SIBLINGS 70: MAMAKS TRAIL

From right facing camera: Kak Fuzna without her ECPI water, Kak Yunis, Bang Mat Zakiuddin, Mohd. Fuad, Mak Teh and Pak Teh.

Pak Chik Mat was seated to my right with ala carte menu of porridge which he shared with me. He was always on the move looking for foods to his likings from the buffet set menu. Any dish he fancied, he would take some extra helpings to share with me although I have ordered for ala carte of Norwegian Salmon Steak. In the final count, both Pak Chik Mat and I enjoyed both sides of the world of ala carte and buffet at the expense of the Regency Hotel.

I really envied Bang Mat Zakiuddin who is 6 years my senior who could still consume anything under the sun as compared to me who has only a limited number of choices of the foods that I could take peacefully without the negative impacts of triggering the next bout of gout.

Zam enquiring from Muzli about their next visit to Tama Kristal Gem-shop in Gunung Keriang

Birthday boy of double cangkul @ 77 was very contented with the grilled chicken chop of the Regency Hotel and Pak Teh kept asking me diligently about the price of the chicken chop. His high level of health conscious about his food has gone to the winds when he was ever confronted with chicken chop.

Bakaq Nayah, Alun and other nephews of his has really spoiled the forever young man with their charity of chicken chop. Whatever it is, I really appreciate Pak Teh who would always adhere to the protocol dressing code compliance i.e he knows when to wear a shirt instead of his favourite kancing peraq T shirt whenever he attends any function.

Mohd. Razif (white shirt back to camera) was the main culprit who served dishes from the buffet sets to those ala carte guests especially to both of his parents.

From left facing camera: Mak Teh, Tunku Zaidah, Mohd. Fuad, Bang Mad Zaki and Kak Yunis.
From left back to camera: Syon, Mak Chik Sayang and Zam


Although her health was not at her best, yet Mak Teh was very determine to attend Syun's dinner at the Regency Hotel. Due to their physical impediments, both Mak Teh and Mek Tet has got to use the hotel's staff escalator to ascent to the Dining Hall on the first floor of the hotel. Her gallant efforts proved futile since the char koew teow served to her was very salty to the extend that the Regency staffs agreed to omit the cost of the char koew teow. To my opinion, the hotel chefs should instead seek Mak Teh's guidance as her culinary expertise is par excellence that has been recognised even by the Kedah Royalties.

Belated birthday dinner party for Pak Teh with grilled chicken chop as the main birthday dish

From left/back to camera: Pak Teh with his chequered shirt, Mak Teh, Tunku Zaidah and Mohd. Puat
From right facing camera: Syun who was very occupied with his mobile phone or rather he was busy calculating the cost of the dinner, Mak Chik Sayang and Zam

From left: Mokhtar, Rohani, Noraini, Roslina, Yazan and Shazwan
From left: Wan Mansor, Muzli and Mohd. Razif
Back to camera: Nalin

Shazwan (in green T shirt at the far end of the table) who looks leaner and handsome (verified by Kak Fuzna) was kept busy looking for the needs of his parents and grand parents.

Friday morning (9th April 2011) at Nasi Royale

From left: Wan Mansor, Syun and Mohd. Fuad who shares Syun's interest on Mamaks food at whatever location or at whatever time of the day. According to Fuad, his closed association with the Mamak community in Alor Setar would enable him to last at least one month on Mamaks charity if ever he is short of money. This startling statement is verified by his spouse, Tunku Zaidah.

Apart from the normal fried chicken and boiled egg, the specialty of Nasi Rayale is the spleen. To Nana and Alun, surely Nasi Royale would bring fond memories to them as the visit to Nasi Royale is a must to them when ever they are in Alor Setar or even when Mat and Nami were in Alor Setar.

In contrast to them, their favourite uncle, Syun does not have any special Nasi Mamak he fancies but when he is in Alor Setar, he would leave behind his Mamak's trail all over the town, be it Nasi Ayam Kampong Majid, Nasi Royale, Nasi Yasmeen and others. I admire his endurance in pursuing the Mamaks trail for I could not follow him all the way through. Luckily for Syun, he has able bodied cousins Mohd. Fuad, Yazan or even Wan Mansor who could accompany him all the way through. Surely his nephew, Farli would be another obedient follower of his Mamak's trail.

MAMAKS' TRAIL

All his siblings in Alor Setar were totally surprised when Syun informed them that he and Kak Fuzna would be coming back to Alor Setar on Friday and Saturday (8 – 9 March 2011). Although taken by surprised, yet all his three siblings in Alor Setar prepared a very meticulous itinerary for their brother with nasi Mamak as the mainstay of their proposed program of the visit.

They started off with nasi tomato Majid or nasi ayam kampong for lunch on Friday and for tea, Syun And Kak Fuzna were served with beehun Cheangmai and Laksa Lemak Siam which is the favourite of Syun. On Friday night, Syun has invited all his aunties, uncles and cousins to a dinner treat at the Regency Hotel. We did celebrated belated Pak Teh's birthday of double cangkuls @ 77. Although we were enjoying the sumptuous foods of the Regency but all of us did not forget Nami in Shah Alam and we took the opportunity to informed Nami that we were in fact celebrating her birthday in absentia of the birthday grand mum.

We were very thankful to the staffs of the Regency Hotel for their deep understanding on our lack of etiquette in ordering ala carte menu while simultaneously enjoying the dishes from the buffet menu. Mohd. Puat and Mohd. Razif were the two main culprits who served the dishes from the buffet menu to the ala carte guests.



The promotion price for the buffet dinner was just RM 25.00 per person and Mohd. Puat has recommended to Zam that it would be more convenient and cheaper to have anniversary functions at the Regency Hotel. His argument was simple because it was more economical with the fact that there were more varieties of foods to choose from with only the price of RM 25.00 per pax. Puat's quotation was typical of Astro promo "macam-macam ada Kak Zam". My typical response as a gout admirer was "walau macam-macam ada tapi macam-macam pula tak boleh makan." So it is back to square one for both of us.



On Saturday morning, we brought Syun for a treat of nasi Mamak at the original Nasi Royale in front of the late Royale Theater. We ended with lunch prepared by Mak Teh, Mek Tet and Wan Mansor’s famous BBQ of chicken and beef. It was a very satisfying home coming for Syun as he seemed to enjoy every moment of his stay in Alor Setar. He even took the time to visit his parents grave at Alor Merah Cemetry

For us in Alor Setar, it was a very memorable visit indeed by Syun and Kak Fuzna since it was on the week end. Even Syun appreciated the fact that his siblings who are still in service did not have to take official leave from their offices. However we did miss the likes of Shiwar and Farli when there were lot of foods remained on the table.

In contrast to the happiness of Syun’s visit, we did received the agonising news that Khalid, Alun’s second son has suffered a freak sporting accident whereby his left arm was fractured on Saturday evening. We all shared the misery of Nami, birthday grand mum and we all prayed for the blessing Allah for Khalid’s speedy recovery.