Reana Claire loves this so much. I’ve seen a number of her posts on it and it seems that every opportunity she gets, she would want to have this which gave me the impression that it must be really very good.
So when I hopped over to the peninsula, smallkucing insisted on taking me to one place there…
to try.
Oooo…they have porcelain crockery there…
That certainly puts it a class above the rest that use all those melamine ones or worse – plastic!
One must be careful though for if you happen to break anything…
…you will have to pay for it. Hehehehehe!!!
Hey! What’s this?
Famous Hong Kong movie star, Eric Tsang, was here before, it seems and I must say that he and the lady boss of this restaurant look like siblings – brother and sister. What do you think? LOL!!!
And finally, after all this while…for the first time of my life…(*trumpet fanfare*), the Poon Choi!!!
It was served placed on a mobile mini-gas cooker and once the boiling started…
…we could start eating already.
So was it good? Of course it was good! How could anything with prawns, scallops, sea cucumber, mussels, roast duck, stewed pork…and goodness knows what else not be good? But I would think that at over RM160++, it was extremely pricey…and this was supposedly the small serving. I really wonder how HUGE the big one would be. Well, it is cheap if you consider all the expensive stuff that they have inside but I thought that the taste was not anything special that would make it stand out as something that everyone must have at least once in a lifetime.
If you want to talk about special, now THIS is really special – the salt baked tilapia…
They stuff the fish with salt, garlic and everything else…and they cake it with more salt under the skin (Don’t ask me how to do that! I wouldn’t know!)…and then bake it. I loved it a lot especially the part close to the middle…
…which was slightly oily, fish oil, I guess – and a lot tastier with the fragrance of all the stuffing.
We also had their asparagus with nuts, including macadamia nuts…
…and like the Poon Choi, it was very nice but not exceptional.
We had this jelly platter as well for dessert…
…by which time, I was already bursting at the seams. Thank you so very much, mama & papakucing and little kucing, for the delightful lunch. I would feel that it’s a bit too expensive for a casual lunch treat though – it would not be so bad having that to celebrate some special occasion…but I did bring you some ong or good fortune, sitting in your car the first time the previous afternoon – your license plate number came out 2nd prize!!! Hmmmmm…unfortunately, you did not buy. That lunch could have been paid for by Vincent Tan! Sigh!!!!! LOL!!!
Oh ya!!! Thanks also for these very very nice nyonya kuihs…
I loved them all!!! Nom…nom…nom!!!
And in case you’re wondering what the little kucing was doing here…
…he was demonstrating to me how the kindy teachers punished the kids, making them pull the ears and squat. Good grief! I thought they get naked female inmates to do that in lockups and prison cells though I’m not too sure about the legality of the practice…and they do that to the poor little kids in kindergartens too? Lord have mercy, may He forgive those torturers… Tsk! Tsk!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Aiyo I should stay and wait for the lunch…… Lol
C I know this big guy can eat….
It is really a good experience to eat poon choy….
I know a place in klang with serve a PLC poon choy…
http://oongui.blogspot.com/2012/01/2nd-day-cny-dinner-at-golden-dragon.html
Next time you could ask smallkucing to bring u n I could lead the way… Wink wink wink…
Ooi!!! You want to date smallkucing and you want me to be your torchlight kah? No way! I’m not going to be the lamp post. LOL!!!! Enough lah! I’ve finally got to try poon choi…and once would be enough – not at that price! So expensive! Shudders!!!!
Haiyo Arthur..once in a while ok mah. Not ask u eat poon choy daily.
After all its a BIG occasion . We went Sibu you and your family treat us so good.
Glad you found the tilapia fish is good. I like the inti too. Taste great eat with rice.
Thank you, thank you…but in Sibu, all very cheap stuff only and everytime, I wanted to pay, got brushed aside some more – had to invite to house for dinner in the end – that way, other people could not pay! Hehehehehehehe!!!! The fish was good…and at least, I’ve got to try poon choi already – no need to drool over Claire’s photos anymore, everytime she will show off one. Hehehehehe!!!!
SP
Mana address? Can can…nxt time Arthur come can go…that is if he wants
Golden Dragon! Sounds lagi hebat!!! Ya, next time I go over, we’ll go for poon choi – try the one there, SP belanja us all makan. Right, SP? Wink! Wink! LOL!!! 😀
P.S.: Why I see the photo, it says Dragon Garden leh? Mana ada Golden Dragon? LOL!!! And the poon choi there, not like poon choi – more like our Four Seasons, the steaming hot version…except that we have at least 8-10 seasons here, not just four.
don’t want to date small kuching le..
now I know that Kaldip SIngh is police office.. later masuk lokap.. lol
Who’s police officer? You kedekut, don’t want to treat us to nice expensive poon choi, you say so lah… Don’t make excuses. LOL!!!! 😀
HEY! How come Chrome sayas your site has got malware?
Apparently, you shared something from http://www.thristhan.com. That site is known for malware or spreading viruses through websites.
Cannot read your blog lo’. Dont say I sombong ah!
Yup!!! I have the same problem… Two or three days already like that. Have to use Firefox or Opera to access. Terrible! Terrible!!!!
I am not so crazy about poon choi. This one certainly looks more delicious than the one I had in Ipoh. At least they have more greens. I had baked salt fish in Bangkok and they were delicious. Wonder how this one compared to those. The nyonya kuih looks good. Where are they from? Small Kucing as usual kept you entertained.
She got the nyonya kuihs from here: http://www.smallkucing.com/2012/01/aroma-kueh-nyonya-at-restaurant-kwai.html
They’re very nice! Once, I had terubok at a restaurant in Sibu – they stuffed it with all kinds of nyonya or Thai-like ingredients and baked. It was simply out of this world… Never had that since though – terubok is very rare these days…and difficult to get really nice and fresh ones.The poon choi was good…but nothing sensational and at that price, I would much sooner go for something else. Well, at least, I’ve tried it…ONCE and that’s enough for me.
Nah, tak tergoda with the poon choi. Just like steamboat, everything will taste the same. The baked fish look interesting though. Small Kuching so cute!..his teachers ought to be lock up for punishing little kids especially when the kid is as cute as Small Kuching!
I would think so too…but no worries! He enjoyed the punishment – said it was fun!!! Must have driven his teachers through the roof, that boy! LOL!!!! Ya…with all those ingredients, just pour in plain water and bring to boil – it will taste just as great, I’m sure. They did have some kind of gravy or sauce though…a bit thick, like sharks’ fins soup kind of texture.
Not a fan of poon choi either. I’d rather have each fancy ingredient in separate dishes so that I can savor the lovely flavors of every one of them instead of having it all “rojak-ed” together. Sweet as the soup may be, I think it’s a waste of such expensive ingredients.
How does one eat so much for lunch?
True! True! I can imagine using the ingredients to cook no less than half a dozen exceptionally nice dishes. Well, that was lunch…after the breakfast that I had…and then we had the dinner that very night! Can go into the Book of Records already or not? LOL!!! 😀
Another lunch treat, how many kilos did you put on by the time you got back to Sibu 🙂 The fish is something I would love to eat. Gee…all the hype on poon choy and no good reviews here. I’ve never eaten it so I guess I shouldn’t bother then.
Yup, don’t bother. The fish was good – you can if it a try if you happen to drop by the place, and the asparagus too. Don’t bother about the poon choi – simply too expensive…unless you’re celebrating something and would like to have that.
*Jaw drop*
Believe me or not, I never had poon choy in my life before.. Aww.. that’s a very huge pot full of exclusive ingredients!!!
What a meaningful meal you’d shared with the other fellow friends.. hehehe ^^
When’s my turn?;p
Your turn to buy me an exclusively special lunch like this? Anytime… When are you available? LOL!!! 😀
expensiveeeee! TT wait i rich first only can go eat. TT
Fresh graduate pay, how much? Around 5K, I’m sure… Can lah, you can afford it quite easily, I’m sure… 😉
It is not advisable to read your blog when one is hungry…for after drooling on the banquet you had, I suffered starvation by then! but…Still worth the price… for I’ve enjoyed your post!
Sure am glad to hear that. Do keep dropping by for more… Ya, they always say that they must not come on an empty stomach. Wise advice indeed. Hehehehehe!!!! 😉
I’ve been to this place several months ago. You reminded me that I’ve not blogged about it.. aiks!
You so happening, so many things going on to blog about mah! Hope it is not a food-tasting event, makan free… They will be wondering if they have been shortchanged… Come and eat free and never help promote… 😉
Oh my, I’ve NEVER seen a sign like that before in a restaurant. I think it would make me so nervous that I’d probably stumble and break something!
LOL!!! Makes you jittery eh? Well, at least they warn you before hand. Better than not telling you and when you break something, in the end, you find it in your bill….
wow… this is one lunch I would love to try!! Kathy should have SMS me to go down to join you for lunch…. LOL..
OK, Arthur, next time if you come to Ipoh, I take u to the poon choy with no meat one so that you wont feel so “filling” .. so that we can have more “ample space” to stuff in more food! LOL
Cheaper or this same price? If so expensive, I don’t want lah! I’ve tried once already – more than enough already. With that kind of money, can go and eat lots and lots of other nice things.
I give the squat punishment to my girls all the time. Boys do push-ups. Military/Police style since we cannot touch students nowadays.
Oh dear… Not me. My bark is worse than my bite…LOL!!!
Aiyor.. So handsome and yet so garang. How to get a wife like that??? Anyway, I wouldn’t mind as much if they are teenagers or even those above 7-8 years old to kena punishment or dera or however one sees it but to punish a young child is a big no- no for me. Many reasons but since this is a food blog…Sorry, Arthur:))
Ummm…some people actually enjoy it, if I’m not mistaken. Hehehehehehehe!!!! Well, the Christian Brothers used to wallop us like hell…and to this day, many of their ex-students would worship the ground that they walk on. I guess it all depends on who, where and when…
Girls like bad boys. I’m the full package. I look good & can get really nasty if I have to. Woman on the other hand will be able to differentiate my professional life & my personal life.
p/s: Arthur, you’re too nice. Now get down & give me fifty!
Oh? You’d love that, wouldn’t you??? Muahahahahahaha!!!!! 😀
Yummy poon chai! But I’m sure a big portion of the price goes to the sea cucumber and scallops; it’s no longer cheap nowadays. I should have given it a try when I had dined in Ying Ker Lou.
Anyway, I know that the restaurant will definitely be a good place for me to go to since I’m a huge fan of porcelain and glass. =D If the boss of the restaurant didn’t put up such a notice, nobody will handle the glassware/porcelain with care.
My school teachers had never made me pull my ears and do the squats, but I had my round of verbal lecturers with them. I find that for kindy teachers to ask the young children to pull their ears and do the squats is terrible; shouldn’t that be for elementary school students instead?
Me too. When I was younger, I did resort to corporal punishment but eventually, I did not need to do that – my bark was worse than my bite…and most of the time, just “telling them off” would suffice. I guess it works when one’s a lot older…and also, size does matter! 😉
Yup…I’m not a fan of plastic especially when hot food is served. Melamine isn’t as bad…but I use glass or porcelain only at home.
Indeed, the ingredients in the poon choi were all very expensive stuff – just that unfortunately, the taste wasn’t really sensational – so very nice that I couldn’t wait to rush back for more. Probably it’s just the snob appeal that attracts people to it – like sharks’ fins soup.
Arthur,
I sincerely and truly love shark’s fin soup and soup- soup yang sewaktu dengannya.It ‘s not a snob appeal for me, leh. .. Cross my heart and hope to die!( waiting for the do- gooders/ Greenies to tembak me now ).
Melissa loves it – I always feel that it is tasteless make no difference whether it is in the soup of nor…and good or not, it all depends on the soup base.
hey good food there.. again i cant express how sorry i am for not making it when you’re here.. 😦 don’t kecil hati ya
Of course not… I just commented in your blog – wouldn’t have done so, otherwise. Ya…it was food…food…and more food. My posts on the trip will spill over some two weeks or so… Lots of things to blog about.
Wow the poon choi looks good la… well at least u can say tht u have tried it once!
Precisely…and once is enough! 😉
The tilapia dish is available in Sibu at the restaurant under the bridge!
Oh? Should be very much cheaper here? All that tilapia, live ones, from Batang Ai. Many people have told me about the place, more as to how cheap it is there…but it’s very far from where I am – near from where you are…and I have no intention of driving all the way just to eat – kinda dark and up till now, the road construction isn’t exactly completed yet. So many years already… Had a not-very-nice experience when I went to try Charcoal Grill when it first opened..and once is enough.
YES!! I just about to said, you can have it in Sibu!! Almost exact the same, taste yummy! Till now i still miss that fish very much and the special sauce. You should try once, go early, like 5.30pm while the sky still bright. It is not that far actually.
The road still not done properly – we passed by when we went to Bintangor that day. They’re taking years and years and years – almost dead in an accident – the pick up truck in the wrong lane – confused by the construction…coming head-on so fast in the dark street! Lucky thing stopped in time… Would never go there at night ever again.
Wah, have to pay for broken crockery……..like that cannot bring my son there liao…….errrr, maybe bring my own metal ones! ha ha ha!
Maybe they have paper plates for children? LOL!!!
very true, with all those expensive food all in one pot, it’s supposed to feel lavish and delicious.. but then, i have the same thought as you, they don’t match and don’t taste any special when put together.. that is why i don’t fancy poon choy at all, rather i would like them to be served separately…
Well, I had the impression that it was something really great, so very nice – a must-have, must-eat…based on what I’ve read and seen in people’s blogs. At least now I know what it is…and what it tastes like…so when I see any more blogposts on it and people going goo-goo ga-ga over it, I would just say, go ahead and help yourself… No, thank you. Been there, done that!
It is so nice Simple Person, Small Kuching, Reanaclaire and Twilight Man are your friends and you do meet them up.
Yes, and many many more that I’ve met…and just as many more that I would like to meet as well.
Poon Choy for lunch? That is a heavy lunch!! tsk tsk tsk..
I had once many years ago at Bonnie Kitchen, Hartamas, like you said, try once is enough. 🙂
Love the fish..
My sentiments exactly. Don’t see how it is so great, people would want to eat it again and again…
hahah this is a first time i read such sign. I will never pay for it if I have broken a plate! haha… just say that I didn’t see the sign lo…
Hmmm…being difficult, aren’t you? But actually, if it’s by accident and most of the time it is – unlike those with kids and they let the brats play with the crockery and cutlery…, they really should not ask the diners to pay. Not very fair.
The foods looks good!!!
Everything’s good all right – just not the type that would get me coming back for more. I think I prefer something stronger, stuff that is more exotic or spicy…