Y3K39 - Otak-Otak In Johor Bahru 新山乌达

The Real Mc Coy Of Otak-Otak
The Best Is Still In Johor Bahru

Otak-otak, a Nyonya snack is a favourite with many people. Available in many Nyonya restaurants, food stalls, food courts or sold by mobile food vendors, it is a delicious food find.
This snack is generally made with wolf herring fish (ikan parang) or Spanish mackerel (ikan tenggiri). The blended fish paste is mixed with diluted coconut milk, eggs, fragrant lime leaves shredded and seasoning. Spice paste is a combination of shallots, garlic, fresh turmeric, galangal, lemon grass, fresh red chillies and candlenuts. These ingredients are ground to a fine paste before being sautéed till aromatic. It is dished into the seasoned fish paste and mixed well. In the northern states, this spicy fish paste is normally heaped onto cut-out banana leaves. Each portion is topped with a piece of wild daun kadok and shaped into longish packages or pyramid shaped folds. All packages are steamed till fish paste is cooked through. As the portion can be fairly large, it is usually shared by two persons. But in the southern states, the fish paste is spread in the middle of a palm leaf, covered with another palm leaf and the ends fastened with toothpicks or staples. Grilling takes a couple of minutes and one can easily eat as many as 10 wraps. This has become an attraction food particularly in Muar.

But our real food find of this snack lies in Johor Bahru. We have been regulars to this place for the last 20 over years and the taste has remained consistent. Their otak-otak stall used to be along Jalan Tebrau but shifted to its present premises in Jalan Storey since 1986. Present boss Chung Wei Sun is the second generation descendant to run this family’s 30 year-old business. I remembered him as a young lad, always keen to give his papa a helping hand. But as the years drifted, this lad is now a middle-age man continuing the family’s trade. Prices of the snack is a steal as fish paste otak-otak is only 40 cents but fish head otak-otak costs 50 cents. Daily, they can sell a few thousand rolls as it is enjoyed by all races.

Each time I come home to Johor Bahru, this place has food charm. I would usually make my way here in the morning for a breakfast fix of otak-otak and mee Siam. As you unwrap the roll, the aroma can send you drooling. A lot of hawkers compromise quality and you get flat and dry grilled fish paste but here you can be rest assured of quality and quantity. Plump and luscious, each roll is as tasty as otak-otak can get. The otak-otak lends the mee Siam a spicy, moist flavour and the duo makes a rather interesting combination. Look around and you will see each table being laden with a mound of discarded palm leaves.

Business here starts early, from 6 a.m to 12 p.m and Tuesday is their day of rest. When you come here, there is no need for an inspection tour. You can order the same food as what I have recommended with your eyes closed and it will still be good. Trust me, have a nice eat.

Otak Shiduoli
No.78, Jalan Storey, 80300 Johor Bahru,

Johor. Tel: 019 - 7126886
07 - 2235340

新山乌达

乌达是娘惹小食之一，除了在娘惹餐厅可以享用到这道小食，本地某些大排档、美食中心（食物不一定美味）及路边摊也可看见售卖乌达的小贩。

一般上乌达是以西刀鱼或马鲛鱼作为主要材料，将鱼肉打烂后参入浓椰浆、鸡蛋、麻疯柑叶及调味料，再加入打烂炒香的香料如葱头、蒜头、黄姜、蓝姜、香茅、红辣椒及石古仔拌匀。北马乌达以香蕉叶包裹，里面置一片山佬叶后包成长方形或锥形后蒸熟，份量较大，可以供两人以上食用；而南马乌达则以少许乌达料置于两片椰叶之间包裹成荷包状后，放在火炭炉上烧烤至熟，一个人可以吃超过十枝以上，这种乌达在麻坡最为普遍。

在新山有一间我们光顾了超过二十年的乌达专卖店，三十年前在直不佬路交通警察局前开始营业，1986年搬迁到交通警察局后士多利路一间单层角落店屋至今。看着他由小孩子开始即在店内帮父亲捧茶烧乌达，目前已经超过三十岁的第二代老板荘伟山告诉我们：『鱼肉乌达卖40仙，鱼头乌达50仙，一天可以售卖数千枝，顾客三大民族都有。』

每次回到新山，早餐一定想起这里的乌达。喜欢这里的乌达是因为将现烧现卖，烤得有点焦的椰叶打开一刹那，看到涨鼓鼓的乌达冒起一阵淡淡的蒸气，一股带有椰叶的清香新鲜乌达味引得口水不听使唤往外直流。烤得熟度恰到好处的乌达与一般椰叶乌达不同之处是：一般上的乌达包得扁扁，烘烤时水份大多被蒸发；能够让我们念念不忘的乌达吸引力在于只有一般乌达长度的一半，然而厚度却有一倍，烤熟时还能保持其湿润度。乌达与炒米暹是早餐的最佳配搭，两口米暹配一枝乌达，吃完一盘米暹时桌上椰叶已堆成一座小山，每桌如是。

伟山提醒：『星期二休息，早上六点卖到中午十二点。』迟来者只好望门兴叹。