Mustafa Cendol in Kuantan

I am not sure when he started the cendol stall. I have no memories on the stall opening because I was too young to remember. Maybe I was not even born yet.

Kuantan Super Hot Curry Noodle

Are you addicted to chili? No chili no fun?

I have seen people eating super hot and spicy food without any trouble. They seems enjoying it either.

Hoi Yin... another fine curry mee in Kuantan.

There are many things famous in Kuantan: beach, salted fish, handsome guy like me and of course curry noodle.

Curry noodle is a hidden treasure in Kuantan. We never realize it until we moved away from the little town. Each time when I pack to go back, the only thing in my mind is curry laksa.

You might say taste differ to each individual. But I could not find any spicier, fresher santan and hotter curry soup than the one in Kuantan.

Beside Teng Haw (祥和茶室), there is another famous shop near Teluk Chmpedak serve very fine Halal curry noodle. I would say it is the best halal curry noodle in ... Kuantan, at least.



Picture taken in a shinny sunny Sunday morning. See the crowd? They only eat one single type of delight. Is Kuantan people so lame on choice or they all have the same crave?

Thick santan spicy curry soup serve with steamed chicken. Perfect match!

Nice food in Karak

Each time when I am on my way back to Kuantan, I will stop by Karak and have my meal there. Karak is a small town used to be a passing town during the journey to the East Coast. Nowadays with the completion of new East Coast Highway, the town will suffer lesser traffic.

I like the shop sitting in the middle of the second row of left hand side shops (towards Kuantan). Food served is unique and cheap.

My mum like the staffing tofu very much. I just like the sauce. Its spicy like fire.

These yam cake also not bad.

This is my favorite. Prawn noodle you can't find elsewhere. Each bowl of serving is individual cooked. The soup is thick, spicy and flavored. See those huge prawns? This is what I call prawn noodle!

Kemaman Kopitiam Revisited

Good place should go back right?

After having my first cup of good coffee months ago, I had made it a habit to drop by this shop when ever I am in Kuantan.

Referring to my previous post, I was abit disappointed with their nasi lemak, nasi dagang and some off the shelf traditional cakes offered. It is not the quality (it taste just nice), but the unrespectable high price they charged.



However, clever the owner that he know he has a winning product, a RM 1.50 cup of traditional kopi-O. I had no choice but to go back again and again. With one condition, to remind me not to take those "trap" food.

This time, I managed to try some new stuff, besides having my first and essential coffee.



We had the Kuih Goreng. Quite a big piece, not expensive. It serves with chili sauce and great companion for an afternoon tea.



My friend tried their Vietnamese coffee. I thought it was just OK. I never like it thick and off taste bitter with abit salty.



We had also the shops famous Roti Bakar, which is fresh toasted bun spread with butter and kaya. Because it was freshly toasted, taste quite nice.



One of my friends ordered the Peanut Delight with Honey. It was special and good. The bread was dipped with egg and deep fried. Then spread with peanut butter prior serving. We topped with honey and extra butter and all those melt in the mouth. Fatty ya. But I remember I had a better one somewhere in Serdang. So this is not the best I have. Be aware.



Finally, we tried a strange drink (at least for me). We had this Coke Cafe. It’s a mixture of coke and coffee, with cream as topping. I never like the taste. Wonder who invented this kind of drink. I think Pepsi launch their Pepsi Tarik some times ago and I had just one glass. Never enjoy it like I enjoy vanilla coke.

Famous Curry Laksa in Kuantan

This photo updated on 1 July 2007. A better resolution photo taken shows tastier food. But the quality can be assured to be consistent even after years.




Since I was very young, my family had been bringing me to this shop in Kuantan having curry laksa breakfast. According to my mother, her mother also did the same to her family when they were very young. So, you can guess how long had been around for the shop already.

I thought I have not yet discover a shop in Klang Valley selling only curry noodle. This shop in Kuantan (Teng Haw) only sell curry noodle. So, when you sit in, the waiter will only ask you:"you want mee, kuewtiao or beehun?" No other choice. And you think how often for the entire family to have same kind of food for breakfast? Well, go have a look and tell me if you see anyone else eating other stuff.The restaurant will always full from as early as 7am until noon, when they finish sold out.

I had been eating the same, consistent style of curry laksa for more than 20 years and I am amazed that when the parents pass the recipe to their children, they keep the secrete well.


So, what is so special about the laksa?

For a good curry laksa, the soup is the main course. If you overcooked the santan, you will have a very thick, oily and off ordour taste. Furthermore, the curry must not be very thick, not full of the spices that you could not appreciate the santan. However, it should not overspill with santan as well. Finally, a good curry must be hot and spicy. Otherwise, why you go for curry?

Beside the good based soup, the bowl come with very nice ingredients as well. I like the yong tou fu, which stuffed with fine fish paste and pre-fried well. I also crazy about the 2 pieces of white "smooth" chicken serve in the curry. I found that white chicken serve with curry laksa create the best combination.

There is another thing about this laksa I like, it does not serve with mints leaves. I just could not stand those strong mints, spoiling a fine cooked curry. Mints are meant for Penang Laksa, where the gravy cooked with fish. You use mints to offset some of the stich fish flavor.

The shop I mention here is situated at the junction of Kuantan Garden. Very easy to locate.

Kemaman Kopitiam in Kuantan

I am a heavy coffee drinker, but not a very good coffee taster. I just need coffee to keep me awake all the day. However, I know Coffeebean suck and Starbuck is Okay. Nescafe is for lazy dummy like me to fulfill my very need at home. But most of the coffee sell in the eating shop suck. You order Kopi Gao and they really give you very thick coffee until you can find half of your cup full of particles. The aroma? Nothing at all.

So, if you wanna drink coffee at a good environment, the only choice is Starbuck and pay a high price?

In Kuantan, recently open a coffee shop call Kemaman Kopitiam. At RM1.50 per cup, you can get the best local coffee ever. The aroma was just nice. Not thick, but its strong enough to make you wanna have another cup.
There were pictures all around the shop showing celebrities drinking there. I certainly not feel like a celebrity when I was there, but at least I knew I am not alone liking the coffee.

On 17 Dec, when I back to Kuantan again for a friend's wedding, I went back to this shop to have my cup of coffee once again. This time I was together with my family and we ordered packed nasi lemak, fried beehun and ikan bakar as well.

I must warn you that although the coffee was cheap and nice, those other food are not. 1 single pack of nasi lemak cost me RM2.50 (which I had in 1U for RM1.80). The fried beehun "lagi teruk", beehun fried with beehun and they charge me RM2.50 per plate as well.

So, I had decided to only have my belove coffee there but no other food. Me "kiasu"? I thought I am just very particular about price over quality, only.

Updated on 30 Dec 2005.