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ISLAND GOAT

About 45 minutes drive from my hotel lies the fabled kingdom of Nasi Arab. I drove hurriedly on my scooter, spurred on by hunger but also the need to get out of the direct firing line of the midday sun. This spot had been recommended by mouths that utter truths, so I made it a point of suffering the furnace of fire to appease the gods.

Restaurant exterior with two men seated, motorbike parked. Pink awning, white building.

The journey was a fail. Not in the sense that the entire day was ruined, but more in the case of the actual meal. The special mutton chops with rice suffered from the same crippling disease that so much Malay food does: sweetness.

Everything on the plate ate sweet. So sweet infact that my glass of 100 Plus tasted almost tart in comparison. For anyone who has tasted 100 plus, you'll know the dichotomy there. I ate what I could without seeming rude and headed out into the blazing sun to ride off my loss and shelter at a cafe for a nice cold brew.

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South Indian thali meal on a banana leaf-lined tray. Rice, curry, and various side dishes are arranged.

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