Nasi Ulam.

Guess where i went again, last week? I was in the land of Cik Siti Wan Kembang, again for the umpteen times. I wonder why i like to go there so much. I don’t have an OCD problem, but when I like something so much, I will become very obsessive about it (having ocd and being obsessed with something does not really falls under the category isn't it).

Anyway wasting time and money some might say, but to me when you do something you like very much, you will put value to it, and the more you like it, the more value it has.

For example, 4 person might buy the same brand of clothing, let say a Levi’s jean, one is buying it because he loves levi’s so much, and have been wearing the brand from ages, and another person bought it because he think the jeans look cool and beautiful, the next person bought it because he is following a band wagon where everyone must have a levi’s jean, and the last person bought it because he need a branded jeans and he can only afford a Levi’s.

All four will have different views or perception of the usage of that jeans, and their perception will have an affect to how the value the goods. So whenever we have problem with our spending habit, we always blame it to the forces and the elements of economic ya.

In one of the activities (which includes a lot of sleeping, because of the bus ride take ages to reach there actually drain your energy) i did in kelantan is of course eating kelantanese food. There are so many Kelantanese food in KL, but the feeling of being there and experiencing the culture, mingling and socialising with the people and eat the way they eat, talk the way they talk (although, they don't really understand what you are trying to say, and you only guess what they are talking about, and ended both don't really understand each other and smile profusely as if we are engaging in a very exciting conversation, while the other person look flabbergasted because you sounded siamese instead) is somewhat very entertaining.

Enough said, lets look at some of the food I ate. Previously, I had nasi kerabu, nasi dagang, sup campur, and so on so fourth, last week I had, Nasi Ulam.

Nasi Ulam is just plain rice, which we eat with a lot of fresh ulam or uncooked herb’s vegetable, just like salad. But instead of having it with olive oil, or mayonnaise, we eat it with budu and tempoyak and what not. Accompanying the nasi ulam is other savoury dishes like chicken and fish.

tempoyak and budu, so yummy one.


The green uninteresting bunch of vegetables is the ulam. Usually it consist of the shoots of vegetable which is very fragrant, and have a distinctive taste to it, mostly minty. Then we have fried chicken, fried cat fish, salted sardine, pindang or singgang ikan patin (fresh river fish, which i don't eat, unless its fried catfish)

Then after sometime these are the only thing left, and the stem of ulam which consist of pucuk pegaga, pucuk ubi, daun selom, ulam raja, baby cucumber, fern shoots and so on and so forth. Whatever uncooked vegetables that would not kill us, or not tasteless and repugnant can be eaten as ulam.

Ulam-ulam usually have medicinal component to it. For example pucuk pegaga is said to have a compound that can kill cancer cell, and cure cancer, and petai is good for diabetic patients, while pucuk mengkudu is said to have a compound that will increase the collagen (or something that makes you look young) level to those consuming it and we will feel better, more energetic, our libido is at the high because of the clear blood flow of the body and those who ate a lot of ulam is said to have very youthful looking face.

I don't really care, i ate it because it taste nice.

You see, i like nice thing.

Because we love it so much, we went again the next day. This particular shop is around Pengkalan Chepa and very near to the airport.

This time we came early, and there are more ulam to spare.

Singgang ikan patin. I don't like the muddy taste of this fish. But the rest of the group likes it so much.

Pindang Ikan Ayer (tongkol). This one i like.

Ikan Keli Percik or BBQ catfish with sweet coconuty marinade, bbq to a perfection. I love cat fish, but i love it even better fried until its crispy and dry.

Fried chicken village (ayam kampung goreng katanya). The fried chicken is very delicious, its very crispy on the outside but very moist and tender in the inside.

pucuk pegaga, daun selom, daun apa tah.

then we have brinjol or aubergine, long beans, fern shoot, that thing which look like petola, don't know what it is called, kacang botol or something. but of course when we want to eat this, we eat it with the essential sauce, the Budu or tempoyak or sambal belacan.

Fantastically fantabulous i tell you.

And the price tag for one lunch for 4 persons, with a jug of syrup bandung is only RM28.00, you will never get that price in KL.

By the way, while i was eating there i met two of my ex students, both are doing their masters in USM Kubang Kerian. I feel so proud of them, because i finally see the result of my work. I have one who have become a lecturer, and now waiting for some of my first batch ex students which will be graduating with a MBBS from India and Indonesia soon.

I am actually very proud of myself, because i, in a way, have achieved something and have contributed to the society at large. And later, i will have more transcended success stories coming through the success of my own students.

Patting my own shoulder, good work.. good work indeed.

p/s: i will miss kelantan very much, maybe i will have to go there again next week. Because i like doing nice things.