This goes back all the way, if I remember correctly, to two Saturdays ago, at least. We dropped by this place for the nasi kerabu, now available on Saturdays only, but the place was full and everyone did not seem to be eating yet – perhaps, they had not been served and were still waiting. We wasted no time in making our exit and left the place.
We ended up here instead as my girl wanted the Sarawak laksa (RM5.70, small)…
…and my missus also had the same. Believe it or not, it was only RM4.00 in 2011! Thankfully, it is as nice as ever – without doubt, our favourite in town.
I also ordered the sotong kangkong (RM6.60, small)…
…to share. From what we saw, they have upgraded the running of their business now and are using a computer system…
…to keep tabs on everything but personally, I do not think it makes a difference as the service here is always very prompt and efficient – we never had a problem with it all these years.
No, I did not feel like having laksa that day and I ordered their Pattaya chicken rice (RM6.20) which is one of the items on their menu that I rather enjoy. In fact, before I retired and was teaching in the school across the road, I used to hop over to have this time and time again but I am quite sure that they would give a lot more chicken…
…at the time.
The chicken rice was still as nice…
…with bits of sausage, wrapped in an omelette.
The nasi goreng Pattaya (Pattaya fried rice), fried rice wrapped in an omelette as well and served in this same way…
…is more easily available here – you will find it on the menu in most Malay coffee shops but everytime I hear or see the name, I would think of the seaside resort in Thailand though I never did bother to find out why these dishes are thus called.
Well, I went and googled and I found out that it did not originate in Pattaya or anywhere else in Thailand and it is believed to be Malaysian and is popular in Singapore and Indonesia as well but at the latter, they have their own what-they-call the nasi goreng amplop (enveloped fried rice). I wonder if the term amplop was derived from the English word, envelope.
There was a suggestion that the name evolved from the very popular pad Thai and they believed that they do have a version there where the noodles are wrapped in egg – that probably is similar to our Ah Tor fried kway teow named after the guy here who started cooking the dish that way back in the 60’s and to this day, it is the favourite of many except that he had passed on and the son is carrying on the business though I’ve heard that it is somewhat disappointing and these days, the one here is much nicer.
Unfortunately, that was all the information I could get so the reason why the dishes are called by the names, nasi ayam Pattaya (Pattaya chicken rice) or nasi goreng Pattaya (Pattaya fried rice), still remains a mystery. Can anybody shed some light on this, by any chance?
SIBU THOMSON CORNER (2.296517, 111.840710) is located at Pusat Tanahwang, opposite Sacred Heart Secondary School, Oya Road, in the block of shops to the right of the SHELL petrol station along that road.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 