A toast to breakfast!

Wandering around Kelantan’s bustling capital, Kota Baru, leads to some interesting eateries that are a magnet for the locals especially at breakfast

FOREIGN. That’s how I feel when I drive into the capital of this East Coast state. My brain knows that I’m still in Malaysia but somehow my heart is missing terribly the familiarities of home. Suffice to say, there’s a different kind of vibe here.

The quaint little town of Kota Baru, Kelantan, located in the northeast of the country, is to be my “port” for more than a fortnight as I’ve been assigned to assist the NST’s bureau office with election-related duties. This is the first time that I’m going to be spending such a lengthy time in a state that’s pretty alien to me up to this point.

Fortunately, if there’s one thing that can ease that sense of homesickness and provide some semblance of comfort, it is food. And Kota Baru, Kelantan’s riverside Royal capital, certainly has plenty to delight the palate. Even before I made my long drive here, my Kelantanese friend had prepared me with a list of must-try food.

There’s sup urat keting (tendon soup), teh ais madu (honey milk tea), and satay that she promises can even give the famous Sate Kajang Hj Samuri a run for its money. Then there’s all the delicious traditional kuih which originate from the east coast but many are not familiar with, such as tahi itik (literally translated as duck poop), a sweet snack made of egg white and sugar water. My friend also enthusiastically suggested Nasi Ulam Cikgu for lunch where one can tuck into a wide array of ulam (raw vegetables) and Malay dishes at a very reasonable price.

But what about breakfast? I recall asking my friend on WhatsApp, thinking of my oftrumbling stomach at the start of any new day.

I duly discover that the Kelantanese tend to have a very heavy breakfast that will last them through the day. Forget scrambled eggs and orange juice. What you see at breakfast is what you’d normally see served for lunch in restaurants in KL.

“Don’t be alarmed if you see rice with so

many dishes, or nasi dagang and nasi kerabu served at the restaurants for breakfast,

ya?” another friend informs me, before elaborating that nasi dagang is a well-known breakfast food in Kelantan and Terengganu.

The combination of fenugreek seeds and coconut milk gives the rice its unique flavour and fragrance. Meanwhile, nasi kerabu is the blue-coloured rice eaten with dried fish or fried chicken, crackers, pickles and salads. The blue colour of the rice is derived from the petals of Clitoria ternatea or the butterfly-pea flowers.

With all these useful tips in mind, I’m certainly raring to explore what Kelantan has to offer.