Being just an hours' drive away, Seremban is not exactly in foreign land, though somehow or rather to be honest, there was just nothing in particular that tempted me to revisit after all these years.
Until just recently.
I had a profound urge to devour on pipping hot and fresh from the oven, Seremban Siew Pau, in Seremban itself.
Some may say, why go all the way? But I'd retaliate and say, why not?
I initially thought that Haji Shariff Cendol to be a small setup behind a truck, like most cendol places in Malaysia. However as our car approached a huge bright green corner shoplot, with it's signboard hung high, I have to admit, I was surprised. They sell cendol and rojak only - you know. Business must be damn good.
Though queues were evident, it moved really quickly and we had chilling bowls of cendol placed in front of us in no time. We sampled a variety of Cendol (RM1.30), Cendol Campur (RM2.00 - comes with pulut rice and jagung) and ABC (RM2.50). We also had a serving of Rojak (RM4.00).
To be honest however, I wasn't exactly impressed with what I had. The cendol was very bland compared to what my tastebuds were accustomed to, possibly from the lack of santan and gula melaka in my dessert. Personal preference nevertheless.
It was one of my Bucket List item to have Seremban Siew Pau, in Seremban itself. Matter of fact is, I secretly find joy in doing impulsive things likewise, hence my desire to explore and try new things.
Upon recommendation by a few local friends, we decided with the popular (and possibly the best) Asia Siew Pau Master in the end. But of course there're also a handful of other siew pau places in Seremban, like Empayar Seremban Siew Pow and Kee Mei Siew Pau.
I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to grab my share of delicious siew paus'. I had 6 siew paus' to takeaway (at RM1.70/each) and 2 chan paus' (at RM2.20/each). Apart from the conventional siew pau, there were also a handful of other confectionaries and pastries on display. The popular egg tarts were long gone when I was there.
The experience was marvelous - fresh of the oven, the siew pau was crispy and flaky, with fragrant pork fillings that was oh-so-addictive. So good!
There was nothing much to see and do in Seremban after that, and we didn't want to venture into the Port Dickson territory. The roads were relatively quiet also.
There were a handful of cozy cafes in the vincinity, perfect for some off-time before heading out again for dinner. We chilled at Char's Cafe for the next hour or so. Cafe prices here are very much similar to those in the Klang Valley. It does feel as though this trip was very much outlined for food.
The last agenda of our trip was to have dinner at Seremban Seafood Village, a compulsary dinner hotspot for tourist, or so it seemed. It was not my first time visiting, in fact the only blurry recollection I had of Seremban, was having dinner here.
Not much have changed since then, the queing system was still very much screwed... I meant old-schooled, where people stood around waiting for tables to clear, then play musical chairs to see who sits down first, and pray that the opposite party would not create a scene for losing out. I honestly and seriously think this notorious waiting method needs to be revamped.
We waited for close to 45-minutes before snagging a table and another 30-minutes for dinner to be served. There were no frustration this time round however, because nothing came as a surprised, we enjoyed our meal as though we have not eaten for days. To be honest, it's really the company that counts.
The tab came up to about RM350. It was not cheap, plus our food wasn't as fantastic as it was before, but the experience was definitely a memorable one. I'm not too sure if I would return again the next time I'm here (maybe not), but I would still think that the place would be an eventful pitstop for those who are visiting Seremban.
We left Seremban at about 11.30pm, feeling exceedingly stuffed but contented. Though short, it was a fantastic trip and memorable experience overall. It's really the company that counts.
One thing's for sure also, I was really glad that it didn't rain. Till then.
