My sister-in-law is a kiwi, no…not the bird, but a New Zealander – well, half actually, to be more exact, as her mother was, in fact, Japanese. She was here on a visit the other day and she picked up a book at the Popular Book Store branch at the Delta Mall here – Robert Raymer‘s “Tropical Affairs“.
She was enthralled by all the Malaysian culture depicted in that book and when I told her that I had his other book, “Lovers and strangers revisited“, she was really keen on getting her hands on it and reading it too. Well, I lent it to her and she thoroughly enjoyed it as well.
I also passed her my copy of Anita Desai’s “Fasting Feasting“ and good grief! She read about the characters eating rice with mutton curry and that triggered in her a craving for that and it prompted her to ask whether there was any place in town where we could have that…
In the end, I took her to Balkis, or is it spelt Balqiz? She and my brother had the nasi bryani with mutton curry while I had the same but with chicken…
LJ went the following day and had the same with mutton curry and he posted the photograph on Facebook…
*From LJ’s mobile uploads on Facebook
…and he had the same again the next day. Gee! He must have enjoyed that a lot!
For one thing, it certainly looks like the rice seemed different between the two days. My daughter commented on that once – that there was poor quality control and the nasi bryani wasn’t all that good on certain days – sometimes a bit too hard like it was uncooked and at times, it even had a burnt smell.
Anyway, it was a good day when we went and my brother and sister-in-law enjoyed it a lot. They can get that at the Indian restaurants in Auckland for around NZ$10.00 (RM23.00)…and I think here, it’s RM6.00 only for mutton and cheaper for chicken. As a matter of fact, that lunch treat, inclusive of drinks, worked out to around the same price as one plate of nasi bryani in New Zealand in our money.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I would prefer nasi brayani with chicken more as I just dislike the strong taste of mutton. 😛
I prefer chicken too…though I don’t mind mutton. For one thing, chicken’s cheaper… 😉
Mutton for meeee 🙂 but strangely I seldom have lamb in Welly. Always either chicken or salmon.
Yup…your fave! You should buy those chops there – thick slabs, fresh and juicy. Marinate with BBQ sauce, or no need even, and grill on a pan. Cut criss-cross on surfaces to cook better…and eat with salad or boiled veg…Nice! Can but and cook curry or rendang too! Eat as much as you want there. Here, expensive…and not so nice, those paper thin slices.
Another good recommendation. Pity the missus had to leave early. She would love the rice bryani. But I think I’ll have to stop reading this blog, I’m getting too many cravings myself.
I have Lovers and Strangers. It’s a great book. I love the story about the taxicab encounter. Just wish more local authors would jump in and share their fantasies with the rest of us too, in particular, one blogger, who will remain unnamed, but who seem to know all the best places to eat in Sibu.
Hahahahaha!!! People always have the same complaint…but my blog’s just like Hotel California – “…you can check in anytime you want but you can never leave!” ROTFL!!! Ah! You like the book too. I like “Neighbours” – very typically Malaysian. My daughter loves the book too. Huh?? Got such a blogger meh? Huh? Huh? 😀
Is this the big towkay Philip? Yr missus initial also P?…..or r u using a pseudonym too :)!
Which big towkay? The one who owned a supermarket in Rejang Park before – Hock Sing or something? Nope…this isn’t the one.Guess again! Muahahahaha!!! I got it quite fast… 😉
Unfortunately no big towkay, just the local samseng.
A, got to try the coffee at Kopitiam Fantasy finally. But guess I still prefer Choon Seng.
You do? I thought Choon Seng’s just ok – lots of other places, more or less the same standard. Ah well…to each his own! 🙂
wow! the serving quite huge aye! 😀 am not curry lover but this one looks gud! heee..
Yes, very filling and satisfying! But my rice looked a lot more than LJ’s… Maybe they served according to body size. Muahahahahaha!!!! 😉
drooooooooooooling. aiyo havent had my lunch yet. The nasi briyani looks so yummy.
Yum! Yum! So are you having that for lunch? LOL!!! 😀
Chicken is better than mutton…
You’re like me…but my daughter would not agree with you! LOL!!!
Mmmm, mutton curry….taste good anytime for me…LOL!
Ya…and I’m sure you love sup kambing too? One shop at Penang Road in Penang – very famous. Always crowded.
MUTTON the best meat ever! Okla second. Kangaroo 1st. Hmm wonder how nasi bryani kangaroo taste like.
Like beef, I guess. At one time, there was a rumour that the beef from Oz was kangaroo, or was it horse, not that it made any difference. We just ate. LOL!!! But have you tried wild boar? Oooo….best lah! Or venison? Nice too! 😉
Weeeh…that is nice for your sister-in-law. She is really enamored by the Malaysian culture and also try to discover it through eating. That is great because eating is one of the great way to be immersed into a culture.
Yes, she found everything here interesting and everything to her was nice (except the cicaks/lizards – she was terrified by them! LOL!!!)…so different from over there…and we people here try to be like them instead, for instance in what we cook or eat. 😦
I never crave on meat other than fish and chicken… LOL! but I love your mutton curry!!
Nice…but I prefer chicken or beef.
Until today, I do not know how to enjoy nasi briyani.. expensive rice but i still prefer white rice..
hope your SIL knows to cook malaysian food after picking up the books.. normally those who stay overseas will miss our local food tremendously..
Married to my brother for some 30 years – she can cook some Malaysian dishes like curry and what not. I must cook my nasi kuning/minyak (ghee) one of these days…and post on it. Very nice too!
Of coz she’s not a kiwi… BIRD! hehehe.. my cousin and her family has migrated to New Zealand too. Wellington if I’m not mistaken. I dunno bout the food price there but she said craft materials there are dirt cheap! Hmm.. I must migrate there too 😛
Wellington? Oooo…I must get their details from you. My daughter’s there…so maybe they can meet up sometime. 😉
the curry seem nice… 😉
It is nice! 🙂
Mutton, chicken, beef… to me, if they’re curries, anything goes. I prefer with a lot potatoes and less santan. 😀 And add some sambal belacan and fried eggs for the rice, thank you. Hahahahaha!
Curry – with meat and potatoes…plus rice, not enough? Want sambal belacan and fried eggs some more? Gee! And still so skinny! I would want a veg beside the curry but something like the pickled cucumber would be good enough. I usually use evaporated milk instead of santan these days – healthier and nicer and also would not go bad so easily if you just leave it unrefrigerated.
Healthier? I dun quite care, as long as they taste nice. Sometimes, i dun have santan or milk with me, so I simply hentam put one or two slice of cheese into my curry to thicken it and make it richer. Dono if ppl actually do this, but tastewise, it’s quite nice. Hahaha. It’s amazing that i haven’t die becoz of food poisoning yet. LMAO.
ps: Dun try the cheese trick ah… wait later kena poison I dono haaa!
Good grief! Cheese in curry. What peculiar taste you have! You love cheese – got something I made coming up… Hehehehehe!!!
LOL… my logic, Cikgu: Cheese are made from milk. People sometimes use milk to replace santan in curries. I don’t have milk or santan. So hentam jelah, cheese pun cheese lah! LOL!
Yew…they’re fermented. Like yogurt…but they do use both in cooking. Should be nice also.
i think over here in KL no problem to find a good nasi bryani. i don’t really like curry, i don’t know why, but i would to eat my nasi bryani with fried chicken. hahahhaha.
Eyew…curry and bryani goes so well together, not compatible with fried chicken lah. Hahahahaha!!! 😀
Eh, who cakap? Very compatible with fried chicken, those kunyit wan… and salted eggs too. .*dies* drooling d~!
But I want to mix the curry gravy in the rice, that’s the nice part. Drool!!! Went for bryani again but at a different place yesterday. Will post on that soon…
Pengsan… since you warning dulu, I must cabut go eat nasi briyani bukhara fast fast. Mwhahaha… else, i come here… sure very kesian wan. ish!
I think the 1st bryani in Kuching long ago was this place called Bukhari. Haven’t heard of it since. Probably overshadowed by the rest already.
Duno why i never fancy nasi briyani. Probaly the spices just too much making the rice aroma is so strong.
The spices are what make it fragrant! Very nice. Perhaps you are not into the more exotic stuff – more conservative tastes.
yup….i went there two days in a row. eating the same thing. i did not have mutton curry but beef curry. it was nice. the reason why there was a bit of change in the taste of the briyani and the curry there is that the previous chef had left and now the owner himself prepares and cook the curries and i prefer the owner to prepare them..it taste better. im thinking of going there at least once a week hehehehehehehe cheers!
Oh? I see. No wonder it was quite nice when we went that day unlike previous times when I went with my daughter – sometimes good, sometimes not so good. You mean they have beef? I did not know – I thought only chicken and mutton. Have you tried Nur Islamic lately? Was quite good last time.
Hi, just stumbled into this by accident while taking a break writing. I’m flattered by the comments for both of my books Lovers and Strangers Revisited and Tropical Affairs. Just made my day! By the way, the deadline for voting for Tropical Affairs, one of the nominated books for the 2010 Popular-The Star Reader’s Choice Awards is 31 July! Here’s the online link. http://contests.thestar.com.my/readerschoice/ Can vote for 3 in each category. Thanks! Your blog makes me hungry — all that food! Happy eating and happy reading, too!
Oooooo…..A CELEBRITY!!!! Gosh! THIS has made my day! Sure I will hop over and cast my vote. Do drop by again sometime. Good luck with the award! Cheers!!!
Thanks for the vote, and for an extra vote of confidence, I worked in your comments about my books into my blog post
http://borneoexpatwriter.blogspot.com/2010/08/validation-from-reader.html
I did this once before and it actually made its way into a book, p160 of Tropical Affairs. So who knows where this will end up! All the best.
Thanks so much for the special mention. I’ve posted a comment in your blog.