PENANG BEST ROJAK

with CK Lam, Taukwa and Uncle Smart

Macallum Flat Hock Seng Rojak
Stall below Block 10-15-6 Tingkat Paya Terubong 3
11050 Ayer Itam
Pulau Pinang
Tel: 04-8269314 / 016-4772472
Business Hours: 1.30-5.00pm




It's a colourful array of ingredients that appropriately makes the dish called ROJAK, a Malay word for "mixture of things". Rojak is a snack dish enjoyed by every race in Malaysia and you can find Indian Rojak, Chinese Rojak and unique to Penang, the Indian-Muslim Rojak called the Pasembor and we have the ultimate PENANG ROJAK. The latter typically has lots of fruits which should be the healthier version unlike the Singaporean version which adds "you tiao" or chinese cruellers., deep fried stuff.



CK Lam introduced us to this super Hock Seng Rojak which all of us enjoyed thoroughly and we literally licked the plate clean cause it is very appetising and tasty.



As we hang around uncle, who dished up the rojak with much vigor and excitement, he shows us the top grade ingredients he adds into the rojak. He enthusiastically tells us that the hae ko (prawn paste) he used is the top grade product and how he pre-mixes this concocted paste such that you dont get the kinda of paste with a strong hae ko smell but rather a fragrant paste instead.


He further adds a pinkish "special powder" which no one else uses, his secret receipe and I tried getting my senses to identify off the nose but I was unable to. He further elaborates how he has laboriously made trials and error to create this dish which "crowned" him the ROJAK KING, a self proclaimed title, which we all acknowledged that it befits him after trying the powerful knock-out taste of his wonderful rojak.

This is how he prepares Penang Rojak:
Cut the fruits into wedges and put them in a long cylindrical container for tarpau or styrofoams boxes for those eating on the spot. I noticed that he does not use local cucumber but Japanese cucumber; Then goes in the cut miniature Jambu Air (water apple), Papaya, Turnip (or mengkuang), seedless Guava, Pineapple and Green Mango. Then he adds the cut Cuttlefish (jiu her).

To prepare the dressings for the sauce, he ladles over the hae ko (prawn paste), adds a copious amount of the special powder, sieved the freshly cut calamansi lime juice and mixed it. For the toppings, he spooned over roughly chopped groundnuts and finally heaped spoonfuls of special dried baby shrimps over the paste.

He walked over our table and reminded us that you only pour the separate rojak sauce which has very thick consistency, onto the cut fruits and tossed it just before you eat to prevent it from turning watery.


And the verdict is a SUPERB PENANG ROJAK, with all very fresh ingredients which was prepared with a heart to give his best for an ultimate dish, that we also think he deserve to be called ROJAK KING in Penang. The peanut (not grounded but more chunky) and the dried baby shrimp combined with that thick hae ko simply creates a very yummy dish.


Not only we get to eat there, CK has packed each of us the special concoction of Hae Ko paste to bring home back to Singapore. It was certainly a nice gesture !!!!




PENANG ROJAK
..... SIMPLY WHET'S UP YOUR APPETITE !