Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha to all my Muslim relatives and friends celebrating this very auspicious festival. I shall not be visiting those of them around here to share the joy of the occasion for the 2nd year now because of the dreadful pandemic.
That, of course, means that I shall not get to enjoy all their awesome culinary delights that they will be serving at their open houses. Why, I did not even get to buy anything this whole month before the festival as like last year, Ramadan bazaars are not allowed here in Sarawak.
However, I did buy the curry chicken that day from this guy here to try but no, even though my girl quite liked it, I did not think it was anything I would want to buy again. A friend of mine dropped by the shop and she had the nasi lemak with the guy’s daging masak hitam by the side but she did not like it. That took me by surprise as I always ordered that and I enjoyed it every time. She did buy his chicken rendang home though and she said it was good.
That was why, when I was there that day, initially, I intended to grab hold of that but I took his kapitan curry and ayam masak merah (RM45.00)…
…instead.
The latter looked really good…
…underneath that layer of cling film below the cover and I quite liked the fragrance as well.
We heated it up and served…
…and yes, we were rather impressed until we sat down to eat it.
The gravy was over-starchy either from the addition of cornflour or the excessive use of tomato sauce – that has cornflour in the ingredients. Thankfully, it was not exactly like sweet and sour chicken – it did taste a bit nicer than that, just a bit. Generally, it was all right but no, it was not anything like the authentic masak merah that I have enjoyed at the Malay shops and stalls.
That leaves us with the kapitan curry that we have yet to try but after all the disappointments with my earlier purchases, we are not getting our hopes up too high. Hopefully, it will prove us wrong, fingers crossed.
COLOURFUL CAFE (2.316673, 111.837539) is located in the Renew4U building at the junction of Brooke Drive and Lorong Kwong Ann 8, across the road from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Yes another MCO version of Raya…sad…I wonder if next year Chinese New Year we can get to celebrate or not…
My concern is not whether or not we can celebrate, small matter. Main thing is whether we can get over all this, whether we will still be alive!
With the significant increase of cases everyday, I doubt this dreadful pandemic will be over anytime soon. Even so, our lives will not like before. Take care and stay safe.
You too! Indeed, it will never be the same…ever again. We will just have to get used to it. Hope the numbers may be controlled and we can get on with our lives the so-called “new normal” way.
I miss the Malay cooking, can only drool. Haha.
Chicken masak merah and daging masak hitam are few of my favourite Malay dishes. Could not remember when the last time I had them.
No open house this Raya, otherwise can go visit friends and enjoy all their culinary delights!
I have not had them for a while too as there was a cluster at the kampung in Sibu, just ended and it was Ramadan and now, Raya…dunno when they will resume business and I will be able to go and buy. The ones at the Malay shops and stalls, more authentic and nicer.
I wonder when all this will end. This is like something from those science fiction movies. We never imagined that with all our modern advanced medical and scientific know how, a virus could cause so much damage worldwide with no cure insight. Even the vaccine is no guarantee for protection.
Indeed!!! Even after being vaccinated,we still have to observe all the SOP’s, that is our so-called “new normal” – how people will live from now on…and one would have to be vaccinated regularly, every year, perhaps! It is not a once o9r twice thing and that’s it!!!
It was certainly a different experience this year.
Gawai is coming. Hopefully, they will toe the line. We have had enough of those clusters already. Dunno why people do not seem to care at all.