Yee sang For This Raya

Ipoh, Malaysia - The yee sang  is no longer a dish only for Chinese New Year.

Assam House, one of the few halal restaurants here specialising in Asian cuisine, is sharing this bit of Chinese culture with its Muslim patrons by offering “Loh Sang Raya” for the Ramadan and Hari Raya season.

The dish is a Malaysian version of the traditional yee sang in that it is served with kerabu and peanut gravy instead of the usual sweet plum sauce.

In the original dish, fish would be tossed with salad and various Chinese spices, pomelo and crackers. The act of tossing the food is called loh sang.

“We have also replaced the raw fish slices with cuttlefish and jellyfish to suit the taste buds of our Malay and Indian friends,” said owner Loh Kok Hong.

According to Loh, the idea for the dish came about four years ago when relatives celebrating Hari Raya requested for the dish.

“We are Baba Nyonya and have relatives who celebrate the occasion. So we thought why not serve it at our restaurant and share this with our non-Chinese customers as tossing the food together adds fun and joy to any occasion,” he said.

Trying out the dish for the first time at the restaurant‘s new outlet in Medan Gopeng here recently was businessman Saiful Azli Abd Samat.

“It is something different from the Malay culture and I thought I‘d bring my family and a few friends to try it out,” said Saiful, 36.

His friend Mohd Jouhar Fahmi Ahmad Sabki said the dish was a true mixture of cultures.

“It is good that we get to share our cultures with each other,” said the 34-year-old fellow businessman.

The “Loh Sang Raya” is also available at the restaurant‘s main outlet at the Greentown Business Centre until Oct 31. Chan Li Leen

Source: http://thestar.com.my

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