Dig the chow - Chow Kit Kita returns Print
Written by straits-mongrel   
Tuesday, 15 March 2011 04:11

GORGE on a palkova. Savour a kharahi chicken. Wash in masala tea. Then there's Esfahan beryani, a full-bodied Iranian entree, where the only place it can be found in Malaysia is in a quaint eatery along Jalan Raja Laut in the Chow Kit district of KL. All within a 20-minute stroll from each other.


Food - one of the last remaining cultural totems yet to be politicised in Malaysia, thankfully - finds its full glory in this district acknowledged for its delirious diversity. Be they sold in shops or pushcarts, these little gems could be located on busy streets or tucked away in a lesser-known backlane; quite a challenge for the non-Chow Kit native. Hence, 15 teens are working to help show you the gastronomic wonders of the locale.


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Enter Chow Kit Kita 2. Yes, The Sequel. And this time the theme is, very simply, Food. After a short break from the first Chow Kit Kita, the organisers have selected a fresh group of teenagers to continue the community mapping project. Saturday last week, the group was ushered on a walking tour of the district, where they were informed about the history of the place and had first-hand bites of the some of the many kinds of food available.

 

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And this is a sampling of what they tasted. Good stuff; really good stuff. From Shaheen Palace, on Lorong Haji Hussein 1, comes North Indian fare.


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It wasn't all just chomping on chow, of course. The kids took notes, identified shops and had to rate the food they sampled. All these as part of a series of craft and educational workshops which will culminate in a public festival come June. By then, each participant would have tried their hand in T-shirt printing, graphic design, photography, videography, internet media, acting and graffiti art. The research leg is currently running for the entire week.


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All that walking, absorbing and note-taking builds appetites. Which explains this partially attacked plate of Esfahan beryani - had to ask for a 5-second pause for pictures before the food's all gone.


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And how does one describe South Indian sweets? Would 'potent' suffice?


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Here's a lesser known fact - more than just fresh-cooked food, Chow Kit also boasts of places which make their own cookies. Here a Chinese biscuit shop near the Federal cinema hosts it's own bakery at the back.


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The most heart-warming fact comes from the community dining hall of the Gurdwara Tatt Khalsa. The religious organisation, which offers visitors free meals, puts in a lot of effort to make the nicest masala tea. Unlike the typical teh tarik, the Gurdwara's cooks use three different kinds of milk - full cream, evaporated and condensed creamer - to prepare the beverage. The tea itself is brewed together with cumin, cinnamon and cardamom.


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By afternoon's end, this was the common expression on everyone, facilitators included. A good day's work, we all say.


There's much more ground to cover in the coming weekends - people to interview, eateries to visit, photographs to take. Chow Kit Kita is constantly looking for volunteers and sponsors throughout its entire phase. If you feel like sharing a bit of your time, click here. There's no guarantee you'll keep your current waistline though.

 

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shaku  - Amiable and sweet! |2011-03-25 14:51:42
Of all the good things the Good God created....we have sun, moon, stars, people and foooooood!

Straits Mongrel thank you for the expose. Did not wander this side of Chow Kit due to ignorance.

Now I will.

This is some fare...many thanks, for my share!
Joni |2011-03-26 23:07:31
:cheer:

:cheer:

:D

:D

;)

;)


WOW those food just look so YUMMY !! I want to try them all lah
:P

:P

Last Updated on Friday, 18 March 2011 01:29