Angie's Kitchen, Auckland - Go Malaysian after five months

 

There is just so many varieties to choose from when it comes to food hunting in downtown Auckland. Due to the large Asian immigration populations. Ones can easily find the Japanese, Korean, Chinese and our beloved Malaysian restaurant outnumber the amount of western restaurant here. I don't particularly demand for food from home as I always get rather interesting new dining experience to try.

Up until I moved in to this flat which a Malaysian restaurant, Angie's Kitchen occupied the shop lot next door. Passing by everyday, living with the aroma of fragrance taugeh(beansprounts) fried Kuey Tieow. My crave started to develop bit by bit. I couldn't resist no more that I decided to drop by for dinner last night.

Angie's Kitchen provide the impression of small family own business set up. With the daughter being the waitress while daddy mummy in the kitchen. Again I could be totally wrong. The set up of the restaurant is pretty small and it tends to get crowded during the peak hour. It is even difficult for the waitress to move around. I noticed that they serve quite a few kind of Malaysian specialty such as Nasi kandar, Ikan pari assam pedas and even sambal prawn with petai.

  I opted to ease my crave by ordering Char Kuey Teow @ NZD 10.50. Taste wise it is pretty authentic with the beansprouts, eggs, and that little bit of "wok hei" taste. You can find fish cakes, prawns, and chicken instead of pork as they are a halal restaurant. It will be perfect if they can use the big flat kuey teow instead of the tiny little "hor fun". I guess I just have to bare with it as this is a foreign land and you do not get everything you want.

What is it like if you are introducing your friend to a Malaysian restaurant without ordering the national dish "Nasi Lemak" ? The "nasi" turns up to be more like nasi kerabu with the blueish appearance. It is slightly lack in turn of the "pandan" and "coconuty" taste. It is more gingery instead. We have the nasi lemak with beef rendang as complement. Which the "rendang" taste is there but to cater the western taste it is less spicy and miss that kick. @NZD11.50 a plate. I realized that they serve gigantic peanut as compare to the tiny one back home.

I ordered the "Ice Kacang" @ NZD5.50 as the dessert of the night. I can't recall if the ice kacang back home do serve with crunchy peanuts on the top ? This is a bowl that the display is taking over the taste.

You don't expect them to have the good old traditional ice crushing machine which give you those ices that are smooth and melt in the mouth. We left with two big chunk of ice in the bowl as the left over.

Yes, the foods are authentic with a twist to cater the Kiwis just like any other foreign catering. It is certainly the place to go when you miss home. You get a lot of Malaysian students around, you will hear our Bahasa Malaysia once a while and there are these prosperity cats which I reckon very ala Malaysian too. 

5 Months Since........

 

Well Well...my last entry was like two months ago and it was about my new accommodation back in Motueka. There were so many happenings that I wish to keep it updated. Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay, Lake Rotoiti, Motueka's Farewell, and welcoming Blenheim...these are the "a lots" that I'm suppose to share but laziness beat all the intention. Okie...I guess I will just do a quick summary to cut the queue short.

The Abel Tasman National Park, The smallest national park yet the most crowded and used of it kind in New Zealand. It was so happen that I was based in Motueka for three months which is the entrance to the national park and it makes no excuse for me to pull my lazy legs on the tramping track of the national park. The whole track needs three days to cover but we opted for the parts which said to be the most scenic. And yeah, it was beautiful but least to breathtaking.

It was in New Zealand that I encountered one of the most stunning beach, The Wharariki Beach of Golden Bay. The sea breeze washing it sea shores and make you feel like you are actually in a desert. A slight 20 mins hill walk across a valley leads me to one of the most dramatic landscape I ever seen. The sea breeze washing it sea shores and make you feel like you are actually in a desert.

 It was in this beach that you get free mussels to pick with cuddly fur seals by the side.

Then, Lake Rotoiti of Nelson national park which provide postcard standard's view.

I end up in Blenheim of Malborough region for 3 weeks. This is the golden place of New Zealand Wine industry. It was in Blenheim that I got the outdoor working experience. Wrapping and pruning @ mere 2 degrees in a bloody winter morning ain't an experience to behold. Trust me !! 

My mobile life style then brought me to try the infamous crayfish mornay of Kaikoura, a whale watching little town.

I got myself back to Christchurch again. A city that I first landed in New Zealand. Time flies and it had been five months since. It was here that I decided to gave up my initial intention five months ago and yeah, I'm still living pretty well without you.

And now here I am, the city of sails, Auckland. Perhaps the only real metropolitan of New Zealand. It is great to be back on a city life style. 


A rainy day @ Auckland Library.