perpetual wack.: Gastronomic Adventure: X'mas Eve in Malacca

Be hungry. Be very hungry...

Because we're going to MALACCA!

"First, dinner. Then, dessert. THEN, SUPPER."

WE WILL EAT WHATEVER COMES OUR WAY.

DINNER: Loi's Beef Bakuteh

Yes, you heard me right. BEEEEEF Bakuteh.

The friendly uncle operates this very, very modest stall from his home in Bukit Baru.

There weren't many people there then, but I've read online that the place can get pretty packed during the weekends. Then again we were there on Christmas Eve so I dunno.

The stall was featured on Ho Chak before, but it seems that the people who eat there are mostly locals 'cause the uncle seemed to know everyone who went to his stall.

We ordered a BIGASS CLAYPOT OF BEEF BAKUTEH.

At first glance, it looks like normal Bakuteh, it has your usual foo chuk, vegetables, mushrooms, and basically all the pork ingredients are replaced with beef. LOTS OF BEEF.

So you assume it'll taste like all Bakutehs out there, herbal and whatnot. But once you TASTE it, you know - "Crap, I was wrong!"

The soup is like a cross between Chinese pepper soup and Bakuteh. It's actually quite peppery, and has that thick full-of-ingredients texture of Bakuteh.

The meat was all really good, and there was a lot of it to go around (there were 4 of us).

Served with chilli sauce. I'm mentioning this because Boon said it was awesome?

Oh and the Bakuteh was also served with rice, which wasn't the oil-glazed kind I was used to having with Bakuteh, but it was alright.

I wouldn't say that the Bakuteh was, er, foodgasmic(?) or anything, but it's good. A really different take on your usual Bakuteh, you'll like it more if you love pepper soup like me. :D

After dinner, we went to (where else?) - JONKER STREET.

Which was CRAZY PACKED.

Jonker Street on Christmas Eve, greaaaat idea.

Direct translation from Chinese: Ice Sugar... Gourd (冰糖葫芦)

Quite lousy, DON'T EAT. The ones I've eaten in Sunway Pyramid are way better. This one was like, cold fruits coated with sticky maltose candy.

Isn't the sugar supposed to be hard? "ICE SUGAR" kononnya.

Then we passed by a few stalls selling "TORNADO CHIPS", or was it "TORNADO POTATO", hmm maybe it was "TWISTER POTATO". OKAY I FORGOT.

Anyway, it was this long twisty fried potato thing, and lotsa people had one in their hands so we decided to try one.

LOOKS COOL RIGHT? (That's Scott by the way)

It tastes pretty good actually. Like a thin version of potato wedges.

Well according to my cousin, you can get these at your neighbourhood pasar malam, but I've never seen them. LIES! D:

Jonker Walk World Heritage Park

We saw lotsa people gathered there so we went to check it out -

Nothing but public toilets and a small miserable garden. :(

... Let's camwhore.

DESSERT: Durian Cendol, Mango Cendol and er, Cendol.

One of the more packed cendol stalls along Jonker Street, didn't take note of the name, sorry!

YOU TRY IT. YOU LOVE IT.

THAT'S AN ORDER.

Durian Cendol was good, but I got quite jelak after a few spoonfuls.

So I swapped with Boon's classic Cendol.

Shaun's Mango Cendol.

Scott's Mixed Fruit Ice thing. Which, despite his thumb up, was BAD.

Yes they are twins.

After the cendol, we were all super full. So we put food on hold, and continued walking down Jonker Street.

Two things taking over the world by storm:

Yes, Facebook, now available for your feet!

Can't live without Facebook? Wear 'em with you wherever you go!

Can't stand Facebook? Step the shit out of 'em.

Whether you love or hate Facebook, these RM10 flip-flops work both ways. :P

Good lord, is that a Justin Bieber t-shirt?!

The end is near.

*multitude of photos to signify that some time has passed*

... Oh look, time for FOOD again! :D

SUPPER: Grilled cockles and clams and Oh Chien

Jonker Street again. The cockles and clams were surprisingly juicy and very yummy. Om nom nom/slurp.

Aunty frying Oh Chien, looking so depressed and sad...

I think it's probably 'cause her Oh Chien was bad. (lame shit attempt at rhyming HAHA)

The egg was kinda overcooked and the starch wasn't gooey enough, Penang still makes the best Oh Chien. Period.

And that concludes our "Gastronomic Adventure" in Malacca.

Part II: "X'mas Eve"

So you think that shopping malls are the only places with the Christmas spirit here in Malaysia?

That's because you haven't seen the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir yet.

For starters:

There were so many people gathered outside this building. At first glace, one would think it's a church/some public community building.

Then you make your way through the crowd, to see the brightly-lit building closer.

Oh my God. It's a friggin' HOUSE.

With an INFLATABLE SANTA,

an inflatable SNOW GLOBE, and an inflatable MERRY-GO-ROUND-THAT-ACTUALLY-GOES-ROUND. IT'S MOTOR-POWERED.

Also, the residents were just sitting at the porch, doing their thing, while 20 strangers stood outside their house, snapping away.

And this isn't the only place it's happening.

WARNING: You are about to be bombarded with a shitload of LED lights and Christmas ornaments.