Terangganu, Malaysia simply is probably the most enjoyable location you have yet to hear of (or maybe you do know about it, and that i apprehend why you want to preserve it a secret).
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whether or not its the ever-breezy Terangganu air, or the concept of having a chef deep-fry a brimming choice of sea meals for you – Warung Pak Nong restaurant is a restaurant with some thing for anyone.
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…and its in which we're going for lunch today!
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excellent ocean views are only made better when you have a table full of seafood waiting for your arrival
the ocean perspectives ARE awesome, eating WHAT the ocean gives whilst DOING it's miles EVEN greater!
Its a ‘Win-Win’ with seaside and seashore food
Its quite lots a win-win state of affairs every time you discover your self taking part in a terrifi seashore view, even as expecting a banquet of seafood to arrive at your table.
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paying attention to the sea spray at the same time as feeling the warm breeze, sitting in coloration whilst watching the waves is perfect – till a group of pals subsequent to you starts calling out for assist.
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No issues nowadays even though, because the only hassle right here is, your buddies are calling you to assist them consume!**
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With An Indoor Take-out Line
one of the matters that makes this Terangganu restaurant so a laugh, is how they prepare the restaurant to maximize both comfort and pace, whilst additionally retaining a cozy make-your self-at-domestic type vibe.
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i will most effective suppose to call it a eating-in take-out line, and the manner you order here is just splendid.
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Scroll down now and examine ‘the way to Order.’
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Even on a weekday, Warung Pok Nong was full of families - now that's how you understand its true
WARUNG POK NONG IS A famous LUNCHTIME area WITH nearby TERANGGANU families
tremendously Busy, And amusing
There are a few tables out inside the open air (on both facet of the eating place, parallel to the seashore front), however most of the tables are beneath the main roof building.
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you will need to reserve both your beverages and your food your self, however they may assist you carry the food (which is ideal, because you’re going to want a variety of it).
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There’s a line for liquids, and a separate line for food, and in case you’re following the main drift of factors (just look for the unmistakable line of smiling and hungry customers), then food is what comes first.
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notice – a couple of Warnings
don't forget to usually ASK earlier than tagging your pals on Instagram, or they might get in trouble for cutting off work early on a Wednesday (we were fortunate to be in this example now not as soon as, however numerous times – and i can handiest say a large ‘thanks!’ Malaysians like to devour, and we have been only too fortunate to be there with these new friends nowadays).
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note:** huge reminder right here, this area is certainly popular, i'm no longer kidding – although it was simplest after finishing off the primary 5 or so plates of seafood that it got here to our interest – this eating place typically needs reservations from the day before you need to visit!
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Make your self aware of how to order, so you don't need to interrupt the cool atmostphere or float within the eating place
ITS A lovely thing TO WITNESS SUCH HUSTLE, but additionally relaxation, IN perfect concord
Terangganu Seafood strategy at Warung Pok Nong
Step 1: Seafood
‘Warung Pok Nong’ restaurant focuses on deep frying seafood, and there are pretty a massive wide variety of selections and styles for you to select from.
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due to the straightforward ordering (each patron lining up in the front of the counter like school students) they keep the order line splendidly easy.
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everything is deep frying, moving instantly from the fryer, to the dripper, to your plate, for your table, each plate comes with a small saucer of red sauce. watch for your turn in line, deliver your order of form of seafood, and how many plates, and subsequently point out to them the place in which you are sitting.
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Step 2: liquids
the subsequent component to do will be a drink order, but they have got separate places for ordering both blending drinks or water. The water (and coconut water) is to the right of the food ordering, while the liquids that take preparation (coffee, tea, 3-in-one sweet powders) are to your left.
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Its no longer as complicated as it may sound, due to the fact you can virtually try and order liquids out of your table (timing it proper, simply whilst a server arrives with the meals). Its just that this restaurant may be so extraordinarily busy, its sometimes simply quicker to simply make the circulate your self.
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The chef right here is working with masses of fish according to hour, deep frying every remaining one
DIPPING every FISH IN BATTER, THEN transferring THEM TO BASKETS before DEEP FRYING every ONE
Step 3: Seating
the quantity of seafood they fry here is wonderful, and it gained’t be long before your order will arrive.
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in case you need to take a moment to witness the chef in movement, lightly stroll through the valuable door, and make your manner across the returned.
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The cooks right here are so friendly, it turned into first-rate to see them chortle as we stared in awe, the sheer amount of oil, of seafood, and the large length of all of the frying pans – it's miles pretty a sight to see.
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And of course, one so as to make you uncontrollably hungry right away.
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move returned outside and attempt to find a table, and of direction for seating, and then for consuming, this step is always extra easy to do with pals.
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hundreds of fish frying on the same time, it's going to make you uncontrollably hungry
the amount OF FRYING movement IS mind-BLOWING – each of those ARE complete OF FISH
Crispy and Crackling meeting Line
The sounds of nearly 10 massive deep-frying pans full of fish are without problems heard all of the way from the ordering line.
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walking back into the kitchen is highly enjoyable but, and its clear to me from this lunchtime as a minimum, that human beings of Terangganu are very secure running with gigantic quantities of frying seafoods each day.
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these two ladies are professionals at fast cleansing each squid earlier than the deep frying which comes subsequent
THE SQUID cleaning (AND SHYLY SMILING) delivery LINE
those younger women had been taking part in a threat to expose us how to properly easy every squid for frying.
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One woman lightly removes the inside parts of a squid (along with the ink sack, which is normally stored), after which offers it a short rinse earlier than passing it down.
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the second one lady then quickly but easily eliminates the squid’s outer layer of pores and skin with a knife, making small incisions earlier than putting off all of it by using hand as one shiny pink sheath.
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Smaller squid will nonetheless have smooth skin, but with fats and extra mature squid like those, the outer skin may be difficult after frying.
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4 mackerel to a plate, and i think we had 3 orders of this today at Pok Nong Seafood
FIRST PLATE, A BALANCING show OF MACKEREL
The Lunch banquet begins with Fish
the primary of the fried fish are prepared, the first of numerous different plates that were on their way.
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To quickly describe a bit about the mackerel, you may see why its just a perfect fish to deep fry.
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The mackerel does have scales, and therefore it's far halal and safe for Muslims to consume, but the scales are so small that the skin is sort of velvety to touch – which offers no hassle at all to our enamel after those fish deep fry!
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i am amazed at how light and golden the colour is of these fried, crispy, little fish, and there’s not anything like a display of fish like this to get the urge for food going.
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specially else, that is just an exceedingly fun finger-food, and so simply after the instant they're cool sufficient to the touch, dig in on your first finger-ful of white, mackerel meat.
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Crispy on the out of doors, bouncy and chewy on the inside, The squid here are super
big SQUID complete OF SQUID EGGS, DEEP FRIED, AND SERVED WITH A TANGY, sweet dark SAUCE
Fried Squid
The squid here are a miniature epic of a journey of texture – I truely love each chunk of these.
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Frying to quite a difficult, crispy outdoor, but so skinny, giving manner immediately to the bouncy, nicely chewy, thick chicken within. Take the scissors furnished, and reduce each piece yourself before ingesting.
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Squid to me is more about the feel, but there may be a richness and fattiness there as well. Our squid sincerely came full of eggs, and these roe appearance beautiful as well, like a bit bowl of glass beads internal every squid.
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Sauce on your heart’s delight
The deep frying may additionally go away them with a bit much less flavor on their own – so that you may also sooner or later need to grab a sauce to go with those bites as nicely.
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The eating place has a dark sauce that includes the squid, it smells bitter and tastes barely sweet, and whilst I want it turned into a chunk greater highly spiced, it in reality goes top notch with these squid.
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those plates of squid were long gone in a hurry, i was very grateful to see still many more plates of both fish, squid, and then shrimp, on their manner from the recent oil drip trays to our desk.
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easy, deep fried, and scrumptious. The shrimp is a have to-order at Warung Pok Nong restaurant
pink AND GOLD, simply shades on this evidently scrumptious PLATE OF FRIED SHRIMP
Fried Shrimp
At closing, the plates of large shrimp arrive, the only dish I never can wait to strive (I received’t lie, I may also have burned a finger or , attaining in earlier than they even hit the table).
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The shrimp here are large, they could best match six or seven to a whole dinner plate, and the small bits of crispy batter on top upload a pleasing of entirety for presentation.
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The huge scales on the returned are simplest too smooth to peel off, and the beauty of each chew of shrimp meat is elegant. Crunch for your heart’s content, and cheers your pals to any other successful day entire (sure, despite the fact that its simplest lunchtime!).
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it's miles a need to-order right here at Warung Pok Nong eating place, it's miles obligatory to finish off about one plate of these shrimp in keeping with person earlier than absolutely everyone can dare mention mind of a departure.
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Piping warm squid, sparkling from the frying pans
THE FRIED SQUID IS PILING UP, just WATCH YOUR fingers while IT ARRIVES – it's miles warm!
backstage
The very last step earlier than each batch of seafood is prepared consists of a at the back of-the-scenes movement that I also want to proportion with you.
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The chef cleans out each pan of a virtually unbelievably amount of crispy batter that falls off at some stage in the cooking. He swoops those all out, swishing through the oil with a large display screen tool, and movements maximum of the fried-to-a-crisp bits of batter into a collection urn at once at the back of him.
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word: some bits to go on top of each plate, however most of the people is not used for meals, however goes to feed the households chickens that stay out behind the restaurant instead.
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It made the experience all of the better nonetheless to see how, even at this sort of busy and popular searching eating place, there was nonetheless a completely ordinary and nearby circle of relatives lifestyles in movement. Their lives here are growing and taking place in conjunction with the restaurant’s boom as well, and it's miles great to see an instantaneous view of 1 local own family serving meals (and their happiness) to so many other families coming for a meal.
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Ice cream and shaved ice, covered with candy and colorful syrup
DON’T neglect considered one of numerous DRINK OR DESSERT options here TO HAVE on the give up OF YOUR MEAL.
The restaurant experience
It is a great day, whenever you can both visit the beach, and keep down ratios of over a dozen objects of seafood in step with individual according to table. exceedingly, our large order this present day nonetheless did no longer include the total kind of seafoods (or cakes) to be had at Warung Pok Nong.
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There are also massive crabs (frying shells and all), a few other styles of fish besides the squid, mackerel, and tuna in our order these days, and then deep frying fish balls and tofu which also appear to be favorites here as properly.
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subsequently, you can word on almost every table inside the restaurant, a dessert order of this vivid, cooling, ice cream and shave ice combination.
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I did not do this myself, but some human beings at our desk say that it's miles very sweet, clean, and an excellent finish to the more heavy seafood options in a meal right here.
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add to their dipping sauce with your personal part of Tempoyak, the fermented durian local Malaysian delicacy that we assume youve been sporting to your pocket for the complete ride
BONUS in case you occur TO BE carrying TEMPOYAK for your POCKET… mix YOUR own DIP!**
Terangganu – the proper seaside surroundings
The seafood options right here are wonderful, however i would say that its the environment and place of this Terangganu restaurant that would keep me coming lower back.
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I couldn’t believe a higher region to go for a mid-day meal with circle of relatives and friends, an interesting (the remarkable food) but laid-again region (the beachside seating), a high-quality example of Terangganu food and culture.
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It surely reminds me of the last time we had a seafood ceremonial dinner within the sand, that point at the Arabian Sea near Karachi.
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in case you are traveling Kuala Terangganu, make sure to check out a few of our different articles as nicely – here is a jaw-losing meal of neighborhood Terangganu-style breakfast at Nasi Dagang Atas Tol, and i would suggest following this by means of a lunchtime banquet at local favorite Aroma Kampong restaurant for fish, soups, and of direction, tempoyak.
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notice*: Tempoyak isn't for sale here, but if you do occur to be carrying a few (like we had been, from the first time we noticed it available on the market, until the very last meal of the whole journey), then sense loose to feature a few dollops to your own small dipping box.