Language is quintessentially a spoken thing. On paper, at best, one would be able to make use of punctuation marks to convey one’s intended meaning. For example, “How nice?” with a question mark may be a request for opinion as to how nice a place or something is. With an exclamation mark, “How nice!” could be an exclamation of delight but in writing, one does not have the tone that may actually convey a message to the contrary. Spoken with sarcasm and disgust or contempt, it may mean that the subject in question is really not nice at all.
Thus, when you drop by this cafe here in Sibu…
…you may be asking yourself the question, “How nice?”
Well, Melissa had the hung ngang (big mihun) served in the traditional Foochow-style chicken soup cooked with red wine and ginger (RM5.00)…
…with one poached egg in it and she thought it was nice.
I had mee sua (RM5.00)…
…in the same soup but the egg in mine was hard-boiled and I also felt that mine was nice as well though I would not say it is the best in town. Still, I would not mind ordering that again should I happen to drop by here on another occasion.
I suppose I probably would come again soon enough as I loved the popiah (RM2.50 each)…
It wasn’t exactly like how I would make them at home but I thought it was very nice, a lot nicer than what we can get anywhere else here in Sibu…
…and it would definitely be a whole lot easier to just buy one or two to eat instead of going through all that hassle to make one’s own.
I wouldn’t say the same about the cendol though…
No doubt, when it is served, one would probably exclaim out loud, “How nice!” for it does look good, that I simply cannot deny. Unfortunately, it was not lemak (rich with santan or coconut milk) at all and there wasn’t any gula Melaka in it or if there was, I could hardly detect any hint of it. But to be fair, it tasted all right, just a little too strong with the rose essence and nothing like what cendol usually is.
My missus had the fried pek koi (rice cakes) with canned clams in soy sauce (RM4.00)…
…and it was really very good. We all tasted a bit of it and Melissa loved it a lot – especially those teeny-weeny clams.
So from our personal point of view, the popiah and the fried pek koi with canned clams were very nice and we would not hesitate to have those again while the mee sua and hung ngang were pretty nice as well. That was how nice we thought this place was…and if anyone’s interested, it is along Wong King Huo Road to the RIGHT of Medan Mall (not the left, where Courts Mammoth is), the block on the far end of the area with the back of this block of shophouses facing Tong Sang Road.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 