We used to go to this cafe/restaurant to eat sometime ago around the 80’s or 90’s and at that time, it was right beside the Sibu Civic Centre and was popular for its steamboat. I remember they used to have a canopy that they could push out from their shop on rainy days for those tables that they had laid out in the open space in front of the shop lot.
It was very popular among the schools when they used to give a treat to students who had done well in some inter-school competitions for games such as rugby, basketball, volleyball and so on. I suppose the reason was that it was cheap and nice. I do not recall exactly when but eventually, it moved from there to its present location in Rejang Park. Go straight ahead after the shops in the main commercial area until you reach this small block of shophouses on your right. The restaurant is there now.
It must have been years since I went to eat there but last Saturday night, ah^kam_koko’ was in town and the generous young man insisted on treating me to dinner, so I took him there. Business was just as good as ever – the place was pretty crowded but most of the diners were having their celebrated steamboat. There were only the two of us and because of that, there was no possibility of us having the same. Instead, we ordered one of their popular signature dishes – this grilled pork spare ribs in dark sweet sauce…
We also asked for a small bawal hitam (black pomfret) in sweet and sour sauce but got this huge one instead…
…and we had the mixed vegetable dish as well…
I did not think the last one was anything to shout about but the pork and fish were pretty good.
I wasn’t altogether pleased though when ah^kam_koko’ settled the bill and said that he paid over RM40.oo for everything, inclusive of rice and drinks for two. The fish cost RM18.00 which I thought was fair enough as it was big and admittedly, it is pretty expensive at the market…but I wouldn’t think the pork and the mixed veg were worth anything near RM20.00.
It certainly looks like it is no longer as cheap as before…and I certainly would think twice about eating there again…like we used to.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
this is delicious)))
Certainly are – the pork and the fish…but relatively, a bit too expensive. 😦
P.S. Your first time here… Welcome, welcome and do coma gain. I’ll link you in my blogroll.
u-huh))) but, anyways, the price doesn’t make it less delicious 🙂
Thanks for adding me! I’ll add you to my “friends” List 😉
Thanks. Nice to make the acquaintance. Stay in touch…
thank you.
I’m glad, too)
🙂
eh which restaurant is this? civic centre.. hmm i rarely eat around that area.
I think when it was there, you were still a toddler. Now it’s in Rejang Park – further in. But don’t bother – it’s so expensive, not air-conditioned/open air some more…. Cheaper elsewhere and perhaps, nicer even.
With the fish taking up half the price of the bill, it is justified.. 20rm for the rest.. plus rice and water.. The pork looks good.. with the sesame toppings especially..
RM18 for the fish plus two bowls of rice = RM20, I don’t think the mixed veg should cost more than RM6…and the pork more than RM10. We had a glass of Chinese tea and a small bottle of mineral water – so it should be around RM38 or somewhere there, not more than RM40…unless the prices have gone up lately and I don’t know it – haven’t been eating at such makan places lately, only at coffee shop and hawker stalls…
wow, only around AUD13 for 2 person… soooooo cheap hahaha xDDD
LOL!!! You’d better save as much of your allowance as possible so that when you come back you will be mighty rich!!! And if you do a part-time job there, you may even come back a millionaire! Ooooo….must look you up then, sure can belanja makan besar! 😉
the pork ribs look nice, is it marmite pork ribs?? but then RM20 for that is too expensive already…
Don’t think it is…some black sauce. Marmite, not that common here – I know many places, the marmite crabs are a favourite of many. Yalor…the serving’s not very big also, just a few slices… 😦
*pengsan* Why so mahal? The place is not even in Kl for God’s sake and not those classy restaurant either. 😦 I paid Rm25 for 3 dishes that include a huge dish off sotong oso I dun exactly say the stuff is cheap… this one… if I eat these stuff and ask me to pay RM40… I will surely say expensive… I think Rm18 for the fish is still okay… tho my place here it would only cost around Rm10… whereas siakap cost Rm15-18. The fish price is still okay, I guess… but certainly not the veggies and pork! Mahal!
Pomfrets expensive here – I think among the most expensive fish, probably because it is the most popular among the locals. If white ones, even worse! If wedding dinner and the BIG and fresh white pomfret is served, you can bet it will cost quite a lot – each table. Dunno about siakap and others here…probably not so expensive – never hear of people scrambling for them during festivals…not like white pomfrets!
woi fairy…fish very mahal la…in KL if you order fish ..the fish will cost around rm30 la. Fish more expensive than sotong
Cikgu, the white ones more expensive. If not mistaken it’s called Bawal cermin. Very mahal.
Yup…the “silver” ones…and I don’t even like it!!! Prefer the hitam. My missus likes to buy the white ones – easy to cook, just steam. She macam scared of deep frying fish or anything for that matter… 😦
Kat… if you go Chinese restaurant, sure mahal… try those Malay ones… not as mahal as Chinese restaurant. See when… i bawak you go makan nearby my house… malay restaurant… ada tomyam and whatnot. The ikan siakap if not mistaken is Rm15-Rm20… and bawal usually Rm10 liddat. How… wan go makan bo? Ur hubby kenpunan tomyam… letsgo!
The Malay places will never sell the white ones, they only have bawal hitam. If it’s small, it is cheaper…but this one was HUGE (even though we asked for a small one), big enough to serve at those Chinese dinners, for a table of 10. Of course, it is more expensive…so I consider RM18, quite reasonable. I had ikan bakar in Penang – bawal hitam half the size…already more than RM10.
So never mindlah,ask ah kam koko don’t go there next time lol…. but you just reminded me now to go and hunt for those all makan stores that i used to frequent when i was younger just to see if they still fare like before…
take care now ya
Yup…we definitely will not go there again. It’s not even a nice, cosy restaurant, airconand all…good to sit and hang around to chat – not at all. One miserable place… Wouldn’t have been so bad if it had been cheap! 😦
Sorry you were asking me about my bday, it is going to be the 26th…..thank for asking …appreciate it..
Your 40th, right? Ooooo….so young! Hmmmm…no 40-year itch, I hope! Muahahahahaha!!!! 😀
*roll eyes* I am 26… cis! If he is 26… then I am 5!
No lah…I think he meant that his birthday would be on this coming 26th October. I hear he’s going to have a BIG bash… Too bad not in Penang.
LOL…u not safe wif him… he drink a lot of beer wan… u kena gout if go celebrate wif him. LOL~ Cari Pete la… Pete punya food sometimes very healthy…very nice oso!
Hahahaha!!! I thought he says he’s stopping – no more drinking? That fatty old man, itu yang bahaya! Drinks like a fish… LOL!!! 😉
While they were still at Civic Center, their “char kew teow” with clam is pretty famous. You should try it.
Aha!!! I forgot all about that! A friend posted the photo on Facebook sometime ago and it looked really good… I was wondering what it was that I should order, didn’t remember. But anyway, my friend was nursing a bad cut on his leg, so no seafood/crustaceans. Maybe I should go there and tapoa one of these days…
The Late James Muhren’s MHM favourite restaurant… The altar servers had countless of meals there.. The original shop when I first started going with my dad and FR. Muhren was actually at Tuanku Osman area, the corner coffee shop at the building behind Regas automobile. They used to have great see ham Kueh tiaw and lemon chicken with deep fried coated onion rings hahaha.. but RM 40 for want you guys ate sounds mighty steep
Ya! The boss looked familiar. I’m sure if you go there, he would recognise you as a one-time regular. Ah yes! I remember having the lemon chicken with onion rings when they were at the Civic Centre… Hmmmm…didn’t think of ordering that as well the other night…..😦
Wow…so damn expensive for these few dishes. Why? the chef is from KL? :p
Maybe it’s because the turnover’s small as everyone’s having steamboat – sitting and eating in big groups and they will sit there the WHOLE night – uinlike the usual “chu-char” places where the faster you eat and leave, the more customers they will have…so they can charge cheaper prices. Come to think of it, they dishes took quite a while to come out that night – guess they do not usually have people going there to eat and not have their steamboat…
Put the prices aside, the dishes looked awesome. Especially the pork! I love the way they prepared it – topped with sesame seeds…….. Now, talking about the price, did they itemize the bill?
I once bought some dishes from the economy rice shop (without the rice). 2 vege + 1 meat + some lala = RM12. I did not asked her how much for each item and I guess she must have charged me wrongly. The next few visits, I only paid less than RM6 for the equivalent dishes.
Nope, I don’t think so. My friend paid…and he probably complained about the high total and they explained to him that the fish alone was RM18. Well, it’s their loss… I wouldn’t want to go there again…and I’m sure many wouldn’t either. I can easily think of a lot of nicer, classier places with much nicer food and the bill would not come up to that much…or even it it does, it would be more worth it…considering the NCAA (no class at all) surroundings.
good day sir
I used to frequent that particular steamboat with my parents last time. I remembered they had this really good fried kuay teow with cockles. Best part the kuay teow they used was bigger than the usual ones
mmm..fond memories
thanks!!
Aha!!! Another fan of the cockle kway teow… I really must go and tapao one of these days to try… Hope it lives up to its reputation!
yum yum..the fish and the ribs.
RM40+ for 2 person? A bit pricey for Sibu standard, more like KL price already. Never mind la, food taste good is most important. It rather than you paid so much and the food taste so yucky. 🙂
Yup…like what I have had at Jalan Alur – sucked big time and and equally expensive or worse. The fish and the pork were good…and I am never really crazy about mixed veg….
always tortured by ur food pictures! especially when am hungry! 😦
Where? Where?…Muahahahahaha!!!! 😉
Think lately vege are just as expensive. Sometimes the “mood” could affect the one who is tapping the calculator. Just too bad owner could have lost heavily in horses the previous race haha..
Well, he would not get another chance to take it out on us – we would not be dropping by there ever again.
Nice to have spare ribs cooked this way…….mmmmmm, trying to figure out what they marinade it with! LOL!
Good! Good! When you have worked it out, post on it and I can follow your recipe. Hehehehehe!!! 😉
Those dishes are really mouth-watering. However, they seem to be too expensive for two persons.
Exactly how I feel about it… 😦
Salivating already…..the pomfret looks big and for RM18 is cheap 🙂 but like u say the mixed vege and the pork ribs cost RM20 is slightly expensive :p
Yup, the fish was big enough for a regular table of 10, that’s why I thought it was o.k. but not the pork, the serving was small – just enough for 2 or 3 and the mixed veg wasn’t anything to shout about. 😦
The grilled pork spare ribs in dark sweet sauce looked delicious, very tempted to try it out!^-^ Slurp~!
Tastewise, no complaint. It was nice…but only a few pieces and so expensive. 😦
@Cikgu… aiyo… when Eugene say he stopped drinking? He said he tried, but kenot stop. *pengsan* Fatty Oldman kah? Aiyo… that one… no comment lohh… salute him, can drink so much… LOL… while me, I drink oso… everyday drink Lipton tea… LOL… like drink water oso… bwhahaha… dono how much Lipton earn from me liao. Everyday… 5-6 bags of tea… LOL. *sigh* They tarak kasi rebate for loyal customer wan. Cis! Oh, well, at least the tea is not so harmful to health… in fact… i feel much better with it… I used to fall sick so easily… but after quite some time drinking tea…feel much more immune to certain things. Keh keh keh~
Lipton doesn’t help lah… You have to go for green tea or one of those healthy ones – no colouring, nothing….