On the Trail of the Phoenix – Kerabu Beehoon
As I’d mentioned on several occasions on this blog, Penang Peranakan cuisine differs quite significantly from their southern counterparts in Malacca and Singapore. The babas and nyonyas from the island state near the northern end of the peninsula has their own menu of dishes which are unique to their own culture. Perut Ikan, Inche Kabin, Jiu Hu Char and Kari Kapitan are just some examples. The art of kerabu making, inherited from Thai cuisine plays a significant part of the culinary repertoire of the Penang Peranakans. Kerabu Kacang Botol, Kerabu Hai Tay, Kerabu Bok Hnee are amongst my favorites. They are refreshing sides which can be served along with more hearty dishes, or good with just some ikan goreng and sambal belacan as part a simple meal. Speaking of simple meals, there is even Kerabu Beehoon which is perfect as one-dish meal on its own!
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一个人的午餐 – Belachan Bee Hoon 古晋峇拉煎米粉
This month’s Malaysian Food Fest brings us to Sarawak and this is really quite a challenge for me as I’d never been to East Malaysia, let alone sample the delicacies over there. From the more asli fanfare of Pansuh Ayam to the more familiar Sarawak Laksa, Sarawak is not short of good food. Problem is, I’d never had a chance to sample any of these. Unlike their Penang and Melakan counterparts, sarawakian cuisine isn’t very well represented over here in Singapore, with only a sparse speckling of shops selling Kolok Mee and even then, the authenticity of their renditions are in question, probably highly adapted and colloquialised to suit the local tastebuds. Alas, I turn to recipe books for help and thankfully, good recipes of Sarawak culinary delights are fairly well documented and published! Thus I embark on my Sarawak food journey with a popular hawker fare, Belachan Bee Hoon.
travellingfoodies 