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.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Oh i love kae neng kor, especially those fresh out of the oven ones, fluffy yet crispy on the edges 😀
Less fattening than cake, eh? 😉
yeah, i have an off-topic view on change (but i guess you have no problem with off-topic), cos i had a mcd’s beef burger this week but it really looked and tasted so different from the mcd’s that i recall from the 1990s, when the patties were so much thicker, juicier and tastier 🙂
Same with my favourite fish burger from our Sarawak franchise – the fish is much smaller and thinner than before. Thankfully, it still tastes good. Even these lung ngor are smaller these days though a whole lot more expensive.
My kids love to eat egg cakes too. I bought from the sundry shop in Rejang Park.
Same one from Sarikei? Will go and check it out – who knows they may be better?
I love kay nerng kor with nice & fullfy texture. Your version of chun nu miang looks pretty nice too.
VERY nice. My girl took some to her jungle school and she tried it my way – she loved it so much too! Yum! Yummmm!!!!
Yah, some right!! Some little change you’ll found some surprise!!!
Ummmm….can’t really get what you mean.
I mean not the same thing all the time, once you change a bit, you will found some surprise over it!!!
Or as the English saying goes, variety is the spice of life.
My kid loves the kuih bahulu sold in Malay stall in the supermarket. The freshly baked ones are really crispy! Nice!
Yes, the outside is more crusty but drier – inside, it’s basically the same. There was an old lady from the kampung selling very nice ones here but not anymore – I guess she has passed on, I used to eat those when I was growing up. Haven’t seen the Malays making them here these days – the last time I had some was at Tesco in Sg Petani, Kedah. Very nice…and I bought a whole lot home.
My version of lung-ngor is “kai tan kou” or kuih bahulu.. Are they the same? I like to dunk in Milo and stuff the whole thing and nom nom nom into my mouth..
I love that fried fish fillet burger, but here, I can only get from bakeries.. A fish fillet sandwiched in a bun, with a slice of cheese, chilly sauce and some mayo..
Kueh bahulu is similar but not exactly the same…and I guess there are nice ones and those that are too hard or too dry as well and may not taste as good – some, all essence, no nice egg fragrance at all. Fish burger, we have the best – at Sugar Bun, our own Sarawak franchise…using real fish, not those frozen slices of fish fillet sold at the supermarkets. I think McD’s is like those too – none for me, thank you.
Wait, I have changed my blogger glamour name to Princess Ribbon.. Maybe I should change it here too.. Kekekeke..
No problem at all, I know who you are. A rose by any other name… 😉
I like those Egg Cakes too, especially when they are fresh from the oven. So… you invented your own “chinese burger?” Good idea.. if you said it is good, then I must try one day… hahaha… another one of those fine days!
Sigh!!! I wonder when that will be… 😦
I will have to agree with you. The “kay nui kuih” that I used to love as a child in Terengganu does not taste the same anymore. It’s more flour and less eggs now. I guess for those people who never tasted the old school ones, they would not know any better. Oh! Vegetable fritters in place of a burger patty. Now, that is very clever!
True, true. Like the people falling head over heels over the ones we have in town these days – eyewwwwww!!!! Those ain’t nothing like the real thing.
It was very nice, the fritter burger. Sure would want to have it like that again.
Seeing the egg cake makes me crave for it, i must go buy it to eat liao, hehe…
Got nice ones there? I don’t see any in the peninsula…other than the stalls selling the Malay version, the kueh bahulu at the shopping malls.
oh, lovely lung ngor and chu-nu-miangs.. hmmm, i kind of understand lung ngor, it means egg cake if i am not wrong?? but what does chu-nu-miangs actually mean?? is that foochiew language??
Yup, lung is egg and ngor is cake. Chu nu miang, I haven’t the slightest idea – it rhymes with chu-nu-ngiang though, meaning girl in Foochow. Maybe because it is sweet and soft and smooth…so it is female while the hard and tough kompia, covered with sesame seeds is male. Just my take on it – I dunno. I don’t speak the dialect.
Fearles favourite. Sarikei one nice? Hope can get some time venture to Sarikei to enjoy the celebrity tom yam noodles and getting the lung ngor. I love those with a bit burn on the surface, taste nice and crunchy.
Your invention on the chu-nu-miang looks nice.
Can get the Sarikei ones from a shop near my house. Will try and reserve some next week – not always available. Yes, the chu nu miang tasted great this way.
I love ‘kueh neng kor’ when I was a child. I love the taste. A bit salty and sweet and fluffy too. Nowadays, hard to get a nice one.
Same here. Have to get from the smaller towns – more to the original authentic old school taste.
Yes, we must be open to changes, changes for the better, that is. The only constant is change.
Your chu-nu-miang really looks yummy!
Yup, but unfortunately, that is very rarely the case. Maybe the old folks died, the young people take short cuts, use modern technology and what not or they are greedy for more profit, not willing to work hard and scrimp on the ingredients…so what we get today is not as good as before…or maybe the ingredients available today are not of such good quality. Many factors, actually. Hrd to say.
Ya…the chu nu miang’s very nice. Sure would want to eat like this again when my missus makes more prawn and vegetable fritters.
As businesses get passed down to the next generation, the taste somehow changes. But of cos there are always some people who can still maintain their standard. There are a few things in my hometown which I would make a special trip for once in a while, cos the taste is something u cannot get from anywhere else.
Off hand, I can only think of one, or maybe two, where the son is able to retain the taste and quality – most of the rest went straight down the drain. 😦 In the meantime, there are others coming up, doing better, tasting better…so no point sticking to the old ones any longer.
i love egg cake. hmmm.. i am going to buy egg cake soon.
You do? I found one local-made one – very nice. Will blog about that soon.