| A taste of Malaysia in Bangkok |
| Craving for nasi lemak or beef rendang? These popular Malaysian dishes are within easy reach in Thailand’s cosmopolitan capital |
| Jofelle P. Tesorio Asia News Network Publication Date : 09-03-2011 |
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One of the most exciting parts of travelling to a certain country is getting to taste local food. Food is a sub-culture and many tourists today are not only interested in destinations but they also want to savour the sumptuous food of the local community. Where else can you find authentic food but from its place of origin itself? Travelling to Malaysia, for example, means tasting the venerable nasi lemak (coconut rice served with peanut curried beef and/or chicken, spicy shrimp paste, fried anchovies, boiled egg, vegetables and fried peanuts) and beef rendang (rich dry coconut curry). Or when you are in the Philippines, you have to sample sinigang (seafood or meat sour soup), adobo(meat or seafood cooked in spices, soy sauce and vinegar) and sisig (finely chopped pig’s face, ears and cartilage with vinegar and spices usually served on a sizzling plate). When you’re in Laos, their sai oua (local sausage) can’t be missed. But there are time we crave for something else when we want to break from som tam(papaya salad) or tom yam (shrimp or chicken sour and spicy soup) while vacationing in Thailand. And for many expatriates in the country, they want to try something new from time to time so as not to fall into monotony. Suddenly they crave for beef rendang, nasi lemak and teh tarik (pulled tea with milk). But did you know that authentic teh tarik can be found not just in Malaysia or Singapore but even in Bangkok? Thanks to an active Malaysian-Thai chamber of commerce and the growing interest of the world in Malay food, the number of Malaysian restaurants serving authentic dishes has multiplied in Bangkok. I was surprised to know that there are dozens of Malaysian-owned and Malaysian restaurants in the city. The first restaurant I tried was Archa Café and Wine Bar. Because of the change of name (it used to be known as Kopitiam), my friend and I had a hard time locating it on 4/1 Sukhumvit Soi 26, only to find out it was just on the corner, just a few metres walk from Phrom Phong skytrain station and Emporium mall. The place is easy to miss because of the confusing signage (Archa doesn’t sound and look Malaysian) but once you find it, you won’t regret going there. We tried the house specialty nasi lemak and beef rendang and ended dinner with, what else, teh tarik. The set dishes are reasonably priced between 150 baht (US$5) and 200 baht ($8.5) and the teh tarik costs a mere 50 baht ($1.80). But if you just want Malaysian drinks, The Tarik Outlet is the answer with dozens of kiosks around Bangkok. This teh tarik brand can be found in strategic places, usually manned by experienced mixers who pull the tea (tarik in Malay means to pull) with ease and art. Instead of mixing by spoon or stirrer, teh tarik’s taste is enhanced by way of pulling or the act of pouring the tea on one container to another, with a distance of at least a metre. Like barristas, teh tarik mixers love to show off by flipping to catch the poured tea from the backside. (The art of making the best teh tarik is worth another story.) Another restaurant that serves authentic Malaysian food is Cili Padi, on 160/9 Narathiwat Road Soi 1, near the central business area of Silom and Sathorn Roads and not far from the Chong Nongsi sky train station. Opened in 2007, Cili Padi prides itself as the only halal (not forbidden) Malaysian restaurant in Bangkok. Think of the thousands of Malaysians who come to Bangkok and end up in fastfood chains because they couldn’t find halal food that they like. Being a hub of many international restaurants, there are quite a number of Middle Eastern ones that offer halal food but some probably are not as tasty and wide-ranging as Malaysian dishes. As one Malaysian traveller I spoke with recently said, not only halal restaurants are lacking in Bangkok but halal travel as well. With the growing market of Muslim travellers to Thailand and other Asian countries, halal products and services are good business sense. (Halal travel will be another story soon on Travel Bites.) Bangkok being a favourite destination of Malaysian tourists and businessmen, there is really a need for a halal restaurant that satisfies their craving after eating too much Thai food. There are also non-Muslims who appreciate halal-certified restaurants for health reasons. Chili Padi is the answer to this. There are Muslim restaurants that are owned by Thai-Muslims from the south but the taste is quite different from Malay food because Thai-Muslim food is sweet and too spicy. The preparation is also completely different. Besides, these restaurants don’t necessarily cater to Malaysians who frequently visit Bangkok. And they are usually not within the central business or tourist areas. Other than the usual favourites, Cili Padi serves roti canai (flatbread), kari ikan (fish curry) and sambal tumis udang (spicy prawn). So the next time you visit Bangkok, try some authentic Malaysian food for a change. And always order teh tarik at the end of each meal. travelbites.asia@gmail.com ---- Cili Padi160/9 (27), ITF Building, Ground Floor, Silom Narathiwat Road, Soi 1, Bangkok. Open Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10pm. Tel: +66 (0)2 634 2839 Archa Cafe and Wine Bar4/1 Soi 26, Sukhumvit Road. Open daily, 10am-10pm. Tel: +66 (0)2 665 6488 Teh Tarik Outlet (Great Asia Co. Ltd.) Terminal Building No. 2 /17-19 Ground Floor Room No 12, Soi Sukhumvit 24, Kwang Klo, Bangkok. Tel: +66 (0) 2 2597 366 email: greatasia633@yahoo.com |
