Nyonya Aunty's Home Cook Food

Nyonya aunty demonstrating her culinary skills to nyonyachef....

One evening I was invited by my friend to check out his family's version of Loh Bak. The mom who is also from nyonya descendant was showing me her family recipe. According to her, this is how her grandma and her mom taught her how to cook Loh Bak.

I was trying to figure out the origins of this dish, whether it's from Melaka, Johor or is it different cooking methods from different Chinese dialects...Teochew,..Hokkien,..Hakka...or a mixture of here and there.

My personal findings; Because of distance and a period of time !...our ancestors carrying the recipe across many provinces and countries, and meeting many different men and women has altered the ingredient and appearance resulting no one to prove which is the original.

Well,...just enjoy and appreciate the varieties of cuisine !..Be happy

Check out this Nyonya aunty taking her precious time to show me her ancestors recipe....

Nyonya aunty in action dishing out 4 spectacular dishes....

The main highlight....Loh Bak !

Loh Bak or meat roll made from pig's intestine, minced meat, carrot, yam bean, eggs, beancurd sheet, tapioca flour, oyster sauce, five spice, sugar, salt & pepper.

This differences between Nyonya aunty and Penang Loh Bak; She uses pig intestine as the wrap and minced meat. Taste unusual but...still tasty! By using minced meat the taste is quite similar to the meat balls and the pig's intestine will give different texture to the Loh Bak.

The Rounded Loh Bak...

Same taste but instead of a roll...it's made into a ball shape. Something different !

Sambal Stuffed Fish....

Another nyonya's creation...really taste like mom's cooking.

Sambal Stuffed Fish made from heavenly spices; turmeric, chillies, shallots, garlic and belachan...pound it, stuffed into the fish and deep fry it.

Sweet and Sour Prawn

Prawn cooked with tamarind juice and sugar. Simple appetizing home cooked food !

Kudos to the Nyonya aunty for fixing up the spectacular dishes !

You can also check out Penang Loh Bak recipe here

Nyonyachef landed in Frankfurt II

Day II...Nyonyachef started off by exploring what the locals have for breakfast. Let's see where they go...!

It was a Sunday morning 8am and the town was already swarming with people, but they all seemed heading the same direction.

Found them....!

...all gathered around the mobile vans !..."Mobile Meat Van" with all sorts of pork !

Sausages or wurst...hooo ! That's their usual breakfast, not like back home where you can have Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, Pau, Tim Sum, Char Bee Hon...etc.

I found they too have many varieties,...sausages with sauerkraut & mustards, plain sausages, bacon, ham, boiled or fried pork leg, boiled pork ears, boiled pork tongue...etc. Interesting...all pork !

Let's join them,....so I ordered a giant sausage with bread and.....

....pork cheek !...and soup of the day....bone marrow soup ! It seemed to be the locals delicacy,....my neighbours are having it, so are most of the tables.

Nyonyachef xplores...and eats...the pork cheek...is soft ! The soup taste...raw ! They soaked the bread in the soup and eat it...."lecker",...but...erh, I think I need something to wash it down...

Well,...what can I say....the soup taste raw (bloody smell) to me. I need my medicine !

Two days in the row, breakfast with beer.....

Nyonyachef sitting at the backstreet enjoying his beer while waiting for brunch.

Course 1; Meat spread with some spices and herbs. Goes with bread.

Course 2; Mushroom with cream sauce and fries.

Course 3; Pork Knuckle with sauerkraut...most of the German restaurants in Malaysia served this...crispy version.

Course 4; Two Foot Long Beef Sausage with some potatoes.

Course 5; Meat Balls made of Liver with herbs and Red Wine sauce.

A bit weird right ?!!! These 5course dishes are actually main course,....what can I say, it's all in German !....I can't read....I just point at the beautiful pictures on the menu and these are what I ordered.

What was in Nyonyachef's mind and how he made his decisions on what to order.....

Course 1; looks so cute with the pretzel sticking on top, how the heck I know it's meat spread !??

Course 2; mushroom and fries = appetizer with beer...good..erh...right choice !...order !

Course 3; pork knuckle, right choice...small portion just nice !

Course 4; ok...never seen such a long sausage,....longest I ever seen !...so order !

Course 5; beef balls should be safe !...so orderlah ! Why..? How the heck you find liver balls !

Luckily I had two more gluttons with me,...but they don't take exotic stuffs !

Well,....just xplore !

Nyonyachef landed in Frankfurt I

Nyonyachef went to Frankfurt last May !

Another of my fun eating trip, not so much of sight seeing,....just eat, and eat only.

Check out the 3days eating spree....

Landed in Frankfurt.....45min to Mainz,....8am, Nyonyachef sighted checking out one of the famous meat shop !

Germany is famous for the sausages,...frankfurter, all sorts of pork. Haha...I am in heaven!

Imagine they have so many different types of sausages....the German said they have more than a thousand types of sausages.

The simple original German sausages are best with....of course; bread, sauerkraut, mustards...and...and....

...a beer ! In the morning ??!!!! Why not ?!!...I see the Germans on the road side irregardless of gender, age, size....they are all drinking beer or wine in the morning,...at that time it was only 9am....so..."Prost" (cheers in german) and join them !

Nyonyachef had his 2nd breakfast at 1030am !

I spotted a fish market, interesting concept,...it's a grocery shop selling mainly fish and they cook for you if you want. Either boiled or just simple preparation,...grilled salmon with salad.

It's definitely taste good coz....it's fresh ! Well, after two breakfast, so I skipped lunch and slept. Jet lag syndrome !

...what's for dinner ?

Nyonyachef goes around town asking whether they serve Pork Knuckle...

When you are in Germany,...Pork Knuckle is a must,....but I was looking for something more original rather than Pork Knuckle served in some fancy restaurant, so the locals told me there's one near the Rhine river and it's the original !!??? Hmmm.....definition of original !???

Cool ! the home look alike restaurant is just 2blocks away from Hyatt (nyonyachef stayed there)

Well...check out the place

It's a small cozy restaurant with a bar counter and there's less than ten tables in it...with only two staffs running it; mother and daughter. Did I go to the wrong place ?

OK ...! Let's do some checking ! I was taking some pictures,...you know....act like you are a raw and green tourist....you know what I mean....

Anyway, one of the lady told me this is the only restaurant around, and it has been operating for the past 50years or more !!?? From...great grandma,...to grandma,....and now mother and her....not that I want to say it, but...oh my god !

Ok....not only that I found the place for Pork Knuckle, but this is the original and has long history to go with it.

Well, let's check out the food.....

Cream of fresh "white" asparagus soup...you can only get it in the month of May. In German, it's called "Spargel"

So this is the season for "white" asparagus....that means eat it while you can, so the lady fixed up another typical asparagus dish, boiled and served with hollandaise sauce. Main course; Pork chop with lentil and potatoes,...and the highlight of the evening,....traditional, original, home cooked Pork Knuckle with sauerkraut and potatoes.

"Lecker" (delicious in German)

Actually I did not order, the lady told me she would fixed up my dinner ! How friendly !

After an hour later, the home look alike restaurant was....full ! A priest came to me and start chatting with me, knowing me....a foreigner ! The priest was surprised that a tourist can find this place, according to him the diners are usually regulars and the restaurant only serve limited choices. Eat what is served ! Just like home !

Good experience ! Wait till you see what's for tomorrow....

Kiam Chai T'ng (Salted Vegetable Soup)

Kiam Chai Ark or Salted Vegetable Soup is one of the eight main dishes served during feasting on the eve of Peranakan wedding or during some praying...which I tried not to know, except for the eating part...

In this dish I am only using pork leg and pig's tail....same ingredients, only without the duck.

I am more used to cooking pork rather than duck....

It'a quite simple...just like preparing any other soup dish.

Prepare the ingredients; Kiam Chai, Pork Leg & tail, Shitake Mushroom, Onions, Tomatoes, Tofu (Optional), Ginger, Peppercorn, Nutmeg seed, Garlic, Sour Plum & Coriander Leaves.

Bring the water to a boil, add it the Pork, Shitake Mushroom, Nutmeg seed, Garlic, Ginger and peppercorn. Let it boil for 15min, lower the heat and let it simmer for 45min or till the meat is tender to your liking.

Add in the Kiam Chai, Tomatoes, Onions, Sour Plum and let it boil for another 15min before throwing in the tofu.

Adjust the soup to your preference by adding salt and pepper. Garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve it hot.

Serving for 4 paxs

Ingredients

500g Pork Leg, blanched with hot water

300g Pig's Tail, blanched with hot water

400g Kiam Chai, soaked to get rid of the excess salt

20g Shitake Mushroom, soaked

20g Garlic

30g Ginger, sliced

60g Tomatoes, cut into chunks

50g Onions, cut into chunks

100g Tofu, cut into chunks

1 Nutmeg Seed

1tsp Peppercorn

2 Sour Plum

1/2tsp Pepper

1/2tsp Salt

1.5 lit Water

Curry Fish Head

Nyonyachef deviate from nyonya cooking and....embrace his fear !

....FISH !

To start with,...I am never good with fish ! It's never in my menu when it comes to nyonya cooking. In fact in nyonya dishes,...there's not much exotic fish dishes beside; Perut Ikan, Curry Kiam Hu Kut, Acar Hu, Sambal Stuffed Fish, Assam Pedas...etc.

You realized one thing !...all involved small fish, preserved fish or fish fillet...nyonya cooking seldom or do not have dishes like steam Garoupa, Pomfret or Siakap...I wander why !?

I think it's scary !...big eyes, sharp teeth, shining skin, fishy smell...etc.

Well,..one has to eat !

Prepare the spice paste; Shallot, Dried Chilli, Belachan, Coriander seeds & Cumin seeds.
Low to Medium heat saute the spice paste till fragrant or till the oil separated (Approximately 10min)

Prepare the fish head; Rub the fish head with salt, let it rest for 10min and wash it. Bring water to a boil and steam the fish head for 3-5min. This should get rid of the fishy smell.

Prepare the vegetables; Wash and cut the tomatoes, onions & green chillies.

Heat up the oil in a wok and saute mustard seeds till you can hear the popping sound, add the spice paste, onions, curry leaves and continue to stir-fry for 3min.

In goes the tamarind juice and bring to a boil.

Then add in the fish head, tomatoes, green chillies and stir in the coconut milk.

Add seasoning and bring it to a boil. Garnish with some onions and a bunch of mint leaves.

Serve hot !...with rice.

Serving for 3paxs

Ingredients
Spice Paste 
10 Dried Chilli 
8 Shallots
1tbsp Coriander Seeds
1/2tsp Cumin Seeds 
20g Belachan

1 Red Snapper Fish head, Rub with salt & wash
80g Onions, sliced thinly
60g Tomato, quartered
20g Green chilli, seeded and halved
1 stalk curry leaves
30g Tamarind pulp, soaked
1/2tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 Coconut Milk
1/2lit Water
2tbsp Oil
5g Mint Leaves
1tsp Sugar, to taste
1tsp Salt, to taste

Nyonyachef call chicken in Hatyai

This is a must to do !...whenever you have passport or license to go Hatyai...!

According to many that patronized Hatyai, they told me,....before you do anything....call chicken first !!???

So...I did ! Let me lead you...!

After you have passed the boarder,....drive approximately 30min, it's quite hidden if you are not familiar with the place.

Take notice on your left hand side !.....The landmark is a Seven 11 !

Then you should see this crowded place ! Picture shown below.....

That's what many Malaysian told me...a must thing to do before you reached Hatyai.....call chicken before you really entered Hatyai.....

Welcome to the best chicken rice shop in Hatyai....

What were you expecting.....?

Nyonyachef xplore "The best Kampung Chicken" The crowd comes in by a bus load ! Must be a good place to eat. Anyway, by the time you go through the immigration, half an hour drive,....you must be damn hungry....right ?

Well,...it's really good. The main highlights....Lean kampung chicken, crunchy chicken intestine, gizzard and roast pork.

Nyonyachef xplore the rest of the famous Thai dishes....

Pork Leg, Petai, Omelete, Kesom.....not forgetting hot fury "The TomYam"

Cheap n Good....For 5person.....RM 80 only...of course with a few Singha beer

Street food for supper; Grilled cuttlefish, Fried oyster, Beef noodles, Seafood....A Must !

Bird nest....sharks fin....insects !....if you are dare.

Singha beer to detox the insects in your stomach, or to intoxicated yourself !

Sighted....Team bsg doing what he does best.....chilling out in one of the busy street of Hatyai !

Check out Hatyai if you dare,.....call chicken first !....try the delicious Thai food, insect with Beer !

Well,....this is what life is all about,....xplore !....do it !

Steamed Pork with Salted Fish

Fixing up a fast simple home cook food.

This is one of simplest nyonya dish you can try out....I think it merely takes you less than 30min to dish out this simple creation.

Preparation: Minced pork, Salted fish (Soaked & Sliced), Ginger (Sliced finely) and Garlic (Sliced)...optional Red Chilli

Place the minced pork as the base, lay down the ginger strips, garlic and salted fish on top. Add a little bit of water, splash some soy sauce and steam it for 15min, or till the pork is cooked.

You might want to add a dash of pepper, some garlic oil and sesame oil before serving.
Simple dish to go with the rice !


Serving for 3paxs

Ingredients
400g Minced Pork
80g Salted Fish (Kurau Fish) soaked if too salty
30g Ginger, sliced finely
10g Garlic, sliced
1/4 cup Water
1/4tsp Pepper
1/2tsp Soy Sauce

Nyonyachef check out Sydney

Nyonyachef check out some of the main attractions in Sydney



First stop !

The Gap, an ocean cliff located in the east of Sydney. Beautiful view of the sea,...too beautiful that you might feel like jumping into the sea....!!??? The locals somehow picked The Gap as a suicide location. As least 50 suicidal cases a year. Hmmm...

Another place that you must not miss...Port Stephens ! A place sighted with Dolphin with many wonderful bays and beaches along the coastline hosting beautiful landscape views. Port Stephens has remained relatively unspoilt, avoiding the high-rise rush adopted by other areas along the NSW coast. Just drive towards north of Sydney for two and a half hours and you will reach the beautiful port. Check it out !

Once you are at Port Stephen, don't miss the opportunity to go skiing..?..Snow ?!!..Sand !


It's actually called "sand boarding" Interesting,....at first, I was like, no...no way I am going down !...."chicken"....all the ladies just jumped down with the sand board.

150m all the way down !? Well, finally I have to go down,....without choice !...if not, how to face all the ladies. It's fun though....but I don't really know how much sand I have swallowed.

Hmmm....I remember there were 4 of us slid down,....erh...why there's additional sand board on the ground !? One person missing....Must be eaten by the quicksand ???

Some parts of it....this looks exactly like the actual dessert....wwwhy ?

Camel !!! Check out that lady touching the camel. First encounterment with a camel...her question to me..."Can the camel bite".....she is touching the camel but the body action was half way ready to dash out in case the camel makes a sudden move !

It was a memorable experience and exotic too....

...back to the city.

One thing I loved about Sydney, our movement seems to be easy and convenient.....you can either take a bus, cab, train, walk or even take a water taxi.....interesting ! Apparently, the water taxi or The Sydney Ferries has been a mode of transport in Australia for the last 135 years.

How convenience ! The Sydney ferries explored 39 destinations. By taking the ferries, you will be able to have a close up view of the harbour bridge, the opera house and.....also to our next destination.....

...Taronga Zoo ! It's nearer to take the ferries than taking one big round if travel by road.

Taronga Zoo is the nation's leading zoological garden featuring Australia's finest collection of native animals and the best thing is its location. It is situated on elevated land along the waterfront, in one of the most beautiful vantage points on Sydney Harbour overlooking Sydney Cove, the Harbour Bridge and also the Opera House.

Like they said, if you not seen a Koala,....you have not been to Australia !

So it's a must for Nyonyachef to go to the Zoo !

Well,...Sydney is nice, is like having a mixture of rush hour in the city, and yet it's very relaxing,...beautiful scenery, cooling weather and the culture is diverse and multicultural. Sydney has many of the individual cultures that make up the place mosaic are centred on the ethnic, linguistic and religious communities formed by waves of immigration.

I was so tempted to just relax,...do nothing !...Just let the flow goes by !....and take some photo of the flowers.

...and one more thing you have to do !...if you have not done this, than you have not been to Australia....??!!

...Haha ! Must try the delicious,...juicy kangaroo steak ! Taste sightly like beef but...it has a strong smell....turn off smell !

Well,...nyonychef motto,...u xplore, u eat !