mr chiam's pisang goreng, brickfields

#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 ;)