JJCM in KT #5 – The Taste of Hai Peng.

Please refer to earlier post JJCM in KT #4 for the first part. We selected a typically old fashion round coffee table with marble top sitting on old fashion round chair. The atmosphere felt authentic as we ordered our cup of Hainanese (a Chinese dialect that is famous for running coffee shops and old style bakeries) coffee. The only difference is that our order is taken by a Malay and we were served by a Malay.

On the pretext of visiting the toilet, I peeked into the kitchen and was surprised that all the staffs preparing our food and drinks were also Malay. From the master coffee brewer to the bread toaster and the spaghetti chef. Yes, you can order spaghetti here.

I ordered coffee the way I like it – thick, black and sweet. I remembered Charles Maurice immortal lines:

Black as the devil, Hot as hell,

Pure as an angel, Sweet as love.

It came in the standard coffee cup that one finds in every old style kopitiam in Malaysia. Now, Hainanese coffee may get some getting used to. Some may even say it is an acquired taste. I remembered once I took a very thirsty Australian master baker to a kopitiam and ordered a black ice coffee for him. He downed it with one huge gulp, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and declared “that is the most awful coffee I’ve ever tasted in my entire life”. Everyone burst out laughing.

If you’re brought up on Nescafe, espresso and cappuccino, you may not like this coffee. We on the other hand think it is as ‘sweet’ as the devil and certainly not as pure as an angel. We have made our own unique modification and addition. The resultant taste is slightly ashy carrying a tinge of sourish fermented flavor and a solid robustness not for the faint hearted. As if this is not enough, the patrons will often asked for “kau kau” (thick thick) together with “ti ti” (sweet sweet). This is the Malaysian way.

If there are some who do not like our coffee, I have not met any who do not like our toasted bread. No machine can do this job. It must be done by hand, over a fierce charcoal fire that is neither too hot nor too tame. The judgment of the one toasting is crucial so he can produce a well toasted bread (not burnt) that is crispy on the outside and soft and tender within which is a world of a different from dry machine toasted bread. On these slices are then slap a thick spread of kaya (coconut egg yolk jam) and margarine (preferably butter).

Hai Peng used the ‘correct’ bread for their toast. (Sandwich bread is a no-no for our local toast). They are called by several names such as Hainanese or Bengali breads because they are mostly made by such bakers using traditional ways. Today, they are mostly called “Pata Loaves”. But not all Pata loaves are equal; it depends on the way they are produced – by Straight Dough, Sponge & Dough or No-Time Dough methods and many variations of these. You did not know that bread is that complex and interesting? Well, not many people do. In a future post, I promise I’ll explain these in greater details.

But as a consumer, what is the difference you ask? Look at the texture, see how coarse they are. The texture is open but tender yet resilient while many of the bread which has much finer texture are silky but dry and no ‘body’. When you are eating bread, you want to eat bread, not cake-like bread. Good to look at but disagreeable to the tongue. The mouth-feel is completely different. Most of these Pata breads are made by long fermentation method so you get a good bread aroma instead of the bland stuff most coffee shops served these days. I better stop now before I get carried away. If any kopitiam owner wants an ‘expert’ opinion on the type of bread to use, who do you call? – The Ghost (not buster).

Phua brought over a string of “Pulut Tapai” that is wrapped in leaves. Being a Terengganunese, he enthusiastically recommended us to try it. We cautiously put a piece into our mouth and bit. Phoo! A very strong odor immediately overwhelmed us. The flavor is very similar to fermented rice wine. Way too strong for me. I drowned it with coffee. Phua was disappointed with our reactions, so were we but this is definitely an acquired taste.

I was completely satiated by now putting down my third breakfast. But I was curious – what would the Terengganu nasi lemak (coconut fragrant rice with sambal – a pounded chilly, prawn paste, dried prawns, onion, tamarind, etc with palm sugar and salt) taste like?

My taste buds override my overworked stomach and I opened the paper wrapper (used to be coconut leaves in the old days) to reveal a delight. This is what a country beauty look and taste like. Unadorned, unassuming, unpretentious, relying on its natural goodness to win you over. With just the first spoonful, it evoked long time memory of a simpler life at a simpler time. I had forgotten the simple original taste of a good nasi lemak.

But I had by mistake took the package with the fish sambal (with no regret because it was great). I wanted to also try the anchovy sambal but this time my stomach put its “foot” down. I looked longingly at the basket and then decided I will hit this place again on the return trip. There were so many other foods to try but we have only one stomach (even though an extended one).

I liked Hai Peng for many reasons, not least of which is their sense of individuality, beauty and passion. At the back of the shop which not many outstation patrons may be aware of is a replica of the Great Wall of China. Seeing the Great Wall dwarfed by our papaya trees – now that is rich. And we left Hai Peng richer with our experiences which is why we will be back every time we passed by Kemaman.

To be continued...

Aeon Jusco Bukit Tinggi Opening Day.

Yesterday was the last Saturday I’ll be working. The company is going on a 5 days week, yahoo! While busy at work (really), I suddenly remembered about Jusco’s opening and remembered I forgot to send a bouquet to congratulate my friend. Quickly make the arrangement but the florist told me she would not be able to deliver on the opening hour at around 10.30am. She had already been there the first round and it took her an hour and back from Bayu Perdana.

The traffic was that bad in spite of the 5,000 parking bays. By the time I got back, cars have spilled over to the roundabout in Botanic Garden. I decided to walk and it took only 12 minutes from my house, I’ll probably took twice as long looking for a parking spot. Anyway it finally arrived in good condition.

This was my last year’s Christmas tree. Under skilled hands, it looked better than I could have imagine doing it myself.

The Jusco trees are of course much bigger. But bias me still like my tiny one better.

I rushed to meet up with some new friends of the MyKlang Community in Starbucks. Unfortunately, only four of us were able to make it as the others were affected by the jam. If any readers would like to join our group, please click on the link.

Crowds were everywhere. This is Jusco’s supermarket section.

I was surprised to see most of the shops were open for business as when I was there on Thursday night (the last time they allowed tenant in for renovation), many of them were looked far from being finished. What do you know? Looks can be deceiving. The center is up and running.

Beginning of autumn in Malaysia?

It is the Japanese food fair. There were some interesting products but rather pricey. Change that to very pricey. RM7.90 for a rather thin stick of corn with teriyaki sauce? No, no matter how sweet. But I couldn’t resist buying something. Those huge brilliantly colored red and yellow apples were appealing me to take them home. RM9.90 for each. Ya, I know, versus 8 Fuji Apples (from China) for RM10.00.

Even Cinderella was there and she left her coach behind. Could not find her glass slipper though.

Feeling hungry by now but the restaurants were jam packed.

So was the food court.

Found a quiet place in “Toast More” opposite the Green Box karaoke. Some innovative combinations of toasts from the usual to Mango Kaya, Orange Kaya… Settled for an otak-otak toast (RM2.90) as I thought that was interesting. It was disappointing. The bread is too thick and dry. (It always surprise the numbers of kopitiam that got their bread wrong seeing that it such an important part of the menu. Read part 5 of my upcoming Terengganu trip to find out what types of bread they should use). The crust is too thick and hard. The flavor of the otak-otak did not stand out. The Honey Lemon drink (RM3.30) I ordered was no better. In spite of the honey, the bitter (instead of sour) taste of Lemon still stands out. It was just sweet and watery instead of the characteristic refreshing sour-sweet taste of a well prepared Lemon drink.

Tried their Nasi Lemak (RM7.30). What is the meat floss doing there? I don’t like it when cook used this kind of creativity as it added nothing to the dish only distracts from it. The mild taste of chicken can never stand up to rich and spicy taste of curry and sambal. So why waste it here? The chicken was tender and nice but the curry could do with a slightly stronger taste – a tad too weak. No complain on the rice but the ikan bilis (fried anchovies) was not crispy enough. The sambal saved this dish. It was quite good and (spicy) hot enough for me. I asked for extra helping. I don’t mind having this dish again because of the sambal.

Went over next door to buy a dozen assorted Big Apple Donuts (RM17.00). The queuing system was riotous with patrons not knowing where is the head or end of the queue. To make matter worse, the order taking aggravate the situation with customers walking up and down the line selecting the donut. One woman at the back of me angrily complained about queue cutting and the one who is going to serve went over to serve her first. And I have to angrily defend my position as I had queued up like a gentleman would. They have much to learn from J.Co Donut.

This is a picture of the J.Co Outlet in Pavilion. In spite of the huge crowd, order taking and servicing of customers were done most professionally. However, I would not queue more than 10 minutes for a donut (and that too must be because I’m ravagingly hungry). People queued up for more than an hour to eat their donut.

In every department, J.Co beat Big Apple. The visual appeal of J.Co’s donut is more attractive. The real difference comes when you put it into your mouth. They practically melted in spite of the fact when I ate my J.Co donut it was more than a couple of hours old when my son presented me a box. Apple donut despite being fresh did not give me that sensation. Both types of donuts are of quite different types compared with Dunkin Donut so it not fair to compare them. It just depends on your personal preference. But between J.Co and Big Apple, you know where I stand. J.Co’s two dozens went for RM35.00.

I took the donuts for those working in my friend’s shop D’Trends as they have been working through their dinners. What do they sell? Here are some fine examples – beautiful fishes :).

Costume Jewelries.

Rings, chains, pendants and brooches.

Exquisite dinner handbags.

The only item not for sale in the shop is this large butterfly stuffed with stones for wings. See if you can spot it when you are there.

Ah. A happy customer flashing the V sign happy with how she look after putting on the ear ring (but she did say her ear suddenly feels heavier).

As I left Jusco after 9.00 pm, the car park was still full.

And what do you know? A full moon was overhead. Though not a Feng Shui expert, I’m sure this portends well for the new complex.

You can grab my photos in flikr (just remember to link it back to my blog) - click here ighosts.

A Songwriter's Anguish - Part II

You know I like to make my own decisions
I need to follow my inner vision
I can't slip my life to someone else
That would be denying love myself

But there are times when I need support
When I got problems of a certain sort
People at work and the family
Make it so hard for me to be me

At times like these well I admit it's true
I'm just a tiny bit dependent on you
Yes where would I be without
A little bit of your love


Peter Brown & Markiza Halim © Lemang Music 1996

Peter Brown met Markiza in London where she was studying. They moved to Malaysia in 1984 where they started playing in nightspots and also for charity. They formed Lemang Music in 1993 to publish their first album “Open Secret”. They called themselves “Passion” after Markiza’s name which means passion fruit in Indonesian. It was the first English Pop album that was independently produced and released in Malaysia. The passionate inseparable duo have been part of the independent music scene ever since.

No one in the independent music scene in Malaysia do it for the money for there were none to be had. Saying “they do it for love” sounds so cliché but that is what these musicians do it for. At least in some countries, they get respect for it. In Malaysia, they will be lucky if they don’t get scorn. They are the troubadours of the modern cities. They consume grief for breakfast, sorrow for lunch and sing away the blues when the night deepens.

Only someone who understand sorrow can write lines like these –

Been wandering the streets kinda wasting my time
Feeling in the need to commit some crime
And if you don't think I've got a damn good excuse
Wait til your baby tells you you're no further use
You'll have a breakdown, a breakdown
You'll have a breakdown, a breakdown

For their sacrifices, all they get is a raw deal. Someone weaker souls would have a breakdown long ago. He just feels so frustrated sometimes that he had to shout it out and get it off his chest before he starts singing again…

Peter Brown: And now for the self-indulgent ego trip stuff:-

Yeah, It has to be said. I have to get this off my chest. What's the matter you ask? Well, it seems that, looking back over the months (not to mention the years) singer-songwriters have a lean time when it comes to press coverage and reviews of their shows and general respect from the media. I mean to start with, what is a singer-songwriter? Someone who is a singer which is a difficult thing to do well, and also someone who writes songs, which is probably even more difficult - unless you count those non-songs written for certain occasions. How many good songs do we hear on the radio today that were produced in the last three years? Well never mind about that. Also singer-songwriters, in order to actually showcase and perform their songs need to be able to accompany themselves on an instrument of some kind - usually a piano or guitar, and that's the hardest thing of all and takes many years of learning and practice, particularly if you are going to play one thing and sing something else over the top of it, and also connect with the audience. And then there are the lyrics. These can be (I'm not saying necessarily are) real poetry. They usually say something, describe some achingly painful love experience or focus on some evil like the abuse of women or children or the destruction of the environment, inequality, poverty, not to mention the horrors of war and other such human perpetuated evils. There are thousands of such songs written by sincere and earnest SSs who have a gift not only for music but also for poetry too. In other words these people are POETS but they do three other highly skillful, entertaining and thought-provoking things too.

Yet somehow, when you put on a showcase of singer songwriters, no-one - at least no-one in the media gives a monkey's. You won't get it mentioned in the press either before or after the event (unless of course there is a FOREIGN - particularly WESTERN SS appearing). But if only Malaysian SS forget it lah! No-one cares. Yet stage a POETRY event and you can be sure that there will be a FULL PAGE in the daily press after the event and most probably a write up about it before - complete with photographs of the poets. In other words the poet who merely gets up and reads his poetry gets the full respect that should be accorded to all artists including SSs.

I'm sorry poets, I know you are sincere and honest struggling artists like the rest of us. And many of you have real talent for the word and something really important and deep to say and an ingenious way of putting it across. And sometimes the poem is so funny that you laugh out loud (at least I do, embarrassing everyone). But the point is why do you get so much more attention than us? That's what I'm feeling aggrieved about. To take an example, there was a fantastic good show staged at the KL PAC called the KL SING SONG. More than 200 people per night emerged out of the wood work to watch these brilliant showcases of brimming-with-talent MALAYSIAN (repeat Malaysian) SSs. But was it in the calendar of events in the July leaflet put out by the KL PAC management and sent to all their enthusiastic supporters, who come regularly to their shows? NO SERI it was not. Neither was the regular bi-weekly Sunday acoustic show that happens at lunchtime mentioned in the brochure (well it is now, after a long time).

When I put on an Acoustic Jam at the Actors Studio Bangsar in 2003 starring some quite well-known figures on the SS scene, trying to get a feature in the press was like licking the **** of a dead horse. Yet a show that came soon after featuring Songs From The Shows (ie Broadway) got pages in the press of celebratory publicity. Similarly a SS show last month at No Black Tie 2 nights running with some of the finest SS including Pete Teo, Karen Nunis, Zalila Lee and Reza Salleh and other artists got nothing (correct me if I'm wrong but I saw nothing about it), whereas a POETRY reading show the following week - well that got a full page review in the Sunday Star and other mention too in the press. The fact that 2 SSs also performed that night was not even mentioned in the review. What injustice!

But still the passion! Let's be calm and collected and ask ourselves what can be the reason for this blatant discrimination? Is it the fact that SSs are musicians? But classical musicians (both Western and Eastern) get into the press (and in the KL PAC newsletter). World musicians do too, and any traditional forms like gamelan or African drummers or the like. So it must be the WRONG KIND OF MUSIC. That's right, I've got it, I think I've got it, it's because SSs are lumped with Pop Music. In our snotty bourgeious society Pop Music, Rock n Roll or even worse BLUES is dismissed as sort of sub-art - even though it is more than 40 years since the release of the Beatles Sargeant Pepper there's still this notion in the minds of - but anyway you get my point. I suppose that since blues, from which it all comes was the music of a downtrodden oppressed minority, this identity still taints the music and makes it a social pariah. Like this guy who is a well known blues and rock artist in the Klang Valley who lost his regular spot in a pub the other week because, as the landlord told him, "you play too much blues". My God what a crime! Almost like exposing yourself in public!

Or maybe also it's because we SSs play OUR OWN SONGS. Another offence maybe in the book of snotty bourgeious law. It's alright to play Eric Clapton's songs or Bruce Springsteen's? Is that it? But to play your own half baked compositions? You've got a nerve my friend! But wait... the POETS read their OWN POEMS. What's wrong with that? You tell me. What's going on here? To paraphrase comedian Rodney Dangerfield's catch phrase - we don't get no respect!

Please, I've er... got this guitar and er... this is a song I wrote -

Get off the stage. We want the Bee Gees. Or Ted Hughes. Or Shakespeare. Or something from Mali. Or you, over there, if you have some poems. Yes, please get up. TAKE THE MIC!

This ramble or any part of it can be reproduced without per from the author. Please support Malaysian singer-songwriters and keep turning up for their shows, you might be in for an unforgettable experience.

A Songwriter's Anguish - Part I

LLeft to Right: Wong Lip Kee - lead guitar; Shahril Eashak, bass; Peter Brown - harmonica, vocals, guitar; Markiza - vocals, keyboards; Alex Ang - drums.

(Click on the photo if you can't view it)

Soft Touch

The lowest paying job in England is a writer. We are talking about poverty rate. Forget about JK Rowling. She is an anomaly. She too was a starving writer before Harry Potter’s magic saved her. A poet does not fare better. Singers and songwriters belong to the same category. That is why pragmatic Asian parents forbid their children to be an artist – it is a life of struggle for their “art”. So few made a decent living off it. It is almost easier to strike the lottery and less grief.

So is there any different between a poet and a singer-songwriter? The poignant outpouring of frustration of one singer songwriter (Peter Brown) in Part II of “A Songwriter’s Anguish” suggested there is. One gets respect for the sacrifices he made while the other doesn’t. Because one is considered to be producing or attempting to produce “art” while the other is not (even if he is).

What is “art” then? Britannica stated it as "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others". I’ll put it simply as “any creation that moves heart and soul by its beauty”. And beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beholder. If comic moves me more than classic literature, then to me comic is a work of art. Pop songs moves and influences more lives than classical music but pop song and comic are rarely considered as work of arts.

I do not believe art belongs only to the elites. I do not believe art needs to be difficult. I do not believe art cannot entertain while it stirs. I do not believe what is easily accessible is not art. I do not believe what is easily understood is not art. I do not believe art cannot be main stream. I do not believe art should not be fun. I do not believe I need to know what art is from pretentious experts. I do not believe art need to be dead before it is considered art. I could go on all night but I will say I believe I can know what art is from the way it affects my heart. If I have to choose one word to describe what art is. I’ll choose “love”.

I believe art is intuitive as love is intuitive. I don’t have to know how or why it affects me. I don’t have to understand it. Most of all I don’t need others to tell me what should affect me. You do not need others to tell you who or how to love. Why should you need others to tell you what is art? If it is boring, it may be art to others but it is not to you. Don’t impose your values onto others but also don’t allow others to impose their values on you. Be free. Be bold.

If you love it, it is art to you and don’t be ashamed of it. I love classic literature, I love comics, I love poetry. I love classical music, I love sentimental songs, I love canto-pop. Simon Cowell may not understand country music but I do. I’m blessed.

Dare to appreciate the things that move you. Dare to love. Don’t listen to others. Listen to your heart. But you have to expose yourself to as many “art forms” as possible for a closed mind and a closed heart is the greatest enemy of art, of love too. You may not have found your true love yet. So go outside your comfort zone, expand and explore.

I do not know Peter Brown personally. But I had watched him performed in “No Black Tie” before. I had bought a couple of his CDs. He does what he passionately believes in all his life. That is the first sign of a true artist. But whether what he produced is art or not, that is for the audience to decide. He only asked for the chance for you to hear him sing.

Don’t put him in a little box and label him before he is heard. Don’t belittle his art form because the intellects considered it beneath them. Intellectualism is not art. In fact, you should never approach art with intellect. All you need I reiterate, is your heart. Throughout history, the intellect had been more wrong than right about what is art. The common man had never been wrong. They only need time and history to prove them right. But the intellect never learned. They continue to assert their role as the final and only authority on art and impose it on others.

Too many of us have been intimidated and brainwashed into accepting these values forced upon us by ‘higher’ intellect. The media is the greatest culprit and victim. They are only comfortable to recycle worn ideas because these are the accepted norm. So poetry will be promoted because it is art. There is nothing wrong with that except good poetry is art but bad poetry is not worth the paper it is printed on while there is a lot of good music going round. There are arts floating among them but will never have the chance to find their home because they are discriminated against. It is amazing that this generation that grew up with John Lennon’s “Imagine” still has not seen the light. This is the injustice Peter Brown is lamenting against. This is the injustice by which he is a victim of.

I want you to read this first and reflect a bit before you read the raw outpouring from his heart. For I fear you may not understand where he is coming from if you read him first and judge him too harshly for his outburst. I may not agree totally with the way he says it (but we need someone like him to every now and then shout it). You can feel his frustration in this lyrics from his “Better World”

I wanna make a little point
To the people up there in power
That life on Earth is being destroyed
Hour by hour
'Cause it gets so frustrating
When there's nothing you can do
You wanna tell these guys the truth
But you can't get the message through

Listen to his songs in You Tube & MySpace including “Better World” though this link www.myspace.com/lemangsofttouch

He deserves to be heard.

To be continued...

A Sneak Preview of the Aeon Jusco Bukit Tinggi Shopping Center.

Residents of Klang are pretty excited about the opening of the Bukit Tinggi Jusco which incidentally is the largest in Malaysia and South East Asia. This is especially as the traffic to North Klang where all the existing shopping complexes are situated is getting worse with the beginning of the construction of an overhead bridge. The complex is slated to open on the 24 November.


I am one of the anxious one. No more beating the traffic to catch a movie in Bukit Raja. No more driving all the way to Mid-Valley or Damansara to while away my time in the bookstore. And there are now more choices to entertain friends. Except I worry what it will do the traffic where I stayed. Guess one cannot have best of both worlds.


So when a friend yesterday invited me to visit her shop which is still under renovation, I grabbed the chance to have a look at the complex before it opened for business. I sneaked in my camera to provide you with a sneak review.


We have to enter the complex from the back where the ground car parks are situated. Security is quite tight and you have to have a valid reason to enter (tenant or contractor). They entered through separate lines and you have to relinquish your driving license or IC (Identity Card) to get a pass. A hard hat is also required. Considering that it is already 17 Nov, I was surprised at the still chaotic situations in the complex entering from the loading bay. There appeared to be much that still needs to be done.

I was a bit more assured once I entered the complex for the building itself seemed to be almost ready with just minor repairs and cleaning being needed.

Workers in hard hats riding escalators to work.

Workers giving the finishing touches.

A conscientious worker down on all fours repairing the tiles.

This is the restaurant lane. Workers still carrying out minor adjustment. At certain part of the building where renovation was still being carried out, it was quite dusty and smelled of glue and thinner. The Jusco administrative staff can be seen making their rounds asking the contractors to work within the limit of their shops and to clear any accumulated rubbish.

Some individual shops are more ready than others. This jean shop is down to sorting and hanging up their merchandise.

Whereas others still seems a long way off.

My friend told me that looks can be deceiving. She said that one shop can be 30% completed one day and the next day when she returned, it is already 60% completed. I saw 10 workers working in one shop and if they are running 24 hours, I can see why she is confident that most businesses will be ready in time. Still, it is just a week away and there seems to be so much left undone.


The Green Box karaoke lounge. Now that it is so near my home, what excuses can I give that for not singing. Will being a terrible, terrible singer do? Not to friends, that won’t work. They love it when you are bad.


Look out for my friend’s shop – D’Trend which sells women accessories. If there is anything you want to buy, mention “Jimmy” sent you and you will get a 20% discount off regular pricing. Serious, no joke. If you have any problem with the salesgirl, insist they call their boss who is seldom at the outlet. This offer is exclusively for readers of Ghost Walk so hope you’ll keep this to yourself.

The complex is looking good. Finally, we have a complex we can be proud of.

As we made our back through the loading bay, we see more trucks disgorging their loads and busy workers in a hurry to complete their tasks before the big day. November 24 should be an exciting day for Klang residents. See ya there.