Anno Ayam IV: CNY Crab

Photo credit: alex.ch

The 31st of January was the first working day after the long CNY weekend. I wasn't working that day, so took the chance to do some banking. Public Bank had sent me a mailer that my supplementary credit card was ready for collection at the Equine Park branch. Actually, it was my second attempt to pick up the card. Like the first time, the numbers for the customer service counter was moving slowly. The customer service officer gave such excellent service that I felt like slapping her. She talked on and on, offering information that the customer didn't even ask for. Couldn't stand it so I went to the teller to ask about credit card collection. Thank goodness that they immediately picked up my request! The teller took my identification card and asked me to wait a while. Ten minutes later, the lady told me that they couldn't find my card. I was flabbergasted.



Feeling annoyed, I left the bank branch and went for breakfast at the nearby Village Cafe that is famous for their pork slice noodles. I wasn't satisfied with the answer I was given at the bank branch so I called the credit card customer service hotline. The staff that talked to me insisted that the card was at the branch already and that the branch did not search correctly. Sounded like it happens on a regular basis. I went back to the car, fetched the mailer and marched right up to the teller again. I told her to look again.... please. Five minutes later, she told me that she found it. Go figure. I gave a big fake smile and left.



Can you believe that KH was actually working on that day? His workaholic CEO called for a meeting in the morning. Right after that he left work and came straight over to my house. Jumped into his car and drove to Seremban for a lunch appointment with his ex-coursemate, Lynn. Lynn works in London and comes back to Malaysia several times a year to visit her ailing father. She knew about me long before KH came out to her. Many, many years ago during the early stages of our relationship, KH asked me to accompany him to a gathering of his ex-university mates at Outback Steakhouse, Bukit Bintang (is it still there?). Anyone with half a brain could have guessed who I was. It was really an awkward situation, but I played along anyway.



Our journey to Seremban was quite smooth. The only jam we saw was the traffic heading out of Seremban. Lynn lived on a hill overlooking the Seremban wet market, a residential area named Bukit Lemon. Cute name. She brought us for lunch at Kedai Makanan Seremban, a famous spot for Seremban baked crabs. Truth be told, I've never tried this. Looked more grilled than baked really. But the crabs were coated with a sticky-salty sauce that clung to the shell. Very different. Can't say I have had crabs like that before. The dish also came with a mild dipping sauce that complemented the taste of the crabs. Since it was CNY, they charged us MYR80 for 1 kilogram. On top of that, we ordered a plate of signature noodles-- stir-fried wantan noodles with minced meat. In my opinion, it was well-executed, and not oily.









As the host, Lynn treated us lunch. To return the favour, we suggested coffee. Actually, Lynn preferred the traditional kopitiams, but of course none were open. Had to settle for a cafe instead-- La Roasteria which was nearby. Not fantastic, but for an average of MYR7, I wasn't complaining. A fitting close to our Seremban road trip.