Cyber Series 2: Hot, Hot Dengkil Chilli Fish

Me, becoming a spicy eater

Once upon a time (was it that long ago?) when I was still a little kid and growing up in Taiping, I used to be one of those Malaysians that people would say to “What! You cannot eat spicy ah? How to be Malaysian like that?” So sheepishly I would smile and then continue with whatever I am eating. But now, after intensive trainings due to my tham jiak-ness where I would brace myself to eat spicy food just because I want to try it or I like to eat it so I have to feast with tears welling in my eyes, nose sniffing all the way while mouth keep opening and closing like a fish out of the water, and then further more I add in gung-ho when eating out with A and M during our Bangkok working days, I want to show I can devour all things spicy in Thai and boy do the Thais know their chillies, I became one of those who can eat nearly all levels of spiciness without subjecting to tears and rushing for a gulp water.

Spicing up work-life in Cyberjaya

As I mentioned about A and M, they were actually my ex-colleagues from the heydays of Bangkok traveling, the time I learn up the skills that had so far determined my path in my career, and also apparently the time I sharpen my skills of ‘spicy eating’, and then after that we three have parted in our own ways while still keeping in touch and somehow after that as fate has it, we three united once again in, of all places, Cyberjaya, where A became my colleague once more while M became a ‘neighbour’. So naturally we three goes out for feasting again, like how we did in Bangkok, and my tham jiak-ness is definitely nothing foreign to them at all after witnessing my eagerness and passion in surfing, noting down and going all around for food. Before I join the Cyberions, A and M have been quite a while at that location, therefore sparing me of all the hard work of hunting for good food and solving the ultimate question of what to eat in Cyberjaya!

A name in context

There is one story though that I think worth mentioning in this post due to its appropriateness of the context and story wise. During our time in Bangkok, there was once we were out eating with a client, a Thai guy and he called my name as such “lah cheeelll”, which amused them immensely as A thinks that it sounds like him calling me la jiao (chilli in Mandarin) and thus the name was coined to me. After numerous times of calling me la jiao, soon it morphed into once a while calling me by the name lat jiew (chilli in Cantonese) because we normally converse in Cantonese.

Finally, the hot, hot chilli fish!

Therefore, A happily said one day when we were heading out to lunch “lat jiew, I am taking you to eat lat jiew yu (chilli fish)”, while snickering away. Yes I may be rolling my eyes at the lameness of the joke but secretly my heart skip a bit at the exciting thought of eating both of my favourite things together – chilli and fish. This particular dish, when mention with chilli, it truly meant chilli whereby you will be presented with kon chin ma yau (fried threadfin fish till dry) swimming (pun not intended) in a thick slightly sweetish sauce that is laden with loads of chilli padi (bird eye’s chilli) and red chilli sliced thinly. Just looking at it may make a non spicy eater seized up, but don’t let the mini chillies deter you, this dish is in fact not really spicy, just with hint of it and it goes really well with the dark sweetish sauce and superbly crispy fish. Although I must admit that I have long since surpass even my own expectation of my ability to eat spicy stuff, where nowadays I can eat hot dishes without breaking a sweat while people around me had started imitating the ‘fish out of the water’. Nevertheless, trust me on this fish, it was so worth the spiciness if you’re afraid and I have seen even M, the one we used to laughed at for not being able to take spicy food, enjoys this dish happily.

And the lesser accompaniments

Also for this place you may ordered the usual Chinese eatery dishes of stir fry vegetables, my favourite would usually be the cheng chao fan shu yip (clear stir fry sweet potato leaves), but once we were recommended to try their steamed beancurd embedded with fishballs on a bed of lettuce leaves, something special but not what I really like, especially that I have a high standard when it comes to fish balls, they have to be rich in taste of fresh fish. The rest of the dishes I tried were mostly home cooked style, the ku lou yok (sweet sour pork) does not make the cut for being too floury and sweet, but thankfully the stir fry pork with ginger was good with real home made feel.

Burp, Dengkil rocks!

So it seems Dengkil boasts many good foods, like the nasi lemak that I talked about, if you know where to look. Lucky me to have A and M showing me around, so now I passed on yet another humble and assuming yet amazingly delicious food to you who may scratched your head on what to have for lunch or dinner if you are a Cyberion or just happen to be around the neighbourhood of Cyberjaya or Putrajaya.

Restaurant Sin Ki

Jalan Besar,

43800 Dengkil,

Selangor

Cyber Series 1: Dengkil Nasi Lemak

When I first found that I am going to shift to Cyberjaya for work, the infamous concrete jungle of Klang Valley about 30km from the heart of anywhere, the first thing that pops to my mind was “what am I going to eat for lunch!!??” Indeed it was a valid question, for both tham jiak or otherwise cause regardless, everybody needs to eat, and eating the same few things of mediocre taste for an extended amount of time does no good for the body and the mind. This for one I can be sure as I have consensus from my fellow Cyberions (this term coined by me makes us sounds like robots ain’t it?). But thankfully though, surrounding this concrete jungle are various good food places that are normally not that accessible to urbanites, such as Dengkil, Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Equine Park and the slightly more accessible Puchong.

“Fear not!” said a close colleague of mine, A (yes, she is that partner in crime that I grab out to my char siew endeavour), at that point in time she was both my ex and future colleague to be, how’s that for a complicated relationship? This is because we used to work together in a company, then I moved and so does she, and then a year later I am about to go to the company that she is currently working in, I believe there must be some secret forces pulling us together! To top up further on our interwoven lives, she is also from Taiping, but the similarities about stop there. So why did she so boldly told me not to worry, well this is because she had been living nearby the area for quite some time way back before, and later on has been working nearby till the year she is in the current company, so she does know all the nooks and crooks to take me around for good yet cheap food! Ah, so tham jiak is blessed in many ways, especially when it comes to food.

Therefore if you are ever in Cyberjaya during the day, or nature forbid might be even working in Cyberjaya, do not worry about what to have for lunch! That is if you are willing to drive out. Yes, regardless of which building you are in at the concrete jungle, good food mostly lie all around outside the perimeter of the said jungle, with exception of a few inside, which you would still need to travel in a car as nobody in the right mind would even brace the midday heat to walk around. This woe in Malaysia I shall put aside, as besides the crazy mad afternoon heat, Malaysia have some serious good food that is all worth the drive through the scorching sun for and the sweat soaking your cleanly pressed professional getup for too.

One of the good yet cheap food that A introduced to me, almost immediately when I was just recruited as Cyberion, which till now has been my cravings now and then if I am keen enough to drive a little further out, is the Chinese styled Nasi Lemak at Dengkil. Just about 10 minutes drive from Cyberjaya, this quaint little town is like a place as if stuck in a time warp. I am amazed to find such a town so close to the bustling cities, and I do wonder if the residence here feels that they were intruded after the build up of its neighbours Cyberjaya and Putrajaya or they enjoy the boost in their economy. Nevertheless, Dengkil boasts various eateries with old school style from stalls under zinc roof to shops that has stand the test of time. This particular place that I am about to introduce to you, which offers seriously addictive Nasi Lemak, is at a corner shop with extension outwards of zinc roof for more seating.


What is so good about this Chinese styled Nasi Lemak, and what do you mean by Chinese style? Well, first, the curry chicken that came with this dish is a Chinese version of curry chicken, which reminds me very much of my Pho Pho’s curry chicken where at that time when I was still a little tot and have yet to learn to take spicy food, I enjoyed this dish thoroughly for the tender chicken cooked to perfection in slightly spicy and rich coconut milky goodness that is full of spices. Then the sambal that served alongside is also very much Chinese, where you have onions cooked till the soft and nearly caramelized in the sambal, but amazingly, this is also not really spicy and in fact tinge with sweetness from the onions. Then throw in some good crunchy fried ikan bilis (dried anchovies) and roasted peanuts, halved hardboiled egg and sliced cucumbers, and you shall have the perfect simple and humble Nasi Lemak that makes one feel that they are eating at home.

Dengkil Nasi Lemak
Jalan Aman 1
Taman Emas,
43800 Dengkil,
Selangor

Garmin coordinates: N02 51.969 E101 40.410