one of the newest trends in the malaysian food scene that is finally making headlines in the media is the food truck phenomena! and charging to the forefront in the familiar texan flag colors of blue, red and white colored truck is the cowboys food truck!

the brains & brawn behind this yummy rodeo is nizar - a cowboy hat wearing engineer who spent several years perfecting his bbq-ing craft in dallas, texas and his partner-in-crime, christopher who spent many years in the land down under where locals take the barbie very seriously. starting with a passion for barbecue-ing, they've translated their love into a menu that exudes the warmth of the southern hospitality through the familiar favorites of smoked meats and crispy fried goodness - a menu that are scarcely found even in restaurants.

with the exception of special functions, you can typically catch these cowboys at public bank at ss15 subang almost every night. but it's best to track them down on their instagram or like them on their facebook page to keep yourself up-to-date with their next stop!

the modus operandi: find the truck - pick out your favorites from the chalkboard menu - place your order - pay the amount (cash only, please!) - wait for your name to be called to get your order either having it there or to go. since food is freshly made to order in the truck, it is probably best eaten there and then for the full street food experience.

tttacos :: beefy boss | beef brisket, slaw, chipotle mayo + nachos (rm 12.90)

a fusion fair with a touch of mexican - a new addition to their menu! two medium sized tacos with warmed, soft, flour tortilla shells folded around a mix of fresh chopped greens that cushioned the generous amount of beef brisket basking in their signature secret bbq sauce. 

tangy, spicy, slightly sweet and a lil smoky sauce to moisten the pulled beef brisket, mellowed the satisfying flour tortillas. it may get a little messy in a yummy way, so be prepared with some extra napkins. 

to make it a complete meal, crispy corn tortilla chips topped with a dollop of savory, cheesiness sprinkled with some smoky paprika - adding a textural difference to the serving. it also gives you an option of crumbling the nachos onto your tacos to get it all in a single crunchy bite. a hearty, fulfilling grub with a very reasonable price tag! 

po'boy sandwiches :: the big texan | crusty french loaf, sliced slow smoked beef brisket, slaw & chipotle mayo (rm 12.90)

if you prefer bread over tacos, there is a similar version in the po' boy rendition, sandwiched between crusty french loaf where the chipotle mayo slapped my tastebuds with its spicy heat. maybe slightly too spicy for me >.< my personal preference is the soft tacos since the french loaf was a tad too crusty for my liking probably cos i'm more accustomed with softer breads with my po' boys. however, the smoked beef brisket was a winner with its tenderness and mildness in spice allowing the juicy game-y meat itself to shine.

meattt :: just wing it | half a dozen fried chicken wings tossed in garlic parmesan / spicy bbq (rm 12.90)

their signature dish is a definite crowd pleaser. if you find yourself undecided between the two sauces, just get the mix where you can get three each. freshly fried and warm, the wings had a light coat of batter enveloping the juicy, seasoned chicken on the inside. 

the garlic parmesan is definitely for the garlic lover - a prominent fragrance of garlic punch in the familiar saltiness of parmesan cheese that lends a creamier finish. 

the spicy bbq sauce, their secret weapon - tangy, spicy with a minor hint of smokiness - savory and mildly sweet tousled in a balancing act. the right thing to do is to lick the fingers so none of it go to waste. yum! :)

if you are craving for some good ol' southern US favorites at reasonable price tags, gallop your way to cowboys food truck's location to say howdy to these cowboys (wherever this adventurous pair will be) and lasso in some lip smacking, meaty goodness with the full street food experience.  

cowboys food truck| location

by public bank
at ss15 subang jaya
but best to confirm their latest spots on their instagram/facebook page

{opens daily (mostly): 6pm to 10 pm}

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

"beloved thai dish --

a secret ingredient;

boat noodles, it's called"

boat noodles has sailed from the 'land of smiles' and landed at kuala lumpur since earlier this year. about a month ago, {jl} asked me to check out his friend's new boat noodles shack in kuchai lama -- the kuay tiew reua boat noodles.

i am a stranger to boat noodles prior to the first of of its kind that opened in damansara perdana, bringing that thai love that originated from the days when the kingdom's capitol was ayutthaya and the country was still connected by canals. ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ or guai dtiaw rua is a classic thai cuisine where the boats pulled up to the shore to serve soup to people who savored them on the banks of the canal. on present day, this beloved warm bowls of comforting noodles are also sold at urban floating markets. resonating its rich history of origin, the richness of the broth is attributed to the addition of a (or perhaps, not-so-) secret ingredient. 

kuay tiew reua boat noodles is a petite shop nestled in the commercial row in kuchai entrepreneur's park. its decor was oddly reminiscent of the local food shops that i had seen or eaten at during my visits to thailand  -- minimal decoration on the orange walls that contrasted the monochrome tables and chairs. you can find the cook in action as he dished out petite bowls and bowls of noodles in the open kitchen at the back of the shop.

despite the rainy evening, the queue outside the door was not surprising. after waiting in line for about 5-10 minutes as we were willing for our turn to come by very soon, much to our horror and disbelief, a staff placed a 'sold out' sign at the entrance! i almost over-reacted! >.< before they explained that they were still accommodating those who were already in line. phew, that was close! 

the menu was simple: there is a total of six noodle options. soup or dry versions where you can pick your options of noodles: thai rice noodles, vermicelli or glass noodles. not knowing how many bowls would take to satiate the hunger without stuffing ourselves silly, we started with five bowls each.

a few things: closed on mondays, it's cash only, no take away's, crispy pork rinds for extra texture are sold at the counter and waiting is inevitable. because it sure felt that our waiting moved from the queue at the entrance to the tables -- it took a pretty long time before the many bowls of noodles finally invaded our table.

with all the usual thai fixin's, it was customary to enhance the flavor of the noodles with the addition sugar, fish sauce, or the variations of chilli condiments - spicy chili oil, toasted chili flakes, spicy green chili in vinegar. or you can even combine them all in a ratio if are a daredevil of all things spicy. in other words, you can customize the noodles till your taste bud's content!






okay, my inner giant was awaken at the sight of the number of bowls on the table. (trust me, it's a lot better if you imagined it being said in a deep voice). each two-bite-noodle bowls were topped with slices of pork, pork meat balls, chopped spring onions and finally garnished with crispy chopped garlic.




between the soup and the dry versions, my vote of preference goes to the former. its stock was (here it is, the secret ingredient!) porcine blood-thickened giving it a nice depth and thin richness as its savoriness danced with the mild fragrance of the spices. it reminded me of vietnamese pho but with a very subtle hint of complexity. its mildness of flavor was probably to accommodate the addition of fixin's if you like it spicier, sweeter or saltier. the delightful pork meatball was moist and most of the pork slices were succulent. the fried garlic was a brilliant inclusion to bring another dimension to the flavor profile. the dry version was less inspiring since it didn't quite possess that familiar thai flavors distinction.


overall, this bowl of noodles was pretty tasty and the condiments are a must. i think i found my favorite combination of all varieties that we've tried: thai rice noodles in soup, a dash of fish sauce and a spoonful of vinegar-y chopped green chilies -- savory, vaguely sour and spicy. as we were working on our fourth bowl, we begun to think that five bowls per person were maybe one bowl too many. each portion was surprisingly filling although it looked deceivingly small. i had to admit that the long wait harbored some frustration that somewhat put a dent into the whole experience.



although i've never tried the boat noodles before in its country of origin, this pretty tasty offering from kuey tiaw reua boat noodles prepared by a thai local was enough to convince me to be on the look out for this beloved canal street food the next time i go on vacation to bangkok. :) just be prepared to do some waiting since crowds are probably steadily flocking towards these boat noodles as the novelty still runs high.

kuay tiew reua boat noodles | location

no 40-g, jln kuchai maju 9
off jalan kuchai lama
58200 kuala lumpur

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others. 

#soworththecalories #omnomnom #foodlove

#hashtags worthy of the famous #brickfieldspisanggoreng

otherwise known as brickfields fried banana/banana fritters.

if i were on foodnetwork's "the best thing i ever ate: banana edition" - this would probably be it. 

despite the many write ups (i even found a song as an ode to its awesomeness!) about this beloved street food, an entry dedicated to tell the story of mr chiam's stall and to share this deliciousness is long overdue. 

located in brickfields (hence, its name!), uncle chiam and his son set up their push cart just across from ymca, in front of a food court called one sentral restaurant. as i approached uncle chiam's stall, i felt a wave of heat hitting me as he fried batches and batches of these coveted snacks, as a table fan ran at the highest speed, trying its hardest to keep uncle chiam cool.

mr chiam's pisang goreng stall has ALWAYS attracted a huge horde of followers. and yes, that includes me. what amazes me is the fact that his son is able to remember everyone's order without needing to jot them down and he almost always get them right.

- like, how do you even do that?!

80% of the time that i've been there to treat myself a piece (or maybe two) of these warm treats, i was always greeted with the same answer....or variations of it:

"oh? there is none left. you'd have to wait for about 30 minutes for the next batch".

- "oh? okay....,"  as i sighed in agreement to wait. 

the other 20%: i'm thrilled about my awesome luck that there isn't a queue and leaves with a big, satisfied grin as i skipped gleefully, gently swinging a plastic bag of sweet delights in hand.

at rm1.20 each, the heart of the pisang goreng is the ripen pisang raja (king bananas) from pahang, which measures to almost twice the size of the commonly used banana.

still warm and almost creamy, the crunchy shell that envelops the sweet fruit albeit slightly greasy, shattered and gave way easily as i took my first bite. it reminded me of a sweet, caramelized banana encased in a light, crispy thin shell of batter. it was then i knew i was in trouble. it was such a heavenly addiction.

besides the stall's namesake, mr chiam has also mastered the art of making the chinese delicacy, "nin gao" (literal translation: year cake), which is also known by its malay name - 'kuih bakul' (literal translation: basket pastry). made by stacking a thick slice of the sweet sticky rice cake sandwiched in between a slice of yam and a slice of sweet potato on either sides, and finally coated to be deep fried to perfection. 

the balanced ratio the natural sweetness of the sweet potato followed by the gooey, warm and sweet sticky rice cake, which has a texture that is reminiscent of soft but chewier toffee is right on the money. its sweetness was mellowed by the creaminess of the yam. basically, a gratifying dessert that is pleasurable to the taste buds and comforting to the soul. it may end up being too sweet for some but it was so addictive that it was hard to stop after the first bite.

overflowing with my love for these fried treats, i desired to share my delectable discovery with others. i've even included the stall as part of the foodie tour itinerary planned for my friend who's a local but has been abroad for a long time ({jl}, that's you!) - i couldn't agree more when he said, "you essentially took a banana to eat fried banana!" lol.. despite the mandatory half hour wait we had to endure for the warmest and freshest batch of pisang goreng and kuih bakul, mr chiam's stall earned an honorable mention in {jl}'s recent postcard to me. 

with over 20 years of experience under uncle chiam's belt, it was evident why the stall has earned a permanent spot in the hearts of locals and subsequently, a perpetual queue at his stall, patiently waiting for a share of their favorite snacks from their childhood. i have yet to try his other offerings of sesame balls (rm 1.20) and curry puffs (rm 1.40) but it would be difficult to give those a chance when i've already found #thebestieverhadthusfar pisang goreng and nin gao that are indeed #soworththecalories so you know what i'll be having when you see me waiting in queue at mr chiam's pisang goreng stall.. 

mr chiam's pisang goreng stall | location

jalan travers, 

50470, kuala lumpur 

(opposite ymca)

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others. 

special mention to {jl}, thanks for being such a good sport for allowing me to use your food model photo ;)

a lincoln park neighborhood restaurant, the peasantry that just opened early last year, promises elevated street food. their new american dishes lie in the foundation of farm-to-table concept and believing in making everything in-house including grinding only prime cuts of meat for their burger patties. the minds behind the peasantry are also the propietors of chicago favorite hot dog joint, franks 'n' dawgs.

the decor of the place was a interesting mix of rustic and modern contemporary. the grey wall on the right is adorned with grafiitti style art while the opposite walls are clunged by grade school style blackboards. at end of the restaurant, i was greeted by "fire place" where reflective jars held candles. while in one back corner of the restaurant, a chicago flag paints the wall. surprisingly, it also chipped in some southern vibe on  top of it all.

the reason why {xy} and i were there :: their menu was a rather interesting mix and i was interested in tasting their interpretation of elevated street food. we were seated at the back of the restaurant near the fireplace and next to one of the few communal tables they had available for table sharing and huge parties.

pasta :: rabbit pasta | red wine braised rabbit with homemade egg noodles, mushrooms, shaved ricotta salata and thyme ($15)

i've read many praises for this lean meat gamey pasta but was i in sync with the other food reviewers on their sentiments? the first thing i was noticed was the lack of seasoning on the pasta, which could have helped it a long way. but, the rabbit meat in contrast was flavorful with every biteful although a couple of pieces were a tad dry.

one of the positive points was that the fact that the egg noodle had a lovely al dente bite to its texture, only can be found in fresh homemade pasta. the mushroom were great sponges absorbing the delicious wine based sauce. the rustic bread was not toasted enough and the ricotta salata did not add any value to the dish in my opinion, both of which i could have done without. overall, the dish was fine but it wasn't amazing.

burgers :: lamb burger | onion lamb burger with olive aioli, green garlic, and asparagus pistou, red onion and parsley ($12)

{xy}'s choice: the grill marks were apparent on the lamb patty and the crusty bread.  {xy} mentioned that the bread was too dry and crusty that it hurt his lips. thank goodness that the meat was moist and they injected a good punch of gamey flavor leaning towards the mediterranean spice palate. good lamb patty sandwiched between not so good bread took away some of its potential to be out of this world.

salads & sides :: triple truffle fries | yukon gold waffle fries, truffle butter, truffle salt, truffle oil & parsley ($7)

as much as i liked truffle, i was a bit nervous when i chose something that called itself triple truffle fries - i'd expect a truffle overload! surprisingly, the truffle flavor was just right, mild enough to not overpower the fries itself but not so subtle that i could still taste the hint of it. while the seasoning was balanced, which resulted to pretty tasty fries, the crispiness wasn't close to what it needed to be :/

chalkboard specials :: macadamia nut churros | with white chocolate and hibiscus anglaise sauce ($6)
 

one word: disappointing. churros, they were not.... i am not quite even sure what to call them. they were overfried on the outside but undercooked on the inside. wasn't light nor airy encased in a crispy exterior like a good churro should be. the white chocolate and hibiscus anglaise sauce was a delight though.  i would definitely skip this unless these were an off night for their churros.

the peasantry offers quite a wide selection of their personal spin on elevated street food - while fascinating on paper but still has the room for improvement in their execution. perhaps i should be a tad more adventurous with my choices but i hope the people responsible for the success of the reputable and loved franks 'n dawgs will steer the peasantry in the right direction.

the peasantry | location

2723 n clark st, 
chicago, il 60614, 
united states