Bali 2016: Babi Guling @ Warung Pak Malen, Seminyak

2 years later and I am back in Bali.  With no wedding on the agenda this trip, food eating was priority.  Today’s the first day in the island and immediately I was ready for some eating action.  First up, was Babi Guling Warung Pak Malen in Seminyak located just minutes away from the bustling Kayu Aya strip of Seminyak.  Reachable by foot, I walked approximately 10 minutes from my hotel Amadea Resort & Villas.

Warung Pak Malen in Seminyak is no longer the corrugated roof stall it used to be. Now its got its full shop.  But has this upgrade diluted the authentic flavours of its Babi Guling?  The Babi Guling Campur was my pick.  It comes with soup with some pork ribs, a plate of mixed pork pieces and steamed rice.

Soup’s a little spicy and had great flavour to it.  Do not expect a rich bone Tonkatsu but rather a clear bone broth filled with punchy spices.

The mixed platter of meat though, was where the magic ultimately happened. Tender, and tasty satay Babi, juicy spit roast pork, a crispy crackling and other fantastically flavoured piece of stir fried pork makes the Babi Guling at Warung Pak Malen a piece of art.  

Having the Babi Guling mixed set was definitely the best way to go about enjoying this porky meal.  You essentially had everything from flavour, to texture and even just looking at all the colours on the plate was tantalising.  This was definitely one of the better Babi Guling I had during this trip.

Would I recommend the Babi Guling at Warung Pak Malen in Seminyak? I definitely will.  But is this the best?  You will find out soon enough!

WenY

Bites: Brunching @ Tiisch, Perth CBD

Its famous Matcha Sandwich has graced Instagram since the day Tiisch open its doors and I have to say, that its still happening.  A couple weeks ago I managed to dropped in and get a taste of what Tiisch was about.  This modern cafe with soaring ceilings in the upper end of the CBD is conveniently located near the offices making it perfect for a business meeting or a quality brunch.  (Gets noisy at peak times though!)

The coffee choices are plenty so coffee lovers rejoice! First up for brunch:

The famous Matcha Sandwich.  First bite in and I was convinced that this decadent treat lived up to the hype.  Its chewy biscuit paired with a luscious matcha filling was to die for.  Best of all was that the balance between the sweetness of the white chocolate biscuit and the grassy-earthy matcha that did not make the biscuit sickening.   In fact,  I thought it tasted healthy for one moment. Who am I kidding right? lol.

Next up was my impulse order, the S'mores Cronut.

Have to say, it looked a lot better than it tasted.  Or perhaps its just my dislike for the hybrid between the doughnut and a croissant. Why my dislike for the infamous cronut?  Well, simply because it does not offer the divinity of either and neither does it give the best of both worlds either.  Or have I just not eaten a good one before?  Too many wonderings here  ha ha. But if you’re a big fan of S'mores, I reckon Tiisch does it just fine with their Cronut rendition of a classic S'mores.

Last but not least, Matcha Pancakes with Stewed Rhubarb.  If looks could kill, the dish of Matcha Pancakes is definitely a serial killer.  

The presentation was stunning with the white plate making for a cleaner backdrop.  Cooked well, there were not stodginess in these green pancakes. It was done to perfection, something which places still struggle these days.  The rhubarb despite being stewed held it shape as though cut fresh. For one moment I thought it was going to be undercooked but the good folks at Tiisch proved me wrong.  While it was yums, the serving size does not suit a very hungry person.  Unless you’re a hungry person on portion control ha ha. In saying that, it fits right in for a light lunch.

Do I like Tiisch?  I sure do.  Despite so many brunch spots popping up around town, I am sure Perth has space for one more. The brunch here was interesting, the flavours good and execution was done well.  Could it be better?  Definitely.  Will it be better?  I guess its a matter of time. The menu sports a lot of the usuals brunch suspects which raises a question. Will it be special enough to keep the momentum going?  A change of season with (hopefully) a new menu will be interesting to see.

WenY

Bites: Hawkerfare @ Old Lane Street Eats, Northbridge.

Old Lane Street Eats in Northbridge currently sits in the spot of the old Hawker’s Cuisine.  The faces behind this new diner are familiar, but the menu? Not so much.  Rather than a typical round table Malaysian meal, Old Lane Street Eat specialises in a mix of classic Hawkerfare paired with some modern bites.

To start one of the common Malaysian street food, Charcoal Roasted Wings.

Its probably one of the things I have been craving for.  Its flavours were really good and unlike what I’d normally get in Malaysia, the wings at Old Lane Street Eats were not dry at all.  The flavour was prominent of oyster and soy mixture with mild sweetness suggesting that either sugar or honey was present.  And did I say how smokey these wings were?  I reckon I could pair these wings with some Hainanese Chicken Rice for a decent meal.

Crispy Pork Belly Bao

Before I ordered, I made sure to ask whether the Crispy Pork Belly would be tender and not tough!  The lady promised, and Old Lane Street Eats delivered.  The Crispy Pork wrapped between a fluffy bao was definitely yums.  Crunchy pickled vegetables brought a sense of freshness to the whole dish but I would have preferred little less “Tim Cheong” or Sweet sauce, to enjoy the whole meal of bao and crispy belly a little better. 

Wanton in Spicy Sauce was a random craving I had, as I was just thinking of Melbourne’s Hutong a little earlier before I stepped in to Old Lane Street Eats that night.

These Wantons were OK.  Wanton’s were perfectly cooked and was still juicy on the inside. But there is something about the chilli oil which was a bit of a fail fire in my opinion.  I think they could have added a touch of personality to make the chilli oil different.  Maybe some black beans and garlic?  Then again, you will get haters out there who would criticise the new rendition.  I guess I am just being too picky here.

Done with the snack, came the mains of Fried Kuey Teow and Nasi Lemak to share.

While their Wanton Noodles scored well with my sister, neither the Fried Kuey Teow or Nasi Lemak sweet the hit spot for me.  The Fried Kuey Teow had the right texture and was well-fried. However, the lack of egg and chives to wrap the deal along with a good “sambal” to flavour brought it back down to earth.  Good attempt with the Chinese Sausages though!  Its something  you do not get often even back home in Malaysia.

This Nasi Lemak had everything going right for it except for something.  It is something big too!  That is the Sambal!!  Flavour wise it was ok.  But there was not enough the finish the fragrant and fluffy coconut rice.  Another personal preference was that they could have sautéed it a bit more as the chilli was fully cooked but compared to what I am used to, it could have been cooked through a bit more :P!

Old Lane Street Eats sit in a spot that’s memorable to pretty much every university student my age.  Late night Fridays or Pre-Exam Suppers go a long way to curing homesick back then. This time around, I have grown up.  Or so I hope lol?  And the flavours of Old Lane Street Eats are every bit appealing and I believe they are on the right track.  A few touch up and finesse to the end product is sure to make this a late night hot spot.  Their opening hours are right on that track too.  Price wise, the appetisers are priced very closely to their mains so it can either be a very expensive meal or a very affordable meal.  Till next time, enjoy!

WenY