Lontong and Eid for a KL City Girl

I am true KL city girl.

I was born in the University of Malaya, raised in the suburbs of Ampang, went to school in the Golden Triangle, and once even worked in KLCC! Born and bred in KL, Eid ul-Fitr was just another holiday for me. Yes, of course I enjoyed Hari Raya, especially after a month of Ramadhan. But I never had that balik kampung experience, cos my kampung was - well... KL! After all, kampung is wherever family is! *smiles*

Of course, all that changed when I married Hubby. Secretly, I am happy that my pure blooded city kids are able to experience what I never did growing up. Now, Eid meant travelling long hours on the highway and battling crazy traffic to balik kampung. Once we're at his kampung, Eid would mean showering with air telaga (soooo coldddd), sharing sleeping space with the extended family, watching the kids play all day long with their cousins, yelling at Aiden to get out of the chicken coop (no, i'm not kidding!!), slaving in the kitchen making lemang, rendang and the works, and even playing with fireworks. And of course, the first day of Eid meant feasting on traditional Malay delicacies such as ketupat, rendang, nasi impit, satay, soto and my favourite of them all... lontong!

For me, Eid is synonymous with lontong. You see, Hubby's grandmother makes the best lontong. Her rendition of the curried vegetable stew is not only delicious; it is fragrant and fairly spicy too. Pair that with some chewy tofu puffs, crispy serunding... and you have the perfect comfort food! A sniff of the lovely aroma coming from the kitchen is enough to make your mouth water. The secret is of course in the curry paste. Try as I may, I have never been able to recreate this traditional kampung fare. Which is why, having the perfect lontong becomes regrettably, a once-a-year affair for the family.

But thanks to the new #MameeChefLontong, now I get to tuck into my favourite lontong wherever and whenever I want! #MameeChefLontong is the brainchild of Dato’ Chef Ismail from the famed Rebung restaurant. Together with Mamee Chef, they worked together to recreate the perfect lontong, but one that you can make in just under 5 minutes. Thanks to Chef Ismail’s special paste, the end broth actually has the same flavor as Hubby’s grandmother’s famous dish! Not only that, the noodles are made with the Art of Mi Tarik, which is supposed to emulate hand pulling; hence you get better quality, chewy and ‘springy’ noodles.

#MameeChefLontong

According to Chef Ismail (whom I met at the launching of the product cum Majlis Berbuka Puasa last week), the secret behind the perfect noodles is to boil the noodle block for a good 3 minutes before adding the contents of the dry sachets (paste, seasoning and creamer). You can also add prawns, tempe, vegetables and eggs to the dish. As an added treat, Chef Ismail has also created new diverse recipes using #MameeChefLontong as the base – such as #MameeChefLontong Sambal Goreng Jawa, Kuah Kacang and Sambal Sotong, so you can personalize these instant noodles and serve to your own liking. (I bet your mother-in-law can’t even tell the difference! *chuckles*)

Chef Ismail's special recipes.

Last but certainly not least, guess who has joined Chef Ismail in endorsing the #MameeChefLontong? It is Malaysia’s own sweetheart – beautiful Nora Danish. I had the pleasure of meeting both of them during the product launch. Both were very enthusiastic over the #MameeChefLontong, and they even agreed to pose for numerous pictures with the bloggers who turned up for the event.

Launch of the #MameeChefLontong

Friendly ambassadors.

And friendly bloggers too!

I had the chance to try the #MameeChefLontong for myself during the event. I liked the texture and the chewiness of the wheat noodles. The broth was also rich, thick and tasteful. It had a spicy tinge to it, but not too overwhelming for the palate. You simply have to taste it to believe it.

In light of the coming Eid, do get a pack of the #MameeChefLontong to emulate the nostalgic feel of Hari Raya in your own home. Especially since they are so easy to make, I am definitely keeping a pack on standby, in case I need a quick delectable dish to serve to guests that turn up to beraya at my home. As the saying goes, no Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house is complete without a traditional serving of lontong!

Check out the Mamee Chef Facebook page for more information.