In Hong Kong, the movie industry has its 4 Heavenly Kings to describe the 4 most popular singers. For me, I have my 4 Heavenly Kings to describe my 4 must-eat hawker dishes in Kuching. Kueh Chap is one of the 4. The others being the Sarawak Laksa, Kolok Mee and Tomato Kuey Teow.

Kueh Chap, I believe, is hokkien for the word “Cake” and “Mixed”. The “cake” or kueh denotes the use of thicker than usual kuey teow (rice flour cake – which is like lasagna) whilst “mixed” or chap probably describes the use of a mixture of pork parts in the dish. In Penang, Singapore and Johor Bahru, I believe they use duck parts as well. In Kuching, it is almost exclusively pork. Read the rest of this entry »

This will be two omelette recipes in succession, the previous being fried oyster omelette. Lap cheong is cantonese for sausages. This is uniquely chinese and is usually available in chinese stores in western countries or at the market or dried produce stores in parts of Asia.

Lap cheong has a distinct sweet taste and the level of saltiness depends on the amount of salt put in by the manufacturer. There are many ways of eating this, fried, steamed or cooked with other dishes, which in this case, is used as the ingredient for an omelette. Lap cheong is, on a visual inspection, probably 70% fat and 30% meat content. Therefore, you don’t really need to use much oil when cooking it. As for storage, you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of months (which I have done). Definitely handy to use when you want to cook a meal in a jiffy.

This is the recipe for Lap Cheong Omelette

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of lap cheong (sliced thinly, just like salami)
• 2 large eggs (beaten)

Method

If you are using a wok, heat up 1 teaspoon of oil. Otherwise, it is preferred to use a non-stick frying pan.

Fry lap cheong for 30 seconds until aromatic. Pour beaten eggs over it and reduce to low heat to allow the underside of the eggs to cook.

Flip egg over once the upper part starts to cook. Increase heat and allow to fry for 30 seconds before serving. Garnish to your liking. There is no need to add seasoning as the lap cheong is full bodied in taste.

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Fried oyster omelette (called Oh Chien in Hokkien) is one of my favourite dishes at the hawkers in Malaysia. In Malaysia alone, there are a few types of fried oyster omelette. In Kuching and Pulau Pangkor, the omelette is crispy much like crackers whilst in Pontian, Melaka and Penang, it is slightly soft and sticky (owing to the use of potato starch).

Before you start going “ooh-aah, Pablo can cook!”, let me tell you that this is what I ate in Pontian a couple of months ago and “No”, I did not cook this. I might try cooking it one day if I can get my hands on fresh small-sized oysters. The other ingredients in this dish are pretty much standard and easy to find. I have eaten fried oyster omelette which has medium or slightly larger sized omelette but found them a tad too overpowering in the taste of the oyster. Besides, I think using larger sized oysters are a waste. Better have them fresh with a squeeze of lemon instead.

If at all you can find the ingredients, why not try this Fried Oyster Omelette recipe by Amy Beh? Read the rest of this entry »

Loh Mee is literally translated as “Stewed / Braised Noodles”. Whilst it is not stewed as long as say, a meat dish, nevertheless the cooking time is longer for this type of noodle compared to other types. Oh, by the way, Loh Mee is in the hokkien dialect. There are two known types of stewed noodles here in Malaysia, the other being Lam Mee. The gravy is slightly different.

Our family recipe for Loh Mee is southern-styled, meaning from Pontian, Johor. It is quite similar to the one from Ulu Yam. Lam Mee has a slightly different taste ot the gravy compared to Loh Mee. The highlight of this dish for me is the use of black vinegar which gives this noodle a slightly sour, but appetising taste. We used to have this often during Chinese New Year. Read the rest of this entry »