Best Nasi Kandar in Penang …. And the winner is…

For any Malaysian…Food is Life…We Eat To Live….not Live to Eat…

Some food was thought to be good for you especially your libido until recently,  scientists have recently discovered a particular food that diminishes sex drive by 95% - it's called Wedding Cake…

This trip to Penang, we wanted to be healthy, we promised ourselves that we should also exercise every day here… with this battle of Nasi Kandar going on, I’ve devised a daily workout regime…it’s a 15 minute upper body workout and it’s pretty easy:

Arm down, pick up food, arm up, put food in mouth, arm down..work those jaw muscles!!! pick-up food….....

After months of surfing the net, googling and trying to narrow down the best nasi kandar in Penang, we finally came to the conclusion that the 2 best on the island is either Nasi Kandar Line Clear or Nasi Kandar Beratur.

OK, did my survey, ate the same standard Nasi Kandar from both places. Nasi Kandar + Bendi + Ayam Goreng + Sotong + Kuah Campur ..... 3 Panel judges, me, my lovely wife and my brother BEAR who happens to be an ex-Chef from Le Meridien and Ritz Carlton both in Dubai.

Nasi Kandar Line Clear is located at the meeting point of Lebuh Chulia and Penang Road. Started way back in 1947, Line Clear Nasi Kandar is one of the oldest nasi kandar outlet in Penang. Its not actually a shop but just under a makeshift roof by an alley that was used to be known as 'Lorong Taik' !!! Yucks!! It is open 24 hours and is busy 24 hours.

They have a large variety of dishes. But alamak!! they sure look really tempting. They have all sorts of curry dishes, a few variety of vegetable including something-you-find-in-all-nasi-kandar-shops bendi (lady's finger aka Okra), friend chicken (which looks delicioso scrumptious), sotong (squid aka Calamari) , omelette, and lots of others. What kuah (gravy) to put on the rice at the end of it? Of course campur (mix) lah! Make sure they banjir (flood) it…”Mamak!!! Kasi Banjir!!!”....these days its not Banjir!! ...."Mamak!! Kasi Tsunami!!!"

Have you heard this before… “If you see a long waiting line or a crowded eatery, you can be assured of the best food.” Well….seeing is believing

Nasi Kandar Beratur is located right next to the famous Masjid Kapitan Kling. Beratur means 'To Queue'. The main business starts at 10pm and according to 'hardcore' fans, the best is only if you eat after 2am!!! Bloody hell!! Nasi Kandar after 2am!!! Apa gila orang Penang nih!! 

BEAR is the fella in front of the guy in the Boria outfit aka red top and white jeans, this was around 0130 hrs!!

Day...empty, you can't miss it...see the dome? That's Masjid Kapitan Kling

Whilst queing up, BEAR heard this lady asking her husband…” ‎"Does this dress make me look fat?" "No-lah” he said….”The fat makes you look fat." Girl said "I'm not fat, I'm big boned" Errmmmm OK…If I was there my response would be "Since when do bones jiggle?"…Muhahahaaa What does she expect? Q’ing up at 2am for Nasi Kandar!!


And after piling ourselves with a gazillion calories and shorten our lives by about 48 months, we have unanimously picked a winner.......& the winner is  

.............. LINE CLEAR !!!!

 

p.s. 1 advice... if you think you can't stand eating at a 'not so clean' place.... I have 1 word for you... TAPAU!!!!

Lama tak pekena Nasi Kandaq???

Let’s Jom !!!

Perhentian Island Squid Fishing…..a short family trip..Part 3

OK I’m back for Part trois….

I once caught a squid soooo big that........yeah right...ueeeekkkk!!!

Squids or Calamari (Spanish word) are not the most favourites of seafood in Europe…In Malaysia they’re a delicacy, we call them ‘Sotong’. They come in various species and sizes. Another meaning for ‘Sotong’ in Malay is Queer…go figure..

From the Nerdiest website on earth aka Wikipedia: Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles. Squid are strong swimmers and certain species can 'fly' for short distances out of the water…but who is interested anyway??

My question is: If they’re not a fish, then why do people ‘fish’ squids?????

Somehow…my Dad always has his fishing gear ready…apparently he already had Squid on his mind….he actually brought brand new squid jiggies with him!!

This is the weighted jig...u need to skewer or squeer??  a fresh fish through the stake (Ooohhh now i get the it, the link of Sotong with queer...)....the Squids will hold on to the fish with its tentacled and the fine pins will stick through the squids as you pull up...

The lighter jig but much more attractive...the colours are to attract the squids, it glows when shone by the bright light from the powerful electric bulbs

The plan was to leave just before dusk, …fish or squidging the whole night and come back early the next morning before dawn…

Gettin on board...

 I have been fishing since forever with my Dad…whenever I have a chance, I try to spend quality time with him. As a fast growing teenager, my Dad told me that a young man should do 3 things in life and they all start with F, Flying, Fishing and F……, Hmmmm I don't remember the third one lah….

Daniel and the ship's Captain, looks like Papa and son eh?? Hehehee

Unfortunately whilst fishing is right up there among my most favourite of hobbies….sea-sickness has always been my kryptonite. I for whatever reason just cannot stand being on a swaying boat for more than 5 minutes, I will be so sick that I will vomit my intestines out!! 

But I never learn….I once lost a brand new Nokia on the coast of Pulau Kapas in the late 90’s because of this problem….somehow I have almost forgotten all this until I stepped onto this traditional wooden boat at Perhentian… A boat whilst still in motion, moving forward is OK, but the moment it stops and starts to sway like Michael Bublé, I turn green…

A very excited Dad getting ready with his gear...

Eureka!!! Moments before the green face effect....I never learn..

One for the album.....and moments after this I was puking more often than an anorexic hollywood teen star, my face was plastered on the wooden boat's railing just like a Carpenter....Karen Carpenter to be exact...

Man made light vs the beauty of nature's wonders...sunset view, South China Sea

In this trip, Dad, me, my nephew Daniel, my sister and Intan, my lovely wife followed. The wife followed???....Bad mistake…knowing that I will turn into The Incredible Hulk and be spewing all night long will only give my wife priceless ammunition to make fun of me for the rest of my living days…in the future, whenever the word ‘boat’ or ‘fishing’ or ’squid’ comes up during any conversation with friends or family….to her, I shall be the green faced clown who fertilized South China sea with my innards  … Dang!!

Here we go.....Uuueekkk!!!

 We arrived at the fishing spot….The moment the boat stopped, I felt nausea…Nothing has changed and yet everything seems different….within a few minutes….all hell broke loose!! And the waters were quite choppy!! They all had a good laugh…..in the end I did not catch a single thing but poured my heart away to the sea, I would like to think of it as giving the best bait for the squids and fish…Daniel kept his cool a wee bit longer than me and Aida had to give in too in the end….My Dad was having a whale of a time and my wife was laughing all night long…We…or rather they caught a few squids only, maybe due to the fact that I was down ill…u see…there may be plenty of fish in the sea, but to catch them, you must first become a Master Baiter…..gettit?? hehehee

At least Dad is a happy man....

The weather was turning for the worse, apparently a storm was coming in…..not that I gave a bloody damn!! By this time my head was permanently over the side of the boat… The news that we were heading home…to dry land…to firm unswaying land was the best news by far!! We got back to the jetty just after midnight…all in all, it was just about a 7 hour trip…6 hours of agony for me!!

Spike Milligan once said…’A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree’…Yeahhh tell me about it…

I hate that grin at the bottom right of the pic.....

Guess what did we have for breakfast the next morning??? Grilled Perhentian Squid!! No marination, just fresh, brimy squid by the pure white sands of Perhentian….Priceless…

Extremely satisfied

 

Everybody had a whale of a time (apart from the seasickness laa)...nobody really wanted to leave but reluctantly, we all had to....we waved goodbye to Abdul's thinking one day...we will be back...definitely...

Notice the life jackets??...we insisted...

As we drove off from Kuala Besut heading south, we stopped at a famous beach stall to eat the delicacy of Terengganu…fried fish and squid in batter….Yummmm…

So if you are immune to seasickness…..Let’s Jom!!!!

Perhentian Island Snorkling Heaven…..a short family trip..Part 2

OK I’m back for Part deux….

Abdul’s Chalet however basic it maybe ….it’s really interesting…imagine staying at a 6 star butler serviced luxurious hotel in the roughest part of Bogota….Well, Perhentian is the exact opposite….what the nature provides is heavenly….the chalets and infrastructure needs help..

A typical fisherman's castle on Perhentian Island

Most people just want to tell the world that whenever/wherever they go for a holiday they would stay in a superb world class resort. Not a place like Abdul’s Chalet. For them, announcing to the people at a dinner party you stayed at a no frills Abdul’s Chalet is like telling them you've got the ebola virus and you're about to sneeze. Not me…I would not have enjoyed the nature as much if I was staying at the Perhentian Island Resort.

Just a few feet from our Chalet

Water as clear as crystal, to my amazement, all sorts of marine creatures immediately gathered around my crotch area until I realised……. I had a piece of bread in my pocket. No wonder Stevie Wonder lah!!!

The life jacket is a saviour

So we did not waste time the very next morning as we prepared to go with a guide on a small boat snorkling around the islands. 

Just to show that every single corner is beautiful....

What was promised to us by the guide were the gloriously beautiful corals and marine aqua safari, but the biggest attraction by far would be the black tip sharks and sea turtles…Boy!!! I was so excited and can’t wait to get myself wet….I was like a Nun in the Carrot section at Tesco’s !!!

 

My parents were planning to just roam the Big island and maybe skip across to the Small Island for some localize bonding. It has been and will always be my fathers’s hobby to explore the local market of the world….anywhere he goes in the world hot or cold, high or low, dry or wet, the local markets are to him the most interesting of places… even though History was his major at University as far as he is concerned, a tour to the Museum is as interesting as reading the obituaries on a Sunday morning. I….fortunately have caught on the same bug!!

They're everywhere!!!

The best dive sites was around the east side of the Big Island, that’s where we saw Giant Clams, loads of corals and soft corals housing families of Clown fish which were not nearly as funny as Merlin or Nemo. 

Giant Clams

It is here that I had my first encounter with a 7 foot black tip shark which actually gave me the heebagajeebees as it swam just below me….I was soooo shocked that I’m sure I pissed in my pants!! So during the period I was there, I hereby would like to apologize to all the other tourists if the seawater seems a wee bit more saltier than usual!!

 

A typical Black Tip Shark

This reminds me of a story my friend once told me about his experience of getting caught…. He got caught pissing in the swimming pool one day.The lifeguard shouted so loud that he nearly fell in!!! Muhahahaaa….

The area in front of the Perhentian Island Resort is where u can see the turtles…apparently this area is where sea grass are abundant..a favourite snack of the turtles of Perhentian..I wished I had an underwater camera with me…cause the French and Italian ladies swimming around me in their skimpy Speedo’s were gorgeous!!!

Turtles of Perhentian

We then proceeded to the northern part of the Small Island..past the famous Bubu Resort…here the freshest spring water flows straight into the sea…. The cold fresh natural mineral water is soooo amazingly sweet, cool and refreshing…maybe its  just mind tricks after hours of soaking in the overly saltish water of the ocean (No thanks to the shark…)

Natural fresh water spring...flowing into the sea

A picture speaks a thousand words. But with photoshop it tells a thousand lies...I photoshopped myself over Brad Pitt's little toe...u missed that didn't you??

We visited the main town at the Small Island for a snack and to stock up with some supplies….to our surprise, we found our mother relaxing at the jetty with a cold drink in her hand, talking to the locals. Surprise, surprise…my dad was already missing in action….upon tracing his footsteps, with the help of a local man who pointed confidently with his slightly bent index finger to the direction of the local MARKET, we found him deep in conversation with a couple of fishermen.

The Jetty at Small Perhentian

Local kids deprived of PSP, Xbox and Playstation...

Dad back from the market.....

They hailed from Newcastle! aka Kota Bahru, the capital of Kelantan, the neighbouring state and as tradition for over 100 years, Perhentian has always been the shelter for these ships/boats from bad weather. Being the natural sociologist with a statesman persona, Dad had struck a deal with one of the fisherman to take us out for Squid fishing or ‘Mencandat Sotong’ in Malay. They were on a rest period and instead of sleeping away for another night, he agreed to accept a couple of hundred ringgit while we would have a time of our lives….so I thought…

To be continued in Part Trois….

 http://travelslippers.blogspot.com/2012/03/perhentian-island-squid-fishinga-short.html

Perhentian Island, Terengganu, Malaysia…..a short family trip to Abdul's Chalet..Part 1

                                Perhentian Island, Terengganu, Malaysia

Thanks to the Internet, even small family owned island resort can be assesed by the global market by a click of a mouse…and the price, depending on the season can be quite fantastic…

My lovely wife and I had decided to go for an ‘No-Frills’ island holiday for the school holidays a few years ago, this was after I lost my pitch to ‘look & see’ an ancient city in ruins called Baghdad….so we called up my parents to let them know and suddenly the whole family was excited, In  the end the group had balooned to 8 adults and 4 kids!!

The Plan:

Drive to the nearest jetty, take a speed boat to the island

No frills resort as we will be outdoors all the time

Bring some pre-prepared food and have the essential meals at the resort

Play by the ear….

As we fooled around on the net (yes...its called making love in cyber world) Abdul’s Chalet caught our eye….simple no frills yet they were recommended by quite a lot of readers on TripAdvisor….

Booked 3 chalet units for the whole gang together with the speed boat transfers return.

http://www.abdulchalet.com/

Done! ….Let’s Jom!!!

They just built this wooden deck

The Drive

KUL-Kemaman-Kuala Besut

We pushed early…..really early…cacophonously early… from Kuala Lumpur by-passed Kuantan and had breakfast at the famous Hai Peng in Kemaman, Terengganu. Tasted their famous Kopitiam and toasted bread …they even had the most wonderful Nasi Dagang Terengganu…Heavenly!!

Lotsa antique stuff...

Yummmm...

The famous coffee blend...

We were advised to arrive during high tide which was before 11am in order to get the speed boat to the island, at low tide apparently you’ve just gotta lay low…

Arrived Kuala Besut, dropped the gang and proceeded to look for the office and the person in-charge….the office was closed!!!! A nice lady told us to go straight to the jetty…with her heavy Terengganu accent..

We had to park the car about 500metres away at the end of the township….apparently that’s where all the cars were parked if you’re off to the islands. Some are covered and some are not….by the number of Singapore registered cars…I know I was at the correct place…

Perhentian consist of 2 islands Kecil (Small) and Besar (Big), the main development aka town which means the administration centre , school, post...are all located at the small island.

For those who do not wish to drive:

From Kuala Lumpur International Airport you can get a flight to Kota Bharu, Kelantan. From Kota Bharu airport, you get a taxi cab direct to Kuala Besut. Kuala Besut is a small town and it is the nearest gateway to Perhentian Island from the mainland. A boat services are available from selective travel agent. A further more 21 KM, then you'll arrive at the island.

You also can get a train from Kuala Lumpur Station towards to Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat Kelantan. From Wakaf Bharu you need to take a bus or taxi cab towards Kota Bharu. From Kota Bharu you take a cab or bus to go to Kuala Besut. In Kuala Besut you can make a hotel reservation and buy a boat ticket from the local tourist operators. Please view our latest Kuala Besut map at www.kualabesut.com 

By bus? Get an express bus from Putra Terminal Kuala Lumpur or from Pudu Raya Terminal, Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Besut fact:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Besut

Kuala Besut is a small town at the northern of Terengganu, Malaysia. It is situated next to South Chinese Sea where lies a Perhentian Island. In 1970, it was a hub for fishermen to sell their fish. Now, it is the last town for Perhentian's tourist, before they depart to the island. A gateway to Perhentian Island.
Nowadays, Kuala Besut is no longer a busy small town compare to the year in 1970’s and 1990’s. Kuala Besut has lost its pride  as the busiest port for fishermen and the best place for fresh fish in the north state of Terengganu.

Although Kuala Besut is no longer a great hub for fishermen still it has another pride to serve foreign and local tourist for Perhentian Island tourism activities. Kuala Besut is  the official of Perhentian Island boat terminal by the government of Malaysia to provide transportation for local and foreign tourists.

It  is a small fishermen tourism town. It has hotels and motels. A few coffee shops, retail shops, one pharmacy shop and one clinic. Kuala Besut always welcome any foreigner or local tourist to stay for short and long term holidays….long term?? Go figure..

The Boat

Was there a system of FIFO First In First Out? No… Loudspeakers? No….Who was in charge? Dunno….OK…this is gonna be interesting, and the sun is high and we’ve got grumpy kids with us…in my mind, I wondered if things will end up like a Taiwanese Parliament where shoes, files and fists defy gravity!!

In the fiasco, we see all the Singaporean groups were leaving boat by boat and we did not know who to speak to. We finally got hold of the person from Abdul’s Chalet and he said that another boat will be coming to fetch us, had to send the other group first. Since we were 8 adults and 4 kids….we would require 1 whole boat…plus driver.

 

I was told that we can pack ourselves like sardines with the other boats if we wanted to go earlier…My advise….DON’T….Stick to your ground and insist…The boats capacity is supposed to be like 12 pax?? But I see more than 12 per boat….life jackets? Some do and some don’t…OK…this is not good….The marine police was around but I suppose he is also a local boy and these things are not regulated or enforced until a tragedy occurs…

Remember, don’t overcrowd a speedboat, this should be avoided like unprotected sex with a Nigerian transvestite !

I’ve always believed that an honest answer can get you into a lot of trouble, so in order to get our boat issue settled I lied…..how are they supposed to know that my dad was the next ‘big shot’ to be transferred to Kuala Besut’s Municipality….Heheheee

We agreed with the boat owner that we shall wait for the other boat and he will go with us straight to the resort….not knowing he is the son of the owner…heheheee

At last the speed boat arrived and we had the ride of our lives!!! A little bumpy at times but Dang it was fast and fun!! The kids loved it…drizzled along the way which was quite pleasant…cool and not blistering hot…as we reached the island the rain stopped and the sun was shining again….he stopped us right in front of the resort!!!

The gang!!!

This IS paradise!!! The clear water…like an aquarium  with fishes galore!! Then we thought, we brought along only 4 loafs of bread!!! What are we going  to feed the fish with!! Haiyaaa!!

Upon reaching paradise, we were dropped right at the doorstep...literally...

The Resort: Abdul Chalet

A cluster of simple wooden chalets with its own en suite toilet and shower, don’t know about today but when I was there electricity was only between 7pm – 7am….who stays indoors during the day anyway!! 

No Air-conditioning, just a ceiling fan ..Unfortunately for us, the fan was working as efficient as a donkey with 3 legs....at times it felt like an asthmatic hanging from the ceiling blowing at you through a straw...

….I did say No Frills right? Very Spartan but clean…. Check out the pics…

The café or restaurant served hot Malaysian food which was surprisingly very good value..there’s also a small shop selling pretty decent swimwear!!

Reception

The Chalets

The shop

No photoshop....just as it is...

For other resorts on Perhentian... check this out :

http://www.malaysia-islands.com/html/perhentian/resort/arwana.shtml

http://www.malaysia-islands.com/html/perhentian/resort/tuna-bay.shtml

To be continued in Part 2…….Let’s Jom!!!

 http://travelslippers.blogspot.com/2012/03/perhentian-island-snorkling-heavena.html