Itik Salai Masthar

After quite a long time with a slightly anxious look on his face, my driver turned into the parking lot and dropped me off at Itik Salai Masthar. There was already quite a crowd, and a local band playing in the corner. I waited under the awning for Kogie to arrive since the sun in Malaysia is new levels of punishing. Right on time she pulled up, slightly perplexed that a tourist knew of this place when she had never heard of it, and worked 15 minute drive away. 

Duck curry, beef curry (for me), rice ordered and we sat at the table anxious to see what all the fuss was about. I had heard that they sell out pretty early, so I was overjoyed just to be staring this beast in the face, waiting painstaking seconds before starting its disassembly. 

Sometimes, just sometimes in life you take a spoon to your lips, the whole world stops for a full second. This was one of those moments. Rich, coconut curry, spiced aggressively on the hot-scale but punched full of flavour. The duck was deeply smokey, but not burnt-rubber tasting. Beef was of a jerky consistency and the curry broth was slightly different, but equally as delicious. We both smiled and continued eating, small beads of sweat forming from where the internal battle was raging with the lack of AC in this open air affair. A meal enjoyed in vast periods of silence usually mean's people are enjoying their food.

I headed to the kitchen to try get some sort of insight into the recipe. The cook was coy, of course. With stomachs full, Kogie offered to drive me to Kajang train station since the likelihood of a Grab driver patrolling these parts was slim to non-existant. After saying goodbyes and misunderstanding the ticket counter cashier completely, I managed to find the platform and sat waiting for the train back to KL. A roadtrip for food, is a roadtrip i'll never say no to.