I dug my hand into the heap of food – a delectable fare of soy sauce-marinated chicken, spicy beef with sautéed grated coconut (serunding), steamed vegetable salad in shredded coconut dressing (urap), fried noodles, salted fish and steamed rice – all neatly arranged on a circular tray lined with a spread of banana leaf. My two companions likewise grabbed from the same pile of food their own servings and proceeded to eat with their bare hands. We were all seated on a woven mat laid over the floor, with the nasi ambeng – a traditional Javanese-Malay meal, typically prepared for celebrations and special gatherings and eaten communally with friends and family – set within our midst.

It was by Tourism Malaysia’s gracious invitation to participate in their “Come Hungry, Leave Satisfied” Mega Familiarization tour that I came to experience Johor, a burgeoning state that is offering new places and experiences for anyone wanting to discover more of Malaysia. Throughout my journey in this southernmost part of the Malay peninsula, not only have I been exceedingly gratified gastronomically, I have likewise been gratuitously indulged in the region’s rich traditions and exciting destinations.

JOURNEY THROUGH CUISINE AND CULTURE
We were in the traditional village of Parit Bugis in Johor’s royal capital and historical town of Muar for our first evening, enjoying what was an authentic experience of Malaysian hospitality. A local family hosted our tour group with the nasi ambeng feast, all part of the local government’s homestay program whereby tourists get to experience the local heritage and culture in the form of traditional food and performances. The cultural presentation that followed our dinner was a compelling treat. A couple of schoolkids garbed in colorful fineries and riding upon finely decorated paper horses performed the kuda kepang, a traditional Javanese-Malay dance portraying the evangelization of Islam throughout Malaysia by Javanese horsemen. A male performer hoisting about a massive and menacing tiger mask also performed the borogan, a totemic dance rooted in Javanese mythology.

Lying along the confluence of Asia’s great ancient kingdoms and fountainheads of civilization, Malaysia, throughout its history, has been a grand melting pot of culture, with various cultural influences weaving the colorful tapestry of the country’s collective identity. Within that tapestry, one can further discern finer details between Malaysia’s different regions, with Johor bearing its own distinctive features, as reflected in some of the state’s culinary traditions.

When you talk about Malaysian cuisine, you can never leave out satay, that Southeast Asian-style kebab of marinated meat skewered with skinny wooden sticks, grilled over red hot charcoal, and served with delicious roasted peanut sauce. Any foreigner with a penchant for this dish and without knowledge of the customs behind it would probably think nothing about having satay for breakfast. But as I’ve learned during our tour, satay for breakfast is a rather awkward concept for most Malaysians, even for the most ardent food enthusiast. However in Muar, such a concept is actually the norm. At R&H Cafe Satay Maharani, people came in droves to enjoy their morning satay, as well as the restaurant’s other popular dishes such as nasi lemak pacak, tauhu lentok, among others. The restaurant bears the distinction “Satay Maharani” in its name, an accolade bestowed upon it by the Sultan of Johor when the Sultan ate there one time.

Other than the peculiar convention of satay for breakfast, Muar is also well renowned for its otak-otak – grilled fish cake made of ground fish meat mixed with tapioca starch, coconut milk and spices, and wrapped in sugar palm leaf – such that people from surrounding states and even from Singapore often visit to buy the fancied delicacy in bulk. It’s a savory delight, suitable as a delectable snack or as part of a meal. Otak means “brains” in Malay, and the dish’s name perhaps allude to the squishy texture of the fish batter used to prepare the final product. Otak-Otak Cheng Boi is one of Muar’s most popular producers of otak-otak, having diversified their product line to include shrimp and crab variants.

Our group also visited Oyster Bay Muar, taking the Muar River Cruise from the Tanjung Emas Jeti and making our way upstream along the Muar River to where the all-in-one oyster farm, research center and restaurant was located. The staff at the center briefed us on the oyster farming tradition in Muar – how oyster farmers would go out each day on their boats to dive the murky estuarine waters and gather oysters from the muddy river bottom – and how a collaboration between a state university, Muar’s local government, and local stakeholders has been developing and promoting such a tradition into a viable tourism attraction. Further research revealed to me that Muar oysters were held in high regard and have been a sought-after delicacy, not just within Malaysia but also in neighboring Singapore.

In Johor’s state capital, Johor Bahru, our group was treated to yet another particularly Johorean dish. At Restoran ZZ Sup Tulang along Jalan Petri, the familiar mee rebus (literally translated as “boiled noodles”) – a kind of soup teeming with yellow egg noodles cooked in thick spicy gravy made from sweet potato and dried shrimps – is served with a shank (tulang) of lamb from which diners can suck out the bone marrow using a straw. This mee rebus tulang made for a definitely satisfying meal, though I have found no clear explanation as to why it is locally referred to as “gearbox.” It’s a delicious mystery.