Chadian Pasta

This simple dish is inspired by Rob Barrett who has a cooking channel on youtube. When I first saw his video on Chadian Pasta, I was all fired up to cook the dish. However, it took me a while to find a time slot when I can cook the dish. Most of the daily meals have been planned by Lynna (my dear wife). So I have been heckling her to find a slot when I can cook this dish. Finally on a Friday evening, opportunity knocks on my door.

Ingredients

I picked up some of the ingredients, i.e. a can of chunky tuna in oil, two sweet corns and  a truss of tomatoes, while I already have the two eggs and a pack (500g) of pasta in the larder.

Preparation
Put the sweet corns to boil with some salt. When it is ready, take them out and put it aside. In the same pot of boiling water, cook the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, chop up the tomatoes, open and drain the can of tuna. Cut out the corn kernels. When the pasta is ready, drain the water and keep aside a bowl of the water just in case you need some moisture for the pasta. Break two eggs into the drained hot pasta and stir it. Next stir in the tuna, tomatoes and sweet corn. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. And Voila!, we have a delicious healthy meal.

Note: Chad is an African state in the centre of the African continent.

Straits Cafe

Having found this restaurant is like stumbling on the 'El Dorado' of Malaysian cuisines. Each and every Malaysian dishes served here can be used as reference standard for most, if not all Penang-style hawker food (street food that are cook in a distinct cooking style well known in the Penang Island, Malaysia). This restaurant is own by Aaron Tan who also the Chef (photo on the far right below).

In the past two weeks, I had three meals there with the family, sampling the different items on the menu. On the first visit I had Lobak (fried pieces of minced pork and prawn wrapped in bean curd skin)  as a starter, Sar Hor Fun (Stir fried flat rice noodle with seafood bits and eggs), Curry Laksa and Pulut Hitam (thick black glutinous rice porridge with sugar and coconut milk) for dessert.

On my second visit we had Nasi Lemak, Rojak (Malaysia fruit and vegetable salad with a dash of prawn paste), Mee Goreng ( stir fried noodles) and Char Koay Teow. And the third visit we had Assam Laksa (thick rice noodle cooked in fish and tamarind broth with fresh herbs), Sar Hor Fun (again!!) and Crispy Chicken Rice. That covered the major items for Penang-style street food. I must say that every dishes met my expectation. They are authentic, flavoursome and balanced in terms of spices used and seasoning. Each dishes are also very well presented considering that this is not at the fine-dining prices.The services were excellent, we were being well look after by the restaurant front manager, Ms Jackie Wang and her staff.

The Straits Cafe is located at 241, Stud Road, Wantirna South, Melbourne