"HAVE you tried lempeng?" my friend quizzes as we cruise around Kota Tinggi town looking for a suitable breakfast venue.
His face brightens up considerably in response to the rather perplexed look on my face.
Visibly amused at the fact that I have never heard of the popular morning staple, let alone sample it, he takes advantage of a lull in the opposing traffic flow to make a quick U-turn while exclaiming: "You are in luck. My favourite hangout serves the best lempeng in all of Johor!"
During the quick 10-minute drive to Kampung Makam, a most enlightening overview of the dish unfolds.
Widely considered an intermediate between the thick fluffy American pancake and the paper-thin French crepe, our home-grown version is prepared by spreading light batter on a heated flat surface.
Introduced by the Malay community as a wholesome breakfast or tea-time snack, lempeng has grown in popularity over the decades and is now widely enjoyed by both the Indians and Chinese as well.
Apart from its high nutrient content, this traditional fare is favoured for its low oil and sodium content.
THE LEMPENG
Located directly behind the Kota Tinggi Museum, Warung Lempeng Kak On enjoys an endless stream of customers as soon as the doors are thrown open early in the morning.
Sight of a wide array of both local and foreign motorcycle club stickers on the wall next to the food display area confirms our hunch that this lempeng outlet is also a popular stopover point for biker groups.
There's a tantalising array of food displayed buffet-style on several tables nearby.
These consist of side dishes that go well with the lempeng. Aside from the complementary plain curry or sambal tumis, other selections include spicy squid, siput sedut or belitung masak lemak and anchovies cooked with green chillies.
Inspired by the varied delectable choices and spurred on by growing hunger pangs, we decide to splurge on our lempeng orders - getting all seven types on the menu.
Arriving in quick succession, the dishes quickly take up every inch of space on the table.
Eager to taste the still piping hot food, we begin with the plain lempeng and quickly work our way through to the other variants filled with rather interesting contents like banana, anchovy, grated coconut, egg, oats and the combination of egg with sliced onion.
Opting to try the lempeng on their own first, my taste buds seem to agree with the ones with bananas and grated coconut best.
The former gives the dish natural sweetness lacking in the other variants while well-cooked coconut shavings are crunchy to the bite.
My preferences, however, quickly change when the various side dishes are added into the mix.
The clear favourites this time are the plain and oats versions as the various curry dips help to complement their rather bland texture.
The side dishes are all equally good and it is very difficult to determine a clear winner.
Arm twisted, I would go for the unique kari ikan plotan. Known also as ikan jahan, this edible giant catfish, found in abundance off the coast of Johor, is highly favoured for its high protein content.
The plain lempeng goes really well with the firm flesh and slightly spicy and sour curry.
THE SHOP
It all began some 15 years ago when a family member suggested Saion Abdul Rahman to convert her ordinary run-of-the-mill type of village stall selling nasi lemak and roti canai into one that offers something completely different from everyone else.
The list narrowed down to lempeng which ticked all the right boxes.
Besides the fact that there were no other stalls selling the snack at that time, Saion could call on her family's time tested recipe which originated from, what is widely considered, the home of Johor lempeng - Kampung Panchor, a small fishing village near Kota Johor Lama.
The menu change proved to be an instant hit as the lempeng served brought back waves of nostalgic memories for the people who used to enjoy the dish during their childhood days.
Business prospered as word spread about the only lempeng stall in Kota Tinggi.
"We started off by making plain lempeng in the beginning as it is the most traditional form," Kak On as she is affectionately called by Kota Tinggi folk, says while pointing to the light brown pancake-like snack closest to me.
"Over time, variants were created using items like onions, grated coconut and even anchovies," she adds before revealing that lempeng oats is the latest innovation created especially for those with health complications like diabetes.
While advocating the lempeng's versatility, Saion admits that price constraint has prevented her from making one with cheese.
"The dairy product is already quite expensive on its own and incorporating it will push prices beyond the affordability of most customers who are ordinary folk earning modest income," she adds while proudly declaring that her lempeng prices have remained unchanged right from day one.
THE OTHERS
Apart from that, other much sought after selections include nasi goreng, mee tiau goreng, rendang ayam and asam pedas.
The same can be said about the other dishes served at the shop like laska and mee rebus.
These affordable selections are a reflection of Saion's early years in Penang where her father worked as a police officer.
The time spent studying at the Methodist Girls' School and frequenting various food outlets in George Town greatly influenced her cooking techniques which have since been passed down to both her sons.
FAST FACTS
Warung Lempeng Kak On
(behind Kota Tinggi Museum)
Lot 808, Simpang Pasak, Kampung Makam, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor.
TEL 012-7539047
HOURS Daily 7am to 2pm except Thursdays
EAT Apart from lempeng, the shop also serves a variety of local breakfast favourites.
PICK Although all seven types of lempeng are equally good, the ones using local bananas and grated coconut stand out above the rest. Due to high demand, it is advisable to either arrive early or make prior reservations to avoid disappointment.
PAY From RM 1.
MOOD Very relaxed atmosphere.
SERVICE Efficient and courteous.
I SAY A must try!
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