Ton Kichi & Fa Fa

Near or far, here's some comfort food to help us on difficult days.

A five-minute drive from our Sri Petaling home, Ton Kichi whips up warm bowls of ramen. This shoyu broth version with breaded pork, corn & egg soothes the soul.

We also enjoy the tonkotsu pork bone rendition with soft-braised pork. Sure, it's not as richly milky or deeply flavorsome as the recipes of Hokkaido Santouka, Gokuraku& Marutama, but for only around RM20, it's fully fulfilling.

The perfect tonkatsu pork cutlet, crisply fried without excess oil & served with grind-it-yourself sesame seeds. A bowl of Japanese curry proved a divine dip.

Hot sake at RM15 per carafe & cold green tea.

Far away, in our hometown of Malacca, here's a look at Fa Fa to extend this entry.

Fresh yong tau foo, ripe & ready for the picking.

We're not fish ball experts, but we can't find any fault with anything in this bowl.

Pork porridge is also available. Hot & hearty, simple but satisfying.

Bonus faraway stop: Kedai Makan Kak Cik in Pahang's Pekan constituency.

Ikan patin masak tempoyak, the state specialty. An acquired taste.

Crunchy greens & stinky sauces to complete this meal.

Coming full circle, back home to Sri Petaling, where Baskin-Robbins has finally opened a branch.

Some of our favorite flavors, making us feel like kids again (or at least, university students): Chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate mousse royale & peanut butter chocolate.