Place: Sungai Bakap rest stop on the North-south Highway, South bound
Food: Nasi Gulai Ikan
Cook: Encik Ahmad
I've enjoyed the sweet and sour and slightly spicy fried fish in red sauce with white rice.
This blog is not about food. This dish brought back memories during my stint as a software trainer in the centre of Kuala Lumpur. I was paid one thousand two hundred in 1984-1985. During those days I commuted to work on pink mini buses. It was customary to stuff in as many passengers as possible in the tiny bus. Any one taller than 5 feet 2 inches could not stand up straight in the bus. Many dashing young males would hang on as "heroes" at the door so that they need not bend their lanky frames. These mini bus drivers were often as fast as grand prix drivers, each journey was more exciting than the last. Strange that I had not seen nor experienced any accident involving mini buses for a period of a few years.
It was difficult to survive on that amount of money for the first six months. I had to be very careful with lunches so as to save money to buy the right type of working outfits. Transportation cost was fixed. Most days I would pack cheap lunches from the food stalls in the side lanes. Malay food was a good choice. A pack of white rice with fried egg, one veg and some spicy sauce would cost $2.50. Once a week, usually on a Friday, I would treat myself to Gulai Ikan. It was the high light of the week. After all, on Saturday and Sunday my parents would feed me.
I was above 21, single and enjoyed my work. Once I accumulated five sets of working attire, life is a little easier. I just had to watch my court shoes (close toe) and make sure I purchase the next pair before the only pair I owned expired.
During this period of time, I met my husband when I went to train a bunch of engineers in a factory in the free trade zone. Thinking back, I wondered why I have not had the opportunity of eating Gulai Ikan since 1985. Perhaps because once I got married, I started my cooking adventure in the different kitchens through the years. Perhaps, cost was no longer a factor on the rare occasions we ate out.
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