Kuala Terengganu Trip : Day 5

By day 5 I was still clearly enjoying my stay with my parents. No, I did not miss my office at all hah..hah..hah... Life in Kuala Terengganu is so idyllic and relaxing, my worries, stress and deadlines were so far away. I slept very well every night and even managed afternoon naps, something which I could never do (I am talking about weekends of course) over here in PJ no matter how tired I am. 

We were supposed to revisit Madam Bee's but instead mum and dad took us to Payang Serai for lunch. It turned out to be a feast as you will see in a bit.

This restaurant is located at the Terengganu Waterfront and specializes in halal Chinese and Thai food. It was a very hot day (as was every day, no rain at all). We were early and since it was also a weekday, we practically had the whole restaurant to ourselves. Since this restaurant is just by the waterfront, you have a nice view of boats chugging by.

So scenic isn't it?

Mum told me that this restaurant is very popular and it can get very crowded in the evenings and weekends. Mum and dad have dined here before with my uncle and friends. Many VIPs enjoy dining here too. I spotted these two photos proudly displayed on the wall.

Here's a closer look at the photo of the co-proprietor, Ms Angie, with the dignitaries of Terengganu at the official launching of the restaurant on 18th October 2008.

Angie is the lady in red dress on the right.

Once seated, we were handed the menu and Angie came by shortly after. She is a very friendly lady and she helped us make the selections. There are quite a number of items on the menu, some familiar and some not so familiar.

Like the Mongolian Chicken. What the heck is that? I do remember seeing a Mongolian Chicken on Mr Arthur Wee's blog and it did get me curious then. We took on some of Angie's recommendations and while waiting for our order, brother and I took a walk to look at the surroundings.

Being a plant lover, I couldn't help noticing this Rangoon Creeper.

My dad has one at home. The flowers are incredibly beautiful and hang down in clusters.

There's a playground just outside the restaurant but it was too hot for kids to play.

Let's get on to the food. Angie recommended the something something prawns (sorry I forget the name) but mum and I are no fans of prawns. We were not so keen but brother was. So Angie served us a small portion. 

Yes, that's bubbles you see, as this came with a lighted candle underneath and the gravy was boiling away. It was rather good. Very lemak and fragrant. I quite enjoyed it.

The fish came next. It was the Siakap Tiga Rasa, deep fried fish with sweet, salty and sour sauce. Yes, I loved this a lot. I always love deep fried fish with sweet and sour sauce. Can't go wrong with this one and it was done to perfection.

For vegetables, we had Nai Pak Choy stir fried with garlic and salt. This is an ordinary and simple dish but much enjoyed nevertheless.

Next was the much awaited and very mysterious Mongolian Chicken. Angie told us that the sauce is their proprietary recipe and I am waiting for my auntie to come back from New Zealand to interrogate and pry the recipe from her hah..hah..hah...

The chicken is deep fried and coated with this very creamy and delicious sauce. It was very good. I can't quite put a finger on the composition of the sauce. I am thinking mayonnaise could be a component. I shall experiment when I am in my mad scientist mood one day.

Of course we had to have another vegetable. I think most of you know this one. It is known as the four bean something something and usually has petai in it. But there's no petai in this one. And it is the first time I see cabbage in a dish like this. With this appetizing mixed vegetable, our vegetable quota for the day was fulfilled.

Mum placed a large order for this Chicken Feet Kerabu. We love this kerabu but don't make it at home because who the heck has the time to debone chicken feet? Yes, horrifying stories on the internet on how these are deboned notwithstanding, we enjoyed the chicken feet kerabu very much. My only comment is that I would prefer spring onions and coriander as garnishing instead of Chinese parsley.

There you have it, our 6 dishes. All M size except the chicken feet kerabu which was L.

Eh, hang on a second. That wasn't all. There is one more. It came much later because Angie forgot to process that order.

This was apparently the piece de resistance - the crispy Oyster Omelette (Oh Chien) which Angie claims cannot be found elsewhere. When we were placing our orders, I thought that 6 dishes were already more than ample but brother was very keen on the oysters. 

I have never seen anything like this before. It was so crispy and served with a sweetish sourish sauce. By this time, I was really bursting at the seams. But I managed to taste this very crispy and unique concoction. I'll have to say that I loved this and wished that it had come to the table sooner. But having said that, mum and brother said that they prefer Oh Chien in its original form.

So there you have it, 7 dishes for 4 adults. We surpassed our "normal" quota and I guess we were hard pressed not to let go of any of the delicious selections hah..hah..hah..

Oh I forgot to show you my drink. Apple juice with asam boi, something like the calamansi lime and asam boi drink. 

It was just OK for me as I prefer apple juice on its own. Calamansi juice is the better partner for asam boi. Mum and brother felt the same.

I wanted to pick up the tab but mum insisted that this was her treat (again!). Never argue with mum, right?

Total damage to mum's purse RM208.90. Thank you very much mummy and papa for the scrumptious treat. My top picks from the lunch were the Mongolian Chicken, Siakap Tiga Rasa, Crispy Oyster Omelette and Chicken Feet Kerabu.

So should you find your way to Kuala Terengganu, make it a point to go to Payang Serai for a big treat and say hello to Angie!