still experimenting with my new cam, Lexis
so far he is doing awesome
capturing that kind of crispiness
I have always been longing for
and the power to capture
at the right moment
but not me,
I am not a deserving owner
still figuring out about ISO and stuffs
hence the photos as below
were extra-ordinarily rectangular
captured at the aspect of 16:9
they looked weird
then I realized..
there’s a dial nearby the lens
meant for adjusting the aspect of photos
ok.. sorry
this is mum’s kitchen
not mum’s studio
get back to the topic of the day
Mee Goreng
literally translation: fried noodle
word of caution
but it is understood as
spicy wok-fried noodle back here
a typical Malaysian Mamak Stall food:
spicy, a variety of ingredients, high-calories
I am not a noodle-lover
usually I will specifically order vermicelli
due to loads of reasons
mainly health-related
the fresh yellow noodles,
which is the lead ingredient for Mee Noodle (obviously)
are usually oily
and the vibrant yellow colour looks scary enough
wondering what am I swallowing in
on top of that
some yellow noodles actually taste bitter
due to the excessive chemical compound in there
not too sure, it should be some sodium
ironically
I am OL-ing for a noodle manufacturer now
wonder if my boss is eating
the very noodles he produces
and can I request for a factory visit
well….
I promise
no photos and no blogging
(as if….)
hence I stopped eating noodle long ago
pretty close to the same time
as I stop eating instant noodles too
ok..
I know I am getting like a nagging nanny
but Mee Goreng is the few kind of
unhealthy delicacies
where the yellow noodle is
very much not-substitutable
it just doesn’t taste the same
if it’s vermicelli
on ton of that
it held loads of childhood memories
this is the one kind of food
that I vividly remember
about my primary school canteen
surviving in a big school
with a huge canteen is not an easy life
still remember how the lady boss
came out from the kitchen
holding a huge plate of Mee Goreng
chopsticks in one hand
shouting: Hot! Hot! Hot!
the spiciness was fast evaporating from the noodles
as everyone rushed in front
without any civilization
no queue no nothing
all we know is
we must grab a plate of the noodles
with a 50 cents coin holding high up
hoping that the auntie will take the coin
hence in exchange for a plate of savoury noodles
how coward yet civilized people like me
always lost out
ended up buying bread or cake
and yes
it was served on alternate days
adding more preciousness and craving for it
during Standard Three
there is a mother of a classmate of mine
who always hanged around the canteen
serving home-cooked food or some other delicacies
to her precious son
(it was already banned, for mothers and grandmothers
to enter school compound as they like it ..
they are only allowed to passed the food via gate or fence)
so what we did is
on the specific day when Mee Goreng was available
asking the mother to buy on behalf of us
if the noodles were served early
so when the time-for-break bell rang
running to the canteen
plates of Mee Goreng were already served
it guaranteed seats for us at canteens too
told ya
surviving in a non-subsidized yet huge school
is not an easy life
throughout the year
we were standing while eating
too little benches and tables
too many students
therefore it’s a good thing to ban
those mothers visiting the children
as they like it
half of the time
they occupied half of the already-insufficient benches
back to the Mee Goreng story
I used “We”
yes.. during Standard Three
I had this Mee Goreng gang
a guy
I still remembered his name
*shy shy to mention*
never see him for ages
yet he is still staying 1km in the vicinity
of the same neighbourhood
we used to compete
who can finish the Mee Goreng
in the shortest time
and sometimes to make the competition tougher
we would scoop in two spoonful of chilies
then you can hear the aunty
busy serving the Mee Goreng crowd
shouting: Stop taking the chilies!!!!
not that we were greedy folk or something
they shouted this to practically
every miserable child who took the chilies
for chicken rice, fried vermicelli… everything
then they switched to
using those shallow metal spoons
you couldn’t scoop much, could you?
after competition
a glass of icy cold 10 cents orange juice
with loads ice,
mixed from cheap syrup
but at that age who cares
one big gulp
instant cooling effect down the throat
clashing into the spicy sensation
Mee Goreng
this is how memorable it is…
and the only Malay neighbour
we had been visiting
during Hari Raya
served the best Mee Goreng
I have ever tasted
eating Mee Goreng
in an attap house
with veranda
right on the floor
is equally memorable
the attap house is already gone
replaced by a 9-storeys apartments
we still keep in touch with the family
after that
they moved into a low-cost flat-unit
with only two rooms
for the family with 3 daughters and
an adult son
very much in need of more space
finally glad that they moved into
a new single-storey terrace
not too long ago
holding the very first wedding of the family there
I got out of the topic
way too many times today
memories from the past
good old times
but isn’t it a good thing that
I have a lot to talk about
rather than being all empty
good memories will last for life
back here
so this is how
after all these years
I still fancy Mee Goreng
despite the fact that
I no longer eat yellow noodles in any other form
Sunday brunch @ 10.30 am
Sunday lunch-tea @ 3.30 pm
featuring Mee Goreng
finally
ladies and gentlemen
here you are
The Secret Weapons:
#1 Home Made Grinded Chilies
wanna know what’s in there??
Mum's Kitchen - Homemade Sambal
#2: Minced Dried Baby Prawn
we call this Udang Kering (Dried Prawn)
in Mandarin 蝦米 (Prawn Rice)
it gives that sea-food fragrance
#3 Bean Sprouts
these seemingly insignificant skinny sprouts
don’t ever look down on them
Mee Goreng just doesn’t taste the same again
it must be thrown into the wok during the very last minute
after everything is already quite cooked
just to make sure that the sprouts
“mingle” around evenly
half-raw juicy and crunchy bean sprouts
balance out the spiciness
can I use the word: refreshing?
#4 fresh lime
they are not meant for decoration only
squeeze them with all your might
and sprinkle the fresh lime juice all over your noodles
before you start feasting on the
mouth-watering hot and spicy noodles
with a tinge of refreshing lime
see you around
on my food channel again
sinfully…
I have these for two of my meals
and Nasi Lemak for dinner
here, once again
my weekend detox plan was blown off
