Tempoyak, a Journey to The Limits of Flavor

I’ll forgive you for calling me “crazy” for what i am about to mention.

in case you’re no longer familiar with the Malaysian condiment of ‘Tempoyak,‘ then “loopy” is how it'll appear.

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Scroll down now, and find out how life-converting enjoy thru flavor can be as simple as a lunch desk complete of nearby meals in Malaysia.

Temerloh, Malaysia is a first rate region for each meals and travel

“PADU BEB!” IS A nearby MALAYSIAN BLOGGER, AND these days HE’S INTRODUCING US TO ‘TEMPOYAK.’

Malaysia’s purpose to rejoice

Malaysia is one of the few international locations in the world that not handiest welcome the durian fruit – they have a good time it.

whether or not its a moderate interest, or raging and unceasing hunger, Malaysia is a rustic in which any and all durian fanatics can go to certainly permit their passions run wild.

Dreaming about a trip to go to Malaysia? allow me to introduce to you a condiment so incredible, it is well worth an entire day of eating on its very own.

Use the hyperlink (watch Mark’s video on YouTube), then scroll right down to get the entire info in this whole great meal.

Introducing Tempoyak

Tempoyak is a South East Asian dish that needs best  components to make, and that i’ll go beforehand and clue you in proper now – durian is one of these two substances.

It changed into a few years ago that the phrase ‘Tempoyak’ first came to our attention. Tempoyak is eaten handiest in a totally brief list of locations though, and so we had been truely left to matter the days until this new flavor might be a fact!

Fermented durian is known as Tempoyak, and its the most well loved food in most eating places in Temerloh

GOBANG MAJU specializes in FISH AND wonderful DURIAN CHILI JAM, ‘SAMBAL TEMPOYAK’

Temerloh, Malaysia for Tempoyak

The town’s call is Temerloh, a valuable city in Malaysia that locals recognise as one of the homes of ‘Tempoyak.’

manifestly, arriving in Malaysia this time, there has been nothing else to do but make an instantaneous line out of the airport, and start the journey for Temerloh.

Tip: Renting a vehicle in KL is straightforward and rapid (rental the use of Europcar), and the force is less than 2 hours from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia’s capital).

Gobang Maju is a top notch restaurant positioned in Temerloh, that is one region you can't miss in your subsequent ride to Malaysia

GRILLING FRESHWATER FISH, AND overlaying THEM each WITH TEMPOYAK – GOBANG MAJU eating place

you may in all likelihood skip through dozens of eating places together with manner with symptoms marketing for Tempoyak Patin (the wild-sounding recipe which include both durian and a neighborhood species of catfish).

Such an obvious metropolis-wide addiction most effective builds exhilaration to devour, and we understand each different well if you additionally locate your self thinking, “is just sooner or later going to be sufficient?”

First prevent – Gobang Maju restaurant

Upon arrival, the first restaurant you want to find in Temerloh is ‘Gobang Maju’.

Its location is proper along the riverside, just past the main roundabouts of the metropolis.

search for the large sign, and allow your pleasure convey you – the lunch that awaits is in all likelihood going to make your entire experience profitable.

What to order

The well-known dishes here use Pangasius, a massive Asian river-dwelling catfish (this species truly is a silver catfish, referred to as ‘ikan patin,’ just like the eating place call)*.

you would possibly pick out the pais bakar (fermenting durian and chili jam cover a fish immediately from the grill), or the equal catfish as sections in a neighborhood favored asam soup (bitter soup).

*Of course, I advocate you try each. the whole name on the menu by means of the manner, is Gulai Tempoyak Ikan Patin.

You’re likely going to need at least one bowl for every body on the desk – after simply one flavor, you may no longer be inclined to percentage. The atmosphere right here is best for going overboard on flavor, dropping yourself completely in a morning-long epic mealtime.

Tempoyak is a food really worth touring to consume

GULAI TEMPOYAK IKAN PATIN – A SOUP OF FERMENTED DURIAN PASTE, WITH PANGASIUS (A local FISH)

There are tons of various alternatives right here, and you can even pick out between a la carte items, or status in line at the takeout counter up front.

I’ll give you extra information on all that during a minute, for now I simply can’t wait to get proper to the primary occasion.

Get geared up for ‘Tears of pleasure’

After this sort of construct-up this whole morning, we will’t probable wait to any extent further – the dish arrives to the table, and we simply ought to dive in spoon-first.

you can get a feel nearly straight away, that you’re achieving a new precipice of meals enjoy.  You’ve taken a chunk, there’s no going returned, a sheer wave of flavor energy comes dancing throughout the tongue.

the first bite might also bring Tears…

not anything can probably healthy the experience of tasting this – Tempoyak bridges far past our ‘consolation region’ of taste territory.

literally leaving the eater speechless, the primary spoonful of this rich broth may have any foodie sitting in simple fascination – it's miles proper and general mouth-numbing joy.

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a lot greater than simply Durian…

For the ones of us who recognize durian, of course there’s that first comfort of the recognizable candy/sour flavor. The funky tingling feeling starts offevolved, following a pungent sweet thinly creamy mess of flavor… but this is not simply durian – Tempoyak is so much extra!

The tongue and nostril unsleeping with a jolt, as a deep fermentation factor becomes clear.

Diving in head over heels by way of this point, you may genuinely end up speechless, and that’s totally ok!

I assume before everything for me, its a state of flavor over all else, the mind in near overall confusion. as though standing out of doors one’s own body, the taste wave sooner or later subsides, and all the ones across the table sit grinning, sweating, hopelessly satisfied, and asking “is enlightenment viable in a lunchtime?… was that revel in all happening, simply from meals?!”

A dish in order to set your flavor world on hearth, Tempoyak elevates any bitter and highly spiced dish from true, to amazing, to ethereal

PAIS BAKAR TEMPOYAK – GRILLED FISH IN GORGEOUSLY GOOEY DURIAN AND CHILI JAM

Sambal Tempoyak (Durian and Chili Jam)

as the close to out-of-body experience starts to vanish (and the newly devout Tempoyak fan slowly sinks backpedal to earth), i beg you to go and relive the amazement a 2d time.

start by way of locating the next dish for lunch, a tin-foil wrapper that encloses the dish of pais bakar Tempoyak.

If there’s some thing which could healthy a raw fermenting durian, its the genius flow of cooking with the equal durian aspect. Turning it right into a sambal, consist of a mash of chili peppers, salt, and clean garlic, and you've got but another trophy-worth taste from those wonderfully simple substances.

Pais Bakar Tempoyak

Thick gobs of the fermented durian mix with a mash of chili peppers, salt, and some thing sour (most commonplace fruit for this is bilimbi, a relative of starfruit). This creates even any other level of the Tempoyak-led teach of flavors, any other genius introduction of Malaysia’s local meals lifestyle.

**exceedingly, the grilling approach absolutely tones down the very best peaks of taste feasible in Sambal Tempoyak, so for an absolute finale of flavor, study the word below.

Veteran Durian Lover’s Tip

not for the faint of coronary heart, this restaurant also has small packing containers of pure, uncooked Sambal Tempoyak (2RM each), you can find them at the shelf in the middle of the eating place.

Have a few with the clean veggies, then have some in your finger, and ultimately, please resist the urge to smuggle too many domestic to your checked luggage (I imply, of path that’s what we did, however I still ought to warn you).

Smoked beef made with a creamy coconut milk curry, the cili padi is exquisite

MASAK LEMAK CILI PADI WITH red meat IS outstanding AT GOBANG MAJU restaurant AS properly

The dust settles… You Order extra

within the aftermath of your mouth’s most up-to-date love-discovery there are genuinely many different delicious ingredients served at Gobang Maju.

highly, if now not for the Tempoyak haze my mind remains wading through, I ought to even write home about this cili padi red meat on its personal.

Masak Lemak Cili Padi

the first small bowl you have to strive needs to be masak lemak cili padi, every other outstanding introduction of neighborhood Malay cuisine.

The smokiness inside the red meat is beautiful, the layers of flavor that come from cooking with dry meat like this is unreal. you have to order at least one bowl of this to go with your lunch even as you’re here.

notice: We had just been blown away some days formerly over an immensely tasty morning meal (smoked duck and smoked red meat) at Itik Salai Masthar in Kuala Lumpur.

splendid facet salad here at Gobang Maju restaurant, made with herbs and veggies

SMALL BOWL OF HERBS AND CRUNCHY SALAD, IT consists of ROASTED SHREDDED COCONUT

Malay Kerabu (Coconut and Chili Salad)

A small bowl of kerabu (combined salad) consists of splendidly vibrant flavors, and gives a pleasant crunch as properly. virtually, its great to have one dish at the desk not leaving you falling over intoxicated with powerful flavors, so that you ought to likely get a few of these salads as well.

Crunchy textures and crisp aroma come from shreds of culantro, crunchy bean sprouts and carrots, and a few peppers. There’s additionally a few crimson shallots, and finally, they dust the entire salad in great shreds of coconut.

this is all stirred collectively with just a piece of coconut oil in the dish as properly, and while a few recipes even consist of bird or goat with the kerabu as nicely (super recipe in Northern Malaysia proper right here), Gobang Maju’s version right here is vegetarian.

now not for the faint of coronary heart, the Sambal Tempoyak is a amazing condiment for every unmarried meals in sight.

CASHEW TREE LEAVES AND any other local HERB TO DIP on your SAMBAL TEMPOYAK

fresh Vegetable choice

From the self-service line in front, you may additionally make a plate of those neighborhood herbs and sparkling vegetables.

I see that almost each neighborhood vacationer to the restaurant piles up a small plate with these 3 vegetables. the first one I understand to be the leaf from a Cashew tree, and that i suppose the second one is younger leaves from a Mango tree. the following  i'm not positive of, but they've a sour initial taste, slightly fruity, after which a totally gently sweet and bitter aftertaste – almost like a form of jungle-y basil.

those had been superb to dip into the Sambal Tempoyak, and additionally high-quality to use as miniature mops to wipe your plate easy.

the one with all the smaller leaves works first rate to maintain that durian jam from the pais bakar tempoyak (the grilled fish with durian jam), and that i just couldn't get sufficient of this combination.

awesome meals here nowadays at Gobang Maju in Temerloh, Malaysia

A TRAY OF food for two would possibly look like THIS, just earlier than THE TEMPOYAK SOUPS ARRIVE

fantastic Meal at Gobang Maju, and don’t forget Dessert!

This became virtually a meal that I didn’t need to quit. The soups have been fantastic, the grilled and boiled fish meat so smooth, and a lovely layer of Tempoyak covered the entirety.

before soliciting for the bill however, don’t neglect, these eating place offers an incredible meals for dessert!

A advent this is fairly their personal, this Durian Cendol is spectacular! (see photograph under)

beginning with a neighborhood sort of crimson sugar on the bottom, the bowl is built on durian and coconut ice cream, pandan candy noodles, crimson kidney beans, then a layer of beaten ice, and in the end a layer of coconut cream. To top it all off, the ice cream writer provides  gorgeously creamy chunks of D24 durian (a totally popular nearby species).

The dessert changed into yet every other blessing in the form of durian, and what a way to give up the meal here these days. A huge thanks to the proprietor of Gobang Maju as nicely, who gave us this whole meal free of price.

An terrific dessert, also full of durian. This durian cendol at Gobang Maju was exceptional

fantastic TEXTURE on this large BOWL OF DURIAN CENDOL – GOBANG MAJU’S SIGNATURE DESSERT!

call: Gobang Maju Patin Tempoyak

place: Google Maps (hyperlink)

Hours: 11am to 10pm (Closed Thursday)

price: They so kindly gave us this meal complimentary, thank you!

There’s Durian, however then there’s nearby Durian

As its already been made clear, no foodie in the world can suppose they’ve ‘tried all of it,’ till they have Tempoyak in Western/crucial Malaysia.

simply as it appears worthwhile to dedicate an entire morning to traveling for Tempoyak, now it seems handiest right that we also supply ourselves a few room for contrast.

just as there’s durian, there’s also neighborhood durian – consequently there need to additionally be Tempoyak, after which local Tempoyak.

it's miles truely just a obligatory development.

obligatory, however the subsequent circulate nonetheless feels extremely good… and now, directly to round !

visit Selera Patin Bangau for yet any other certainly high-quality model of Ikan Patin Tempoyak

that is THE front OF SELERA PATIN BANGAU restaurant, SURROUNDED by way of MANGO AND BANANA trees

spherical two (Tempoyak at home)

From the Gobang Maju eating place its most effective a 5-10 minute pressure onwards to a 2d destination, Selera Patin Bangau restaurant.

but i'd say you could’t omit this one either.

even as Gobang Maju serves a absolutely exquisite meal, it's miles a instead huge and famous restaurant. We also wanted to enjoy on our day of Tempoyak, the distinction in a domestic-cooked model of this Western Malaysia delicacy.

The power turned into via jungle and local scenes this time, no most important roads. even though Temerloh itself is already complete of feelings of rest, it now feels like you're driving at once to some hidden tropical seaside.

Passing humans sitting alongside the riverside, there are fisherman, cows, and single-domestic fruit farms. It reminds me of journeys long in the past, the extremely good lifestyles and pure and local critical Malaysian living.

Patin Tempoyak is a splendid local meals

tremendous DURIAN FLAVORED SOUPS, OUR table RESTING inside the coloration OF A MANGO TREE.

Nasi Campur and Patin Tempoyak

The alternatives here for dishes containing Tempoyak here are quite much like those to be had at Gobang Maju restaurant.

There are apparent variations in flavor, but the first component you'll word right here is the style wherein everything is prepared.

begin through ordering at the least one greater of every of the Patin Tempoyak (the bitter soup made with catfish), and the Bakar Tempoyak as well (durian chili jam grilled fish).

the home-fashion restaurant and the house-cooked flavors are obvious, this restaurant emits just the sort of extremely good and enjoyable countryside vibe. i used to be just as excited arriving here as i used to be for the primary meal, and we have been very glad to look what else Tempoyak had in save for us today.

be aware: Nasi Campur is the primary food that locals are coming here to consume – a mix of cooked vegetables, fried meats, and curries over rice – and so genuinely there are even many more options for meals than simply people with Tempoyak whilst eating right here at Selera Patin Bangau.

extraordinary flavor combinations feasible in this best instance of domestic-fashion Malay meals

NASI CAMPUR, WITH FISH CAKE, EGGPLANT, AND beef SPLEEN FRIED WITH local PEPPERS

mixed ingredients with Rice

Ever seeing that first touring Malaysia in 2009, i have been an addict of Nasi Campur.

now not handiest is it only a fantastic meal to put together, it also gives an eater a small view of any of a dozen nearby substances and taste combinations.

There’s even a bit of textural appeal right here that is handiest present in subculture’s that use their fingers to eat. The rice’s function below all the meals gives the additional advantage of allowing your fingers to mix in, mash, and blend even greater flavor into every bite.

today I chose one among my all-time favourite nasi campur combinations together with a big crimson eggplant, which chefs till its nearly a mush of oils and taste interior, a fish cake that’s mashed so best its almost the consistency of bean curd, and sooner or later a scrumptious facet of beef spleen, cooking with a mild curry sauce, and wonderfully fiery nearby chilies.

If a fish tail could ever be referred to as sexy, then its one that is swimming in a durian flavored soup

nearly LIKE A MERMAID TAIL on this GOLDEN AND bitter GULAI TEMPOYAK SOUP.

Tempoyak Patin

while it became in reality even interesting simply to start the same meal all over again, our tempoyak patin highly spiced and sour soup right here changed into definitely different than the only served at Gobang Maju.

looking to clearly examine the flavor, you have to pass in spooning proper from the serving bowl itself. Don’t fear, the element that feels proper to do here, is likewise the culturally appropriate component to do as nicely (I asked).

Gulai Tempoyak Ikan Patin

This version changed into a lot much less candy, a little much less highly spiced as nicely, however I suppose they'll have included simply greater pure salted durian flesh on its very own to get the sort of flavor.

it is excellent, so one of a kind and yet so recognizably Tempoyak-ey, it become really a pride to devour this dish again, even though it turned into only some hours later.

To simply sat again and experience another time the nearly infinite supply of flavors in this golden and sour fish soup, so generously flavored with durian, I assume there have been several kings and different usa leaders who ate nowhere near as properly as we did nowadays.

sooner or later, if you are curious to make this your self via the way, i discovered an article right here that looks extremely good.

note:* you could recognize this fish via some other call, as it is eaten in many countries round the sector. Served as ‘swai,’ inside the america, and ‘pangas‘ (just like the species name) across Europe. experience free to leave different local names from your own home within the ‘feedback’ phase under.

Pairing  loopy flavors collectively, Durian jam tempoyak and jengkol nut

A CHAMPION bite – no longer FOR THE FAINT OF coronary heart! – DURIAN JAM AND A JENGKOL NUT

home-fermented Durian Jam – Tempoyak 2.zero

For those who truly have that raging, uncontrollable urge to devour as lots flavor as a mouth should ever experience – this extremely good local restaurant additionally stocks their personal recipe of sparkling and undiluted tempoyak with chili (sambal tempoyak)

Adjectives become a bit more difficult to come back with the aid of while describing a taste that is this formidable.

i will’t trust I may want to say it, however durian itself is virtually really tame whilst evaluating it to the powers of Tempoyak.

My mouth has honestly most effective danced round edges ’til now, and while it’s hard to accept as true with, its also obviously true – after a few dozen glorious dips into this new paradise of flavor, I admit that my thoughts has been further opened to what tastebuds can do.

An adventure like none other awaits you right here, assignment to ascend the lofty and smelly peaks for flavor treasure, taste most effective viable with this neighborhood delicacy of ‘Tempoyak.’

simple to make, and yielding earth shattering consequences

SAMBAL TEMPOYAK – MADE WITH nothing but SALT, AND natural DURIAN FLESH.

The again story

studies before this ride to Malaysia sooner or later caused meeting up with numerous local people whilst there.

traveling to a new region (or maybe u . s .) is one of the privileges of lifestyles, especially whilst you’re going there to explore it thru meals.

if you have a pal at the inside but, a nearby touch who gives to show you round, then its even greater than a privilege – that state of affairs is a real blessing.

In this situation we quite plenty hit the jackpot, assembly up with Mr. Sufian (nearby food blogger), as he is not only knowledgable approximately the matters all of us need to understand, however this man is literally simply as loopy about meals as we're.

in the end it become one of the better days of our whole experience, but in this situation too we had an introduced bonus! We were secure from an all-time foodie-vacationer’s fear, in no way once desiring to invite – “is that this restaurant going to be as true because it looks on line?”

We had been fortunate to meet up, grasp out with, and now name this cool neighborhood blogger our pal, online he is going through the call Padu Beb!, and you may take a look at out his first rate channel here.

The King of culmination has a side-Kick

Durian is well-known during SouthEast Asia as one of the greater (exciting? one-of-a-kind?) things that a human mouth should ever enjoy. How then may want to one imagine a taste more potent available, some thing that might in reality top a Durian, THE King of culmination?

Its a Malaysian nearby meals, and for all who've been enlightened to the flavor, its one in order to now not permit a tongue to ever, ever pass again.

Do you regularly discover yourself obsessing over Durian?

if you locate yourself obsessing every now and then (or even each day at some point of Durian season) then we clearly have some thing in not unusual.

however, even if this fruit holds no attraction for you, i'd nevertheless quite suggest each of those restaurants. they have got masses of other foods as well in order to just blow your tastebuds via the roof – Malaysia’s food is simply that brilliant.

So – when you are making tour plans to go to this stunning united states of Malaysia, be sure now not to neglect to leave a space to your calendar, mark it out in yellow, and devote (at least one) whole day to Tempoyak.