How did we end up beside a longkang, one fine Saturday night, relatively well dressed, and chomping on sloppy burgers?

Answer #1:

A business card.

Who in their right mind puts a picture of a delicious burger on their namecard without being answerable to repercussions? (In this case, being obliged to accompany some newbies on the search for the Holy Grail.)

Answer #2:

An awards ceremony.

How can I not be influenced at a dinner organised by one of my favourite food sites culminating with the announcement of the top makan places (mostly street food/kopitiam style food) in the Klang Valley?  Check out the winners (lifted from the FriedChillies website…thanks, Adly!):

For Best Roti Canai :Raju Restaurant
No. 27, Jalan Cantik, Petaling Jaya
N 03.10159 E101.65385

For Best Assam Laksa : O & S Laksa
39, Jalan 20/14, Paramount Gardens Petaling Jaya
N 3.10783 E101.62499

For Best Banana Leaf Rice : Kanna Curry House
No. 29 Jalan 17/45, Petaling Jaya
N 3.11974 E101.62978

For Best Chicken Rice :Hainanese Chicken Rice
73, Jln. SS22/23, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya
N 3.12595 E101.61618

For Best Crabs : Fatty Crab
No 2, Jln SS 24/13 , Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya
N 3.11482 E101.61254

For Best Char Koay Teow : Aunty Gemok
Restoran Jamal Mohamed No. 24, Jalan SS5A/9 Petaling Jaya
N 3.09526 E101.60546

For Best Satay : Satay Samuri Taman Melawati
Jalan Melati Utama 4, Melati Utama, Setapak
N 3.13505 E101.62370

For Best Nasi Lemak : Village Park
5, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya
N 3.13774 E101.62318

For Best Street Burger : Burger OM
In Front of 7-11, Off Lorong Kolam Air Lama, Ampang
N 3.16063 E101.78560

For Best Kopitiam : Yut Kee Coffeeshop
35, Jalan Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur
N 3.15705 E101.70001

Those numbers at the bottom are not phone numbers ar.  (Note:  I’m still trying to figure out my GPS unit which didn’t come with instructions arrrghhhh.)

So there we were, enjoying our dinner at Pannaz Restaurant (Damansara Perdana), which was a pretty nice dinner too (the lamb that everyone else ordered was juicy and tender and served with a wedge of lemon and a mint salad) when the videos came on, and I was confronted face to face with a picture of a hugeass, SLOPPY burger that made me yearn for one in my hand (even though I was pretty satisfied with the meal at Pannaz (a robust mushroom soup, a grilled red snapper and a dessert combo consisting of a bread and butter stack (as opposed to a pudding), a chocolate cake and ice cream).

Thankfully, FriedChillies came with their resident Burger Dude aka Creative Director aka My HSS who, upon hearing of our proposed Burger Crawl, didn’t need much persuasion in leading the expedition.

And that’s how we ended up at midnight, at a longkang in front of a 7-11 in a location at co-ordinates N 3.16063 E101.78560 in Ampang.  Presenting, the winner for the Best Street Burger, Burger OM:

Timing is crucial.   Coordination is crucial.   The egg is broken onto the pan, and within seconds, a slice of cheese is added, the burger patty is thrown in and the entire bundle is wrapped up.  Shredded cabbage, lots of mayonnaise and chilli sauce form a bed on which the patty rests, and voila, a sloppy all-Malaysian burger is created.  Origination of meat – unknown, but I’m willing to overlook that.  So what makes this burger special?   The secret lies in the egg, the yolk still a little runny which adds to the overall slush that oozes out of the burger.   Oh, we suspect there’s ganja too.

In conclusion (coz I’ve been going off-topic quite a bit today):

1.  Congratulations to FriedChillies for a successful AFA 2009.  They’ve done a great job in promoting Malaysian food, and their enthusiasm in making Malaysian food recognisable worldwide is just so infectious.  I want to jump up and say hallelujah, come on over and try our street food.  And now, you have a list to depend on, so book that plane ticket and visit Malaysia!

2.  Burger OM is deserving of its win.  Checked, and authenticated.

3.  Why is there always a burger stall in front of a 7-11?  Or why is there always a 7-11 behind a burger stall?

4.  Why does my GPS unit not listen to my instructions?  Should I give it a few smacks?

5.  Hello, NomadGourmand and Chefspiration whom I met for the first time at the Awards.  Hello, Adly, Honey and Riz from FriedChillies whom I was meeting again after some months of absence.  Hello, Nic, Ciki, Boo_licious, Splashie Boy and Kenny Mah whom I see more often than I see my husband.

6.  Hello, Bald Eagle.  I MISS YOU.  I know you’re reading this across the miles.