COMMENT | There is this stall somewhere along Old Klang Road in Kuala Lumpur. It’s run by an old Chinese couple who I just call ‘Aunty’ and ‘Uncle’. I have been going to their stall for years and I love eating the dish that they sell.

They sell only one dish. A really popular dish that is uniquely Malaysian - bak kut the. The stall may serve only one kind of dish, but they have several variations of it.

They have the traditional version which is made from pork bones, and another two which are chik kut teh (made with chicken instead of pork) and vegetarian bak kut teh (of which the base is mushroom).

Now, before some of you get all holier than thou on me, yes, I am Muslim and so I always choose the vegetarian one. It tastes great! Almost like the traditional one! I kid! I kid!

But honestly, it tastes really good. The key to a good bak kut teh is in the herbs that the soup is boiled with. So, if they get the consistency right, then perfect!

When I was growing up, being from a family that is...