.. part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like, and let the food fight it out inside - Mark Twain

.. i am officially into the second month of living my life as an expat in Vietnam, and i think this would be due time for another confession, but of course on a much happier note compared to the earlier one. Starting a new life here was easy, i have even managed to sort out most of my groceries myself without much confusion, though majority of the items displayed on the shelfs are purely in Vietnamese. Managed to also sort out almost everything in regards to the apartment i have rented, with a landlord who does not speak English that well.

.. well, leaving that aside, with me being able to rest easier now and concentrate on my work, it dawned to me that i actually miss something so dearly back in Malaysia, that i would want to use my return ticket immediately. Many would have guessed immediately with a glimpse at the title that it involves food, but to me, its much more than that.


.. a picture always says a thousand words, and i went through lengths to compile these pictures, having being so ignorant about it when i was back in Malaysia, and having none of it here with me in Vietnam. For those who does not know, that is a "Mamak". Mamak could refer to the person itself, or the business he is in .. call it a culture, but this post would have a full dedication to something truly Malaysian, something i missed so much.

.. the word Mamak is derived from the Tamil term for maternal uncle, or 'maa-ma'. In Malaysia (and i think in many parts of asian countries as well), we all grew up being taught of respecting people older than us as "uncle" or "auntie", be it a shopkeeper, or the bus driver, or even total strangers. Probably, from there, it has evolved into a term so widely used by all Malaysian, in respect to the different owners of these small establishments of "fast food" chain, that had provided us a comfortable and universal menu, with a network of stalls that dotted Malaysia much better than all the cellphone network providers combined. Who else deserved better to be called "uncle" than them .. The mamaks!

.. mamaks serves cheap and good food. It is also a melting pot of cultural symphony and unity, with patrons from all walks of life, young and old, of different races, mingling together .. to gossip or just catch a game of football on a projected screen. Most of the time it is open air, with stalls being easily set up on any open areas with high population density, setting up plastic tables and chairs on car parks, walkways of shops, and even on the roads. Most of them are open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.


.. irregardless of the owner, almost all mamak stalls in Malaysia offers a standard menu. Some might have "improved" their selections, by adding western food, or satay, but basically .. almost everyone has these listed below (really depends on the setup budget and owner, and customer requests) ..

* Roti Canai (Chennai bread)
* Roti Telur
* Teh Tarik
* Half-Boiled Eggs
* Goat Milk
* Murtabak
* Thosai
* Chapati
* Nasi Kandar
* Nasi Briyani
* Nasi Lemak
* Maggi Goreng
* Mee Goreng (Fried noodles)
* IndoMie Mi Goreng
* Pasembur
* Mamak Rojak
* Sup Kambing
* Sup Ayam
* Roti Tissue
* Roti Bakar
* Roti Bom
* Murtabak
* Roti Naan & Tandoori Chicken
* Poori

.. but these are the usual ones, where all Malaysians would know by heart.


.. pictured above is the holy grail of all drinks being served at a mamak. Aptly named "teh tarik" or "pulled tea" translated. It is strong tea powder, mixed with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, then, "dragged" from one mug to another, in a juggling and acrobatic act that is honed through years of practice, cooling the tea to a perfect temperature that you can drink straight out of, once it arrives at your table. A cup of teh tarik makes or breaks a mamak.

.. i have developed a strange liking for this culture. As a sales person, a mamak is chosen as a regular meeting place. Being operated 24 hours, the hygienes are not in the cleanest state, but acceptable enough not to give you a bad case of food poisoning. Mamaks had been a place where i seal sales deals that amounts to hundreds of thousands, in a very casual way and environment.


.. being in Vietnam for more than a month already, i am dying for a cup of teh tarik and roti canai at times of my sleepless and hungry nights, and early morning breakfasts. I have also lost a venue for business meetings or a place to just hang out and catch up with friends. There is a lot i could leave behind in Malaysia, but the absence of mamak, hits me the worst.

.. mamaks indirectly helped shaped me into what i am today, a place where i get to know friends better and close deals, or just a place to hang out and think. Without mamaks, i probably would not have sealed those few deals, or even land myself a position in the companies that i worked at before.

.. true enough, being a Malaysian, a true Malaysian, the mamak culture is something that you will not ever forget.

.. mamaks is my secret of success in life, and i'll let my stomach decide later even if it does not agree to me that much.



Disclaimer : These are purely my own ramblings, i still support posh places like Starbuck, Coffee Bean or even "Kopi Tiams", but not so as often as Mamak's. They have a much wider network that covers Malaysia, easily accessible with lots of parking spaces available. I was not forced or bribed by any Mamak's in the writing of this post.