pork-free @ lorong seratus tahun, ss2
Buddha knows that it can be difficult to get good hawker food at not-too-ridiculous prices in PJ. Of course there are corner kopitiams galore, but not all their food are tasty. Sometimes the emphasis on availability compromises the quality, especially when you have non-locals doing the cooking. Sorry if I’m biased, but I firmly believe that there is no way a Vietnamese/ Cambodian/ Burmese etc can cook great tasting local food. Edible and acceptable perhaps, but it won’t be anywhere near to what and how some of us know it.
That was why one of my favourite restaurants was Lorong Seratus Tahun in SS2. Lorong Seratus Tahun is a famous lane in Penang where one could get your favourite Penang fare. I’ve never been there, but it’s quite well-known. Granted, the LST in SS2 may have lifted the namesake for popularity purposes, but they have good tasting food. Lots of people go there for the curry mee and proclaim it to be delicious. I don’t know since I’m not a fan of curry mee. But I loved their char kuey teow, which I think is the closest to what Penang has to offer in PJ. Other food items in LST SS2 that I’ve tried were pretty delicious as well.
Lorong Seratus Tahun SS2 underwent a renovation, probably wanted a facelift to bring in more customers. Fair enough. Last week we decided to go there for lunch post-renovation. It was not bad, though it resembles any Old Town franchise. New tables, new chairs, new uniforms and a new menu with uninspiring copy, some lifted off Wikipedia (I checked). New prices as well, up by RM1.50 – RM2.00 depending on what you want. We knew what we wanted and placed our orders quickly.
While waiting for the food, we re-examined the menu. To our horror, the cover of the menu says, “PORK FREE”.
OMGWTFBBQ! (The background is Kerol’s copy of a Chinese daily, coincidence!)
You “CAN” have pork-free Penang Chinese food. You can call it whatever you want actually, it will just be an oxymoron. Coming from someone who consumes pork, have been to Penang and consumed Penang fare, it will not taste anywhere remotely the same as Penang Chinese food. You can also make nasi lemak by immersing the rice with soy milk instead of santan. You can have char siew rice with vegetarian char siew. Whatever floats your boat, right?
But changing from pork-friendly to pork-free in the same restaurant selling the same food items? The char kuey teow I ordered was not nice at all. By removing the lard and lap cheong (Chinese sausage), they also added in extra chilli (when I didn’t ask for it to be spicier) which made it quite difficult to eat. It was also slightly wet, about 75% away from being kuey teow basah. It also costed RM7+.
I am just expressing my shock and disappointment here. As I said, LST SS2 used to be one of my favourite restaurants. Perhaps they will have a huge boost of clientèle after the renovation – good for them but this customer’s out of the picture.
Also blogged: KY
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The idea of halal Chinese hawker food is just weird and so wrong :S
Someone please tell me where I can find a good honest bowl of curry mee with coagulated pork blood!!
I’ve heard of LST so many times but haven’t been there and I don’t think I wanna go after hearing all these complaints about the food there from you and KY.
KY: here it says got optional pig blood…
http://masak-masak.blogspot.com/2008/05/curry-mee-lam-mee-loh-mee-har-mee-desa.html
Nope, if it’s not pork, it’s not authentic. I totally agree.
Yah agree 100%, especially CKT with no lap cheong is just WRONG.
Umm, thats totally weird. I’m really curious as to whether they changed their utensils:woks,bowls, you name it. Coz if im not mistaken utensils that have been “tainted” by pork before is still pretty much non-halal. Granted they havent called themselves a Halal joint, it IS still pretty misleading for the Muslims out there.
LST = LanSaiTiam (hokkien – shitty shop)
cannot take pic of the cover page of the menu also… damnit.
food just like BKT with chicken = wrong!!
Buddha knows indeed. Namo Amitabha..
maybe im bias too. but pork free restaurants will not be able to produce heaven grade food.
you mean “You CAN’T have pork-free Penang Chinese food.” right?
yeah, when the pavillion food court was first opened, everyone was going crazy about the prawn fried noodles, but after all, they all realised it was nothing compared to the original one in Sg. the missing ingredient? …. ju-yau-jah.
and i truly agree, you cannot get good malaysian food with vietnamese, bangla, combodian and indon being the people cooking the stuff, it’s just not right. but it’s hapenning. in fact, i cant also imagine a chinese fella claming his nasi lemak is one of the best in town, it just doesnt make sense.
i wonder how long before the “aiyah, this country is great becos it has the best nasi lemak, char kuey teow and bak kut teh” proclamation will last.
and i wanted to ask where is this place located. i guess there is no need now.
For great original Pg style Kali-mee (curry mee), try the coffee shop at the end of Kayu Nasi Kandar in ss2. If you know LST then its just around the other corner of the housing area.
You need to be early as the hawker only makes about 250 bowls, so by 930am, its finished. Crowd goes there from 7am and the coffee shop also has Pg Char kuey Teow. Will go there t’row morning
The other KL style curry mee is too thick with santan and the chilli boh is the commercial type, so its crap.
Original LST kali-mee in Pg was sold by the roadside next to a big drain. They used to give you a big cup of chilly which you can use to heap the shrimp-fred chilly boh and belacan into your noodles. Used to cost about RM1 those days when the father (of the ss2 LST owner) sold his fare. Started in the morning ard 6am and finished by 10am. The crowd either sat on stools of stood to eat the noodles and now the stall is still there with the son taking over. Another son has his shop opp the market but taste is not that good compared to the original which is now RM3-5.50 a bowl. The chilli-boh is still the same.
Drop me a mail if you cant find the ss2 shop…cheers!
rgds,
CKT no pork lard where got thee aroma. Sigh. LST is going down.
samson: thanks! I’ll forward this to KY, since he is the one who loves curry mee, not me
the whole no lard thing in CKT is tragic..
I found another shop selling the Real Thing! The stall is in OUG market, big sign and arrow when you are near the market. Coffee-shop name is “Sun, Sea” and they also sell awesome pork larded ‘Chee yoke fun’ See the queue to believe.
Back to the Kali mee…the owner is a jovial guy, no problems to tambah liau and taste is as good as home..just missing the fried pork skin and mint leaves (which are a rarity even in Pg). Also in front of the shop is a bachang kueh and cake stall which is full of people and opposite is a kuey kark (carrot cake) stall. Expect great service if u’are speaking Hokkien