After getting married pakdokter lived with pakdokter's parents-in-laws for almost ten years! Mom and Dad ( pakdokter's mother-in-law and father-in-law respectively) had renovated the basement of their house in Section 5 of Petaling Jaya into a self-contained apartment and offerred us to stay there.
And the family maid then was an elderly Chinese lady ( the classic olden days 'black-and-white- uniformed' amah) by the name of Ah Hap. For some reason this Hari Raya had reminded pakdokter of Ah Hap. What reminded pakdokter of her was actually her 'Asam Laksa'. Ah Hap's Asam Laksa will be the main dish on offer at home during every Hari Raya......
Pakdokter first encountered Ah Hap's Asam Laksa during the medical school days. Yes, it was at one of those Hari Raya visits to pakdokter's partner's Hari Raya Open House, of course. But honestly pakdokter cannot remember if at that time pakdokter was already 'going steady' with pakdokter's partner!
Pakdokter must admit that Ah Hap's Asam Laksa was the best. If pakdokter remembers correctly, the rice noodles laksa had a thick fish gravy which was sweet and sour and extremely delicious made fragrant by the fresh mint leaves and garnished with freshly cut chillies, pineapple pieces and finely-sliced pickled garlic and a generous spoonful of prawn paste.
Another favourite of Ah Hap's dishes was the Roast Chicken in a marinade of tomato ketchup and an 'English' sauce the name of which has escaped pakdokter's memory, served on a bed of spaghetti and with roasted potatos.
Going through pakdokter's old albums, there was only one picture of Ah Hap in the collection. This was taken on the day of pakdokter's wedding.
Ah Hap was almost like a grandmother to the family actually.....She must have cooked for the family for almost 30 or 40 years and lived to a ripe old age of 70's, if not more!
Ah Hap seated between Mom and pakdokter.....
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