Eating In Translation

Lorong TAR street market

Air is water.

Pasar Chow Kit

Honey bark.

Yut Kee

Rice also included.

Fried chilli frog stall

Not open when I passed at lunchtime, sorry to say, but in light of my subsequent language studies, worth an observation from the chowhound behind LauHound. Regarding the frog claypot rice we shared at A-Wah, he noted that the formulation "tastes like X" figures in Chinese as well as in English. The two characters meaning "frog" — in the photo shown here, they're third and fourth — literally translate as "field chicken."

Fried chilli frog stall
Kuala Lumpur
(From a December 2006 visit)

Restoran Kin Kin

It's almost, but not quite, ready to mix.

"Mom Food Delivery"

"Mom Food Delivery"
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
(From a December 2006 visit)

Murtabak stall

Malaysia's murtabak takes its name from an Arabic word for "folded," though this etymology glosses over the entertaining way in which the dough is flattened and flipped. The stretched-thin, translucent dough eventually encases minced fillings featuring mutton (rarer than reports suggest, and not available at this stall), chicken (shown), or beef (my choice this evening, rm 2, about 65 cents at the time). Whether my murtabak was further folded inside a newspaper wrapper, or downed on the spot, I leave you to guess.

Murtabak stall
At a Ramadan bazaar near Jln. Bangsar Utama 9, Kuala Lumpur

Tissue seller

When you enjoy stall food in Malaysia or chow down at a hawker center in Singapore, napkins are almost always BYO. Many folks rely on packets of sturdy all-purpose tissues; at busy times these can also be tossed down to "chope," or reserve, a seat at one of the communal tables. Just as in the States, the tissues are widely available in convenience stores. However, I prefer to buy them as needed (and even when not) from an independent vendor who wanders the food courts or, when that's not manageable, sets up her small business nearby.

Tissue seller
Kuala Lumpur

Popia stall

Spelled with or without a trailing "h", the popia of my acquaintance had always been fresh, yet these crisp firecrackers (three for rm 1) went by the same moniker. What gives? I later learned that "popia goreng" — incorporating the Malay word for "fried" — was the more specific name, one that's understood by the locals but not often used in full. It seems I was the only one present who hadn't been properly introduced.

Popia stall
At a Ramadan bazaar on Jln. Rajah Alang, Kuala Lumpur

Sweets stalls

Set sugar levels to overdrive.