Lunch at New World #2

Otak-otak in banana leaf - alright, no verbal raves.
Papa Chow ordered 2 plates of Nasi Lemak for himself and Taka. He can never let an opportunity for nasi lemak slip by, supposedly. Who could blame him. No verbal raves though.
Verbal raves all around for this curry mee. We all had a bowl each - beautiful stock, good proportions - we did without the pig's blood and extra cockles. Highly recommended. Mama Chow said that the two curry mee stalls at New World were equally good in their own way: the one we ate had a sweeter stock and the other (closed) was more aromatic, spice-oriented.
The damage: we did not finish the chai koay as it turns out. What did I say about oversized dumplings?
Ais Kacang with banana slices. This has been a firm favorite for a long time; seeing as it was one of the few things I could actually eat when I was fully vegetarian at Swatow Lane. I don't know if it was the change of location, the absence of longkang-side ambience with ratty parasols - but it wasn't quite the same. I think one of the issues of communal eating, which I am all for, is the lack of undivided attention given to a single dish/feature/thing. Because there is a multitude of distractions, flavours, you tend to be prompted by greed rather than concentration - I am referring to myself really. I think it is important to afford each dish the time to consider it on its own but chaos is really fun.

Lunch at New World, Swatow Lane

Dericious Yam Cake topped with dried shrimps and spring onion. So good I kept eating despite Mama Chow's protests because my thumb was still gross.
Chee Cheong Fun - ok but it doesn't quite compare to my favorite Ah Pek at Pulau Tikus pasar.
Close-up: this was so good, I think about a thousand shrimps died for this garnish.
Chai Koay - I didn't manage to try this, these dumplings don't usually float my boat, they were all finished up which is a good sign considering our excessiveness. The thing with chai koay is that I see them as an oversized dim sum variation, I don't exactly understand the size.
Bak Chang - glutinous rice dumpling
I thought this was good, extremely lardy but Mama Chow tells me that it's a necessary evil.

CNY Reunion Dinner at Nyonya Cafe, New World Park

Left to right: Papa Chow, Taka, Mag & Mama Chow. This is us trying to kill time while waiting for dinner to be served. It was an extremely busy night at the restaurant, others were also forgoing the traditional feast at-home for a fuss-free meal out. The downside was waiting. A long time. Sipping on Nutmeg Juice and overpriced (supposed) 20-year-old tea.
The upside: Nyonya yumminess. The six of us polished this off within 10 minutes. Min timed us, we were starving by the time the food arrived. Clockwise from front left: Poh Piah, Loh Han Chai, Prawns, Curry Kapitan (Chicken), Kangkung Belacan, Otak-otak and Ikan Gulai Tumis.
Closeup of Ikan Gulai Tumis: Killer gravy - lemongrass, tomatoes, mint leaves, all kinds of goodness, worth the wait...
Deep-fried poh piah with worchestershire sauce. In spite of it being a crazy night for the restaurant, every dish delivered, and then some (apart from the Loh Han Chai).