Time changes everything…

Nothing stays the same. Time changes everything though not necessarily for the worse. There are places selling kampua noodles that are not quite like what we used to eat when we were growing up – many will write them off straight away, others may actually prefer these to the old-school ones.

The other day, I had a photograph of some lung ngor in my post – they were from the stall selling local Foochow delights here but though they looked the same, I did not really think they were very nice – nothing like what we grew up eating.

There is another place in town that is very popular – two, in fact, and I hear they’re the same and one is actually a branch of the other. My missus did go and buy once and I thought that the smell of the essence was somewhat overpowering and we never bought any since. Well, not too long ago, I went and bought some to take to Kuching and I tried one. I could not detect any essence in it anymore – probably there have been others complaining about it or they have decided not to use it to cut down cost in view of the rising prices of everything these days. However, to me, it was a bit too sweet and the taste and the texture were not like the ones we had in the past. Maybe they use a blender – which would make a world of difference…and maybe they scrimp on the ingredients so somehow the kay nerng kor (egg cake) flavour just does not seem to be there, I don’t know but the bottom line is that I do not think they are like the ones before – some people may like them, not that they taste bad or anything…but I don’t.

I bought some in Bintangor once to try…

*Archive photo*

…but I cannot say that it swept me off my feet. However, one point in their favour would be the fact that they actually looked like what lung ngor was like in the past. That was the original shape and size, as far as I can remember.

Personally, I prefer the ones from Sarikei…

We can get these at the shops around the corner from my house but they get sold out very quickly and it seems that those people will get fresh supplies on alternate days only so they are not always readily available. This particular “cake store” is also noted for its Foochow-style mooncake biscuits and their old-school cake.

You can see the glistening surface of their lung ngor…

If I’m not wrong, one would need to brush the surface with oil, probably margarine, while cooking – I guess they do not use butter these days as it is way too expensive…and this is something you do not get to see as far as the rest are concerned.

More importantly, of course, would be the taste and the texture…

…and I find that these have maintained, more of less, those qualities that I used to enjoy in the ones I had before when I was young.

Some of you may just brush me off as being old and say that I am not receptive to change…but actually, I am. For instance, I do love the newer versions of our kampua noodles more than the old-school ones. Honestly, I certainly do not mind change – maybe others are of a different opinion but I do not think much of what we have around these days can be considered as an improvement of those before. Our kompias have grown smaller, are not always perfectly round and nicely browned on top and are so thin that it would be difficult to cut them to stuff some filling inside…and the sweeter version, our chu-nu-miangs, have suffered the same fate.

And talking about chu-nu-miang, my missus bought some the other day…and that same day, she made some prawn-vegetable (long beans) fritters and an idea struck my mind. If they can have chicken sandwiches and burgers and those with fried fish fillet in them, the two would probably go well together…

…and they did!

I sliced the chu-nu-miang, lined the bottom with some green veg and placed the prawn-vegetable fritter on top, added a dash of Thai chili sauce and ate…

Oooooo….it was so good that I made more and I ate and ate till I was bursting at the seams and I simply could not take in anymore.

There! Now, who says I am not open to changes and would not try anything new? I am all for change…not for the sake of changing, but only if change is for the better.