Sunny With a Chance of Roti
I didn’t expect much for my quick travel to Pengelih. This is not my first time anyway.
We were curious about the food. All the while I survived with Subway and some ayam penyet for my meals during my visits to the Pengerang area. And I didn’t bother to ask my colleagues why the choices seemed limited at that time. I just thought, well, since we have always been strictly on business trips, we just need to consume what is familiar and what is consistent.
Then I announced to the team to block one day to eat at Pengelih. Someone insisted on doing it on Valentine's Day. Without thinking much about it, I just said OKAY and set it.
The ferry trip is scheduled to sail at 0850hrs from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Since we are going on a weekday, there is a certain calmness about the terminal which I liked. As usual, the check-in and boarding process is smooth. The sea journey is about 45 minutes, so I have enough time to think about my life in general. I was a bit stiff though –my body and spirit. I looked at my colleagues, and they seemed to be enjoying this more than I do. I told myself that I would take photos of cats when I reached there.
It was bright and sunny at the Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal when the vessel came alongside. Everyone is all smiles and eager to start our day here. I walked behind and there seemed to be an added spring to their step as the team headed for immigration clearance. I wish I was still this enthusiastic about things. But today is the day we just relax and think of happy thoughts.
Our first stop was surprisingly easy as it was only a few steps away from the ferry terminal itself. It was still quite early, so local patrons had not flocked to the place yet. We were informed that it would get crowded for lunch, so we did come at the right time for the roti canai. I have never seen so much roti until I came down here to purposely eat them lol. After the seemingly never-ending photo-taking, we devoured. I was surprised at how simple the dish was, and yet I found myself eating it like it was a rare delicacy. It was tasty and filling! Paired with a good hot tea with milk, it was the perfect meal to start the day. The most exciting part was, I got the bill, and it was only RM 33. That is for an order of 7 rotis and 7 drinks. Not bad.
Our local guides were kind enough to drive us around town. With the sentimental scenery and the indications of rainfall, I began to wonder what Jungkook was doing this valentine’s day. While we burnt the calories from breakfast just by chitchatting, we were then ready to eat more.
The next location is a quaint roadside eatery somewhere in Sungai Mas. It was almost noon, and the sun was mighty high at this point. Earlier on the bus, we went thru cloudy skies with a chance of rain. But then again when you ask a local, this sunny to cloudy to rainy to sunny in a span of a few minutes is a normal occurrence. It was nothing to be surprised about.
The choices are varied, but we were urged to try the mee rebus here. It was full of flavor and you can see why the locals came here to eat. The other dishes we tried included mee soto and rojak manis. The right amount of heat and umami is just perfect for those who want something familiar yet not monotonous. Dessert is also highly recommended with the local cendol (with sticky rice) and corn ice kacang with chia seeds. Refreshing and filling indeed for this weather. It was the right amount of perfection to end one’s hearty lunch. While paying for our feast (RM 84), we also got some local paos to munch on when boredom struck –as if it was possible.
We hopped right back on our bus and continued our search for whatever could catch our eye. The next thing I knew, we were stopping in front of a pink shophouse. This is Sus Kerepek House. It carries a wide range of local sweets and treats that you can buy in bulk or in smaller packages. It’s a candy shop on steroids lol. There is no way that you would end up empty-handed for sure. Prices are reasonable; therefore, you would immediately think of getting something to bring back home.
As we cheerfully went back on the road, we knew that we needed to go to Sungai Rengit to go to another famous shop. We went to Kedai Kek Lim Choo Seng. We got the usual local Chinese goodies available here. Prices are also reasonable and the pineapple tart that I got was yummy. Unfortunately, we were kind of quick at this stop since we all needed a bathroom break. It was a bit too late when we realized that this same shop specializes in cooked and uncooked spaghetti. It was so random and stupefying that we had to take turns in reading the name card that we got from this shop. I need to come back here and ask for the spaghetti.
A bathroom break means we must find a place that can accommodate nature’s call for the whole group. It was also a unanimous decision that this would go hand in hand with a coffee break. We found Zus coffee just around the corner, so we made a beeline for the counter to order, then to the bathroom lol. An aesthetic coffee shop meant some drinks were trendy (Sakura rose matcha), with classics and staples available like your standard lattes and macchiatos. The price point for their drinks and pastries is pretty fair. No complaints about it. The ambiance is also modern and relaxing one can only imagine the number of TikToks and Reels made here.
By 1500hrs, we decided to make our way back to the ferry terminal to catch our 1600hrs ferry trip. Time passed by quickly today with all the eating that has happened. We were back in Singapore in less than an hour. I have to say that coming here and returning via ferry is very convenient. It was beyond bewilderment for me when people still endure the long and painful hours of waiting to clear at Causeway, just to spend a day or two at Pengerang.
Take the ferry. It’s fun and practical and relaxing.
I will talk about cats some other day.
