Some might find that small operated food stalls and restaurants in Alor
Setar can offer surprises. For me, nost of the places where I enjoy
dining most are small. Maybe because the food is more homely, or maybe
the proprietor cooks better in a small-crowd environment.
Compared to the cosmopolitan areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Alor Setar
lacks Chinese food that Malays enjoy. I have tried Homst in Taman Tun Dr
Ismail and Kota Damansara, Abdullah Chan's restaurant at Wangsamaju,
and I really wish they would set up a branch or two up north. They were
really packed, and most of the food I tried really hit the spot.
Alor Setar does have a few restaurants with a mish-mash or combined
Thai/Chinese/Malay/Western food on their menu, such as Riverbank
Restaurant at Taman Habsah and ET Restaurant at Taman Golf. I must admit
that they're good and authentic enough. At one time, in the 1970s and
80s, the coffeeshop at Rukun Tetangga was very popular. The Hailam
cooking was enjoyed by so many, and by all ethnicity. It was a husband
and wife-ran operation where the husband was the cook. I vividly
remember his Fried Mee, black in color, with a slightly thick sauce at
the bottom. Some call this Mee Goreng Hailam, but the fact you are there
to order Hailam food, I usually just call it Mee Goreng. It is the type
of dish which makes me want to call for seconds.
When the husband passed away, the wife took over; but the food differed.
Despite serving to full-house crowds at lunch-time, most of the base
customers have shifted away.
Hailam
cooking is by the Hainanese. Historically, many of the Hainanese in
Malaysia were involved in the hospitality industry. For Kedah alone, the
state-owned rest houses in the state and Kedah House in Cameron
Highlands were run by the Hainanese. They were the operators, running
errants from maintaining the premises, cooking and even the laundry. I
cannot verify this, but I was told by my Chinese friend that Hainanese
never sell pork in their food business and most of them cater to all
races in Malaysia, most by getting supplies from Halal suppliers. The
concept, as I was told, are now being adapted nationwide where pork-free
Chinese restaurants have become favorite places. Among the most
significant, unfortunately less remembered contribution by the Hainanese
to the Malaysian culinary feast are the Chicken Rice and Chicken Chop.
Another Hainan restaurants where you might find more Malays eating there
is Kedai Kopi Kuang Ming, located at Stadium Darulaman in Jalan
Stadium. The location is just next to Hotel Sri Malaysia. Despite
passing-by in front of their shop for the past 30 years, I never knew
much about them. A few years back, my colleagues and friends were
telling me about a nice simple Chinese shop that sells lip-smacking
dishes, and to my surprise, they were talking about Kedai Kopi Kuang
Ming.
The
shop has been in existence for more than 30 years, and it was always
located at the stadium: first outside the stadium and when the shops
were built, the shop continued at its new location. The shop is a
husband-and-wife-run operation, both of them, as I understand, are
already in their 60s, which we passionately call Uncle and Aunty. Aunty
cooks the dishes, and unlike the male-dominated restaurant cooks who
cooks almost one dish a minute, her cooking is more home-style, no rush
but never that long.
Uncle took over the shop from his father, and has been doing so ever
since. A famous story stated that, at one, somebody asked his father why
he never sells pork-based dishes in his outlet, he answered that he has
been selling his dishes for decades and his base-customers have already
known him well for his dishes, and he will not change it for anything.
One or two of his sons converted to Islam and married Malay ladies.
In his heydays, Uncle use to have a wide-selection menu and frequented
by so many, including government officials, police officers and
businessmen. Now as Uncle and Auntie are over 60, Uncle told me that he
doesn't have the strength to do the same. The big round tables have been
replaced by small ones. The menus are nowhere to be seen. Uncle told me
that now he usually serves his regulars who usually knows what is
available. It's quite rare for him to find a very enthusiastic chap who
even brought his wife and son as his new customers.
On
weekdays, my wife and I usually order the usual simple dishes. One
might assume that Auntie might take her time as you can hear the ladel
scarping against the wok slowly in the kitchen, but she gets it dome in
just a few minutes. Fried rice is usually simple, but this one is packed
with eggs, pieces of chicken, shrimp, squid, fishcakes and
mix-vegetables. Usually, if one of the seafood is not available, it will
be counter-balanced by what is readily available.
The fried noodle dishes usually have 2 styles: wet or dry. My wife
prefers dry style, while I prefer the other. Just like the fried rice,
it is packed with the combined cuts of chicken and seafood, along with
freshly cooked vegetables. The wet style usually has a little sauce,
black in colour. It is not too thick, meaning that Auntie uses not too
much corn starch, making the flavour more evident and giving the desire
to customers to finish up the dish to the last drop. The fried
koay-teow, dry version, has an additional taste: peanuts. I believe that
crushed peanuts are used in the dish. This is not surprising because I
remember, back in the 1970s, my mother used to sprinkle crushed peanuts
when she makes fried koay-teow as well.
My wife's favorite is Fried Bihun. The dish is simple enough, and yet I
can never emulate it in my kitchen. The strands of rice vermicelli are
soft, combined with the chicken, prawns and vegetables, creating a tasty
concoction that my wife enjoys with her condiment of sliced bird-chilli
in soy-sauce. Unlike many Chinese cooks who have evolved to a
more-Malaysian style of combining chili paste in their cooking, Uncle
and Auntie remained loyal to their traditional method. If your tongue
requires a little heat, you can request sliced chili, bird chili or
pickled chili. I prefer the last one.
All
of our dishes are always accompanied by Mixed Vegetables, which we
order on every visit. It is made with fresh vegetables, depending on
what is available, mushrooms; usually 2 types, chicken, shrimp, squid,
fishcake, all stir-fried to perfection. The crisp vegetables, made
wholesome by its accompanying cuts of meat and seafood, completes our
lunch.
On Thursdays, Uncle and Auntie sell Mee Kari for breakfast, usually
between 8.30 to 10.00 a.m., depending on availability. I have nor tried
this as my many attempts resulted in frustrations. Yes, it sells out
fast...too fast to my liking.
On weekends, if my family and I want something simple and satisfying, we
would usually go to Uncle and Auntie's for a spot of lunch. Uncle
himself won't remember all of the items on his previous menus, but he
would recommend certain items such as curry, sotong masak sambal or/and
fried chicken. We look forward to try the curry one of these days.
Paying RM4.00 for a generous portion of fried rice or the noodle dishes,
loaded with chicken, egg, seafood and vegetables is really a bless. You
leave the shop, wondering whether you can work on an extremely full
stomach or not. I feel that it is better than some of the Menu Rakyat
1Malaysia I saw in Kuala Lumpur.
I guess Uncle and Auntie are the last in their generation to inherit the
shop. Their children don't seem to show any interest as they are now
working elsewhere. One of them is a university lecturer, I'm not sure
about the others. I guess I better enjoy the good at Kedai Kopi Kuang
Ming while it is still available. The food is good, the herbal tea cools
you down on hot Alor Setar days and the ambience is very relaxed. Deep
inside, I wish somebody in his family will continue the business later
on and keep the delicious dishes coming for the loyal customers.
