Fast Train to Porkking
Today I want to talk about the magical meat that we have come to know as pork. I don’t think I have an unhealthy obsession with the beautiful and luscious pig. In fact, I eat fish more than I do pork. I just want to spread the lard and share the joy of pork!
Although I commend all great chefs for their creativity in producing porkless dim sum, let me just say now that it just isn’t the same. It may be really tasty, fantastic even but when it comes down to the traditional siew mai and woo kok, chicken is just too poor a substitute! Look at char siu. Even the sticky caramelised sweetness can’t disguise the missing hint of flavourful pork. Ah yes char siu. My nickname for awhile but only after I became good friends with the man who used to call me fat cow. There are many legendary char siu stalls in KL. I favour Meng Kee on Tengkat Tong Shin over Soo Kee on Jalan Ampang (maybe because of the giant cockroach I found in my food once). Meng Kee is just as pricey but not as fatty. Lovely cuts of fatty pork, glistening with black, sticky sweetness that sticks to your teeth at first and then it just falls apart, melting in your mouth.
I am ashamed to say this but I have forsaken char siu for pai guat
(right). If you ever find yourselves in Bukit Bintang area, drive down to Jalan Nagasari and you’ll find pai guat heaven on the corner of Jalan Angsoka and Jalan Bedara. It has lovely crispy edges that you can nibble and gnaw at. No need to tear off the meat as it falls of the bone quite happily.
Aunty Pai Guat has literally watched me grow up. And if it wasn’t for her pork, I wouldn’t be the strapping young man, I mean, woman that I am today. Well, this brings me back to my mum again, we’d often tapow char siu fahn from aunty after picking me up from school. I think I must have had char siu fahn at least twice a month for a good 10 years of my life. Then I went off to study and only had char siu when I came back for summer hols (twice a week during holidays!). Its funny how my eating habits started off quite healthy when I was young. Back then, I only ate lean char siu, chicken without skin, toast with no butter. What happened?! I suppose it was a blessing in disguise as I am sure if I had discovered the joy of fat then, I’d be blogging from a couch that I can no longer get up from.
Although I commend all great chefs for their creativity in producing porkless dim sum, let me just say now that it just isn’t the same. It may be really tasty, fantastic even but when it comes down to the traditional siew mai and woo kok, chicken is just too poor a substitute! Look at char siu. Even the sticky caramelised sweetness can’t disguise the missing hint of flavourful pork. Ah yes char siu. My nickname for awhile but only after I became good friends with the man who used to call me fat cow. There are many legendary char siu stalls in KL. I favour Meng Kee on Tengkat Tong Shin over Soo Kee on Jalan Ampang (maybe because of the giant cockroach I found in my food once). Meng Kee is just as pricey but not as fatty. Lovely cuts of fatty pork, glistening with black, sticky sweetness that sticks to your teeth at first and then it just falls apart, melting in your mouth.
I am ashamed to say this but I have forsaken char siu for pai guat
(right). If you ever find yourselves in Bukit Bintang area, drive down to Jalan Nagasari and you’ll find pai guat heaven on the corner of Jalan Angsoka and Jalan Bedara. It has lovely crispy edges that you can nibble and gnaw at. No need to tear off the meat as it falls of the bone quite happily.Aunty Pai Guat has literally watched me grow up. And if it wasn’t for her pork, I wouldn’t be the strapping young man, I mean, woman that I am today. Well, this brings me back to my mum again, we’d often tapow char siu fahn from aunty after picking me up from school. I think I must have had char siu fahn at least twice a month for a good 10 years of my life. Then I went off to study and only had char siu when I came back for summer hols (twice a week during holidays!). Its funny how my eating habits started off quite healthy when I was young. Back then, I only ate lean char siu, chicken without skin, toast with no butter. What happened?! I suppose it was a blessing in disguise as I am sure if I had discovered the joy of fat then, I’d be blogging from a couch that I can no longer get up from.
Looks like Auntie Pai Guat needs to work on the presentation a bit more eh...but pork...sigh...pork. My only issue with pork is the fact that pigs are so cute. All pink and round. I mean, if they were black and ugly, you wouldn't feel so bad enjoying their luscious tenderness. But then again, people wouldn't eat it them then would they?...like black kampung chickens...
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