The art of being tam jiak

*warning: this is gonna be a friggin' long post. I can predict it already*

Being far away from home causes me to miss a few obvious things.

Firstly, my family, boyfriend, friends, people I meet on regular basis or irregularly, etc.

Then of course my city, town, house, wonderfully comfortable spacious bed,

Oh yes, pets! Definitely miss cuddling them.

But there's one thing that really is a bitch to miss. Cause once you start thinking about it, there's no stopping you. Plus there is a reminder: that rumble in your tummy.

Yes, I am talking about food. Glorious food. Delicious, irreplaceable Malaysian food.

Oh gosh...being in a country that loves bread..bread..potato..and all other dairy, starchy stuff;

Yes, it is nice to indulge in that once in awhile. But everyday...I already feel sick.

There is probably no cuisine in this world that can replace Malaysian food.

Especially the ones from the Klang, Selangor region. (Don't deny!)

Because I'm feeling really hungry and homesick, and I'm having delusions and fantasies about eating the food back home, I want to compile a list (that no one besides me cares about) on my favourite eateries.

1. Restoran Jit Ben (a.k.a Japan)

Okay everything is bloody nice in this restaurant, especially the dishes. I love the sweet sour pork!

2. Number One Claypot Chicken Rice

3. Fatty Mee Hoon Ker

(All the above are located in Bekerley, making it some kind of food heaven)

4. Nameless Prawn Mee restaurant located at Taman Rashna

5. Tepi Sungai Bah Kut Teh!!!

The place does have a name but I never took notice. All I know is that it's beside an Indian temple. Must add cili padi into the soup! Power!!

6. Choon May Dim Sum

Super fresh homemade dim sum!

7. Temple Mee

It's an open air nameless restaurant located next to a Chinese temple with the best zhu hun gen ever

8. 3 Star

Lala bihun, salt baked chicken, hokkien mee with chicken!

9. Teluk Gong Seafood

Salt baked crab! Red wine chicken! Omg kill me please!

10. Emporium Wan Tan Mee

I'm sure it has a name but I don't know. Haha. Located in the first row of shops. Drink air tebu together. Satisfying~

11. High school chicken rice

Yes, a chicken rice shop located next to Sekolah Tinggi Klang. Has

a name, I think.

12. Tua Pui Kow chicken rice

Can eat at weird times of the night like 2 am!

13. Hong Wah duck rice

14. Tien Chuan Kopitiam

I like the fishball/meetball konlo with lou shi fan.

15. Chong Kok Kopitiam

Nothing feels better than eating fresh nasi lemak at 6 something in the morning. Especially if you're the first in line. Ahaha. The steam bread there is also yummy!

16. Restoran I.V.

Okay, it's more like a mamak shop with seriously the best roti canai in the whole of Klang.

17. Shanmuga mamak

I enjoy the huge pack of nasi lemak there with their fried chicken. Particularly fond memory was eating it right after the LMF WildLazyTour concert in KL. I was starving and it tasted like the best thing ever at that time.

18. Sriga mamak

Uncle, oh uncle, why did you close your shop ='(

Yes, the uncle who owned the shop shut down his branch in Taman Chi Leung, causing many Klang kids to be homeless. Gone are the days of sitting in his shop the whole day doing nothing but drinking the best teh-o-ais in this whole world. He still has a small branch in Andalas that closes at 11 pm. Sobs.

19. Hau Hau Wei Steamboat

No buffet nonsense!

20. Unknown restaurant at some lorong in Meru

Okay this is for my own memories ok! Hahaha I have no idea what name the place is but the Teochew style fish is really yummy.

21. Siriwan Thai Restaurant

This one's at Shah Alam, located within the Sri Acappella apartments.

22. Coca Thai Steamboat

Bring on the tom yum delicious hell! Reminder: bring own bottle of water. A big bottle.

23. Thai-la

I have really good memories at this place with my most special person :)

24. Lot 10 foodcourt

The food there are all mostly nice plus at a reasonable price. And the ais kacang is super huge at only RM4.50!

I used to like the ais kacang at Little Penang Cafe but after eating the lot 10 one, I can forget about it. Plus it was like double the price. Lot 10 is better.

25. Madam Kwans

Only on days I am rich enough to enjoy a nasi lemak with the tiger prawn.

26. D'Tavern

The western food is really not bad and at a really reasonable price.

27. The Kopitiam

Has the best Kopi ais and Iced White Coffee. Nice to drink while enjoying keropok lekor. Oh and I really like the salty fish fried rice! Cheap and nice.

28. Makan Makan

Some shop near my house that's not bad but has really nice belacan fried rice. The portion is huge as well.

29. Some mamak in Subang's SS15 that's in the lorong between 2 rows of shop

Love the ramli chicken burger. You ain't gonna get that shit in McD's, son!

I miss the food at Miri too, especially the food at Apollo Seafood. Prawns...bidin...sigh!!!

But that's too out from Selangor and terpesong. Oh and the 3 layered tea rocks. Damn.

To conclude this, I shall end with a restaurant where you really need to

be "huat tat" to eat at. Like seriously, don't go there with an empty stomach or you could end up paying alot.

Prepare at least RM250 to be safe. But with that much, don't expect to eat full full.

If you want to be super duper full, prepare at least 1k. Hahaha

30. Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine

Shark fin soup, cod fish, special fried rice...especially the desert in the end: sweet ginger tongsui with mochi. It's heaven in your mouth. I can't describe how yummy it

is.

Sad fact was that when I was there I didn't order my own desert. Instead I stole the bf's mochi which he reminded me about until...now. Haha. Mochi thief.

Since this is the most expensive restaurant, I shall feature some photos to make myself feel miserably hungry. Hahaha

Okay that was the interior. Very nice, cosy. Nice view of KLCC if you sit outside by the balcony. Now for the main point of going there. The food! Here's a few really delicious stuff.

Shark fin soup! I didn't take this. The bf did. I loved the corn and crab meat soup I ordered tho

the super yummy fried rice. it looks ordinary but I don't know what's the secret. It really is super delicious

And finally.......the mochi I stole.

Looks normal but it is something that must be tried to fully understand the impact of the taste.

Let's move on to deserts now.

First would be my beloved 'A Slice of Heaven'. It's also a place where I have really good memories. Lately I receive a cake a month, each month from the bf on a particularly special day :)

My favourite: Choc & Cheese

Next is our favourite Tiramisu from Su Chan Deli!

Ok enough.

I wish I could post pictures for everything else but I'm too lazy to do that. Plus it'll just make me hungrier. There's probably some I might have missed but it's okay. I think I covered what I wanted.

I wouldn't have known so many places had it not been for my darling Mr TamJiak showing me around and exploring all these places with me. He's my best and favourite makan partner.

I'm sorry I stole your mochi. I promise I'll chia you eat it when I'm back :)