Rice pudding in Turkey, sütlaç

Turkish rice pudding, or sütlaç, can be found all over the country. It’s a very common Turkish dessert on many restaurants’ menus. So much so, that sometimes it’s the only dessert on there! One kind of sütlaç that is the rarest and most decadent of them all is Hamsiköy sütlacı, found only in the Black Sea Region of Trabzon. In fact, this sütlaç is revered as the best in the country, and it all has to do with the cows.

The famous cows that make Hamsiköy sütlacı so special

In the Black Sea Region of Trabzon, sütlaç is made with a rare and special milk known as Hamsiköy milk. The Hamsiköy cows which produce the milk have a unique habitat on top of the mountains of the Trabzon region. Wild flowers grow here in the mountain meadows and are eaten by the cows in their pastures. The addition of these wild flowers into the cows’ diets imparts an extremely unique flavour on the milk they produce.

This diet is so unique that there are no other cows which produce this special milk. Thus making Hamsiköy milk very regional in nature. Since this milk cannot be produced anywhere else, neither can the sütlaç, making Hamsiköy sütlacı a true regional specialty.

Worth travelling to the Black Sea Region just to try their sütlaç? We say yes!

This special Turkish rice pudding is made with the simplest ingredients. Only pure Hamsiköy milk, rice, sugar, and a pinch of salt is used. Everything is put into a clay bowl where it’s baked in the oven until slightly caramelized on top. This creates an extremely thick and velvety dessert like no other.

Just when you think it can’t get any better, this decadent Turkish dessert is abundantly topped with ground hazelnuts grown locally in the Black Sea region. If you’re feeling extra sweet, you can get a scoop of fresh Hamsiköy ice cream to finish it all off.

Sütlaç is so rare it’s been given a Geographical Indication

Hamsiköy sütlacı is so unique to the region, that it’s been registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. Then, in 2017, it was given a geographical indication certificate. If that isn’t enough, the town of Hamsiköy also holds a “Hamsiköy Sütlaç Festival” annually since 2006 to promote the dessert in Turkey, as well as abroad. It’s clear to see that this Turkish rice pudding is no joke!

Where to go for the best Hamsiköy sütlacı in Trabzon

The best place to try out this extremely tasty Turkish dessert is at Uğur Usta Hamsiköy Sütlacı Ayasofya. Located near the Trabzon Hagia Sophia Mosque, it’s the perfect place to stop for a sweet bite. You can even do a little sightseeing afterwards or walk along the Black Sea.

What to order at Uğur Usta Hamsiköy Sütlacı

They have a few different variations of Hamsiköy sütlacı to choose from, such as plain, with honey, kadayif, locally grown hazelnuts, or Hamsiköy ice cream. You really can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. Our recommendation? Both the hazelnuts and ice cream, decadence to the max!

Name: Uğur Usta Hamsiköy Sütlacı Ayasofya
Address: Fatih, Hacı Ziya Habiboğlu Caddesi no 37, 61100 Ortahisar/Trabzon, Turkey
what3words: ///fallen.declining.ranked
Price: 25TL

Watch our video below to check out this unique local specialty at the best place in Trabzon.

The post The Underrated Turkish Dessert, Hamsiköy Sütlaç: The Ultimate Turkish Rice Pudding appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

The Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur began development in 1870 and Petaling Street itself was one of the earliest roads to be built. The area was mostly Cantonese and Hakka who came to the city for the tin trade. With their skills, they brought their incredibly diverse cooking styles and unique flavours.

Petaling Street is now home to temples, shopping, and hawker stalls serving up the top street foods in Kuala Lumpur. A number of these street food stalls have been around for over 50 years and are onto not the first or second, but third generation of family looking after the business. The quality of ingredients and history that goes into these dishes is incredible.

So, let’s get to it! Below is a list of the top 11 street foods to eat on your next visit to Petaling Street Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur.

Roast Duck

The crispiest, juiciest, most tender roast duck in Chinatown is at Sze Ngan Chye. This famous street food cart is run by two sisters that took over from their father, who started the business over 70 years ago. After all this time they still provide the same great taste and quality that he always did.

Sze Ngan Chye means the man who wears spectacles. It got its name from their father who would sell his duck on Petaling Street wearing his unmistakable glasses. With no name for his cart, the nickname just stuck!

We’ve gotta say, they sure know how to roast a duck. Perfectly cooked, juicy and tender with just the right amount of salt… we almost wished we had gotten a full duck and not the half!! Depending on your hunger you’ve got choice, RM34 for half a duck, or RM68 for the whole one. Don’t worry, we won’t judge.

The two sisters start selling their fresh roast duck at 6:00am, and because of their popularity can sell out by noon. So, make sure you head to their stall first, nice and early, to make sure you get some tasty duck.

Name: Sze Ngan Chye
Address: 46, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///usual.singles.gave
Price: RM34 half duck, RM68 whole duck

Muah Chee

Madam Tang Muah Chee Queen (as she is called), has been selling muah chee from her cart on Petaling Street for over 50 years. She’s become a permanent fixture along the busy street, making her stall a must try when in Chinatown Kuala Lumpur.

Soft, chewy and bursting with flavour, these little muah chee pack a punch! Coming in six different flavours, we couldn’t resist the black sesame and mango. Both were delicious and with a surprisingly intense, strong flavour that you can pick out at first bite.

If those flavours aren’t your thing, don’t worry, there’s also lychee, ribena, pandan and original to choose from. Each piece is bathed in crushed peanuts, adding the perfect crunchy texture to the soft and chewy muah chee.

Name: Madam Tang Muah Chee Queen
Address: 42, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///abacus.slimy.poker
Price: RM6/box

Congee

This salty bowl of porridge goodness is congee, a popular Chinese street food of savoury rice porridge with delicious pork, century egg, and green onions. At Hon Kee Petaling Street you have a few different congee options to choose from, including salted egg and pork, crispy innards, pork ball, and raw fish.

Served piping hot, you mustn’t forget the white pepper. It adds the perfect seasoning to the dish to make it mouth-wateringly good.

As with so many of the delicious food choices along Petaling Street, this humble stall began business in 1949 and is still going strong. Spanning three generations and counting, this is one of the top street foods to eat in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown.

Name: Hon Kee Petaling Street
Address: 93, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///cautious.cared.sporting
Price: RM7

Chee Cheong Fun

This bright red, saucy dish is chee cheong fun. A popular street food of fresh chewy rice noodles with the most amazing, slightly sweet, red peanut sauce poured over top.

As with many Chinese-Malaysian dishes, there’s a decent helping of spicy chilli sambal on the side to mix in as much or as little as you want. The result? Fresh, peanuty, spicy rice noodles that feel like the perfect comfort meal.

What sets chee cheong fun apart from other rice noodles is that they’re freshly chopped to order. At Yooi Kee Chee Cheong Fun, their plates of noodles come in three different sizes based on your hunger. We got the small, which was a decent helping for the both of us, especially if you want to make sure you save some room for the amount of street food you’ll be eating on Petaling Street.

Name: Yooi Kee Chee Cheong Fun
Address: 51, 49, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///sting.trumpet.vitals
Price: RM4 for small

Tau Foo Fah and Dau Jiang

Another stall that is an absolute institution here on Petaling Street is Kim Soya Bean, one of the most popular Chinese street food stalls here in Chinatown. If you merely mention to anyone in Kuala Lumpur that you’ll be in Chinatown, they’ll make sure you make a stop at Kim Soya Bean for their famous tau foo fah and dau jiang.

Tau foo fah is a soft tofu that’s served hot and with your choice of white or brown sugar syrup on top. Its velvety smooth texture, mild flavour and sweetness from the brown sugar (our go to), really make this treat something special, even on a hot day!

If you’re looking for a cool off, however, make sure to pair your tau foo fah with a creamy cup of dau jiang soy milk. Scooped out from the massive container front and centre on the cart, it’s served cold, with or without sugar, sweet and soft on the tongue.

Running now for over 90 years and by the third generation, the current owner is an extremely friendly man who’s been manning the shop for the last 40 years. Things have surely changed on Petaling Street in those years, but the quality and taste of their soy bean treats sure hasn’t, so we’re told by the regulars!

Name: Kim Soya Bean
Address: 49, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///similar.hosts.keyboard
Price: RM2.20/each

Joong

Savoury or sweet, what’s your poison?? We can’t help but always choose savoury, how can you resist salty goodness?!

Whichever way you swing, you’ve got choice when it comes to joong, a popular Chinese street food. This tasty glutinous rice dumpling is filled with either sweet dates, red bean and other sugary deliciousness, or savoury pork with salted egg, mushrooms and chestnuts.

The steaming process makes the rice lovely and chewy, with a soft texture. Everything all wrapped up in a bamboo leaf like a little present, these dense dumplings are jam packed with ingredients, full of flavour, and the perfect snack on the go.

Name: Ho Yoke Kee
Address: 19, 15, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///scar.deep.required
Price: RM8

Fresh Beef Noodles

Just around the corner from the main road of Petaling Street is a noteworthy place that has the best fresh beef noodle soup. Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles is a small shop that gets busy during any hour of the day, so be prepared to queue for a table. Luckily the line goes quick so you won’t have to wait for long.

Their beef noodle soup is full of raw beef, perfectly chewy egg noodles, green onion and beef floss, to give you a hearty bowl full of deliciousness.

The beef is added in raw to get the most tender meat possible, being cooked only briefly when it’s dunked into the main broth like a hot pot before being added to your dish. This rich and meaty broth, enriched with all the juices and oils from the beef, is further used as a bath for the egg noodles to cook, and finally being used for the broth itself.

Just a short walk from Petaling Street, we feel like this is worth the extra distance. I mean, with all the food you’ll be eating, you’re gonna need the walk.

Name: Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles
Address: 7a, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///boggles.pinches.situated
Price: RM10

Apam Balik

Apam balik is best described as a peanut pancake. The batter is cooked in a huge pan and covered in sugar and crushed peanuts, then folded in half to keep all the goodness inside. This pancake is massive, mind you, so ordering one portion will get you a decent sized slice. The combination of crunchy peanuts, with the soft and springy interior is something that we very much enjoyed.

While you’re there, don’t forget to pick up one of the smaller coconut pancakes. These guys were the real hit for us, with a super strong smell and flavour of coconut, they were a lovely little snack on the go. If you love coconut and peanut as much as we do, you’ll love these apams.

We unfortunately didn’t catch the name of the gentleman who owns this hawker cart, but we did have a nice chat with him. We learned that he’s been selling apam balik from the same location on Petaling Street for 40 years, “from a young man to an old man,” in his words. With a sense of humour and knowing what his customers want, it’s no wonder he’s been in business all these years selling the top street food pancakes in Chinatown.

Did we mention that his cart is attached to the side of a motorbike like a side car? It doesn’t get much more street food than that!

Name: Petaling Street Apek’s Apam
Address: Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///safest.envy.joggers
Price: RM1.50/each

Yong Tau Foo

Yong tau foo is a popular Hakka dish of vegetables and tofu stuffed with springy fish paste. Found down an alley off of Petaling Street, Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo has a plethora of yong tau foo to choose from. Eaten either dry with a sauce, or in broth as a soup, you can’t go wrong with either.

We went for the dry version and chose a few different yong tau foo, mistakenly picking up a bitter melon! It was nice to try something different, but definitely a little bitter for our tastes! We prefer the soft eggplant, crispy fried wonton, and fish paste balls. Conveniently, you’re charged per piece of yong tau foo that you order, so you can have as much or as little as your stomach can handle.

Name: Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo
Address: Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///terms.skinny.elated
Price: RM1.70/piece

Air Mata Kucing

If you’re craving a little something sweet to keep you going through your exploration of Petaling Street Chinatown, we recommend a quick pit stop at Air Mata Kucing for one of their refreshing mata kucing drinks.

Mata Kucing is also known as cat’s eye, and is a close relative to the plump and juicy longan. Their special mata kucing drink is quite sweet, more so than we were expecting actually, since it’s sweetened with monk fruit, which is far stronger than sucrose.

Starting up over 70 years ago, Air Mata Kucing used to serve their drink in metal bowls/cups, to drink right there and then. Over the years they’ve (unfortunately) switched to plastic, so you’ll be able to take your drink with you as you wander the streets of Chinatown.

Name: Air Mata Kucing
Address: 15, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///typhoon.latest.pirates
Price: RM4

Teh Tarik

Last but certainly not least, is something that you’ll find all over Malaysia, but is an honourable mention when you’re in Chinatown. Nestled away down Madras Lane, right across from Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo, is Kong Chai Coffee Stall. Here you can get a number of hot or cold Malaysian drinks.

Our go to and ultimate favourite Malaysian drink is teh tarik, literally translating to pulled tea.

Teh tarik is made with a strong brew of black tea combined with condensed milk. The two are added together in a cup, and are mixed by pouring, or “pulling”, the drink back and forth from one cup to another.

Not only is this process fun to watch, but it mixes the condensed milk in while also cooling down the tea and frothing it all up to create a velvety tea with the perfect drinking temperature.

Depending on your preference, you can enjoy it hot or cold. For us, on those hot Malaysian days, we prefer ours icy cold and oh so refreshing.

Name: Kong Chai Coffee Stall
Address: Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///successor.twilight.tagging
Price: RM2.40

Petaling Street Chinatown

Some of the most popular Chinese food in Kuala Lumpur can be found in Petaling Street Chinatown. There’s so much incredible street food in Malaysia to try, and this list of the top 11 street foods to eat in Petaling Street Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur will get you more than started on your way to trying some of the best Chinese Malaysian street foods in the city.

We hope this list will be helpful for you to create a personalized street food tour of Petaling Street Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Check out our video below trying all of these top street foods to eat on Petaling Street!

The post Top 11 Street Foods to Eat in Petaling Street Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

The flaming testi kebab is a Turkish pottery kebab that originates from the Anatolia region of Turkey. It’s a very unique and special way of cooking kebab in a clay pot, that’s similar to a pressure-cooked stew. If you find yourself in Turkey, but aren’t able to make it into this central region of the country, there are a number of different restaurants in Istanbul that serve up this special dish just as good as the original.

Where to go for authentic testi kebab in Istanbul

Of all the restaurants that serve testi kebab in Istanbul, the best one is at the İstanbul Kebab Cafe & Restaurant in the old Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. Here, it’s served up with an amazing show and wonderful hospitality that’s incomparable.

The most unique part of this dish is the flaming testi kebab fire show that you get with your meal. As far as fire shows with the Turkish pottery kebab go, one of the best in the city is here at the İstanbul Kebab Cafe & Restaurant.

What to order

There’s one option on the menu for testi kebab, ‘individual’ sized pots that are portioned for two people. They’re the perfect amount to share and be pleasantly stuffed. So, make sure you bring an eating buddy with you or you’re extra hungry!

The pottery kebab is full of lovely fresh ingredients like beef, chicken, or both, with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and green pepper, with lots of tasty herbs and spices. It’s made by putting all the ingredients together into a small clay pot and then sealing off the head with aluminum.

The pot, full of all this deliciousness, is placed into a tandoor oven to cook. This special cooking style creates a pressure cooker atmosphere inside the clay pot, which is the secret behind the taste and flavour of this unique kebab.

What to expect

The best part of this dish, minus how delicious it is of course, is the fire show that comes with it! There’s a reason they call it ‘flaming,’ and the fire show here is unparalleled. After the kebab has been cooked and stewed in its own juices, they set the pot aflame and serve it up, piping hot, ready to burn your mouth. Make sure you watch out for those first bites!

Dessert, anyone?

Honorable mention is the delicious, fresh baklava and apple tea that’s served to each customer for dessert. Nothing sits quite right at the end of a Turkish meal than a fresh, crispy, sweet piece of baklava to wash it all down.

Name: İstanbul Kebab Cafe & Restaurant
Address: Alemdar, Biçki Yurdu Sk. No 5, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
what3words: ///teaches.audio.securing
Price: 230TL

Are you interested in seeing what this amazing fire show is all about? Then click below to see the best restaurant for authentic testi kebab in Istanbul.

The post Best Restaurant for Authentic Testi Kebab in Istanbul appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.