Chow chow on the Choo choo: Part the One

Let's take a break from the Railroad MP3 series, and turn our attention on food on the wheels. Get ready for part the one of....Chow Chow on the Choo choo.







1. Malaysia
I don't think there are lunch car on the train service running between Singapore and KL, or KL to Butterworth. Which is possibly the case, since the time taken for both trip isn't that long. Anyone who worry about getting hungry along the way can easily pack some food for the trip. When I took these trips, it was on the overnight train, so sleep was a higher priority than food.


When it was announced in 2010 that the Tanjong Pagar station will cease to operate from July 2011, the news got the food stall at the station. Suddenly, the nasi bryani stalls got onto the Singaporean gourmet map.


Local magazines did write-ups on the KTM lines both on the East and West coasts. One tidbit seller on the East coast line got a chance to tell about how he paddle his ware from station to station, and having to stay overnight away from home before making his trip back home. And how his wife hated his mode of operation.


Then there is also that famous roti and coffee shop within Kluang station on the west coast line. With some interviewed who mentioned that they would make trip up North just for food from this stall.

Interest in the Tanjong Pagar station and the KTM lines have cooled down somewhat. It may heat up again near July 2011.


But after that, the station will cease to be a train station, but another national monument.






2. Thailand
On one trip from Hatyai to Bangkok, I was shown a handwritten menu of dinner offered on the train, which I can enjoyed right at my seat. The fact that the local don't seem to be interested suggest that it might not be a good offer. But I was hungry then, and I was interested to find out how the food was like. If the dinner come in disposable packaging printed with the Thai Railway logoes, I would be interested to collect them. I placed my order and the Thai auntie move down the train for more order.

As the sun set outside the window, the auntie came back with my order on a square wooden tray. This tray serves as the table top once secure to the window sill, and skillfully balance on a wooden plank that serve as the table leg. Once I am done, she simply gave a sharp kick on this 'leg' and disassemble the whole table. The food was good, but once I am in Bangkok and check out the price, I could see their profit margin was quite high.

Out of curiosity, when the auntie came to collect her plates, I followed her back to (what I thought) was her lunch car or kitchen. However, I looked like she and an Thai guy were operating out of what looks like a cargo carriage. The raw material for their operation were right there in the carriage. A stove was connected to a gas cylinder and that's how they did their cooking.

Very enterprising.
































3. Laos
The border stations of Nong Khai (Thai side) and Thanaleng (Laos side, and current the only Laos Railway station) are 3.5km apart. I am not sure what its speed was when I took the train, but let say it's a respective 50km/h. The distance could be covered under 5 minutes. Now, say it takes 1 minute for a pot of water to boil, 2 more minutes for the instant noodle to cook in that pot, and round it to a total of 4 minute for that egg on top to be half-cooked.

So, what's your questions? Do they have a lunch car on the Laos train? Is that your question?


.....Seriously?


















4. Cambodia
The trip from Phnom Penh to Battambong (currently the only remaining service of the Royal Cambodia Railway) was done on caariages that you could see the rail from the between the remaining floorboard, and the blue Khmer sky from the rusted-through metal roof.

I started early in the morning at about 7am. I expected delay but was hoping to be in Battambong at about 10pm. 10pm passed and there was no sign of Battambong. Earlier, the conductor had approached me to ask if I would like to alight at the next larger town, where I can take one of the last buses of the day to Battambong. He was not sure when we will arrived at Battambong, but was sure the buses will reach before the train. There was no electric lights on the train, and it was almost emptied of passengers. The seats around me was empty and I could just laid down. As the train makes it way across the field, you could just looked up at the sky, and with no 'light pollution', the stars spread out on the dark sky.

Earlier in the day, food vendor had board the train at the busier stations. Their fare include rice, of course, some other stuff wrap in banana (I guess) leaves. One hawker came with a whole cooked chicken, its crown standing proudly, on a tray. I guess she would tear out some parts of the chicken according to customer's wishes. The chicken would come with sauces and condiments wrapped in plastic bags.

I didn't buy from any of them, fearing a stomachache. I have came on the trip with some drinks, bread, buns, biscuit and canned food I have bought the night before at the kiosk in the petrol station near the hotel. There's no shop in the Phnom Penh station. I offered some of the biscuit to the kid seating across me. He seems to like the rust on the window sill better, picking them of the window and putting in his month. His parents rejected my offer of biscuit, too. Some of the other passengers did offered the hawker food to me. I tried the sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. It's not bad, and most important, there was no stomach problem after that.


By the time the train arrived, it was 2am the next morning.





















5. Vietnam
The Unification Train runs from Ho Chi Ming city in the South to Hanoi in the north. When I took it, the sleeper car ticket come with free meal. When lunch time comes, the food trolley was pushed down the carriage, the 'waitress' did a count of passengers in the room (4 beds to a room) and served the food and a very generous serving of white steamed rice.

I shared most of my journey with three Australians, who came on at a station near the seaside after HCM city. They sounded like they have been surfing the last few days. When they came on I was on the lower bed. One of the Australian guy was with his Vietnamese 'girlfriend' (probably one he had hooked up at the seaside.) Before the girlfriend bid them goodbye, she informed the Australian that she had made arrangement with the conductor for me to give up my bed and moved to the upper bed, so that one of the lady matey in their group would take over. Well, whatever arrangement they had made, I was not informed.

Once the 'girlfriend' left and the train pulled out of the station, the Ozzies started talking about that 'girlfriend'. It was obvious they don't have high opinion of her. To them, she was thinking she had found a meal ticket, or maybe a way out of Vietnam to Australia. But she was just a local guide who help with translation and smooth thinks for them, like bumping an Asian guy like me off his paid bed.

When bedtime came around, they indicated, politely, that I should moved up. I could almost see the surprise in the eyes when I spoke in English that I was not aware of such arrangement. They probably thought I didn't understand any of their conversation. I was pretty angry about being bumped around and I refused to move. They finally gave up.

The next day, lunch was served with that generous offer of rice. The Ozzies took a look at what was offered, clearly looked like what was offered was not to their liking, and promptly offered their portion to me. I should have rejected from the episode last night, but I just could bear to waste what was perfectly good food to me.

I regret to inform you that I accepted.