*A non-halal post

Bran: KK might be renowned for its good seafood, but unbeknownst to outsiders, the people of Sabah love their meat too. Love it. To bits. In fact, we have a love affair with all things buffalo – not beef, buffalo.

Bran: This lovely assortment of buffalo spare parts (intestines, tongue, liver and stomach) and meat is known locally as ngiu chap. It’s a very simple soup – which is usually buffalo meat stock and whatever else the specific proprietor adds in – and is served together with noodles or with noodles separately, in a dry soy sauce mix (which is most usually different from the make up of dry noodles in KL). Stalls that serve ngiu chap abound in coffee shops around KK but you’ll find that the best ngiu chap is to be had at shops that sell it exclusively. Jac and I had our ngiu chap at Lai Heng Baru in Foh Sang, Luyang (I think the original Lai Heng used to be in Donggongon. I could be wrong).

Jac: I’m not too fond of soupy noodles, but I do love my ’spare parts’ because the variety of textures from the different organs is enough to keep me happily amused. If I were to compare the ngui chap we had with beef noodles, I wld say that it’s less gamey in smell and taste. The broth was light and fragrant and the addition of ham choy and ‘lada’, which I must say I’m quite in love with. Made from ground cili padi and vinegar, it’s a sure tear-jerker in the most magnificent way. (PS: I tah pau-ed a bottle of lada home too! :p) was a nice touch. Of course what made it all the more delicious was drowning each mouthful in the ubiquitous Sabah (er..air? – Bran)

Bran: ‘Course, the love of meat extends past buffalo to things like lamb. Try an entire lamb, barbecued on a spit for 3 hours, Chinese style. Lovely. ‘Course, not as lovely as Jac and I’s recent lamb escapade. This lamb and the following piglet were both had at my parents’ house in KK, in conjunction with my sister’s wedding – a dinner before the main dinner reception the next day.

Jac: I was quite captivated by the barbecuing process, and visited the ‘barbeque uncle’ in charge of the lamb every so often to check on the progress But I found the lamb in the end did not live up to my anticipation, though it was pretty ok anyway.

Bran: The roast piglet proved enticing to human and ghostly entities alike. (Ghost-boy captured in frame to provide scale for the size of the pig/piglet – Jac)

Bran: Observant readers may notice the conspicuous shape of something that may be frowned upon by the authorities. But yeah, the piglet’s going to get it! (Bran’s uncle doesn’t seem very impressed by his show of chopping bravado. “Main-main kah?” :p – Jac)

Bran: The master barbecue uncle deftly applying the chopper to a roast piglet that seemed like it was gone in 60 seconds – there was a constant flurry of activity and a stream of people coming back and forth from the pork table.

Jac: The roast piglet was definitely the main attraction, drawing gawkers and saliva-tors like moths to a flame, and naturally bran and I were front and centre in the melee . And for good reason too, the dissection process was engaging to say the least and the porker proved to be delicious with crispy, crackling skin and moist succulent meat.