Penang CNY 2008 - Laksa Janggus and Durian

My food adventure in Penang continues and you just have to bear with me because food is definitely my number one interest by a comfortable mile. My food critics might not be as good as other writers/bloggers but sharing and documenting the experiences with the readers is something i dont mind doing while promoting Malaysia along the way..!!

Anyway, i have been reading and hearing about this one laksa touted as the most original Laksa Penang. I have never heard about it when i was studying in Penang and of late, there has been a few rave reviews about its authenticity and taste.

The laksa is called Laksa Janggus. Janggus??? i wonder what the word means. The location is quite obscure and if you are not familiar with Penang, you might not find it after all. I got lost along the way and had to make several stops to ask the locals about the laksa and apparently, almost all locals knew where it is. At least, it give me the assurance that the laksa is indeed famous and well-known in this part of Penang. Briefly, to get there, you have to pass through Balik Pulau town and after 5km out, you have to turn left at a junction before the junction to Permatang Pasir. It's easy to miss the junction as there's no signboards whatsoever pointing to Kampung Perlis (yeah, i had to waste a good 30 minustes just to go round and round finding the right junction.. that's the hard part). From the junction, it takes another 5km or so, inside and you have to pass another kampung before you reach Kampung Perlis. The scenery, however, is awesome though with coconut trees, old-wooden houses, fruit tress, kids playing happily, cattles and other livestocks painting the village landscape. Once you reach Kampung Perlis (yes, ader signboard), be sure to look for a stall with lotsa cars parking nearby macam ader kenduri kahwin.... that's the easy part.
There are two sizes of bowl. The bigger one cost RM2.50 and the cute smaller ones (for kids, maybe) cost only RM1.20...!!! Goshhh... even with astronimical price hikes everywhere these people can still maintain such selling price. The small white container with red cap are the petis udang.. ohhh yeahhh... that's what i'm here for , babyyy... each customer can take a container each to spice up your laksa at your own convenient and preference.
That's my bowl. Laksa Janggus and a good scoop of petis udang in the center of the bowl. Can you smell it...??? Perghhhhhhhhh...... It's best to eat while it's hot couple with ais kacang. The taste is delicious, soupy fish paste and the aroma can tickle and softened any thick nostril hair.
The best thing about the place is the self-service system...!! Patrons queue-up, pick-up their preferred bowl size, petis udang and pay. You can see how they prepare each bowl meticulously and admire the way they work before you pay. I'm impressed. There were a lot of tables and chairs around the stall. They also sell snacks like goreng pisang, kuih muih etc etc.

The stall opens from 330-7pm and lucky we got lost earlier or else we would have missed the stall altogether...!! More and more peope came in shape and sizes while we're there and betcha, most of them were tourists. I tapaued one bowl and i definitely recommend you to visit this place to enjoy the place, people and food.

Later, i continued my journey round the island and stumbled upon this durian shack. It's not the season and i wondered how come these people were selling durians. Anyway, wifey's boss had reminded her to make sure get a taste of Balik Pulau durian if ever she there. Thus, the food adventure continues larrr...
It's definitely fresh from the farm and maybe they were harvested the same morning. Look at the Japanese girl admiring the thorny durian. Without any hesitation, i ordered two of them, weighed it and opened it up. Little that i knew that i costed me RM25 per kilo later!!! Apek tuh kata rege tuh dah diskaun sbb wa amik dua biji....I paid a freaking RM72 for the two durians. Giler he haper... Durian paling mahal dalam dunia..!! Itulah, pepandai sgt order tak tanya rege. Wa ingat lebih kurang lam RM8-12/kg jer. Nampaknyer wa dah kena conned or mmg rege dia camtuh or sbb bukan musim durian so rege naik larr. Nak gaduh ngan apek tuh pon dah tak guna sbb by the time wa tau rege tuh, semua durian dah selamat lam perut gua. burrppp.... i was wondering how much the Japs paid for it. Apek tuh ader hati nak soh wa angkat sebijik durian giant nih (oversized fruit, terlebey baja kot) "Saya kasik lu RM15/kg larr.. cincai". ahhh, pegi mampos sama lu.

This is what i get for the amount i paid for. It's definitely the best durian i've ever tasted in my life. Custard creamy, ada pahit2 sket, nicely tucked seeds, the flesh does not smear your fingers and the texture is smooth. King of fruits she is. Yummy... ikut hati nak lagi sebijik tapi nasib baik wa tak angkat, kalau tak mau bengkok wa nak bayar lepas tuh.

Not a word. enjoying a moment of bliss. Imagine, the flesh exploding in your mouth.

That's all that left.