East Ocean Restaurant - Chinatown, New York

Looks like a whole 'ja gai' but wait...there's an added layer of minced fish fillet underneath the very crispy chicken skin. An excellent dish

What's in a clay pot of spicy goodness with a head, eggplant, long beans, ladies fingers and foo bok?

'Jeong Jing' tilapia. The traditional bean sauce that goes so well with any steam fish dish, this one with a light hint of tamarind sourness.

I'm not a big fan of crabs as I find it too incredibly time consuming to separate the flesh but this plate of dry curry crabs was a winner

Belacan kang kung

'Areo Shiraz'

This red wine is a perfect compliment to any curry dish. Believe me or not? I know you sense that I was 'blowing water' (choi soi)

A gathering without a bottle of HARD liquor is like sex without foreplay...very unsatisfying

NYC's malai seh thien 'secret' get-together
Underground 'code-names' from top left: ET, Yum-Sai, GH, Cunjado, Mr. Lai, 'Jue Yuk' Weng, and Tattoo Rick

I took a short break in April and spent it with my close friends in New York. You might not believe me but I practically had Malaysian Chinese food everyday there. The reason being the lack of a good Malaysian restaurant that serve good, authentic food in California. Having lived in New York for close to 15 years, I've the privilege and more importantly the right to compare, and Malaysian Chinese food in California sucks! If I can't find a place whose curry looks and taste better than my home cooked, then they don't belong and is wasting my time. I've a proposal and business plan to change this if anyone is interested.

New York's Chinatown has it's own 'East Ocean' (Tung Hoi) eatery just like the ones in Menglembu and Ipoh in Malaysia (I don't know if KL has one). Just like the ones in Malaysia, this one we went to in New York's Chinatown serves excellent authentic Malaysian Chinese cuisine.

This post is about good food and great friendship which I was lucky to have both during my short stay in New York and it gives me great pleasure to share it with my readers which I don't have many at the moment. Hopefully it'll change. It was memorable and heart-warming to see all my friends on this visit and I look forward to go back again soon.

"Although we're miles apart, each and everyone of you will always be in my heart".