I can’t decide…

I stopped by my neighbourhood shop to see if they have any pek hay (seawater white prawns) but no, they did not have any. I did buy a kilo or two not too long ago from another shop (a mini-market) not too far away, RM20.00 a kilo (those that size used to be RM14.00 a kilo or less to the most) but they were so very small. It was such a chore peeling and deveining them!

They did have these…

…though, one pack of 16 BIG prawns for around RM40.00. The boss told me quite frankly that they were farmed ones – those people living by the sea would fence up an area by the shore to rear these prawns. I used to buy them before (smaller ones) and I actually thought they were very nice except than prior to cooking, they were slimy to touch and my missus was not comfortable with that. She insisted that I must never buy those prawns ever again and I never did.

Well, the other morning, I decided to try the other flavour of the two that I bought – the mi goreng perisa sambal tumis bilis…

…bilis being (dried) anchovies in Malay.

Unlike the other flavour, there are only two sachets…

…inside, one with the sambal seasoning and the other, the fried shallots.

I boiled the noodles in some water and remembering what the young guy at the supermarket said, I emptied half the sachet of the seasoning onto a plate. Once cooked, I drained the noodles well and tossed with the seasoning, garnished with the fried shallots and some chopped spring onion from my garden and served…

I boiled an egg to go with it and I also took two of the aforementioned prawns, tossed them with some salt and grilled them in a bit of oil in a non-stick pan and had them with the noodles as well. Boy!!! The prawns were so good – so fresh and sweet!

Now, which of the two flavours do I prefer? No, I would not say I can’t decide – it was not even a close fight so I can decide which I prefer quite easily. Between the two, my vote goes to the mi goreng cili ala kampung. Personally I feel that this one, the general taste pales in comparison and being not as spicy, it lacks that coveted kick that we enjoy.