Some people think that they can just come to town and just go anywhere they like and eat what they want. Well, if you think you can do that, you are sadly mistaken. Sometimes there is something nice in one shop but for the best of something else, you will have to go all the way to another shop.
My missus and I went to this new coffee shop in town – it is a big one made up of two shoplots, one on one end of each block linked by a covered space in between. Don’t ask me why it is named as such for I really do not know and I am quite perplexed myself as to why they chose to use the plural form some more.
It was just around 12 noon but unfortunately, many of the stalls were closing shop for the day. There was one stall that had only one bowl of beef noodles left and I had that one…
I was disappointed by the mere sight of it. It certainly looked a whole lot nicer in the photograph displayed at the stall – even the soup was darker and looked richer while this one was quite obviously somewhat diluted.
It was edible, this much I would say…but for RM5.00, it was really not worth it. I wonder if the other items they sell at this stall are any better.
My missus had the zhao chai hung ngang (rice noodles in preserved salted vegetable soup) from one stall at the back for RM3.80…
…and she said it was sour enough and really nice.
Later, I saw the lady selling kampua noodles at that same shop. She used to run a stall at a coffee shop across the road from the school where I was teaching and hers used to be quite good. I guess that is one thing I can have should I happen to drop by this place again.
The bottom line is when you come to Sibu on a visit, you really have to know somebody who knows what is nice and where so that you will not end up eating something that is not so great…and leave town with the wrong impression of the food here.
Like the other day when I was waiting for my friend at the hotel lobby – the one who came on the Firefly inaugural flight to Sibu, I overheard some local VIPs who were invited to the function talking to one of those who came on that same flight – an Indian lady. She asked whether there is a mamak makan place in Sibu and those people did not know what a mamak is. The girl explained that a mamak is what people call an Indian Muslim…and they told her no, adding that there is no Indian in Sibu…when in actual fact, Nur Islamic is right across the road from the hotel and Balkis is around 200 metres away…and there ARE Indians in Sibu, just not many.
I think it was Mark Twain who said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” Tsk! Tsk!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
‘Stp, maybe u shld come up with a book like best eats in sibu town. Very handy for visitors or even locals who have been away for a long time 🙂
Aiyor…nobody comes to Sibu, who will buy the book? See, I’ve been asking everybody to come…and nobody comes. In the end, I will be reading the book myself… 😦
Your remark here about reading the book yourself made me laugh!!!! 😀
Well, that’s true…isn’t it? 😉
In response to Stella’s take on you coming out with a book, i think that would be a good idea and on top of that, you can shoot your own documentary and put it up on youtube, mana tahu, AFC and TLC will feature it and viola our dear STP will be better known than Anthony Bourdain already
No need lah! Cheap publicity… Old man liao. 😦 Ya…I’ve seen those booklets selling at hotels in Penang but I noticed most people would just browse through and not buy…and I also noticed that what they have in those books may not be the best in town. Best to go around with a local guide…like our Penang godfather, for one.
Totally agree on the book idea, with your friends up there. What happened to all the Indians in Sibu? Why not many? I know I can count on you to take me to good places to eat if I ever go to Sibu.
There have never been a lot of Indians in Sibu – maybe just a few families and over the years, there have been some teachers, doctors and the like who came to work here – and some stayed on for good – those are the few around…plus some serving in the police or the army as well. Sibu is a very very Chinese town…quite unlike the towns over at your side. That’s why I say you people should come here and see – very different…it has an identity of his own.
Maybe the one you took, they were the “remainders?”… and the noodles your wife took, they looked so .. “broken”… Yes, I agree with you, any new places we have not been before, it is good to have a local guide or if not possible, get more information before we “embark” on the eating spree.. well, as far as i know, Sibu, I don’t need to cari information online.. ever.. :p
Yes, yes…if only you WILL come! Tsk! Tsk! 😦
photo is for illustration purpose only 😛
That’s to illustrate that you may go to a nice-looking place but you may not get to eat what’s best in town there…and you end up making a sweeping conclusion that the food here is not nice. Many tend to do that! 😦
Good la.. At least u ate something healthy … Lean beef meat and noodles. Next… Subway sandwiches ! 😀
Subway healthy? Ham? Cheese? All the preservatives in the commercially-produced buns? 😉
Are the local VIPs actually locals and my goodness, never heard of mamak? Then what about Chicak? A colleague of mine a Chinese Muslim named Aziz jokingly addresses himself with that name. How come the ma’cha right across and around the corner they said elek. Ish ish ish. They must be eating in hotels all the time. Btw do you have mamak stalls like in W Misa where people used to hang out till very early in the morning?
Well, can’t blame them really as there are not many around (and for one thing, I guess they’re Mandarin-speaking, so the word is not in their vocabulary). I know the two mamaks that I mentioned in the post…and another one further up the road – married to a local Foochow lady who runs the very popular makan place – 3 altogether…and I’m pretty sure those VIPs are not the only ones who may not be interested to know…much less find out and learn…like how many of you do not know kampua or kompia and many other things that we have here…and some over at your side do not even know nasi kerabu and other things that you people have over there.
Btw, why chicak…not chimak? Oops…that sounds like a bad word. Blush! Blush! 😛
Hmm, you’re right in that sense, if don’t know stuff, don’t act like you know a lot, and eventually find out it’s totally wrong.
On the food, I hate diluted soup too, sometimes i get it here in KL when its nearing closing time. They just add water to their remaining soup and serve.
Some people like to pretend they’re smart…or would not want to appear ignorant so they try to bluff their way through. Ya…I suppose that was what happened with my beef noodles. They should be honest and say that they do not have enough for a big bowl…and serve a small bowl instead for RM3 or 4. After that one bowl, I wouldn’t want to go there and eat that ever again!
Yeah pictures are all very deceiving. And lucky we have people like you to tell us if they are any good!
I just give my honest opinion…but what I do not like, others may not mind…so I would not insist that whatever I say is gospel truth – just my personal point of view and others are free to differ.
You are certainly right! It’s better to ask local ppl (like yrself….a femes foodie) on where to get good and cheap food rather than assuming and ended up in the wrong place with lots of frustration.
I’ve read blogs where people went to eat at places around the hotels…and they started grumbling and criticising everything from top to bottom. Real sad…as that would give others the wrong impression and they would think twice about dropping by this humble little town of ours.
hmmmm, and maybe that was the very last bowl and they have added lots of water into the soup.. i wonder why beef noodles are always more expensive?? i thot beef are cheaper than chicken and pork??
Cheaper? You buy for me lah! Around DOUBLE the price…and we do not get fresh beef here – only one stall and it does not open every day. So we have to buy imported ones from Australia or New Zealand. Lagi mahal! There is also beef from other places…but some may be smelly, not nice.
STP, no worries for me If I were to drop by Sibu one of these days, can count on you to bring me to savour all the nice and good food. Have to do advance booking or not to be my food guide, hehehe!!!….
The beef noodles look nice. The rice noodles in preserved salted vegetable soup looks “chui chui” (broken).
Sure, sure…no problem at all. Better inform first in case I already have visitors at the same time – then cannot give full attention. Ya, the beef noodles look all right but taste so-so only. Dunno why the rice noodles in bits and pieces. Maybe it’s easier to eat that way – just scoop with spoon. If long and using chopsticks, may splash all over the front of your clothes – very slippery.
ya, better be a mute than a noob.
True, very true. Never make an exhibition of your ignorance.
You know what this means right? Make sure you’ll be available if ever I visit Sibu one day! I wouldn’t want to come and leave without trying the BEST food around!! Hehe
Of course!!!! I will certainly be at your beck and call. So??? When are you coming?
Like chinese saying, only a ‘local earth worm’ will know where the best food to be had. Tourist would normally end up at tourist area. AHem ahemm….if i go Sibu can go look for you to bring makan at the best local food there ya?
Talk only…. Bayang pun tak nampak, no smell at all. I don’t think any of you will ever bother to come over here… 😦
there’s a reason why we know you eh?! So when we go to Sibu, we will get a food tour 😛
When? When? It sure doesn’t look like it’s anytime soon… 😦
Went to the end of TIong Hua Road today. You were right about our friend Miss Congeniality. Asked her how much the kompia was and she snapped back, “Can’t you read?” pointing to a notice in Chinese. Being forewarned, I took no offence and ordered the KP. They’re okay, soggy kompia not my favorite food I guess. Will try that Food Courts one day.
Muahahahaha!!!! So you got it from old, fat and grumpy (Not me!) too… Well, she’s not the only one around. I really wonder why they cannot be nice and sweet like the roti telur Malay lady at Choon Seng.
Rest assured you wouldn’t catch me going there again – after all, it’s not the most comfortable, not the most conducive to dining place…and I know where she gets her kompia from – my favourite place opposite the Rejang Park market and I can cook my own very-much-nicer braised pork (belly) in soy sauce and five-spice powder sauce.
Soggy, eh? That’s why I asked her to serve the sauce in a separate plate and I just cannot understand why she simply refused do that. Tsk! Tsk!
P.S. Don’t bother going to Food Courts. Didn’t see anything really worth going there a second time for…
Ppl like me jugak easy. Good or bad, I only have a few bites, the rest pass to hubs. So it doesn’t matter if the food is excellent or just mediacore or even bad, all I have are few bites and William will suffer the rest 😀 hehe…
Oh? For better or for worse till death do you part – you get the better and William gets the worse. Muahahaha!!!! 😉
Arthur…your bowl of beef noodles looked okay ma…but the price is a bit pricey. Not much beef though for the price you had paid. But it definitely looked better than the missus’s bowl of noodles :p
I’ve yet to see a bowl of zhaochai hung ngang that is photogenic….and I’m not crazy about this Foochow delicacy either. Given a choice, I would rather have something else…but I know someone who would love it – Annie Q! LOL!!!
I know you!!!
Your missus punya noodle may taste nice but the look teruk sikit la…eyes see no shiok!Yours punya look more like bakuteh soup to me…this foodcourtS tak payah be in the list la…but the Nasi kerabu is a MUST….you really gave nightmare last night…hahahaha
Yalor…not worth the calories! Booked your tickets yet? When are you coming? Must let me know early…so my missus and I can prepare also – what to cook when you are here. Some of the things we cook ourselves – a lot better than what we can get anywhere outside.
Arthur,
Most probably early Oct.I’ll let you know when hub’s leave is confirmed…nearer to the date la.Hopefully, between now and then, the nasi kerabu stall will still be open…hihihi.
Let us pray… Muahahahaha!!! October – I’d better stop my tuition by September then so I will be very free to take you around and feed you… LOL!!! 😉
Hubby say,”Good!”…hahahaha but no la.Don’t stop your classes just because of us.Your students need you more than us.We will be alright jalaning on our own…just lend us your car…hahahaha.
No problem… I usually teach till September every year…and October, I would replace the lessons that I’ve missed for another week or two. This year, I do not own them any lessons. 😉
I love beef noodle soup..yours nampak ok je 🙂
The bottom line is when i come to Sibu on a visit, i find u…senang 😀
Yalor…but the question is – when? I don’t think anybody would ever bother to come here. That will be the day! 😦
You’re (or your blog) definitely our source of food info should we ever pay a visit to your town! 😉
+Ant+
No worries…I’ll be at your beck and call…if you will just come!
WOw… you practically going around Sibu ‘all-over’ again now huh? You’ve tried them all and seen all the maker?
I try to try out the new places and share with people if I happen to come across any nice ones…but the drawback is I have to keep on going round trying…and if there are any good ones, I may not have the chance to go back and eat it again. 😦
New food court?
They are closed for lunch? Only serve breakfast?
Usually when they said there is only one more left, i won’t take, especially with soup base. I remember there was once i had late lunch, pass lunch hour, when i get my curry mee hoon soup, it is tasteless!! It taste like water.
Now you remind me i got one box of zhao chai still sitting in the fridge that my mum brought for me. hahahhahaha..anyway, it can last very long right? 😛 Hmmmm…must cook this weekend.
I think they open morning…and then night till late. Huh? I thought the zhao chai will last forever? Already preserved what?
Hv u tried of Petaling Street’s famous beef noodles, my husband said it’s the best he ever tasted, u should giv it a try nxt time!
Used to eat that in the mid-80s. Nice…but I don’t go to that area anymore – so crowded, so hot, so dirty. I think they have a stall at Lot 10 Hutong…but I did not get to eat that the other day – so many things to eat there.
Isnt that chow chai mee hoon? i know a place in kuching selling a really nice bowl! and it’s better to eat it steaming hot and then rue the burn tongue later. 🙂
Hung ngang is the bigger version of mihun. In Kuching, they say the one at Mekong, opposite Heritage Restaurant, is nice. I don’t know…not a fan of that. Give me mee sua anytime…
Food Courts….copied form the signboard for badminton courts….ha ha ha!
Maybe they should call the place Food Stadium. LOL!!!
that’s why it’s good that i know you in case i go to sibu…hehe 🙂 mamak reminds me of “slumdog millionaire” movie. it’s interesting to know how people live. 🙂
Oh? I never saw that movie…even though everybody told me it was good and worth watching… 😦
I believe it’s true everywhere else… if you don’t know anyone/locals to guide or bring you to eat the good stuff in town, you’ll probably end up eating something no-so-great or is a rip-off!
Ya…I always speak the truth. LOL!!! 😀
Btw, Arthur, if I ever go to Sibu, I’ll definetely call on you. But I’ve never even been to east malaysia before! (malu..)
So what’s stopping you? Come on over…. 🙂