Halal Travel Guide: Kelantan, Malaysia - Chinese Muslim Food and Port History
Reposted from the web
Summary: Kelantan in northeastern Malaysia has old port links, Chinese community history, and halal Chinese food shaped by local Hokkien and Hakka traditions. This account keeps the visit to the Kelantan port area, the Zheng He connection, restaurant details, dishes, streets, and photos in order.
Kelantan is in the northeast of the Malay Peninsula, bordering Thailand. It has been an important stop for Chinese maritime trade since ancient times. Zheng He visited here during his fourth voyage in 1413 (the 11th year of the Yongle reign). The Kelantan River valley has fertile land and is rich in hardwood, rubber, and tropical fruits. In the 18th century, people from Fujian traveled south to settle in Kampung Cina (Tangrenpo) along the lower reaches of the Kelantan River. During the Qianlong reign, the maritime merchant Xie Qinggao wrote in the 'Kelantan' entry of his book 'Records of the Oceans' (Hailu): 'Many Fujianese live in the port area... selling goods and growing pepper.' These Fujianese have lived in Kelantan for many generations. They speak Malay, love Malay food, follow Malay customs, and some run halal Chinese restaurants in the city.
After landing at Kota Bharu Airport, we took a taxi directly to the city's largest halal Chinese restaurant, Four Seasons Hall (Siji Ting), for dinner. Four Seasons Hall opened in 1998. The owner's surname is Wang, and his ancestral home is Jinjiang, Fujian. He is a third-generation Kelantan Chinese. Four Seasons Hall is the first Chinese restaurant in Kelantan to receive halal certification from the State Religious Affairs Department, and all the staff are fellow Muslims (dost). Four Seasons Hall is popular because it serves authentic Nanyang Chinese food, as well as Malay and Thai dishes.
They have a huge variety of dishes. Because they list ingredients and cooking methods separately, you can combine them to make 224 different fish dishes alone. The owner speaks great Mandarin. Following his recommendation, we ordered Four Seasons steamed sea bass, black pepper beef, sunflower sprouts in superior soup, oyster omelet, and salted egg baked shrimp. It was a real treat for our Nanyang Chinese food cravings. I think if you are dining with two or more people at a Nanyang Chinese restaurant, steamed fish is a must. Styles like Teochew steamed, Nyonya steamed, and Minglu steamed are all worth trying. The Four Seasons steamed fish we ordered this time used the owner's secret sauce, and it tasted very fresh and delicious. This was my first time eating sunflower sprouts. They have a light, nutty fragrance and a very refreshing texture. After getting used to the heavy sauces and thick gravies of northern Chinese food, the light Nanyang dishes were a nice change of pace. Oyster omelet is fried eggs with oysters. The egg is fried until crispy, and the oysters add a lot of flavor. However, fellow Muslims (dost) from inland areas might not be used to it if they aren't fans of seafood. The salted egg baked shrimp was also delicious. It seems rare to cook it this way in the north, but Malays love baked shrimp.
Mee Warisan is a very popular halal Chinese noodle shop in Kota Bharu, and it is often packed at noon. 'Mee Warisan' means 'traditional noodles' in Malay. They specialize in Chinese-style soy sauce noodles and wonton noodles, as well as Thai-style tom yum noodles and Thai pandan leaf chicken rolls. Because it is close to Thailand, both the local Chinese and Malays know how to cook Thai food. This is a very interesting cultural exchange.
There are many small snack shops run by Chinese in the old town of Kota Bharu. They are usually called 'Kopitiam' or 'Kafe' in Malay, which translates to 'teahouse' or 'drink room' in Chinese. These old-school Nanyang teahouses usually serve Malay coffee and tea, along with simple meals like noodles or coconut rice (nasi lemak). Because these teahouses are small, many haven't paid to apply for official halal certification, but they do hire Malay chefs and servers. So, if you see Malay fellow Muslims (dost) in a Chinese restaurant in Malaysia, you can go in and ask; they are usually halal.
Besides Fujianese food, you can also find halal Hakka food in Kota Bharu. We ate Hakka stuffed tofu (niang doufu) and stir-fried flat rice noodles (char kway teow) at Chef Pong Yong Tau Fu. The Chinese owner hires Malay staff, and the place is very popular with Malay friends (dosti). When guests arrive, they grab a plate and pick the stuffed items they want. Then they weigh them, and you can have them fried or boiled. The owner stir-fries the flat rice noodles (kway teow) right there. He speaks great Mandarin, so we had no trouble communicating.
In the Hakka dialect, 'niang' means to fill with stuffing. Legend says that after the Hakka people moved south from the Central Plains, they wanted dumplings but had no wheat. They used tofu instead of flour and invented stuffed tofu (niang doufu). Besides tofu, the Hakka are good at using local ingredients. You can stuff anything, like chili peppers, eggplants, bitter melons, and taro. Tofu, eggplant, and bitter melon are known as the 'three fried treasures' (jian niang san bao).
Unlike most Hokkien people who live near the lower reaches and mouth of the Kelantan River, most Kelantan Hakka settled inland. For example, the Hakka in the Bulai (near Dabong) area mostly came there for gold mining. During the Qianlong era, the maritime merchant Xie Qinggao wrote in his book 'Records of the Ocean' (Hailu) under the entry for Kelantan: 'The Cantonese (Hakka) people mostly live on the mountain tops, where they pan for gold sand.' After the 19th century, the gold mines gradually ran dry, and the inland Hakka switched to growing rice. After the Malayan Communist Party started anti-British guerrilla warfare in 1948, the British military forced some Kelantan Hakka to move to Terengganu for centralized management to cut off Chinese support for the communists. They also implemented food rationing, which was called the 'Hunger Operation'. These Hakka people did not return to Kelantan until after the state of emergency ended in 1960.
Besides Hokkien and Hakka people, Hainanese people are also an important part of the Chinese community in Kelantan. We ate at the 50-year-old Hainanese restaurant, Sin Hua Air-Conditioned Restaurant, in Kota Bharu. We had Hainanese chicken chop, Hainanese noodles, and toasted bread. These are all authentic Nanyang Hainanese dishes. There is also a shop next door called Sin Shing Coffee Shop, which is said to have the best Hainanese chicken rice in Kota Bharu.
Like many old-school Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia, the owner is a Hainanese Chinese, but they hire Malay chefs and staff. This allows Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers to all enjoy the food.
Hainanese people began immigrating to Malaysia in the 19th century. Many early immigrants worked as chefs and waiters in British hotels and restaurants, and some worked as servants for British officers. Influenced by their British employers, the Hainanese learned to cook Western food and mixed it with Hainanese elements to create the unique Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam) culture.
Chinese food in Kota Bharu is mostly found on Jalan Kebun Sultan. There is a landmark archway called 'Zheng He Arch' (Zheng He Fang) here, which commemorates Zheng He's fourth voyage to the Western Ocean when he arrived at the port of Kelantan. The arch has two couplets: 'Zheng served the mission and left history, He governed the country for the people' and 'The doctrine of the mean shines for generations, Chinese civilization lasts for thousands of years.' This shows that Kelantan Chinese do not forget their roots and keep their good Chinese character.
Near the Zheng He Arch is the Jinjiang Association, and downstairs is a large East Coast shopping mall. The Jinjiang people in Kelantan value Chinese education very much and played a major role in restoring Chinese schools after World War II.
Many pharmacies on the streets of Kota Bharu are also run by Chinese people, making it very convenient to buy medicine here.
There is a Shanghai Bookstore on the streets of Kota Bharu where you can buy Chinese books, newspapers, and magazines.
Most Chinese shops in Kota Bharu use three languages: Chinese, Malay, and Jawi (the Arabic script used to write Malay). This is a requirement in Kelantan state.
Summary: Kelantan in northeastern Malaysia has old port links, Chinese community history, and halal Chinese food shaped by local Hokkien and Hakka traditions. This account keeps the visit to the Kelantan port area, the Zheng He connection, restaurant details, dishes, streets, and photos in order.
Kelantan is in the northeast of the Malay Peninsula, bordering Thailand. It has been an important stop for Chinese maritime trade since ancient times. Zheng He visited here during his fourth voyage in 1413 (the 11th year of the Yongle reign). The Kelantan River valley has fertile land and is rich in hardwood, rubber, and tropical fruits. In the 18th century, people from Fujian traveled south to settle in Kampung Cina (Tangrenpo) along the lower reaches of the Kelantan River. During the Qianlong reign, the maritime merchant Xie Qinggao wrote in the 'Kelantan' entry of his book 'Records of the Oceans' (Hailu): 'Many Fujianese live in the port area... selling goods and growing pepper.' These Fujianese have lived in Kelantan for many generations. They speak Malay, love Malay food, follow Malay customs, and some run halal Chinese restaurants in the city.
After landing at Kota Bharu Airport, we took a taxi directly to the city's largest halal Chinese restaurant, Four Seasons Hall (Siji Ting), for dinner. Four Seasons Hall opened in 1998. The owner's surname is Wang, and his ancestral home is Jinjiang, Fujian. He is a third-generation Kelantan Chinese. Four Seasons Hall is the first Chinese restaurant in Kelantan to receive halal certification from the State Religious Affairs Department, and all the staff are fellow Muslims (dost). Four Seasons Hall is popular because it serves authentic Nanyang Chinese food, as well as Malay and Thai dishes.
They have a huge variety of dishes. Because they list ingredients and cooking methods separately, you can combine them to make 224 different fish dishes alone. The owner speaks great Mandarin. Following his recommendation, we ordered Four Seasons steamed sea bass, black pepper beef, sunflower sprouts in superior soup, oyster omelet, and salted egg baked shrimp. It was a real treat for our Nanyang Chinese food cravings. I think if you are dining with two or more people at a Nanyang Chinese restaurant, steamed fish is a must. Styles like Teochew steamed, Nyonya steamed, and Minglu steamed are all worth trying. The Four Seasons steamed fish we ordered this time used the owner's secret sauce, and it tasted very fresh and delicious. This was my first time eating sunflower sprouts. They have a light, nutty fragrance and a very refreshing texture. After getting used to the heavy sauces and thick gravies of northern Chinese food, the light Nanyang dishes were a nice change of pace. Oyster omelet is fried eggs with oysters. The egg is fried until crispy, and the oysters add a lot of flavor. However, fellow Muslims (dost) from inland areas might not be used to it if they aren't fans of seafood. The salted egg baked shrimp was also delicious. It seems rare to cook it this way in the north, but Malays love baked shrimp.
Mee Warisan is a very popular halal Chinese noodle shop in Kota Bharu, and it is often packed at noon. 'Mee Warisan' means 'traditional noodles' in Malay. They specialize in Chinese-style soy sauce noodles and wonton noodles, as well as Thai-style tom yum noodles and Thai pandan leaf chicken rolls. Because it is close to Thailand, both the local Chinese and Malays know how to cook Thai food. This is a very interesting cultural exchange.
There are many small snack shops run by Chinese in the old town of Kota Bharu. They are usually called 'Kopitiam' or 'Kafe' in Malay, which translates to 'teahouse' or 'drink room' in Chinese. These old-school Nanyang teahouses usually serve Malay coffee and tea, along with simple meals like noodles or coconut rice (nasi lemak). Because these teahouses are small, many haven't paid to apply for official halal certification, but they do hire Malay chefs and servers. So, if you see Malay fellow Muslims (dost) in a Chinese restaurant in Malaysia, you can go in and ask; they are usually halal.
Besides Fujianese food, you can also find halal Hakka food in Kota Bharu. We ate Hakka stuffed tofu (niang doufu) and stir-fried flat rice noodles (char kway teow) at Chef Pong Yong Tau Fu. The Chinese owner hires Malay staff, and the place is very popular with Malay friends (dosti). When guests arrive, they grab a plate and pick the stuffed items they want. Then they weigh them, and you can have them fried or boiled. The owner stir-fries the flat rice noodles (kway teow) right there. He speaks great Mandarin, so we had no trouble communicating.
In the Hakka dialect, 'niang' means to fill with stuffing. Legend says that after the Hakka people moved south from the Central Plains, they wanted dumplings but had no wheat. They used tofu instead of flour and invented stuffed tofu (niang doufu). Besides tofu, the Hakka are good at using local ingredients. You can stuff anything, like chili peppers, eggplants, bitter melons, and taro. Tofu, eggplant, and bitter melon are known as the 'three fried treasures' (jian niang san bao).
Unlike most Hokkien people who live near the lower reaches and mouth of the Kelantan River, most Kelantan Hakka settled inland. For example, the Hakka in the Bulai (near Dabong) area mostly came there for gold mining. During the Qianlong era, the maritime merchant Xie Qinggao wrote in his book 'Records of the Ocean' (Hailu) under the entry for Kelantan: 'The Cantonese (Hakka) people mostly live on the mountain tops, where they pan for gold sand.' After the 19th century, the gold mines gradually ran dry, and the inland Hakka switched to growing rice. After the Malayan Communist Party started anti-British guerrilla warfare in 1948, the British military forced some Kelantan Hakka to move to Terengganu for centralized management to cut off Chinese support for the communists. They also implemented food rationing, which was called the 'Hunger Operation'. These Hakka people did not return to Kelantan until after the state of emergency ended in 1960.
Besides Hokkien and Hakka people, Hainanese people are also an important part of the Chinese community in Kelantan. We ate at the 50-year-old Hainanese restaurant, Sin Hua Air-Conditioned Restaurant, in Kota Bharu. We had Hainanese chicken chop, Hainanese noodles, and toasted bread. These are all authentic Nanyang Hainanese dishes. There is also a shop next door called Sin Shing Coffee Shop, which is said to have the best Hainanese chicken rice in Kota Bharu.
Like many old-school Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia, the owner is a Hainanese Chinese, but they hire Malay chefs and staff. This allows Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers to all enjoy the food.
Hainanese people began immigrating to Malaysia in the 19th century. Many early immigrants worked as chefs and waiters in British hotels and restaurants, and some worked as servants for British officers. Influenced by their British employers, the Hainanese learned to cook Western food and mixed it with Hainanese elements to create the unique Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam) culture.
Chinese food in Kota Bharu is mostly found on Jalan Kebun Sultan. There is a landmark archway called 'Zheng He Arch' (Zheng He Fang) here, which commemorates Zheng He's fourth voyage to the Western Ocean when he arrived at the port of Kelantan. The arch has two couplets: 'Zheng served the mission and left history, He governed the country for the people' and 'The doctrine of the mean shines for generations, Chinese civilization lasts for thousands of years.' This shows that Kelantan Chinese do not forget their roots and keep their good Chinese character.
Near the Zheng He Arch is the Jinjiang Association, and downstairs is a large East Coast shopping mall. The Jinjiang people in Kelantan value Chinese education very much and played a major role in restoring Chinese schools after World War II.
Many pharmacies on the streets of Kota Bharu are also run by Chinese people, making it very convenient to buy medicine here.
There is a Shanghai Bookstore on the streets of Kota Bharu where you can buy Chinese books, newspapers, and magazines.
Most Chinese shops in Kota Bharu use three languages: Chinese, Malay, and Jawi (the Arabic script used to write Malay). This is a requirement in Kelantan state.
