the US FDA, and totally scrumptious. Singaporeans have even composed a song in ode to its greasy glory. A halal (slain in accordance to Muslim rites) beef burger spiced with pepper, cooked in butter, topped with cheese, wrapped in a flat-fried sunnysided egg, thrown between two mildly-toasted sesame buns, paired with a lively mix of raw onion, lettuce shreds, mayonnaise, ketchup, and more butter on the buns. It sounds like a coronary waiting to happen, but trust me, there's nothing like it anywhere else in the world. Even Facebook contains a Ramli Burger Appreciation Society, and some ardent fan has even posted up a video of Sloppy Jo (a famous stallowner/burgermeister called Johari) doing his thing.
We took them to a much more amenable location - all the way across town to the Bestari restaurant (yup, they upgraded) in Sri Hartamas. We ordered one or two of each local peculiarity and everyone had a great time trying these alien tastes and textures. I will describe each in its mouth-watering turn, but here is the list: paper thosai, lamb murtabak, mi goreng Ramli spesial, bandung susu, and of course, the Ramli burger.
Because of their clear Indian origins, most mamak food is based in South Indian cuisine which gas been adapted as the settlements matured into the local population over centuries.
The paper thosai is a giant thin crispy crepe which comes rolled into a loose cylinder, or a standing cone. It comes with three dips: a lentil (dhal) yellow curry dip, a white milky dip with finely-grated dried coconut flesh, and a red plain veg curry dip. All are delicious, and the lightness of the thosai makes it a great choice for girlies. It is my favourite mamak munch.
A murtabak is a millefeuille version of a pancake. Minced lamb is "folded" into the bread as it is toasted on a flat metal cooking surface, resulting in a slightly crisp, slightly cakey texture with bursts of deeply-flavoured lamb bits.
The mi goreng Ramli spesial is Hubby's personal favourite. It is a dry-blend instant noodle, but tricked up with a chopped-up Ramli burger pattie, an egg sunnyside up, and thin slices of veggies. It's quite a party in the mouth, and a hearty supper option.
Bandung susu is rose syrup in milk, and has its origins in Indonesia. It is a drink, curiously pink in colour. Alongside this, we also ordered teh tarik, whole young coconut (for water and flesh), and another of my faves - teh halia. It is a variation of the teh tarik, with the addition of ginger during the boiling process.
After food and much chatting, we called it a night.
NB: The blowpipe, mentioned much earlier, is an East Malaysian weapon used by the indigenous tribes of Sabah and Sarawak. It is a long thin hollow bamboo (or similar) rod/staff through which a sharpened and poison-tipped shard of wood is inserted. A short sharp blow sends the dart whistling through the trees to fell a monkey, deer, or enemy warrior.
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