A smelly encounter
A stenching smell flew past my itchy nose as I strolled down the road. Impossible I thought since I was walking along a stretch of foodstalls (this was a pasar malam situated opposite AMK mrt station).10 steps forward, my doubts cleared. Fermented beancurd! I stopped for a while, took two glances, pondered a bit, and decided to move on. Afterall, I didn't want to end up with more than a half-empty stomach when I am meeting a friend for lunch at expo. Fried stuff somemore leh!
Another 10 steps forward, I paused again. It's smelly tofu leh! A delicacy that I have always been wanting to taste it again after I last ate it in Shanghai almost 7 years ago! OK. 10 steps backward.
I stood there, right in front of the fryer, waiting for my tofu. All 4 pieces of them, cut into cubes, resting in the hot oil, bursting with flavor. The lady scooped the tofu out and dropped them into one of those transparent plastic bowls. A spoonful of fermented soya bean sauce 豆瓣酱, and a handful of pickled vegetables. There, $2.
Strange that it didn't have that horrible smell when I am only 5cm away from the stall. But immediately when I walked on, a family comprising a fat boy and his fat dad, mum and grandma walked past. And discourteous they were! As they commented loudly on the pungency, they held back their breath when they brushed past me, stealing a look at those smelly cubes in my hand.
Perhaps it was imagination, but the smelliness seemed to be in opposite proportion with the temperature of the tofu. Kinda also evidenced by the number of stares for the short 10-15mins I was eating them.
Alas, the stinking "spongebob" met its minty opponent... Clorets!
posted by slingwoof @ 12/01/2005 11:33:00 PM
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