Baby Back Pork Ribs and American-type Barbeque Sauces

I was at Tesco awhile back and was in the separate section they have for the pork and other non-Halal items (you have to pay separately for these items including alcohol so when we are at the grocery stores and go into these sections we have to be rung up in two separate places so as to keep the Halal separate from the non-Halal in the grocery stores. It is a bit of a hassle because the act of being rung up at the register in Malaysia sometimes is a slow process!). Anyway, there was actually some ok looking Baby Back Pork Ribs so I picked them up. I don’t remember seeing them before and thought R might like me to make some barbequed ribs.

Pork Baby Back Ribs from Tesco Seremban 23.83RM

American-type Barbeque Sauces that come in bottles here are fairly limited to Heinz and a few other basic BBQ sauces that have a generic BBQ taste. No fancy gourmet BBQ’s in Seremban although I have seen a slightly better selection before at a grocery store called Cold Storage which has a few locations around KL, Selangor and Mid Valley. But even there, they are overpriced and limited.

So a number of months ago I decided to try making my own BBQ sauce, I was trying to get a good American BBQ sauce taste using ingredients available here in Malaysia. The sauce I’ve been making tastes great, rich flavor and just spicy enough for our taste. And because of the special ingredients like the SOS chili sauce there is a very faint Asian taste that I think makes it a special layered sauce.

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it. I use it mainly on oven baked chicken, but I also used it on the oven baked baby back ribs and it was very tasty. I usually cook the meat awhile and then add the sauce towards the second half of cooking so it doesn’t burn.

BBQ Sauce

1 cup Tomato Sauce

1 cup SOS Chili Sauce

1/4 cup Distilled Vinegar

1/4 cup Dark Soy Sauce

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard, like Heinz not dry

1 tablespoon Tabasco Sauce

1/4 tablespoon of Mexican Chili Powder*

1/4 tablespoon of Asian Chili Powder*

1/4 tablespoon of Red Chili Pepper Flakes**

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir regularly. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until it turns dark and thick (about 10 to 15 minutes). Transfer the sauce to a sealable container and store in the refrigerator. It should keep for a month.

*Chili powder here is usually Asian chili powder, a bright red finely crushed powder. Mexican chili powder or what in the US we just call Chili Powder is browner and has a different taste so it is important for the recipe to use some Mexican Chili Powder in addition to Asian Chili Powder. MasterFoods Brand Spices from Australia makes a Mexican Chili Powder available here in Malaysia in the spice section of stores like Tesco or Jusco.

**I think I mentioned before Red Chili Pepper Flakes are hard to buy here, so I get mine from the extra packets that are delivered with Dominos Pizzas. Then later use the packets of Red Chili Pepper Flakes for cooking because cooking with out Red Chili Pepper Flakes at times is nearly impossible! OK Dominos Pizza isn’t great at all but thank goodness they do deliver to my house in seremban when I can’t cook for whatever reason and thank goodness for those pepper flake packets they are like gold in my house!

Making Pizza in Malaysia

As I mentioned briefly before, I transplanted some Thai Basil that I bought from Tesco. I put a number of stems in water and they rooted quite quickly with lots of healthy roots. So I planted them in the empty planter at the back of the house. In order to try and promote some basil growth, I picked some of the tops of the stems that were about to - or already - flowering and brought the basil inside. I didn't know what to make with it, and then I remembered I had one last frozen pizza dough bag in the freezer and decided to make pizza!

I should start by saying, I do love pizza. When I grew up in Minneapolis every Friday night my family would have pizza night where we would make pizza and then watch tv together (back in the 70s) we used a rectangular baking sheet because they didn't sell round pizza pans in Minneapolis at the time. I remember we had one specific baking sheet used only for pizza, it was black with higher sides. While we made flat crust pizza at home, we often went to My Pie pizza a well known thick crust pizza place in Minneapoils (the company is from Chicago but had a location in Mpls. Checking their website here it looks like it must still be well known for they ship pizzas throughout the US! http://www.mypiepizza.com/). While we preferred My Pie (sausage and mushroom deep dish) as our favorite, there's always something about making your own pizza once you get the ingredients right that can make you crave the homemade even more than eating out.

Living in New York City for eighteen years, I eventually shifted from deep dish to NY style and the thin crusts. If I had to pick, I suppose Two Boots pizza in NYC would be my favorite (specifically the Bayou Beast - bbq shrimp, crawfish, andouille, jalapenos and mozzarella).

The Middle East also had its styles of pizza... the shark pizza in Tehran was great, until the place closed. But the best pizza was R's mom's homemade individual size pizzas with mushrooms or white truffles (which were available in abundance in the spring in Fars Province if the weather conditions were right... yes I have consumed more truffles in my lifetime then possibly all the citizens of a small US town combined... truffle omelets, truffle pizzas, truffles and Kebabs, truffles with just about anything, I digress sorry).

So arriving in Malaysia we found that there aren't that many pizza places with good pizza. Dominos and Pizza Hut chains are all over the place. I can't complain about Dominos, because even though I don't love their pizza, they actually deliver to our house - the only food delivery co. we know of that does. While we lived here when the kitchen was being constructed, we were happy to get those pizzas. But, about specialty pizzas in Malaysia, I have to say I have not had a good pizza in Kuala Lumpur. Our friends who live there say places exist, but I haven't been to any. Actually, the best pizza we found in Malaysia (to date) is a pizza place in Seremban owned by an Italian who lives here called Pizza Italia (480, Jalan Haruan 4/4. Oakland Commercial Centre, near Columbia Asia Hospital ). There is another blog post about this place here (note that the blogger mentions Dominos and Pizza Hut and also note the price for the meal, by Seremban standards, it is high).

Our pizza

Soooo since I found the yeast (see my earlier post here), I have been experimenting with making pizza here in Seremban. OK, we haven't made too many pizzas yet, but we finally got one with the ingredients and the testy oven to work. In fact, the pizza was sublime. Absolutely fantastic. Tasted kind of like a Pizza Margarita only we didn't use fresh tomatoes. The Thai basil (opposed to regular basil) gave the pizza a really rich taste.

So what ingredients available in Malaysia give you this kind of pizza? Here is what we used....

I made the pizza crust following this recipe. I doubled the recipe which made enough pizza for four pizzas. I froze three doughs as the instructions mentioned with olive oil in a plastic bag. The pizza dough was made with Saf Instant Yeast and the popular Malaysia Flour "Blue Key".

I took out the pizza dough from the freezer and let it thaw. Then rubbed some olive oil on the round pizza pan with holes in it (available at Carrefour or Jusco) and spread the pizza out on the pan. Turned the oven on to around 220 C and let the pizza crust bake until it was nearly light brown about 10 minutes.

Then I added the toppings.

Tesco Tomato Puree

Ketchup

Hot Pepper Flakes

Ground Pepper

Salt

Arla "Finello" Mozzarella Cheese

Grozerte Formaggio Cheese Powder

Fresh Thai Basil

I used Tesco Tomato Puree (produced in Italy) for the base. It is much richer than Malaysian tomato sauces or pastes. I also squirted some Heinz Ketchup on to top of that (not too much about 3/4 Tesco Tomato Puree to 1/4 Ketchup). I know, I know, this sounds gross... Ketchup on Pizza? But, we learned it from R's mom. One night she baked us the best pizzas ever and we asked what she did differently. She broke down and told us that she had run out of tomato sauce so she improvised and added ketchup to the base of the pizza instead. So we now follow her lead and add a bit to our pizzas. It has to be Heinz, because the Malaysian Ketchups are too vinegary.

Added the Hot Pepper Flakes, salt and pepper on top of the base. I haven't found Hot Pepper Flakes like they sell in the US here at all. Any hot pepper spices have a different consistency and more usable for Asian/Indian cooking. So I collect the hot pepper packets that Dominos delivers with their pizza and use those.

Then I added Arla "Finello" Mozzarella Cheese (imported from Poland?!?) bought at Jusco. We used about 3/4 of a 200g chunk and grated it because that is all we had in the kitchen. Maybe the whole 200g next time, then again maybe not. This Mozzarella seems to have better taste than the more popular green bag shredded cheese sold in the stores around here. I should mention cheese selections are grim in Malaysia, I will write a post on it sometime. But enough to say, Family Store doesn't even sell fresh cheese and no one seems to complain.

Next sprinkles of the Grozerte Formaggio Cheese Powder. This 'fake' Parmesan cheese imported from Hungary doesn't taste fantastic. But, it's available in Seremban and good enough for the pizza.

Then I added the Thai Basil on top and returned the pan to the oven for 5-10 minutes more. The only thing I might do differently is not add the Basil at first. Wait until a minute or two before the pizza is fully baked and then put the basil on. Because you can see from our pizza photo the basil is pretty baked (although not burnt). But, this is another step and requires taking the pizza out of the oven, and around here every time you open the hot oven the kitchen gets hotter! Plus I think that if the basil isn't added upfront, it might not get to mix in with the cheese and it might not taste as good.

So that's our current homemade pizza we are making in Malaysia!

The Famous Seremban Beef Noodles

Recently we went to Yee Kee Seremban Beef Noodles the famous shop that sells the signature dish Seremban Beef Noodles. Owner Yee Kee is the originator of this dish that started way back before the Japanese occupation. This is the same company selling beef noodles on the second floor of the Seremban Wet Market, but here it is a sit down restaurant in one of the old pre-war shop houses in Seremban.

There were a few beef noodle options I think we got the 'dry' ones. We also ordered some wontons on the side.

Basically, we didn't love the beef noodles. The taste was ok, but the meat was a bit chunky, or it's hard to explain, you'll have to try yourself. The wontons were great though.

Location: Across the street from the main Public Bank Branch in Seremban town. The restaurant is open 8am till 8pm everyday except Monday.

Malaysian Flowering Herb

At the back of the house this herb? which is flowering is starting to grow over the back wall from my neighbors yard. I saw their maid picking some and then cleaning it in their wet kitchen. At first I thought it was basil from a ways away, but now I'm not so sure looking at the photo. Does anyone know what this herb might be? I wonder if it is something used in Malaysian cooking. Please let me know if you have any ideas so I can pick some and try it out.

Back to On Sweet Thai Cuisine in Seremban

I've wrote about our favorite Thai Restaurant On Sweet Thai Cuisine before here. But I didn't post photos. Well, here are a few shots. This place is always good. We've had different things, but our favorite is the Phat Instant Noodle (Maggie) with Chicken and cooked extra spicy.

The ingredients vary but on our recent visit I spotted chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, egg, instant noodle, greens, red chili peppers and carrot. How can you bet a great lunch like this for 4.50 RM (approximately $1.50 USD)?

Oh, and I love that they serve me my noodles in the pretty plastic floral plate and R merely gets a yellow one.

On Sweet Thai Cuisine

1978, Gorund Floor, Bukit Blossom

70100 Seremban

06-012-374-3400

06-012-639-5055

Kensington Seremban

Considered one of the best 'western' food restaurants in Seremban, this Kensington is in the Oakland area (not far from the new Tesco). We were told by someone that the restaurant is owned by a couple who lived in the UK for a number of years and now live in Seremban. There is another newer Kensington over at Terminal 2, Era Square in Seremban Town, but R and I have never been to that one. This Kensington is easier for us to get to. So yes the decor is dated! But the food is good! Someday we should try the newer location maybe the food is even better?

Usually we order steak, but we didn't feel like it on our recent visit for an early dinner. We opted for the 'Sizzling Chicken with cheese and ham'. It looks like a mess, but tasted good. We both commented, this is not something I would have ordered when I was living in New York City, far too heavy... but in Asia, its nice once in awhile to get something like this especially for the thick melted cheese and ham which aren't regular ingredients at restaurants here. So for one night it was good. Not sure we would order it again though. I think the plate was 16rm.

We also usually order the Moroccan Rice (normally with chicken, but since we ordered the other chicken dish we went for the seafood version). Well, the rice is always good and the side salad is so tasty. Those big prawns were very good. Not sure the price of this, but the whole meal including an appetizer of two giant fresh oysters stuffed and covered with cheese was 58rm.

Kensington

619, Jalan Haruan 4/9

Oakland Park

70300 Seremban

06-632-4851

other location:

No. 34 , Jalan Era Square 3

70200 Seremban

06-7687288

Making Homemade Bread in Malaysia

My first ever home baked bread sitting on willow pattern dinner plate

Yesterday I happened into the Bakery Supply Store located in Seremban in the small storefronts across from the Specialist Hospital. The Bakery Store has a few things that the other stores in Seremban don’t stock. Yesterday the Yeast section caught my eye which I must have missed last time I was there. I opted to buy Saf-Instant Levure Seche de Boulanger Dry Baker's Yeast in the small packets because I wasn’t sure if it was the right kind of yeast that I am used to in the States. I came home excited that I’m going to be able to make pizza crust with the yeast. So I am looking online and find that Saf-Instant made in France is one of the best Yeast brands world wide. It makes sense, the French do make good bread afterall! The Saf-Instant site explained this was the instant kind of yeast, which I’ve never used. The Seremban bakery store had some of the other Saf products available too, including larger size bags.

So as I am searching how much yeast to use to make pizza dough with the Saf-Instant product I came across some bread recipes. And then I found lots of blogs talking about Jim Lahey's, owner of Sullivan St. Bakery in New York City, ‘revolutionary’ home baked bread recipe which was featured in the NYTimes in 2006 here. Apparently, everyone in the US has since been baking this home bread recipe of his in their ovens at home. Well, I left NYC in early 2006 so I missed the article and knew nothing to date of the home bread craze going on since. Although I can say I have had some of Sullivan St. Bakery’s bread when I lived in NY and it was fantastic. It’s the kind of ‘gourment’ bread that’s been so popular in NY since the 90s and I would buy this kind of bread often (also to note this bread was always expensive starting at something like $4.00 per loaf and going up up up). One of the big bummers, in my opinion, of Malaysian foods is their bread selection. And Seremban has an even poorer selection than KL. So, I was thrilled, thrilled! to find a recipe to make this crispy type crust bread here in Malaysia.

So yesterday I started looking at the recipes online and other versions, but opted to start by making the original Jim Lahey recipe in the NYTimes figuring I could adapt it later. The only thing I needed was some kind of cooking vessel for cooking the bread inside the oven. I had seen some clay pots at the Family Store near my house, and I was fairly sure they would still be there. So last night I made the bread dough because it needed to sit out for 12 or more hours before the next step.

This morning the dough had increased in size and I went to Family Store and picked up a clay pot. Large in size it nearly fills the height of the oven. Based on Jim’s recipe I think I could have gone for a smaller clay pot, but the next size down there were only two at the store and the covers didn’t fit right on the top of the pots. So I went with the big one at 16.90RM (yes that’s under $6 US). I wasn’t sure if the clay pot was oven safe but for $6 bucks figured I’d give it a shot.... as my mouth was really starting to water for some of that bread.

Inside of this Clay Pot is glazed

Came home and did the whole recipe as called for. I think it was a success, the pot didn’t break or crack and the bread turned out good, there is some room for improvement both for taste and making the process simpler and less messy. R thought the bread could be more spongy and I agree, but overall not a bad loaf for about 30 cents (US). Oh, I might watch Family Store and see if they get any more of the smaller size clay pots, I would buy two so I can fit two of them in the oven at the same time and hence be able to bake two bread loafs at a time. One bad thing about this whole process is the heat from the oven in the house, like it’s not already hot in Malaysia!!!! So cutting down on the time the heat is on is a good thing and baking two loafs at once is better than two in a row.

Crab Place on Jalan Tok Ungku

We decided to go to the local Crab restaurant on the corner of Jalan Tok Ungku and Bukit Blossom instead of driving all the way across town to Seremban Seafood Village. This new place is called Restoran Mei Wai Hiong.

Well, let me tell you, it was bad. Bad, bad bad. The fact there were only one other group of customers when we arrived at dinner time was a clue. But, still, we wanted to see if the place might have good crab. The waitress suggested we have the barbeque Crab which she said was the best. So we ordered one 1KG of that and some Kai-lan vegetables and rice.

The place was unorganized, tv was blarring and the only people in the place other than the one table of customers were a bunch of family members who apparently owned the place all talking loudly at one another throughout our meal.

While we waited for the meal, they brought the plates and silverware in a plastic red bowl full of steaming hot water, well at least we knew the plates were clean.

When the vegetables and rice arrived we noticed that the greens weren't kai-lan but some other vegetable. Which tasted ok. We were so hungry we started to eat the vegetables and rice. The crab was nowhere to be found. 15 minutes or more after the vegetables were finished it arrived smelling strangely burnt. The crab didn't have a good taste, not as good as Seremban Seafood. Although this place's side dipping sauce tasted as good. So I used a lot of it to cover the taste. It seems they had just dripped barbeque sauce on the outside of the crab shells.

In the end, the place only cost about $4 US dollars less and that might be because she charged us less as they didnt give us a full 1kg. We definitely won't go back again.

On Sweet Thai Cuisine Seremban

We went to the second Thai Restaurant on our list. The one I have listed as "Thai Restaurant Seremban Location: near the Blossom Food Court on Jalan Tok Ungku." It is on Jalan Tok Ungku but look for the sign "Restoran Thai Food" on the same side as the Blossom Food Court.

The waitress suggested we try the Chicken Mee noodles, the fried Rice and for fish she suggested a fried fish instead of steamed. We went with her suggestions. The food was fantastic!!! After we finished our meal and the big mess was left on the table, I realized I forgot to snap a shot of the food before we started, oh well next time. There will be a next time because R loved the place (he was highly skeptical before we went)... he particularly liked the Mee noodles. This place was better, we think, than the other Thai place near our house (on Rasah Jaya near Rasah Jaya Food Court) the food had more ingredients mixed in and more layered flavors. But we love Thai so we should try the other place again and also keep our eyes out for more places... if you blink you can miss these places around here.

On Sweet Thai Cuisine

1978, Gorund Floor, Bukit Blossom

70100 Seremban

06-012-374-3400

06-012-639-5055

Malaysian Paus (or Chinese Steamed Buns)

After my trip to the Egg Store near my house, I was walking towards my car when I noticed there was a shop with their gate partially open so I looked in. There was some kind of food preparation going on, so I asked the guy who came over what they were making. He took the cover off the carton above and showed me. I asked what they were and he told me the white ones are Red Bean and the green ones are Pandan Lotus. I asked him if he would sell me some of the pandan lotus and he said yes, even though this looked more like the bakery than a retail store. I asked him how to cook it and he said to "Steam them over water for 15 minutes".

So I took four Pandan Lotus home and attempted to steam them. I placed them at the bottom of my wok after taking off the white paper at the bottom of the Pandan Lotus. And I added about 1/4 inch of water at the bottom of the wok and turned the heat on then covered it for 15 minutes.

As anyone who has actually steamed these things before knows, my method would prove disastrous. Just wrong. The Pandan Lotus became these gooey mushy messes at the bottom of the wok. I still scraped them out and attempted to eat them, but they were raw-ish. So I got out the package I had in the freezer of Pau Mini Pandan Kaya to check how they should be prepared as I thought they looked to be the same item or similar (as these were frozen, the directions when I used them before was to microwave in plastic wrap which I had did). Well, the package just said to "Steam" them like the guy at the bakery.

So a little research online and I found these Paus can also be considered Chinese Steam Buns. And I found some videos and sites describing how to steam them. For example check here:

http://chowtimes.com/2008/06/14/red-bean-paste-steamed-bun-dao-sar-pau/. Looks like I need to get one of these steamers to heat the Paus. Also, I could use the steamer for vegetables too. By the way, the inside of the Pau I bought at the bakery are Lotus and the package above is Kaya which is coconut based. The inside of both taste really good. I should also look for this Lotus or Kaya Paste which I might be able to use for baking.

The Cost of Eggs in Malaysia

I wanted to write a post on the cost of eggs here in Malaysia. So I photographed the egg carton which is the eggs I recently bought at Family Store for 3.80 RM. The eggs cartons here come with 10 not 12 eggs per pack. So I always find myself running short faster because the 10 carton looks almost like a dozen. Then there is the size of Malaysia eggs. In stores like Family Store and Jusco, they all look about the same and run from high 3 RM to nearly 5 RM for the 10. I never bother to look at the package too well and so I missed on the package above for the LH Egg brand that these are medium size eggs. And medium they are. Both R and I have commented in the past on how small the eggs are sometimes. No only for LH Brand but Malaysian Eggs in general.

So I went back to Family Store looking for Large eggs and couldn't find any carton that were marked "Large". Although this Happy Egg brand lists CLASS A on the package so I thought they might be bigger, and they are "lower cholesterol". This is up a step from LH's marketing of "No Harmful Residues"! But the price is higher at 4.20 RM.

First one more stop before I made this post to a storefront within walking distance of my house.... Yoong Sing Trading Shop selling fresh eggs. The guy there was very nice and told me these eggs come from Melacca.

He has them all Graded and the Grade A eggs cost 3.40 RM for 10. So I bought 10 of them.

He also talked me into testing 2 of these white eggs at .50 RM each as he said they are, "The best!" I asked why but he couldn't give me an answer. I asked him if they were chicken eggs and he nodded, but I'm not sure he understood me for sure. Their slightly elongated length makes me wonder if they are some other type of egg. And I wonder, are they costing more because they are white in color? In the states, the brown cost more as white are the common stock. Here, brown are the common eggs. I will have to try them for taste and report back.

Egg on Left from Yoong Sing Trading, Egg in Center Happy Egg, Egg on Right LH Egg

In terms of size though, Yoong Sing Trading' s Grade A Egg above is the largest in size of the three brands and is the lowest price. LH Egg is clearly the loser. I've learned all eggs are not the same around here and going to the specialty store is worth the extra time.

Sea Coconuts

Whenever I am at the grocery store and see something and I don't know what it is, I try and ask a person... sometimes I don't get any help but most of the time the person will try to explain what the item is and how it is cooked. The other day I was at Family Store and saw a package of "Sea Coconut" in the cooler section between the vegetables and fruits for 5.50 RM for the package. So I asked the Chinese woman next to me how to cook them or eat them. She told me I had to boil them in a pot of water and that they were sweet. So I took the Sea Coconuts with me to give them a try hoping I would find a recipe online.

Later the woman who told me about the sea coconuts found me in the store and handed me this package of Lo Han Kuo and told me to dump the package in the pot with the sea coconuts while I cooked them. So I bought the Lo Han Kuo too.

At home I found a few recipes for Sea Coconuts online all with the same basic recipe... put the items in the pot and boil for 45 minutes (example here). Since I didnt have any dates I added a few raisins hoping that would work.

When it was cooked I realized that R and I had already tried this dessert before when we were at our favorite Chinese restaurant Restoran Oversea in Kuala Lumpur. After our meal one time, the owner brought over this special dish as a gift to us... when we asked what it was he wasn't able to give us the English name. Well, we didn't really like it at Oversea and even though mine tasted nearly the same, we didn't care for it at home either. Far more interesting than the taste of the dessert is the history of Sea Coconuts or Coco de Mer here and the little known Lo Han Kuo sugar substitute (Siraitia grosvenorii) which really is sweet and a nice taste (more info here).

Christmas in Malaysia

It’s hard to find a turkey to cook around here and a Christmas ham didn’t appeal, so R and I decided to go out for Christmas. So we looked at our Seremban list and decided Seremban Seafood Village for Crab was just what we were craving.

We went for lunch pretty early so it wasn’t busy. We ordered 1 KG of the Crab, rice and vegetable and some beer. I must say the Crab was excellent, not too salty at all and the sauce.... I’ve never tasted a sauce like that it was tangy but also sweet too, really good. I usually like Alaskan King Crabs better than this kind of crab, but here they were fantastic. I am so glad that this place is in Seremban. Maybe we can make eating crab a new Christmas tradition...

The total bill including one large bottle of Tiger was 74 Rm.

Seremban Seafood Village 3720-3724, Jln Tuanku Munawir, Seremban phone: 06 7641260 / 012 6287661 Seremban Seafood Village is right at the end of Jalan Tuanku Munawir, in between Jalan Lobak and Jalan Veloo.

Strangely the place was predominately Red and Green so it felt vaguely Christmasy.

The crabs are kept in these containers at the back of the restaurant.

Places to Visit and Eat in Seremban and Negeri Sembilan

Before our guests arrived in October I searched what are considered the best places in Seremban to visit while they were here, well, we didn’t get to many of the sites so my new year’s resolution is going to be for R and I to try and visit at least one of the places or restaurants we haven’t been to on this list each week. The places we have already been are BOLDED. For the other UNBOLDED listings, I have cut and pasted various reviews of the sites/restaurants from other blogs, websites, etc. (they are not my reviews or suggestions but come from others and are to be used as a working list for me of what to see in Seremban and Negeri Sembilan). When we do visit a place, I’ll try to post a bit about it on The Malaysia Project. I didn’t plan to post this list, so I’ve lost some of the original links, but at the bottom of this post, I’ve listed a couple places I remember that were helpful in collating this information. The information in the UNBOLDED listings is not verified yet, so if you plan to visit, I suggest you contact the location before going. Hope this information is helpful!

Seremban Sights:

Teratak Perpatih The State Museum

The State Museum is stunning showcase of Minangkabau architecture. Inside the wooden building are artifacts, old photographs and ceramics. A highlight of the exhibits is a human skeleton dating back to the 14th Century. In the grounds of the building are replicas of megaliths named the Rudder, Sword and Spoon. These megalith stones are commonly found further south in Kempas and are believed to have supernatural powers. Location: Teratak Perpatih is housed in the Cultural Complex at Jalan Sungei Ujung. Just off E2 exit 218 on the main road towards Seremban Town and next to the Specialist Hospital.

Pasar Besar Seremban - Seremban Wet Market

A big market selling fresh vegetables, fresh meats, fresh fish and some fruits (upstairs) by local vendors. The upstairs has food stalls. Fun to visit even if you aren’t buying anything. Location: Seremban town. Jalan Pasar 70200 Seremban. Open morning and night.

Arulmigu Maha Sapthakannika Devi Kovil (this may also be referred to as the Virgin’s Temple?)

This temple is situated on Victoria Hill in Seremban, built over 100 years ago and is one of the few Kaniamman temples in Malaysia. The scenic view of this temple is breathtaking, which is surrounded by flora and fauna. Although the temple does not have an easy access route, it is definitely worth the journey. The seven kanni devi’s are Biramme, Mageswary, Gaumaree, Varaagi, Vyshnavi, Magenthari and Chamundee. Before the temple was built, Victoria hill was a primary source of silica stones and was mined by a Chinese contractor. The contractor primarily used explosives to mine the hill. On one occasion, he repeatedly tried to blast explosives but it failed. Immediately he saw a snake slithering past him. The stunned contractor took a gun and shot the snake. Soon after, the contractor and his workers fell ill. After consulting a spiritual medium, the contractor was informed that he had done injustice by mining on the hill. The sacred hill was the dwelling of Nagamma, who frequented the hill in the form of young snakes and maiden ladies. To repent this injustice, the contractor was instructed by the medium to carry out prayers for Nagamma at Victoria hill. During the prayer, a man got into a trance and started moving like a snake. He slithered across the ground to a particular location. He then advised the contractor to build a temple for Nagamma at that location. Under that mystical command, the Nagamma temple was built. The most important date in this temple is May 1st, when a special pooja is conducted annually. Devotees of Nagamma, fast for three days and carry pots filled with milk from the foothill to the hill top. When the devotees arrive at the temple, the milk is poured onto the seven Kanni Devi’s. Nagamma gives her blessing during this festive occasion, and this has been witnessed by several devotees. Once during this annual festival, the priest of this temple witnessed a beautiful cobra resting beneath a tree near the temple. Astonishingly, the cobra was in seven different colours. As he was stunned by this miraculous incident, the priest called other devotees to witness this mystical event. After receiving the blessings of Nagamma, the priest returned to the temple. He was shocked to see that the seven shades of the cobra was the exact colour of each sari on the seven Kanni Devi’s. Location: Take Seremban exit. Take overpass to Pusat Kualiti Alam until tunnel. After tunnel, u-turn. Take exit to seremban 2, and short distance away, turn left into mud road. Tel: 0196209259 Or other instructions to find this elusive place...take Seremban exit, traffic light turn right into Seremban 2. Traffic light turn right and go another 2km. Temple entrance on left via construction site.

Rumah Minagkabau

This century old Minangkabau house used to be the home to the Datuk Kelana of Sungai Ujong, Tengku Saiyed Ismail Tengku Sayed Abdul Rahman and his wife Kundur Wan Jaebah, in the late 19th century. A unique feature of this house is it was built without a single nail which enabled it to be dismantled and re-assembled again and again. In fact, the house was once dismantled and sent to London where it was later meticulously re-assembled for an exhibition in 1924. A couple of years after the exhibition, it was brought back and reassembled at the official residence of the Mentri Besar before it was moved to the Taman Seni Budaya where it is currently being exhibited. Location: Taman Seni Budaya, Seremban.

Masjid Jamek Mosque Seremban

Built in 1924, this mosque features a two-tiered main roof with upturned roof ridges. Its minaret is pagoda-shaped with the year "1924" inscribed on it. There are five levels symbolising the Five Principles of Islam. The red-tiled roof of the prayer hall is complemented by the same color on its outer walls. Ogee-shaped verandah archways and pillars are white, symbolising purity. The mosque can accommodate up to 1,000 worshippers. Location: Jalan Tun Dr Ismail, Seremban.

Church of the Visitation

This Catholic church sports Gothic architecture and was founded in 1848 by French missionaries who had come to Seremban from Malacca. The present structure was built in 1899 by Antonin Catesson and was expansed in 1935. The church has had a colourful history, having survived bombings during the Japanese occupation. Its lancet entrances are topped with stained glass rosettes and the four corners of the main structure end in pinnacles. There are four other pinnacles at the side tower which is capped by a wind wane. Location: Right in Seremban Town on Jalan Yam Tuan, Seremban.

Then Sze Koon Temple

Commonly referred to as Centipede Temple, it is perched atop a hillock at Ulu Temiang, just outside Seremban. A bell with the inscriptions "1863" which was presented by a devotee attests to its age. Spread over three levels, the temple grounds contain statues of the Goddess of Mercy and other Taoist deities. According to legend, white centipedes were frequently spotted at the hillock before the establishment of the temple. Location: Travel out of town along Jalan Temiang until you see the temples Chinese signboard then turn right.

Sri Balathandayuthapani Temple

Founded in 1895 by Nachappan Chettiar, the Hindu temple is devoted to Lord Thandayuthapani, the infant deity of Hinduism. Featuring granite flooring, its tower gate was sculpted by artisans from Tamil Nadu. Wall niches also house sculptures of deities and figures from Hindu mythology. Inside the temple is the Thangaratham Mandapam Golden Chariot that is used on festive occasions. Location: Jalan Yam Tuan, Seremban, near Parkson Parade Mall. The easiest parking is at the A&W Drive-in Restaurant across the road.

Wisma Negeri

Wisma Negeri is Negeri Sembilan´s state secretariat building. Built in 1987, it houses the machineries of the State government, including the Menteri Besar´s office. Its architecture showcases buffalo-horned roof inspired by a famous legend. The story goes that a group of settlers in Sumatra were about to be attacked by the Javanese. To avoid bloodshed and to decide on the subsequent control of the land, a contest was held between two animals representing each faction. While the Javanese chose a tiger, the Sumatran settlers chose a buffalo. Surprisingly, the buffalo gored the tiger to death. To honor the buffalo, the Sumatrans shaped the roofs of their houses and hats to look like horns. Location: Jalan Datuk Hamzah, Seremban.

Seremban Shopping:

Kompleks Kraf Negeri Sembilan - Seremban Craft Complex

Housed in an eye-catching colonial building with pillars, this is the perfect spot for handicrafts. Take your pick from pandanus-leaf woven products (such as mats, food covers, hats), bamboo crafts, shawls, ceramics pieces like pots, vases and more. The building itself is special as its architectural style depicts Corinthian elements, with dentils on the underside of its tympanum. Location: A branch of Kraftangan Malaysia it is at Jalan Abdul Kadir, Seremban. Open daily from 9am to 6pm.

Chinese Herb Stores

Scattered throughout Seremban. A famous herb store is on the corner in Seremban town (same road as the main CIMB, not far from it) and has burgundy signage. Will try to get the name of the place. I think they also have a second store in the S2 Jusco Mall. This store is expensive, many smaller stores selling more obscure stuff sprinkled through the streets of Seremban and near the Chinese section Temiang.

Seremban 2 Jusco Shopping Mall

Location: S2, Follow signs to S2 and see it on the left after going over the hill.

Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 Shopping Malls

Location: Both in Seremban Town, driving on the main road to Seremban Terminal 1 will come up on your left (look for the buses coming in and out and lots of taxis). Terminal 2 is harder to get you, nearby Terminal 1 there is a road that goes up a steep winding road that takes you up to Terminal 2 which is perched up on a hill.

Parkson Parade Mall

A rather lame mall, Starbucks recently closed here and the McDonalds has the worst service of any McDonalds I think I have ever been in throughout the world, waited over 10 minutes on different occasions for the food. I swear I’ll never go back. But this mall is worth mentioning because the Parskon store has a good houseware section for Seremban and also for the Rejects store located on the third floor of the mall. Rejects sells western brand ‘rejects’ and here you can get towels with slight defects that are being made for the American market at low prices. The quality is better than what you can find at say Jusco. They also have good rugs. Location: Seremban Town across from the Seremban Train Station and near the A&W.

Tesco Seremban 2

A brand new Tesco Extra opened in November 2010 replacing the other Tesco. Location: Right off of E2 Exit 218 follow signs to Seremban 2 and you will see signs for Tesco to turn left. You can almost see the Tesco from E2.

Night Markets

There are a few night markets in town on different nights ask around for locations and nights.

A Drive Away from Seremban:

Sri Menanti Royal Museum

Sri Menanti is the royal state capital located 40 km east of Seremban. The charming town of Sri Menanti houses the Sri Menanti Royal Museum which was built at the turn of the century with only wood – no nails or screws. Incorporating 99 pillars soaring at 65 feet each, the museum is an architectural marvel. Inside, the regalia of the Negeri Sembilan Royal family are stored along with costumes, weapons, bed chambers and documents on the Royal lineage. The current building was constructed between 1902 and 1908 for Tuanku Muhammad Shah, the 7th State Ruler or Yang Di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan. The Istana served as the official residence of the royal family until 1931, before it was converted to a Royal Museum in 1992. The nearby area is also charming with a small mosque, a Muslim cemetery and the impressive modern blue roof palace, all surrounded by mountains. Location: Drive along the road that leads to Sri Menanti through the forest, past villages of some traditional Negeri Sembilan homes and the Sri Menanti Golf and Country Resort. The palace is located next to the Sri Menanti Resort. Hours Weekdays: Daily: 9.30am - 6pm; Fridays: noon - 2.50pm Weekends & Public Holidays: 9.30am - 6pm Thursdays (From 1pm onwards): Closed.

House of Pendita Za'ba.

This is a Malay house that chronicles the times of Tan Sri Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad, an icon in Malay literature. Za'ba was a man of great intellect and has contributed tremendously in the economic, social and political areas of Malaysian development in his lifetime. Location: Kampung Bukit Kerdas, Batu Kikir, 72120 Jempol, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-4985193.

Sim Hong Temple

Situated in Jalan Bahau, the temple is an excellent example of traditional Chinese Temple architecture circa 1900. Its dragons of porcelain and beautiful wood carvings on the interiors were imported from China, as was the practice during the time. Location: Jalan Bahau, 72100 Bahau, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-4811006.

Adat Museum (Rembau Museum of Customs and Traditions)

Learn all about the Minangkabaus who founded the state in this museum in Rembau. The Adat Museum has a collection of cultural artifacts from heirlooms to headgear and charts to musical instruments pertaining to Minangkabau culture. The museum is housed in a two storey museum building, which was previously occupied by the Undang (Chieftain) of Rembau. Today, the museum houses a significant collection of the regalia of the Kings and Undangs, old agreements of the states, genealogical records of the local dignitaries as well as clothes, souvenirs, illustrations and photos. Location: Located at Jalan Kampung Rendah. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm.

Jeram Toi

Recreational Park is a 40 minute drive away from Seremban. Jeram Toi is a small waterfall which is visited by more locals rather than tourists. It seems to have been overshadowed by the famed Ulu Bendul waterfalls located on the way to Kuala Pilah. This waterfall has 7 flights of falls and was founded by the British during the colonial times. For Picnics, Swimming, Trekking, Camping. Location: On the way to Kuala Klawang. Accessible via the main road to Kuala Klawang. 71600 Kuala Klawang, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-7659911.

Lata Kijang Waterfalls

Lata Kijang is nestled within the Kenaboi Forest Reserve in Jelebu and is one of the highest single drop waterfalls in Malaysia. To reach Lata Kijang, visitors will not have it easy - they need to traverse a rugged terrain with Orang Asli (aboriginal) settlements, a plethora of wild plants, and finally, visitors will be rewarded with the breathtaking scenery of the waterfall. Adrenaline junkies can also find their thrills atop Gunung Antu Besar, the highest peak in Negeri Sembilan that is situated within this forest reserve. The forest reserve also comes equipped with arrangements for overnight trips, camping or homestays. Location: No. 33, Kg Chennah, Titi Jelebu, 71650 Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-7635388.

Ulu Bendul

Recreational Park located around 16km from Seremban at the foot of Bukit Angsi. The park is one of the six recreational parks in Negeri Sembilan developed for ecotourism purposes. The base of the area is rather developed (cabins, watch towers, hanging bridge, ponds, bathing pool, etc.) but nature remains the definite attraction. The walk along the river is easy while the climb up Bukit Angsi at 825m (4 hour hike up) should prove slightly more challenging. Location: on the Kuala Pilah Sri Menanti route, Take a bus to Kuala Pilah and get off 20km before the town (R1.2, 30mn). The last bus back should leave Kuala Pilah at 18:30. Admission: free.

Gading Rapids (Jeram Gading)

Situated 23km from Kuala Klawang, Jeram Gading is in the Kenaboi district. Driving here, you will pass roads lined with shrubs, most of them fruit trees and orchards belonging to villagers. It is believed that the name originated from the existence of the many elephants in the area – ‘gading’ meaning tusk. The main attraction of Jeram Gading is the waterfall, cascading sheets of water flowing through trees and boulders sending before disappearing into calmer waters. Although the area is not suitable for kayaking, it is an ideal spot for family picnics. Location: For more information, contact the Negeri Sembilan Tourist Information Centre phone: 606 672 2726.

Rembau Crystal The Negeri Sembilan Institute has set up a special site in Rembau District, the largest crystal village complex in Malaysia. The Rembau Crystal Village is also a training complex, manufacturer and exhibition site. The structure of the Rembau Crystal gallery is also a unique insight into the Malay Minangkabau architectural heritage. The crystal village is also a venue for local youths to learn the craft of crystal making, as well as the opportunity to sell their handicrafts. Location: Rembau Crystal Sdn. Bhd. Lot 1432, Kompleks Perkampungan Kristal, Jalan Kampung Mulia, 71300 Rembau, Negeri Sembilan. phone: 06-6853100 / 6855100. From Seremban, drivers can use the road from Rahang to Senawang, and proceeding to Rembau. The distance is estimated at 27 km. Rembau Crystal operates from 9 am to 5 pm (Monday - Friday) and 9 am to 4 pm (Saturday - Sunday).

Seremban Food:

Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Kawan

Famous for Pak Cham Kai (steamed chicken) and Chicken Porridge and Chee Cap (pig's offal) Porridge / Pork Porridge. Location: From Temiang's KFC go straight and turn right at the first junction. Then at a second junction, turn right again. You should see a Chinese temple on your right and this restaurant is located on your left just 10 meters away from the Chinese temple. It is a corner lot shop. Opens at 6.30pm on weekdays and 6.00pm on weekends and is packed right away.

Restoran Chai Hong

Known for their Chicken and Rice dish. Location: G 50 Jln Kapitan Tam Yeong 70000 Seremban, phone: 606-7624357.

Yee Kee Seremban Beef Noodles

Famous shop selling their signature dish Seremban Beef Noodles. Yee Kee is the originator of this dish that started way back before the Japanese occupation. This is the same company selling beef noodles on the second floor of the Seremban Wet Market, but here it is a sit down restaurant in one of the old pre-war shop houses in Seremban. Location: Across the street from the main Public Bank Branch in Seremban town. The restaurant is open 8am till 8pm everyday except Monday.

Top Curry House

Considered the best Southern Indian restaurant in Seremban known for its Banana Leaf Rice.Location: No 152, Jalan Dato Bandar Tunggal, 70000, Seremban, phone: 06-76722294. Same road with Hotel Milo, turn right after you pass by Seng Heng Electrical shop. Open everyday serving both lunch and dinner best selection early as things sell out.

Curry Leave Restaurant

Indian cuisine restaurant selling the banana leaf rice. After one visit to Top Curry and Curry Leave each, I would say Top Curry is better. Location: on Jalan Rasah near the shell gas station.

Restaurant May Sik

This restaurant serves fresh seafood and local Chinese cuisine. There are some aquariums with live fish and crabs. For those who love buffalo wings, a different version are served here - the ‘Guiness’ wings. Wings are marinated in ‘Guiness’. Location: Rasah Jaya, Seremban.

Thai Restaurant (Tom Yam Sign)

Known for Tom Yam and steamed fish, the orange juice drinks are nice too. Location: Rasah Jaya near Rasah Jaya Food Court.

Thai Restaurant Seremban

Location: near the Blossom Food Court on Jalan Tok Ungku.

Restoran S & K Anjung Corner

For Malay fare having been in business for over 40 years, it is one of the most famous caterers in Seremban. This outlet serves up a wide array of Minangkabau dishes, sufficient to fulfil your cravings for good old Negeri Sembilan food. Expect to find the delectable Masak Lemak Cili Api, Gulai Kuning, Sambal Tempoyak and many more. Location: No. 14, Jalan Dr. Krishnan, 70000 Seremban.

Restoran Yin Huat

Affordable and delicious Chinese fare. For starters, the fried oysters with eggs come with much bigger oysters than those found in other eating establishments. The yam basket is also deliciously filled with diced chicken and mushrooms, while the tofu egg is a favorite among patrons due to the meat and fried prawns sauce topping. Location: No 23, Jalan Bidara 16, Taman Bidara, 70100 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan phone: 06-7678955.

Seremban Village Seafood

Seremban Seafood Village’s signature dish the baked crabs Siew Hai. People come from all over the country for this. Though quite pricey (RM45.00 or more for 1 kg of crabs), Seremban siew hai is undoubtedly very delicious! It is baked with sweet, salty sauce that sticks like syrup on the crabs' shell. However, the natural sweetness is not overpowered by it. Depending on the season, crabs served may be big/small, fat/thin. The crabs are served with a homemade chili dipping sauce. Location: 3720-3724, Jln Tuanku Munawir, Seremban phone: 06 7641260 / 012 6287661 Seremban Seafood Village is right at the end of Jalan Tuanku Munawir, in between Jalan Lobak and Jalan Veloo.

Restoran Min Kok

Known for their Dim Sum. Location: Near the end of Terminal 2 by the free parking, Restoran Min Kok Sdn. Bhd. Min Kok Dim Sum Sdn. Bhd. No 7645, Lot 5990, Jalan Labu Lama, (Terminal 2), 70200 Seremban, phone: 06-7618458, 06-7619717. Watch out Sundays are packed. Opening hours 7 days a week: Dim Sum 7.30 am - 2.30 pm Restaurant12.00 pm - 2.30 pm 5.30 pm - 10.30 pm.

Restoran Yi Poh

The restaurant is famous in Seremban for its lou shi fun. It is crowded at breakfast and lunch, particularly during weekends and public holidays. The shop takes up 2 shop lots and is rather airy but no air conditioning. The restaurant is noted for its lou shi fun, a kind of Chinese noodles... It also serves keow teow and bee hoon... The dish comes with minced pork and some barbeque pork... There are also various kinds of fish balls, pork balls, chicken balls, shui kow and more. Location: 26 Jalan Seng Meng Lee, Seremban, the restaurant is located in the Temiang area in the southern part of Seremban town... Turn in at the KFC restaurant along the Seremban-Kajang road and follow the road to the end where you will see the red signboard of the restaurant.

HAKKA MEE

Hakka Mee (a bowl of noodles with minced meat) is not easy to cook. The taste is original and not easy to mimic. There are two particularly good stalls run by brothers in Seremban. Locations: The first outlet located on the 2nd floor of the food court in Pasar Besar Seremban (Seremban Wet Market). The 2nd outlet is just opposite Seremban's Yellow Bus Stand.

Restoran Wing Heong

Chinese Restaurant. Location: 2018, Taman Bukit Blossom, Jalan Tok Ungku, Seremban, phone: 06-6325852.

Restoran Asia

Many people rate the Laksa the best in Seremban. The specialty is its laksa you can have the laksa with curry chicken, cockles or barbeque meat. Its curry gravy is thick with not too much satan... Besides laksa, it serves noodle in clear soup as well, which is equally good. Location: The shop is located along Taman Loop Road... If you enter Seremban from E2 Expressway (exit 219 Port Dickson Interchange) turn right at the traffic light after the toll plaza.... and left immediately after the traffic light... Go straight for about 2km... just past the POS Station (left side of road) on the right side of the road you will see the restaurant just before you come to the end of Taman Loop (where you are forced to turn right or left).

Restoran Laska Seremban

This air-conditioned restaurant serves Curry Laksa. The ingredients of the standard dish (RM12 per bowl) are clams, fishball, chicken slices, cockles, tau pock (fried hollow beancurd) and prawns. A unique sprinkle of grounded roasted nuts completes it. Specialized dishes include clam laksa, prawn laksa, clam and prawn laksa, seafood laksa, sotong sambal laksa and prawn sambal laksa. Location: The restaurant is at No 97, Jalan Toman 5, Kemayan Square, Seremban. After exiting the North-South Expressway (E2) at the Seremban toll plaza, turn left to "Pusat Bandar". Keep to the right lane. After 200 meters, turn right to Kemayan Square as indicated by a signboard.

Haji Shariff’s Cendol

For the best cendol in Seremban, check out this corner restaurant on Jalan Yam Tuan. Varieties include cendol with jagung manis, kacang merah, kacang tanah, tapai, cincau, pulut, jagung or ABC. Served in aluminum bowls, they are excellent thirst-quenchers. Both pasembor and mee rebus are also available. Location: No 44, Jalan Yam Tuan, Seremban.

Seremban Siew Pau

Seremban Siew Pau (baked dumplings) is famous throughout the country. A baked version of the steamed bun, it has a crispy exterior but fluffy fillings and is golden brown. Of course, there are countless imitations of the original fare but none has excelled in terms of taste. Locations: You can get them at Empayar Seremban Siew Pow, LG 1-57, Tingkat Bawah, Tanah Pasar Besar Negeri Sembilan, Jalan Besar TBK 4 Taman Bukit Kepayang, Asian Confectionary, No 368, Jalan Seng Meng Lee and at Kee Mei Siew Pau, 1849, Jalan Tok Ungku. Personally the best I’ve had are closest to my house the Kee Mei Siew Pau on Jalan Tok Ungku it is this company’s ‘head office’ and it is where the goods are baked so you get them freshest right there. They also have cakes, rolls, egg tarts/green tea tarts and other bakery goods. They make a Curry Siew Pau which I haven’t seen anywhere else and it is fantastic!

Kensington

For Western Fare. A favorite of local Expats when they crave a good and reasonably priced steak. Locations: There are two Oakland area (near Tesco in S2) strip mall by the Getha Shop or a newer restaurant at Terminal 2/or Era Square(?).

I will leave the areas of Port Dickson and Nilai for separate posts.

Some of the content above came from a helpful article written by Elizabeth Leong for the New Straits Times (July, 2010) viewable here. Also William Choo from Seremban’s blog Spot lights(zzz) on me! was very helpful for the restaurant section.