Birthday Feast Nyonya Style

Once I start writing about food, I can't stop! Especially when I've just returned from Penang - the gastronomic capital of the world.

Last weekend, we celebrated my mum's birthday. Dad was in charge of celebrations and came up with the idea of having home-cooked Nyonya food. He found the restaurant in the papers, made the booking, invited the family and even arranged a cake - BRAVO! (perhaps it was to make up for not remembering their wedding anniversary 3 weeks before...ahem...)

A family that eats together stays together!

The Nyonya Baba Cuisine restaurant is located in a beautiful pre-war shophouse, complete with ornate doors, colourful tiles and an antique collection. It felt as if we were going to grandma's for dinner - especially since my grandma was a Nyonya. The food was very authentic and absolutely delicious. Here's what we ordered:

• Pai Tee (Top Hat) - cooked turnip in pastry cases. The chilli was divine!
• Lam Mee - is a must-have for birthdays in Peranakan families (first time I'd heard of it) Luckily for me, Swee Eng (the owner & chef) volunteered to cook us her specialty
• Kari Kapitan - spicy curry chicken
• Choon Peah - deep-fried spring rolls with pork & vegetable fillings
• Hong Bak - pork rendang (sort of!)
• Ju Hu Char - fried turnip with dried squid
• Kiam Chye Th'ng - salted vegetable soup with pork ribs
• Sambal Udang- this was by far the best prawn sambal I had ever tasted - 5 stars!
  
  
  

Aunty Jo-Jo with Khoo Swee Eng, the chef & owner of the Nyonya Baba restaurant

The service deserves special mention because Swee Eng is a gem! She obviously takes great pride in the quality and authenticity of her Nyonya food. She also anticipated all our needs before we even asked. For example, she dished out an extra serving of lam mee + soup in a large bowl for my dad. He was in the seventh heaven of delight!

So if you're ever in Penang, this restaurant comes highly recommended by the Yeoh family:

Nyonya Baba Cuisine

(formerly Dragon King est 1976)

44, Nagore Road

10050 Penang

Tel: +604 227 8035

Email:nyonya_baba_cuisine@yahoo.com

Owner: Khoo Swee Eng

Penang's best-kept secret

The best hawker food is found in Penang, and very few Malaysians would dispute that. However, once you arrive in Penang - where exactly can you find that elusive pot of gold?

The most famous spot for tourists is probably Gurney Drive, and while the food is reasonably good, it is undoubtedly a tourist trap. Hawkers there tend to charge a premium to those who have "foreign" accents - woe to the Mandarin-speaking Singaporeans and Cantonese-speaking KL-ites.

Another popular spot is New Lane, which has also recently become known to tourists - and hence - a bane for local Penangites.

Where do Penangites go when they want a dose of their favourite curry laksa, char koay teow, pasembur, koay teow thn'g or popiah?

My father is a true-blue Penangite (who counts many a hawker among his family and friends), and he considers this hawker centre to be the best in Penang - in taste and value. I will probably get into trouble with locals for revealing its secret location, but food this good just cannot remain anonymous any longer.

My family's favourite hawker haunt in Penang is at....(drum rolls please)...Cecil Street Market or "Chit Teow Lor" (or 7th Street in Hokkien)

This is the list of delights that I tuck into every time I'm back in Penang:

• Curry mee - with tau pok, cockles and chicken. The sambal and curry sauce is to die for!
• Koay teow thn'g - with duck meat and fishballs is very tasty so don't be fooled by its bland appearance
• Char koay teow - this version is the best I've ever had. The hawker only starts his stall at 1pm (on the furthest end of the food court) and he still uses the old-fashioned charcoal stove with a hand-cranked propeller fan. Ask for the duck egg version...yummmyyy....
• Pasembur or "cheh hu" - is the Chinese version of the mamak rojak which has prawn fritters, coconut fritters, taufu and lots of veges - topped with a delicious red sauce
• Popiah - sold at this market is done in true blue Penang fashion and doused with some turnip gravy
• Nyonya kueh - many varieties are sold here and some of my favourites to "tah pau" home include kuih talam, pulut tai tai, onde-onde, ang ku and bengka ubi

So to those of you who're always asking me where to find the best hawker food in Penang - you have your answer so...

GO FORTH AND GORGE!

China - First Impressions

For many years, I've described myself as a "banana" i.e. someone who looks Chinese on the outside, but behaves like a Westerner or Caucasian on the inside. This is possibly a result of growing up in a country which often glorified the virtues of her colonial masters. Everything I'd ever read about China was written in English and told from a Western perspective.

And so I was really excited about making my first business trip to China in early December. I had the opportunity to meet some team members in Suzhou and run a leadership course in Shanghai. I went with an open heart and mind, and came home with a sense of awe and renewed respect for the country and its 5000 years of history.

Aunty Jo-Jo enjoying the famous Zhuo Zheng Yuen or Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou

Suzhou is famous for its private classical gardens and I spent the morning wandering through the Humble Administrator's Garden. Upon entering the grounds, I was completely dumbstruck by the Chinese classical vistas. The central pond was inspiring and majestic, and yet there were other little nooks and crannies that were simple, sweet and comfortable. I'm told that these lotus ponds are a must-see in the summer months. This Ming Dynasty garden was built by Wang Xian Cheng in 1509AD after his retirement from political life.

Suzhou is also famous for its water townships and I visited Shantang Road right in the heart of the city. Walking along the ancient streets and canals, I felt as if I was in the middle of a film set for a historical TVB epic. The streets were filled with tourist attractions, food stalls and handicraft shops. My colleague Sandy and I had lunch at a delightful little shop that was frequented by locals. The food was exactly what we needed on a cold winter's day - hot, simple and home-cooked.

Aunty Jo-Jo admiring the new Peace Tower (left) and old colonial buildings (right) along the Bund in Shanghai

In contrast, Shanghai is a bustling, in-your-face metropolis that just takes your breath away (literally!). The first thing that struck me was the heavy smog that blanketed the city. Yet, I soon lost myself in the dynamism and energy of the city. It's growing at an incredible pace and the young Chinese are hungry to acquire knowledge and business skills.

I'm looking forward to spending more time discovering and learning about China.

Seasons' Greetings from Joanna (2007)

Dearest Family & Friends,

I trust you have had a wonderful year! As I think back on 2007, two words perfectly reflect my state of mind - GRATEFUL and BLESSED. It is a simple statement of God’s goodness, for which I have done so little to deserve.

Many of you who know me well will understand that change is a constant in my life. This year has been no different. In September, I accepted a new job at AMD with responsibility for the Asian region and am now based in Singapore.

Here are just some of the many blessings that I’m grateful for in 2007:-

• Starting the year with a BANG when the roof of my hotel room came crashing down on the spot I was standing just 3 minutes before!
• Blogging my way to fame on 2 of my favourite topics: BBGS (back2bbgs.blogspot.com) and travelling (aunty-jo-jo.blogspot.com)
• Re-claiming my musical skills by signing up for Play By Ear piano lessons. My repertoire has been steadily increasing and I was practicing so feverishly that my neighbour thought I was a piano teacher :-)
• Spending a weekend in Belgium with Martin, Claudia & their 3 kids. It was the first time the little ones had ever met a real-life Asian so I felt like a natural history exhibit! I enjoyed their company and my first visit to Brussels’ La Grande Place, Mannekin Pis, European HQ and Galeries St Hubert – the world’s first shopping mall built in 1847
• Experiencing the spring floral paradise that is Keukenhof Gardens (Holland). The thrill of walking into a park filled with thousands of tulips, lilies and flowers of all kinds was a dream come true
• Discovering inspirational Dutch painters from the Golden Era like Vermeer (whose painting “Girl with the Pearl Earring” is now one of my all-time favourites), Gerard ter Boch and Jan Steen
• Celebrating my 37th birthday in New York City with my sister Julie and dearest friends, Isabel & Andrew. Their boys are gorgeous and the accommodation …sigh…how does one describe a house with views of Manhattan & the Statue of Liberty?
• Soaking in the quintessential NYC delights like “Spelling Bee”- this season’s Broadway hit, the Warhols and Mondrians on display at the Museum of Modern Art, strolling through Central Park, Gray’s Papaya hotdogs and massive pastrami sandwiches from Carnegie Deli
• Puzzling over the “weird”ness of Austin, the capital of Texas – which isn’t really like Texas at all! I just couldn’t get enough of the Tex-Mex food especially the breakfast burritos
• Visiting China for the first time, after my ancestors left four generations ago. I’m amazed at how fast the country is developing, how hungry the people are for knowledge and business skills and how proud they are of their historical heritage. The ancient classical gardens of Suzhou are pristinely beautiful, while Shanghai is BUSY, with a capital ‘B’

Here’s wishing all of you a Happy New Year and

a Fantastic 2008!