For a west coast Peninsula Malaysian Chinese, used to the liberal Western ways of urban Kuala Lumpur, my mind conjured up images of a very conservative Muslim state, where male and female are neatly segregated in supermarket checkout counters and cinemas. Visions of the Chinese in Kelantan being effectively restricted in terms of their food, drinks and culture made me slightly anxious as I drove up there from KL via the East Coast Road back in January 2010.
Inclusive culture
To my great surprise however, Kelantan turned out to be a warm and friendly place with great food. Look beneath the veneer of Malay women in their “tudungs” (headscarves worn by Muslim women) and you find a very friendly, graceful and gentle race, ever ready to help those in need, and hospitable to a fault.
I daresay of all the Malays whom I have met in Malaysia, the Kelantanese struck me as the warmest and most genuine, in fact the most caring. And this last fact is borne out by several conversations that I have had with long-time Chinese residents there. The one thing that stood out which they were all in agreement was that if they, the Chinese, had any trouble, for instance, a thief trying to run away from their shop, and the Chinese called out for help, a whole group of Malays within earshot would rush to catch the thief and even exact their own punishment on him. This is regardless of the fact that the thief himself is a Malay. Race and colour do not seem to affect the Kelantanese Malays as much as they do in the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia.
It is a very inclusive culture, some Thai influence, perhaps, since Kelantan borders Thailand. One Malay lady even asked me why I didn’t convert to Islam! Hey, this is the real “One Malaysia” that PM Najib was talking about, I thought.
Not surprisingly, the Chinese there are happy living in Kelantan, notwithstanding controls over alcoholic sales and other restrictions. “We can still drink alcoholic drinks in Chinese establishments. That’s good enough for us. Is it necessary for all food and drink establishments to sell alcoholic drinks? As long as it’s not completely prohibited, we are okay about it,” revealed a Chinese resident. On the surface, no one seems to miss the non-existence of nightclubs and discos. Unfortunately, I did not have a local guide to bring me to underground establishments to savour a different Kota Bharu at night.
“Satay Osman” – better than Kajang Satay
Driving around looking for some budget accommodation, I ended up in a quiet area off Chinatown, practically a one-street Chinese enclave filled with lots of Chinese stalls and coffee shops.
Having driven some 700km all the way from KL, I was not about to content myself with some familiar Chinese food. So, I sought out some Kelantanese specialties like Nasi Kerabu and Kelantanese satay (skewered barbequed meat). I was not disappointed. Driving around the many one-way streets in the small town of 500,000 plus residents, I chanced upon a satay stall. Called Satay Osman, patrons streamed in to buy take-away satay, usually a minimum of 15-20 sticks at a time. At 50 sen per stick, it was quite cheap compared to KL prices. But that’s not the big deal.
The big deal is that the Satay was better than the famous Kajang satay. Kajang is home to the best satay in Malaysia, yet Osman’s satay exceeded Kajang both in terms of the meat (tasty, juicy, tender and bigger chunk) and the peanut sauce (sweet and crunchy). You just can’t get enough of it. I wanted to buy more but I needed to save space in my stomach for Nasi Kerabu, which is rice with fragrant, fresh-pickled leaves and shoots, dipped into “budu” (fish sauce) and sometimes “tempoyak” (fermented durian sauce).
Feasting on BBQ chicken and ciku juice
A short enquiry with one of the makciks (old lady) at the stall brought me to Yati Ayam Percik, known to have the best ayam percik in Kelantan. “Ayam Percik” is a big piece of seasoned chicken meat barbequed over charcoal fire and eaten with a special gravy. The stall was busy during dinner time.
It also sells lots of desserts, many resembling Thai desserts, with coconut being the main base ingredient. I was pleasantly surprised that they have “ciku” juice as well. Ciku is a very sweet fleshy fruit the size of a tomato. Its flesh is brown in colour and it has several seeds. It’s one of my favourite fruits, and I have yet to find a KL shop selling “ciku” juice! It’s popular in Indochinese countries like Cambodia.
Pasar Siti Khadijah – showcase for women entrepreneurs
The next morning, I decided to continue my culinary adventures at the famous Pasar Siti Khadijah, a day market housed in a circular building in the town centre. The much photographed scene of the many stalls in the courtyard selling vegetables, keropok lekor (fish sausage crackers) and even turtle eggs is synonymous with Kelantan tourism advertisements. These are the faithful poster “girls” for “Visit Kelantan” promotions.
Named after Prophet Muhammad’s first wife who was famed for being very entrepreneurial, it highlights the strong economic role played by Kelantanese women. Most of the sellers are women, with the exception of some men selling meat products.
There is even a 73-year old Chinese man selling vegetable seeds. Known only as Mr Leong, he has been the odd fixture there for the last 40 years. Most of his customers are out-of-town women who buy them to grow in their plots of land in the outskirts of Kota Bharu.
An egghead chomping on turtle’s egg
Feeling the need to experience something completely different, I decided to buy a boiled turtle egg (telur penyu). At RM4 apiece, the price was rather steep. It was only RM1 each a few years ago, however due to scarcer availability, the price has skyrocketed. Next, I bought a slice of cake and akok (traditional Kelantanese dessert made from duck eggs, dark sugar and pandan leaf) from the Desserts section of the market. I then proceeded to the first floor to feast on my acquisitions.
It was not an easy choice to make for my main course – it was either the Laksam stall or the Sup Perut stall. Laksam is a bit like ketupat (rice cake). It’s made from rice flour and is served with coconut milk curry and fish. Sup Perut is Cow’s Innards eaten with noodles in a beef-based broth. I chose the beef flat rice noodles but specified only lean beef meat and no intestines, lung, or spleen. The broth was flavourful and the beef meat was tender and better than expected. Not surprisingly, Kak Ani Sup Perut was well-patronised.
The turtle egg however was too salty for my liking. It has a very strong taste as well, unlike any taste that I have had ever experienced before. I didn’t finish it. It’s definitely an acquired taste and according to some Kelantanese, it’s a favourite delicacy among some of them. It was definitely my first and last time eating a turtle egg. I didn’t want to think that I have become one of those much-hated carnivores devouring what could have been potentially a cute little turtle breaking out of that small white eggshell. The consequences of my cruel action were too bewildering to even consider. I have single-handedly helped in reducing the turtle population in the east cost of Peninsula Malaysia. What a total egghead that I was!
That was the highlight of my culinary adventure in Kelantan. It was a short working trip and I could have seen and done more. Perhaps the next trip will see me traipsing the underground scene in Kota Bharu, and perhaps even making a trip to Sungei Golok, the notorious shopping and nightlife haven on the Thai side of the border, north of Kelantan. Of course, mosques and Thai temples are also on the menu, but till then, I have to recover from the 1,300km drive back from Kelantan.
* Ghosts also apparently haunt certain law enforcement agencies. One Opposition political aide by the name of Teoh Beng Hock for unknown reasons fell to his death while at the premises of the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission). Both sides are still quibbling over the cause of the fall and death. Similarly, a Mongolian model who allegedly never entered Malaysia somehow was found bombed to smithereens in a forest. Although the direct perpetrators were convicted, questions still arise as to the suspicious circumstances of her death. It is believed that the local press was forbidden to mention her name in case her spirit might return. Till today, no one is sure who the real culprit is and why she was exploded. Other custodial deaths, save for alleged car thief Kugan, enjoyed a quieter exit.
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