Malay Food

I meant to blog about this yesterday but I forgot about it! :P

If you ever go to Penang, to Teluk Bahang, check out a warung called Alaf Sejahtera. After the family's overdose of Chinese hawker food, we needed something different yet good. So we went Malay-style.

Alaf Sejahtera appears to be a family-run eating place, so the food's as good as anything home-cooked. The serving of the food was done chap fan style — self service. Our family chose a variety of dishes including fried fish, peanuts and anchovies, kangkung belacan, honey chicken, pajeri (a speciality of Alaf Sejahtera; a generous slice of pineapple cooked in sauce), fish curry, etc.
It was a hearty meal; the sort that leaves you feeling contented rather than sick. Father rates it as one of the best Malay meals he's ever had.

The service there was great too. The mak cik who ran the restaurant was warm and friendly (ooh I like Malay aunties like that). She joked with us and enthusiastically thumped me on the back as if she'd known me for years. If the 1Malaysia slogan seems to be somewhat superficial, then this Malay aunty epitomizes true harmony that comes from deep within! Sometimes I feel that we try too hard to be nice to people despite their race, but really — we should just be nice regardless of others' race. Thanks aunty! :)

So do check this little eating place out if you're at Penang with some time to burn.