1.
One song has been playing in my head repeatedly:
“Everyone’s a little bit racist
Sometimes.
Doesn’t mean we go
Around committing hate crimes.
Look around and you will find
No one’s really color blind.
Maybe it’s a fact
We all should face
Everyone makes judgments
Based on race.”
-Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist, from Avenue Q–
I can’t believe I’m taking lessons from puppets.
But the fact is, when one professes that one is not racist, one should ask one’s self if that policy applies across the board or just to the Chinese-Indian-Malay formula. (And that itself is sometimes a feat.) Try walking along Jalan Silang on a Sunday afternoon and after that, think hard about what you profess. I failed the test. From the moment I stepped out of my car, I felt a certain uneasiness at being surrounded by so many foreign faces. Strange smells, strange looks, don’t touch me please. Ultimately, my discomfort stemmed from my ignorance about the growing number of migrant workers to our shores.
As I think about it a bit more, I realise that I do not have the right to view them as threats. My ancestors were considered foreigners in this land at one time, and while I am not too confident of my full acceptance of being a Malaysian other than what is stated on my passport, the superiority that I assume is most certainly displaced.
Things are never going to be like how they were 30 years ago. And maybe this globalisation is a good thing if we look at it with Pollyanna eyes. Sure there will be black sheep, but there are black sheep among us already as has been clearly demonstrated in the newspapers daily.
“Gary Coleman:
It’s sad but true!
Everyone’s a little bit racist –
All right!
Kate Monster:
All right!
Princeton:
All right!
Gary Coleman:
All right!
Bigotry has never been
Exclusively white
All:
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
Even though we all know
That it’s wrong,
Maybe it would help us
Get along.”
Gotta hand it to them puppets.
2.
The route was one that I had plied regularly. The Khukri, despite it’s location above a shoplot, attracted my attention as I was able to see it at the Jalan Yap Ah Loy/Jalan Silang crossroad. “We must visit this restaurant someday,” I mumbled to my passenger. It was always the same mantra, but with different passengers.
I finally made it last Sunday for lunch after months of procrastination.
The Khukri was packed when we arrived, mostly with Nepalese folk. I felt like we were invading their space, their only refuge away from the strange-looking, funny-speaking people whom they had to deal with 6 days a week. I gave an apologetic smile. “Only a couple of hours,” my eyes spoke to them.
Thankfully, the menu was in english. “So, have you done your research?” the Weekend B^*ch© asked me. “Not quite,” I replied sheepishly. This won’t do, I thought. I decided to take the offensive. “Have you done your research?” my eyes gleamed. He had.
“The mahi‘s supposed to be good,” he said. Tasting very much like lassi, but watered down and unflavoured, it reminded me of my favourite moru drink which I grew up on, a beverage made with yoghurt, cumin, chopped onions, chillies and a pinch of salt. Plain water was also available on each table, presented in brass pots. Faith is what keeps us going, and we drank the water in faith, despite the oxidated spout that had seen better days.
At first glance, the steamed momo resembled xiao long bao, those shanghainese dumplings that had taken over KL. But after taking a bite, the differences were quickly apparent. We chose pork (over lamb and chicken), and the meat was flavoured with spices then wrapped in an interesting fashion where the opening was at the bottom. And unlike the xiao long bao, these dumplings did not contain any soup within.
I loved the flavour of the momo, rich and spicy but without the searing heat of chillies, and when paired with a minty chutney type dip, it was divine. The accompanying soup was nothing like our clear chinese type soup but was more meaty in flavour. I thought it was a steal at RM7.50 for 10 pieces. Fried momo is also available.
The khasi ko tauko/khutta ko soup (RM7.50), a soup made with mutton head and legs, reminded me very much of sup kambing. This soup had a thick layer of oil on top which I couldn’t bear drinking. It had a lovely rich flavour and yet, lightly floated down the throat, caressing my tastebuds along the way. The meat was more chewy that I would have liked.
But if the mutton in the soup was chewy, the delicious, spicy andre bhudi buteko (bhutan) pork intestines fried in nepali spices (RM6) put Wrigley’s chewing gum to shame. The Nepalese sure have strong jaws. I think I lost 5 pounds from all that chewing.
And almost as if He heard my prayers for relief, the tender, soft, almost boneless chilli chicken appeared before us. The sauce was tomato-ey, like koe loe yok (sweet and sour pork) and was refreshing with the slight sourish taste of the lime.
Two types of desserts were available – kheer and halva (RM6 each). The halva had the grainy texture of semolina and was not overly sweet. I was bowled over by the kheer, a rice pudding that was not mushy and which exuded a rich milky fragrance. The kheer was cooked with cloves, cardamom and raisins. Both were freshly prepared, and each spoonful was steaming hot. If there ever was a perfect dessert, this would be it.
The Khukri amazed me with its cuisine; the flavours were familiar, resembling a number of our malay, indian and chinese dishes, but were yet distinctive.
Walking back to my car with a better understanding of many things, brushing past the strange faces didn’t seem as disconcerting as before. We are all, in many ways, alike. We try to make a better world for ourselves and for the ones we leave behind. Some veer off the path, while others stay in clear view of their goals. If we learn to recognise this, Jalan Silang wouldn’t be any different from Jalan Sultan Ismail.
To quote my favourite puppets:
“Everyone’s a little bit racist
It’s true.
But everyone is just about
As racist as you!
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
And everyone stopped being
So PC
Maybe we could live in –
Harmony!”
For more reviews on The Khukri, do visit the following blogs:-
The Khukri
No. 26, First Floor
Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin (Jalan Silang)
50050 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2072 0663
Open daily, lunch and dinner.
read about this hidden gem from cumi & ciki the other day. OK, since YOU also have given the thumbs up, I;m sure the quality has gotta be something.
though the thought of chewing on innards is not really my thing!
the steamed momo really resembled xiao long bao wor…
i wonder if somebody copy from somebody else ~ :p
Very interesting and thoughtful post. Never thought we would be able to have Nepalese meal in Malaysia.
I absolutely love your website, the pictures and the details make it easier for me to experience food across the internet and across the globe. Malaysia is my 1st choice to move to if I ever set foot off this great continent, and my hubby’s choice is Australia. I prefer Malaysia since the people I’ve met who are from there are really nice and their food is delicious whenever they have cooked it for us in the past. How do the Malays treat people who are from South Asia? I have not heard anything good from some of my friends who are from India/Bangladesh/Pakistan.
Can you imagine what the poor ol’ Swiss think of all of us foreigners ‘invading’ their neutral-in-the-World-Wars land? But many of the old folk are pretty nice and friendly, to their credit.
First time I’m reading about Nepalese food — thank you! There are quite a number of Tibetans and Sri Lankans here, other than the hundreds of thousands of Portuguese, Germans and Serbians.
I’m mystified!…Would like to go and give this place a try :o)
ooo.. we didn’t get to try the kheer… looks gooooood! how did u manage to pack it away after that massive meal 😀 … love that shot of the man reading the papers! v cool
We have Nepalese restaurant also but was pathetic place with very few diners.
looks so interesting! theres an influx of nepalese in my hometown too, but i dont dare to eat at their shop/ convert restaurant….this looks way better.
Sure is exotic, my dear. But then despite being All Malaysian (and All Woman to boot), you’ve always been rather exotic too, no?
And I love the name of that dish: steamed momo. Sounds like a previously undiscovered species of edible leprechaun. No? Hehe.
J2Kfm: Yeah, judging from cumi & ciki’s blog, there are a number of items on the menu that require quite a bit of chewing.
ling239: Ah yes, I am sure it’ll be a source of much debate. 😉
Rioj: Yeah, there’s more to come too. 😉
cowgirl: I am glad Malaysia’s your number 1 choice. 🙂 The food’s simply amazing here, as you can see on the blogs. As for your last comment, firstly, I’m sure you’re referring to Malaysians rather than Malays. Without generalising too much, I am sure this is an issue around the world, where migrant labourers are treated with less respect.
argus: Yes, when I wrote this, I also gave a thought to our friends who work abroad and the way some are not as welcome as others in foreign lands. And I tried to imagine how I would have felt if I were them – the loss of dignity and respect (and we know humans need and thrive on that) can really break a person.
wmw: Do try! I am sure you’ll enjoy it!
cumi&ciki: We did it over a period of 5 hours, so there was enough time to digest the meal. 🙂
Christine Tham: The number of Nepalese patrons at this restaurant speaks for its authenticity. You should try it some day. 🙂
sc: Actually, if you walk along Jalan Silang, there are loads of foreign restaurants. But somehow, a long time ago, this one caught my eye.
Kenny Mah: LOL. The only thing exotic about me is my skin colour. 😛 Actually, momo brings images of mammary glands to me. Heeheehee. But yeah, edible leprechaun sounds yummy too!
i’ve been passing this place and glanced up just like you did. dun think my partner in crime is game to try this place 🙁
my friend and i actually questioned just how “safe” the place is..i mean after all we are the “people” who worked them so hard..yet wanting to invade and question their cuisine..so looks like the DSLR and me should be safe enough to visit eh?
looks like i want to go visit singapore for avenue q!
WOW!
Your blog is so beautiful and informative. Makes a person wish they were in Malaysia. Definitely want to go!!!
Are you going to the Blog World Expo in Las Vegas on Sept. 20 – 21? Would love to meet your group of Malaysian bloggers and dine at some of the hot restaurants in town. Drop us a line at http://www.YouTube.com/tylerside.
Looking forward to visiting Malaysian soon!
it is through food that we understand of others’ cultures. and learn to respect that in the process.
one gains respect when one offers a hand of understanding.
the whole experience was so enriching and safe. and i believe locals are very much capable of crime as well.
oh, they have fried noodles too, babe…when wanna go again ar?
oooh, so many words. how uncharacteristic. and so philosophical and deep quoting gary coleman etc. help, i’m drowning.
cors they have strong jaws, they have to eat yak and yak. fascinating that such an exotic treasure trove exists in the heart of KL.
babe_KL: Nudge him a little! 😉
lotsofcravings: They’re normal people, Joe, just like you and me. We were all minding our own biz. And try not to flaunt your expensive watch lor. 😛
TylersRide: Thank you! Yes, do visit Malaysia! Our food is really wonderful! (Do I sound like a plug for Visit Malaysia Year?) Sadly, I won’t be able to go to the Expo as I would have just come back from another vacation. Will keep in touch, though. 🙂
HairyBerry: I like what you said. We need to learn to respect each other. I didn’t know they had fried noodles….sure thing, Weekend B^*ch©. 😉 Anytime….
fatboybakes: Drown lah. Ptooi.
Of course we are all racist. Driving through Jalan Silang on the weekend, droves of foreign workers crowd the streets near Khukri and all I see are hard working people with families waiting for them back home, people that have played an integral part of building this country.
P.S/ I always found the name cute “Coo-kery”. The food sounds delicious, please call me when you and hairy go back there again
Paps: The Khukri actually means a Nepalese dagger. Not so cookery friendly after all, eh? Sure, will call you next time we go. 🙂
The place’s suppose to be pretty run down right? But somehow, you made it look soooo exquisite!
It isn’t run down, Lianne. It’s not fine dining, of course, but it’s clean and has simple furnishings.
absolutely LOVE the photos…and have tried momos before here in LA
It is definitely another world here – full of squiggly writings all around. The food here is really good and service is super friendly. The last time we ate here, there was an FRU truck parked outside, scanning the foreigners though.
already voted on the Miele Guide, you would be surprised that I didn’t vote for any Malaysian restaurants.
racist? my first instincts upon entering any posh London restaurant 😛
sarah: Glad you like ’em! I loved the momos and and dying to eat them again!
boo_liciouskl: Yeah, it feels different, doesn’t it? The service was very good.
Henry: What happened to supporting Malaysian? 😛
Nepalese food! Oh how I love the spices. Tried the momos once before in a little restaurant in Perth and they were sooo good! Looks like a great find lyrical!
that post was simply beautiful LL. Brought a tear to my eye it did. Up there with your best.
i told you its so cheem. see, even moving people to tears. wow, bow bow bow. pulitzer material.
the kiran desai of food? 😀
To get the lion cub, you need to venture into the lion’s den 🙂
But really, the momo look very similar like our XLB… ops, i mean the xiu long bao :p
daphne: I have to agree with you…the use of the spices is quite amazing. Next time you’re in KL and u’re tired of roti canai, try this. 🙂
Steveky: Awwww. You’re making me blush!
fatboybakes: Unlike Steveky, I know you’re being sarky.
HairyBerry: You too.
jason: Our XLB has more curves, dontcha think? 😛
kiran desai is a lady right, hairy berry? so cant be la. thamby here is the salmon rushdie of food la. Haroun and The Seafood of Stories? The Moor’s Last Belch?
Fatboybakes, you forgot The Sataysauce Verses and Midnightsnack’s Chewdren.
i wanna go try this place.. hahahaha.. long time jo..
Bernsy: Go lar with your wife. You’ll definitely have fun!
I fell in love with the place..The food’s awesome
good nepalese food,but im really hurted all the readers and comenters nobody knows this is nepalese food not malaysian food, guys please,read carefully and try to know,thanx
This Nepalese restaurant shows much more authentic fare than the one I tried out in Dublin for sure.
Taken by surprise the xiao long bao dishes..that really shows nepal embraces Indian and Chinese cuisine due its location.
Nice to see some Nepalese restaurants in Malaysia as well. Best of luck to the owner and promoter.
i juz love the steamed momo…taste so good…and also the baffolo meat..sukuti..
I had ones my dinner in The Khukuri, Kota Raya. Is that same place is this?
I have just had my lunch there today with a good friend. The food (steamed momo) was good, with spices. And the staff were amazingly friendly. 🙂 Today was my first visit, which I hope is the first amongst many. My new hangout place! 🙂 The restaurant is so serene above the blaring Hindi music downstairs and all the chaos just melt to a halt. What a special place.