by Nic, the hapi8wanderer
I find that good networking in social settings actually enriches your social life, fosters personal connections, and contributes to your overall wellbeing and happiness.
Let me tell you what good networking led me to new horizons: On Saturday (June 1), I was invited to a huge lunch gathering at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, which is run by the Selangor & Federal Territory Hainan Association.
From the camaraderie that was formed, it led to another gathering a day later, but on a smaller scale, just about a dozen of us, at my own turf, Kota Kemuning, near Shah Alam/Klang.
We deepened our kinship at the Kheng Chew Kopitiam through more Hainanese food and drinks. Incidentally, the owner’s father used to operate a popular coffee shop at Section 14 in Petaling Jaya in the 1970s. (His younger brother is running that joint now).
While at Kheng Chew (which also means Hainan in the Hainanese lingo), I couldn’t resist the Hainanese chicken rice dish on offer. The accompanying chilli sauce and blended ginger condiment were terrific.
Someone amongst us who hadn’t visited the coffee shop before gave top marks to its ginger paste. But I reckon that if you are a fan of ginger paste, another Kota Kemuning chicken rice mainstay — Lou Wong Kei – has a more fragrant offering.
It turned out that the person who heaped praises on the ginger paste at Kheng Chew actually grows ginger (often called Bentong Ginger although they actually come from Bukit Tinggi in Pahang) on his farm there! Then the major part of the conversation steered to how best to grow ginger and the benefits of ginger which led to the revelation that “ginger is the poor man’s ginseng”!
Truth be told, ginger is a spice with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help with various conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, nausea and cholesterol. It was recommended that regularly drinking boiled ginger water has multi-fold benefits. I should be trying that soon.
Drinks-wise, I favoured black coffee or known locally as kopi-o, for me to really savour the flavour of the roasted beans.
My clansmen (and women) ordered Hainanese coffee with milk and other Hainanese breakfast staples like roti bakar and home-made seri kaya. There were still many other delicious items at Kheng Chew but the space in our tummies could only take up to a certain amount! Till the next time!
WE