Brown bag breakfast

Hotcakes and global warning.

I rarely take away fast food because it gets vile pretty fast! Heat hides a myriad of faults, and when it leaves, it takes away all pretence of wholesomeness – leaving cheese a yellow plastic, and patties a tacky pat of offal.

However, I was pleased, when I took away breakfast to assuage early morning cravings after Mass (I’m sorry Jesus, I WILL learn to depend only on You to fill me up, but I am a long work in progress), to find that McDonalds now provides big brown bags for their take aways! Yes, no more plastic! Less condensation to muck up soggy food! Less environmental waste! Hurray!

The fillet o' fish needs to go back to a paper wrapping!

Ditch the styro Ronald!

Do two little hotcakes need so much packaging?

But how come the fillet o’ fish has been promoted to a box from its original paper wrap? And can’t the hotcakes go into paper boxes instead of Styrofoam, ditto the Big Breakfast?

Wendy’s memories

Kit enjoying a 1/2 Pounder.

I have fond remembrances of most fast food outlets. I recall my dad collecting all of the Happy Meal toys at McDonalds for me, with the most memorable being the plastic ships and steamers. I recall the now-dead-in-Malaysia Popeye’s chicken (not the Louisianan incarnation), but the real Popeye the Sailor chain, which gave out collectible figurines of Popeye and Olive Oyl and the cast of characters in the cartoon. I remember with real nostalgia the burgers at Arby’s, but I guess I remember Wendy’s best because there was an outlet in Damansara Heights (the row where Hock Lee’s mini market is situated) where the family ate quite often.

Squares rule at Wendy's!

I was so pleased when the chain made a comeback in Malaysia, but I have not been overly pleased with its overall quality. I have had, in a space of two visits, the most awful chili and the best chili, not to mention variations from icy to sludgey Frosties.

Chunky fries soak up less oil.

Yet, I think Wendy’s makes great burgers. I like the neat squareness of the patties, and I especially like the fact that they are the only fast food outlet which offers shrimp burgers on a regular basis.

Chili - Wendy's best meal.

I also like their fries which are thicker than the Golden Arches’ and so soak up less oil than their skinny counterparts. The chili is, of course, the best component of a Wendy’s meal. I truly love the combination of hearty beef and beans with tomatoes and paprika. It’s the ultimate health meal and great for appearing inconspicuous when you’re watching your health and weight but not wanting anyone to know.

Stick with the classics at Wendy's - vanilla Frosty.

Mulberry shake - pretty but putrid.

That is, if you don’t succumb to the pretty promotional pictures of their new shakes, like I did with their horribly synthetic flavoured mulberry shake. I choked down about half then reasoned I could well do without the calories. Eating something because you like it is a passable excuse, but forcing oneself to finish something because you paid for it is pretty bad. I’m learning the hard way, but I’m learning!

My 70 sen investment

I gripe and I grouse, but I always keep paying an extra 70 sen in order to have an egg in the pan of sizzling noodles which Kit likes at the Tesco Shah Alam food court. There’s just something luxurious to see the satiny yolk break into warm rivulets of sunshine yellow, cascading into the muddy estuaries of the egg noodles. Sure, the egg isn’t the largest Grade A egg which retails at about 40 sen, but a hot plate noodle with no egg is like a burger with no ketchup.Besides, at RM4.50 for the noodles, I can certainly afford the extra egg!

Timeless

Chicken satay.

I was more perturbed than I thought I could have been over the incidents surrounding 2010’s Suzuki Cup. I know little else that it was a football tourney which Malaysia won, resulting in the declaration of December 31 2010 as a public holiday by the nation’s Prime Minister. A holiday is a holiday, right?

But evidently there was a lot of talk going on about Malaysia being undeserving of the victory due to unsportsmanlike behavior from their fans. There was also, appallingly, the ugly race card, which saw detractors questioning why there were no holidays for wins in international competitions by non-Malay sportsmen and women.

My heart died a little that day, and only Evelyn Chung, who has lived through so much, could understand why I needed some cheering up.

Nothing to look at, but the food's good!

She drove me, her sister-in law and niece to Kajang for a traditional lunch. Restoran Malaysia has existed from the time Evelyn and her husband, Frank, were courting. They have been married 34 years now. The restaurant has served satay, for all those years.

Kajang satay is almost always associated with the charming, warm Malay satay traders who have turned this little town into satay heaven. However, perhaps as a silent reminder to me that differences do not need to be a stumbling block or point of contention, and that racial and cultural diversity DOES continue to live, if not thrive and prosper, despite the evil that politicians sow, Evelyn brought us to this satay restaurant which was run by Chinese traders.

Great beef satay!

I had the BEST beef satay I have ever eaten, as well as the yummiest Hokkien noodles (code named ‘black mee’ for the use of dark soya sauce). The chicken was a little too firm for me, but Evelyn likes it because it has no pieces of fat in it. The satay sauce was a slurry of creamy peanuts and spices, with a hot sambal added to it, which was mind-blowingly good. I could have just eaten the pressed rice (ketupat) with the sauce and have been satisfied!

Ketupat with cucumbers and peanut sauce.

Good food knows no colour!

The restaurant was packed! People circled like sharks around a shipwreck, waiting for tables to come vacant. The satay servers take your orders when you procure a table, then, if you fancy some noodles, the servers from the little nook at the back of the restaurant come to take your noodle orders. Then you wait with hungry eyes until it’s your turn to get fingers terribly sticky from the tacky bamboo skewers.

This mess of carb and dark sauce rocks!

The beef satay and noodles are completely worth the trip down to Kajang, as is the assortment of traditional Chinese biscuits and cookies which are sold at the front counter.
Restoran Malaysia Satay is closed on Tuesdays. They open from 9am to 11pm. Avoid the lunch crowd since it is very busy and bewilderingly so for first timers.

Out with the old, on with the… old?

Desserts!

The sign says it all.

Why fix it when it ain’t broke? Why should I go to some untried bistro or buffet to celebrate a New Year when I know somewhere which never disappoints?

And so, to celebrate 2011 with our newly wedded friends Lim Ying May and Peter Gabriel (unfortunate he shares the same name with the Genesis singer!), where else did I make reservations but at Utara Coffeehouse at Armada?

Soft shelled crabs bring rapture!

Chef Chew was supposed to be at work, but had a last minute engagement, but I’m quite at home with the rest of the chefs, including the very talented Alias. As usual, we had extra delicacies brought to the table from the Japanese bistro, including a very good deep-fried soft shelled crab which had Kit and May squabbling like alley dogs.

The pretty cold cuts and salad section.

The food was the usual amazing spread. What else can I say which has not been said?