We’d read about George Town’s incredible food. For its size, it’s reputed to be the equal of Bangkok, Saigon, Hanoi and other great cities where people eat on the streets. As breakfast isn’t served at Carnarvon House, Pa suggested we take our time and see what lunch might bring.
“There’s a chance we’ll run into Anthony Bordain,” he said. “If the street food is as good as they say, this is his kind of town.”
Having visited once with Anthony, they have a mutual acquaintance in a chef from Chicago at whose restaurant Pa used to frequent, Pa knows something about street food.
Pa learned from Anthony that you look for places where people are standing,
and waiting to get in.
Where you can see what you’re getting,
and watch it prepared.
“If we bump into Anthony, we’ll know we’re at the right place.”
We saw many possibilities,
but no Anthony.
On a side street, however, we saw something that intrigued us.
Mother and daughter preparing what we learned to be Nombhu Kanji.
Siti, the younger of the two, told us that it’s an Indian porridge served every evening during Ramadan. “My mom and I are here each morning making it for the restaurant around the corner.”
Sakina, the mom, showed us some of what goes into it,
and her preparation.
“Always you have coconut milk and moong dal,” she explained. “Tomato, carrot, curry, chili, and many other spices.”
“Then you cook it and cook it, and this is what you have,”
she said with a smile.
“You come back in an hour. We’ll feed you.” We assured Sakina that we’d be back, Anthony or not.
With an hour to kill, we went looking for a tailor to make my pants into shorts, the heat being what it is.
Along the way there was a Thin Place,
and another.
And one not so.
One we‘d liked to have entered,
but couldn’t.
And one we might have if Alice had been with us.
Time got away from us and we were late in returning.
But Siti gave us soup in a bag that we’ll have for dinner.
We continued our search,
for Anthony and our lunch,
and happened on Jin’s Place,
where we could see the food,
and how it’s prepared.
No Anthony, but we’re certain he would have enjoyed it.
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