A Central London Malaysian Feast
If you’d have called me a few evenings ago, I wouldn’t have been able to answer, for I was in Trafalgar Square in London, filling my big, stupid grinning face with Malaysian food.
The most famous of city squares was once again playing host to a celebration of Malaysian food and culture. For one night only, Londoners could sample food from around 30 different stalls whilst being entertained by traditional Malaysian music and dance on the big stage. The atmosphere was terrific, helped largely by the fact everyone was high on Satay, Laksa and Nasi Lemak.
Here’s what I had;
Penang Laksa - Rice noodles in a hot & sour mackerel sauce with prawns, pineapple and garnishes. Delicious and quite unique. Not at all like the Curry Laksa I’m used to.
Satay - Grilled chicken on skewers in a spicy peanut sauce. I loved it before having this serving and if anything, I love it even more now. Amazing!
Roti Punai - An Indian-inspired flatbread, torn, with a vegetable curry gravy. Great texture and really tasty.
Aneka Kuih - A quartet of steamed Malaysian cakes. Kuih Lapis is a rainbow layered, jelly-like cake that is eaten by the layer and made with coconut milk and sago flour. Kuih Bakar is likened to egg custard. Kuih Serimuka has a bottom layer of rice and an upper layer flavoured by pandan leaf. Finally, Binka Ubi is made using Tapioca and Coconut Cream.
And to wash it all down, I had;
- Teh Tarik - I first had Teh Tarik, a strong “pulled’ tea made with condensed milk, in the Arab quarter of Singapore. It was a real treat to see it being made again and obviously an even bigger treat to drink it. The preparation process was as labourious and showy as it should have been.
- Coconut Juice - I was informed before trying this that Coconut Juice is an acquired taste. Not so. It is refreshing, sweet, creamy and lovely.
The year between now and the next Malaysia Night in London is going to feel like an age. Perhaps the only answer to this problem to go to Malaysia before Malaysia comes back to me. Well, alright then, I will!
