Seremban & Melaka - Of Missed Chances, And Everything Porky ...

Here are my other posts on Melaka's food :

Nadeje Patisserie (Mille Crepe) and Popiah with Lard+Chee Cheong Fun

Portuguese Settlement Seafood

Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls Restaurant

Jonker Dessert 88 (Durian Cendol) and LW Nyonya Pineapple Tarts

Xiang Ji Pork Satay

Muahaha ... I'm back on track, after starting the day off with a dreadful mood, and grumpy mind. I've been skipping work since Xmas. With all four limbs stifled, and brains rusted, 2008 zoomed out in a flash. Of lights, a sea of humanity, artificial snow spray, 5 mins of fireworks, and horrendous jostle at the station. Man, Malaysians CAN be rather ruthless/rowdy at times !!!

Anyway, let's rewind a few days before the craze, and recount on a short trip down south. While on the way to Melaka, we stopped by Seremban for brunch, having heard much about the famed beef noodles, siew pow, etc.

Yup, located right above the wet market of Seremban .... oooh, this is gonna be GOOD!

Exiting Seremban toll, my vague memory had recollection of passing by Seremban town (which was congested, no thanks to the year-end rush and festivities), the Seremban main bus station, and some random malls. Just follow the road (Jln Sungai Ujong) to Seremban town, and turn left into Jalan Tuanku Munawir, once you reach Terminal 1 Shopping Centre on your left. Then from there, go straight along Jln Tuanku Munawir, until nearly the end, when you'll see the PASAR BESAR SEREMBAN on your right.

All good? OK, let's go. :)

The grand daddy of all disappointment. =(

They close on Tuesdays. A very expensive lesson to be learnt. OK, not exactly $$$, but in terms of expectations, hopes, and unappeased hunger pangs. Now you know .....

Location : 748 Seremban Beef Noodles @ Pasar Besar Seremban, Jalan Pasar, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Thankfully .... GOT MAP !!!

Then off we went for another famous Hakka noodle stall somewhere along Jalan Yam Tuan, if I'm not mistaken. ALSO closed. Geez ... does anyone still do business here?!!

But I kept my cool, and off we went for the last resort. And what's a trip to Seremban without a taste of their signature snacks, the Seremban Siew Pow (Baked crispy bun with BBQ pork filling)? There are a few in Seremban town, and one VERY obvious mega-structure of an outlet named EMPAYAR, sighted along the highway. But we chose a rather obscure one along Jalan Rasah, simply named Warong Seremban Siew Pow.

A bakery-like shop right before the entrance to Kampung Baru Rasah .... ask the locals if you're lost.

A confectionery easily missed, had it not been the rather faded signboard, and good directions from a guide. Other than their famed Siew Pow, the outlet sells various snacks as well, from pineapple rolls to curry chicken pow (also crispy crusted), etc.

The Siew Pow of course, was noteworthy, best eaten when fresh from the oven. I can't really differentiate between bad, good and great version, mainly growing up with Siew Pow from Ipoh, from stalls also dubbed 'Seremban Siew Pow'. But the Salted Egg Cookie (Ham Dan Sou) was rather tasty, akin to Shanghai Mooncake. The Curry Chicken filling one is best avoided though. Nothing spectacular. Oh, and one can choose between pork or chicken filling for the original Siew Pow. But go for pork, I'd say.

Siew Pow at RM1.2o per pc, Salted Egg Cookie at RM1.50 per pc.

Location : Warong Seremban Siew Pow @ 1607, Jalan Rasah, 70300, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Sorry, NO MAP. =P

The place in Melaka for good cuts of roasted meats ... @ Jalan Bunga Raya

Then we proceeded to Melaka for lunch. Yeah, stomach still grumbling from all the missed opportunities, we reached Melaka town. Traffic was daunting, probably owing to the festive crowd and tourists like us. Last minute recommendation from Jason brought us over to Jalan Bunga Raya, a congested one way street. Come to think about it, which road in Melaka is TWO-ways, anyway? ;)

You can even opt to sit directly in front of the people manning the stall, and chopping away. Make sure your finger's not in the way though ...

Situated at a lane connecting Jalan Bunga Raya and Jalan Bendahara, the Medan Makan Bunga Raya houses a few stalls selling almost the same food, from roasted pork (Siew Yoke) to BBQ Pork (Char Siew), and various other side dishes. The 1st stall has the most customers, hence natural instincts took over, and we were seated at a table next to the stall. Somehow, we felt like school students ....

Siew Yoke Rice @ RM3.50


Char Siew and Siew Cheong (Pork Innards Sausage) Rice @ RM3.50

A glass of fresh sugar cane juice (RM1.20) to wash away the slime, grime, and grease. Not overly-fattening, the Char Siew was rather good, with those burnt edges for that kick. Nothing special about the Siew Yoke and Siew Cheong though. And white rice was served, instead of oil rice.

A stroll down memory lane indeed .... If you can forgive the downright annoying traffic, smogs and hazards along the way. More to come ....