The funny thing about tastes is that for things that you absolutely loath as a kid may yet turn out to be one of your favorites as an adult – such is the case for me with bitter gourd, and to be frank, quite a few other items.
So for those of you who dislike durian, petai, asparagus, Guinness, and more, perhaps ya’ll just need more doses of them until you like it!
Anyway, here’s one of the recipes I did with bitter gourd over the course of this Covid-19 season.
Bitter Gourd Tofu and Pork Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 bitter gourd, cut in chunks
3 carrots
300 gram pork belly, cut into bit size chunks
1 block of soft tofu
2 tomato
1 inch ginger
a handful of salted vege (optional, you can replace with salt to taste)
Instructions:
boil pork belly for a couple minutes and remove from pot, throw away the scummy water
use a bigger pot, boil 4-5 bowls of water with everything except tofu for about an hour or so in low heat
add tofu just before serving
salt (optional) and pepper to taste
Comfort food especially on rainy days, I usually have it with steamed rice and some soya sauce + cili padi as condiment.
This taiping oyster omelette has a bit of a personal back story. About ten years ago, the then gf of mine and I went on a trip up north, and on the way back to KL we stopped by Taiping for a bit of touristy sightseeing, night safari at the Taiping Zoo (definitely worth it even at 2019), and of course, dinner.
Taman Tasik Food Centre, Taiping
With Taman Tasik Food Centre located a very short distance away from the entrance of Taiping Zoo, it made for a perfect refuel stop for the night.
So that was the last time I had a taste of this version of oyster omelette, until a couple weeks ago when I re-visit, 10 years after the first time.
Needless to stay, I was pretty excited to be able to rekindle with this long lost taste.
prawn omelette or oyster omelette, take your pick
Oyster omelette in Taiping (or maybe just this particular stall?) is quite different from the version served in Penang or KL. The version on the Pearl of the Orient is usually a little more oily and more runny, while this particular Taiping version has a firmer consistency, almost in 30% prawn fritter, 70% usual oyster omelette.
bitter gourd soup to go with our fried dish
If you enjoy a less runny texture, this version should satisfy. While it does not top my favorite oyster omelette in Penang, the different experience it brings definitely makes it a worthy candidate should you look for dinner/supper spot at Taiping.
love its crispy texture, even better if bigger oysters!
Oh, we also supplement the oh chien with a bowl of bitter gourd soup, supposed to make the whole thing just a tad healthier, no?
Address: Taman Tasik Food Centre 22, Jalan Maharajalela, Taman Tasik Taiping, 34000 Taiping, Perak GPS: 4.850994, 100.745754
