A reminder that we still had a platter of crustaceans to deal with. Five large, whole prawns, as long as my face and grilled to charred perfection. It was knowledgeable Naz to the rescue again as I struggled to tug my prawn off its skewer.
“You have to hold it firm and twist the body,” he instructed. The prawn slid off like a charm.
Crisis over, we enjoyed the firm, sweet flesh with the killer dipping sauce. It was salty and sweet from kicap manis (sweet soya sauce), with a little zing of vinegar. The chunky mixture also had a surprising kick of cili padi (bird’s eye chilli), garlic and onion. Together with the prawns, the five taste elements had our tastebuds singing.
Sharing this meal gave me an insight into Naz’s family dynamics. With two grown children who have already married and moved out, and a decade between his last two children, the grandfather of two is determined to cherish his time with his youngest son. I teased Riduan, saying he must be the most precious in the family.
“Yeah, I’m the diamond!” he replied cheekily, without missing a beat.
And you know what they say about diamonds and girls. We weren’t quite besties, but we three were fast becoming foodie friends.
Naz shared: “To me, food is the ways and means to bond the family together. Once your stomach is filled up, you’re full, you’re sharing, so that’s what creates happiness among family members.”
I asked Naz if our meal was what he meant earlier by makan that’s “easy on the stomach, not heavy on the eyes”.
“On my off days, it doesn’t matter!” he laughed heartily.
Ahmad Spring Satay & BBQ Chicken Wings is located at East Coast Lagoon Food Village, 1220 East Coast Park, #01-58, Singapore 468960. It’s open 4 pm to 10pm, closed on Tuesdays.
Catch Makan Kakis with Denise Tan every Thursday from 11am on Mediacorp GOLD 905.