AMERICANS AND ASSAM LAKSA

I HAD AN INTERESTING HOUR showing a fellow food writer about Penang the other day, albeit a much more illustrious one than yours truly, as she writes for the Wall Street Journal! The article is part of a monthly series about iconic Asian specialities, and Robyn Eckhardt, who contributes, was in Penang to research ... get this ... Assam Laksa!

Yes, fame at last for our very own Penang dish, as it will be featured in "The Dish" in a few months' time. We have so many outlets though, yet I was only able to show Robyn and her photographer husband David a few although truth be told they couldn't really try too many bowls - three, to be exact - before they were all "laksaed out", as I call it. Even I would have been KOed after that, and I pride myself on being a pretty enthusiastic eater of laksa!

We met up at Prima Tanjung where there are 3 vendors within spitting distance of each other, metaphorically speaking only, of course, although unfortunately as luck would have it Raja the Indian guy who sells from the back of his motorbike wasn't there! As I like his a lot it was a shame. However they tried the one at what used to be Sun City Cafe but is now (I think) Palma(?) and it was OK but, rather like quite a few stalls nowadays, a bit watered down and bland.

Then I drove them to Tanjung Bungah Hillside where they tried Ah Hooi's opposite the barber, and they actually thought his was the best they had ever tasted. It is a much more robust, in-yer-face quite sour soup which I find a bit too overpowering myself. Interesting to see two light-haired Americans tucking into our fragrant laksa with all the relish, and more, of a local, and even better, see them able to appreciate the subtle differences between each.

Finally, as Rajah wasn't available that day, we went all the way down to town where Pandi (I think that's his name), another Indian vendor, sells from his trolley in the coffee shop at the back of Giant Supermarket and Penang Plaza every afternoon. They also tried some nyonya kueh although the Kueh Talam was a bit disappointing because the green was much too emerald to be made with genuine pandan juice.

So do keep a look out for the article if/when it comes out - it will also be available online. The photos should be good, as he certainly took a LOT of trouble taking each one. Well, much more so than me it goes without saying!