Skip to main content

Ramadan fine dining

Guest blogger Jehan Mohd had her first taste of Malay fine dining at a berbuka puasa (breaking of the fast at sunset) event hosted by Commercial Radio Malaysia. Ibunda, the venue for the evening, offers a delicious mix of traditional Malay cooking dressed up in the trappings of the gastronomic equivalent of haute couture. Here are her thoughts on her experience.

Our starter served in four bowls -- there was (from the left) lemang (glutinous rice soaked in coconut milk and cooked in bamboo over a slow fire) and rendang (stewed beef in coconut milk), rojak mamak (Indian Muslim style salad with peanut sauce), some really nice fish in unidentified yummy sauce and bubur lambuk (savoury rice porridge).The rendang had a strange aftertaste but the fish and bubur were lovely! Also in the picture are my first air sirap bandung (a concoction of rose syrup water and evaporated milk) for the year, a vintage glass bottle of ice-cream soda (!) and dates dished up in a boat-like porcelein plate.

Our main course -- this dish is enough for three (hence three of everything) -- fried fish on the left, fried chicken at the bottom, keropok (fish crackers) and prawn curry. All round, these taste good, the prawn was so big, I ended up having to peel the shell off with a knife rather than the usual spoon.

The rice portion of the main course comprises nasi kerabu (a traditional rice dish from the northern states of the peninsula), keropok (fish cracker), curried mussel and a scoop of lentil and okra. I avoid mussels so mine ended up going to someone else but the rest of the fare is what you might expect from a high-brow restaurant, not the type you would eat at mum's.

Traditional Malay kuih (sweet cakes) dressed up like pastries from a high-end bakery in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Taste-wise, it's what you would expect from these desserts normally. I still prefer to get my sweets from the roadside vendors (not sure if they are legit) in any Malay area such as Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

The interior of Ibunda is homey, reminiscent of a traditional Malay house -- only high-end with air-con.

The quintessential berbuka puasa (breaking of the fast) drink much loved by all Malaysians -- air sirup bandung (a concoction of rose syrup water and evaporated milk) and a vintage bottle of ice-cream soda (another local favourite). I love this combination of sweet stuff when breaking fast!

Comments

Popular Posts

Are you ready for Sri Lanka?

SRI LANKA wants YOU! Yes, YOU ... the traveller. And the longer you stay on the island, the better it would be for the country's fledgling tourism industry. The end of the 30-year-old civil war in the country in May 2009 resulted in more tourist arrivals to Serendib (the origin of the word "serendipity"), as the Arabs called it in the ancient past.When the Portuguese arrived in 1505, they named it Ceilao , which was transliterated into English as Ceylon. Tourism officials predict high numbers of visitors from abroad, notably India and China, in the future. Tourist arrivals reportedly "grew by an impressive 50 per cent or an increase to 160,000 from 106,000 visitors in the first quarter of 2010, compared to 2009". The downside of rising/increased tourism has generated debate as this website indicates. The concerns are valid. The rights of locals and proper care of the environment must be high on the list of priorities when tourism officials plan for t

Happy Father's Day

June is a significant month for fathers and those who have acted as father figures: stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, big brothers, teachers and mentors. It is the month when some countries including Malaysia celebrate Father's Day. As American poet Anne Sexton put it: "It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was." My own father, who was a major influence in my life when I was growing up in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, passed away a long time ago. Since then there has been one major father figure in my life: my mentor, who is also my uncle, and he has helped me through difficult times. Fathers teach by example. You learn important values from them and you acquire some of their tastes for things. It could be anything: a love for English literature, words and books, among others. Sometimes you did not agree with their viewpoints but realised later that they were right about many things. As a child, growing up in a hometown known for its laid-back wa

Dealing with death of a loved one

Today marks the end of Rabiaa's mourning period. She had completed four months and 10 days or 130 days of grieving, the stipulated period for expressing sorrow for Muslim widows.  The death of her husband on Dec 30, 2020 was expected  but it still came as a huge shock to her. It was too sudden, she felt. Yet  observers would not agree. Her husband became bedridden in mid-November after a collision between his big bike and a car which had come from the opposite direction after taking an illegal turn.  In addition to being bedridden, Anwar, lost his voice which was the direct result of the  brain injury he had suffered after the accident. He was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. How does Rabiaa feel now? The pain is bearable but the memories remain as vivid as ever. She is still unwilling to clear up all of her husband's things and some items remain in their original positions as before he became bound to the bed. His belongings connect Rabiaa to Anwar and she basks in the w