I was here…
…a long time ago but I had a problem communicating with the people there and in the end, I just pointed at some of the things they had in the array of choices on display…
…but I was not too thrilled by what I had and I never went back there again.
I went out with my friend, Jimmy, again on one of the mornings when he was in town and actually, I wanted to take him here for breakfast but he was not at all enthusiastic about the very limited choices they serve for breakfast so we made our way here instead, just a few doors away to the left. I left the ordering to him…
…but I did tell him to include those very famous and very popular Foochow fish balls that never fail draw people by the droves at every cultural festival or food fair in town…
*photo proudly displayed on the wall at the shop*
In order that you will not be disappointed, you will have to go early to get a number. Once all the numbers have been taken, that will be it for the day – you will not be able to buy any and will have to go back and try the next day. If you are lucky enough to get a number, do not rejoice yet. You still have to queue up and wait for your turn before you can get to buy these much coveted balls…
…that have meat filling inside…
Personally, I do not see what the excitement is all about – the fish ball is overly soft just like a rubber ball, not unlike those frozen factory-manufactured ones sold at every supermarket in town. They certainly do not have the taste and the texture of those very lovely own handmade ones that I have had here and enjoyed a great deal. I would not want to have these again, that’s for sure, much less go all the way to the crowded festival grounds in the heat and queue up to buy, thank you very much!
As a matter of fact, they now have frozen ones available in plastic packs and somebody gave some to a cousin of mine in Bintulu and she cooked fish ball soup with them and she said they were great. They have some for sale too at this shop and if you guess that I did not bother to buy any, you are right!
But don’t write off this place…
…just yet for even though their fish balls failed to leave a favourable impression on me, I did like some of the other items that we chose – at 3 for RM11.50. It used to be RM10.00 only but obviously, the price has gone up…like everything else around here (except my measly pension).
These yam puffs were very nice…
…except that there may not be very good quality control as we found that there wasn’t much of the char siew meat filling in one…
…but a lot in the other.
Never judge a book by its cover for as we all know, appearances can be deceptive and even though these may look very colourful and attractive…
…both Jimmy and I did not think they were anything great and would surely give them a miss the next time around.
Now these peculiar-looking buns…
…turned out to be really very nice indeed…
…but the char siew filling would be the same as what one would find in the yam puffs but there is glutinous rice inside and the odd-shaped bottomless bun is actually sitting on a thin layer of omelette.
Now, these were really good…
– something made of sushi rice with a topping of meat floss (and a bit of mayo probably to make the floss stick to the rice) and yes, there is a bit of that char siew filling inside too…
I don’t know what happened to the photograph or the lighting or whatever but actually, the rice was white, not blue like those nasi kerabu or nyonya kuihs where they would colour the rice using the bunga telang (blue pea flower). Both of us loved it a lot and also these…
…that are made up of Taiwanese sausage on top and layers of minced meat filling and glutinous rice underneath that…
…and ooooo….the sambal at this place is really very very nice and it certainly brings the taste of everything to a whole new level.
They now have an elaborate menu with photographs and names in English so I don’t think I would have any problem ordering the next time around and since I quite like some of the stuff here, plus the things are not exactly expensive, I probably would be dropping by again sometime soon.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I like the chinese name of this place… meatfloss with rice???? i’m confused.
What does it mean? Care to share?
They have meatfloss in sushi, don’t they? The cheap ones at the stalls in the malls? And that’s rice, isn’t it? I, for one, know very well that it goes very well with porridge.
I don’t know, i thought it’s a rather odd combination for meatfloss and rice LOL but i think the Taiwanese do eat it that way. The name 鱼玩 (fish-play?) sounds like 鱼丸 (fish balls), it does not carry any meaning but i thought it was amusing for them to change the pronunciation 😀
I can’t make sense of the English name either, whether it’s culture as in tradition or culture as in breeding fish. 😦
You know I can now identify meat floss before you even mention what it is… that has everything to do with you introducing me to them (here on your blog) a few months ago.
PErhaps your expectations are higher than most? I can relate to that, since I’m the same way with certain foods. I judge them as “acceptable” and think of a few ways that it can be the item could be improved, meanwhile some of my friends will go crazy over the meal.
Next Tuesday, I’ll be cooking for a few people, about 40. I’ll be making my baked crab balls. Those never last long. It’s mainly all crab, very little filler.
Wish I could try that. Crabs are expensive here and the frozen or canned crab meat isn’t cheap either plus they lack the natural sweetness of real live crabs.
I guess it all depends on the individual. Some are quite happy with things in certain ways, others would prefer them otherwise. That’s why I always disclaim that my opinions are solely my own – one man’s meat is another man’s poison…and to each his own.
I meant to write a few years ago…
It’s been so long? Gee!!! And another new year is coming up! Time sure does fly!!!
Yes… it’s been a few years. Time does fly! Oh, I’m thrilled because I just found a tutorial on how to make meat floss.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pork-Floss
I’ll have to give it a try and ask my daughter how she likes it…
What type of meat is normally used? In the directions above it shows pork, but I imagine you could use a variety of meats.
For the Chinese, it’s pork or chicken. But there is also beef, fish or prawn/shrimp among the Malays – they call it “serunding”.
From the 1st picture, can see a lot of choices. Fish balls with meat fllings, sounds interesting. All looks good and I love the sushi rice with meat floss toppings.
Foochow fish balls, you never had that before? I think they make them in Singapore too – frozen and packed in plastic bags and labelled as Fuzhou fish balls…
All look good la… something new especially the sushi rice, the bitter gourd with the salted egg on top, the peculiar pau… wahhhhh..how come last time we didn’t go there? Must take number? Must try next time!
No need to take a number at the shop, only at their stall at the cultural festival…but good to go early (or late) so as to be able to get a table.
When you all were here, the focus was on the local original or traditional Sibu delights and dim sum is not on the list (especially when you all have very good ones there) and anyway, you all were here for only a few days – lots more places, lots more things to eat and enjoy!! You’ll just have to come again!
The fish balls looks very Q and bouncy…
I wish it had not been that bouncy and rubbery…
Gosh so many people…can’t believe it. I’m sure all the dim sum must be very good in taste.The size of every dim sum is generous too. Not too small. Hmm, I’m gonna have my dim sum with my friends tomorrow. Yippee
The price was good too even though it had gone up from the former REM10.00 for three “laus”…
So much choices there…
Bet you have more at the dim sum places in Singapore…
You have been having a lot of dim sum lately. Haha.
I am not a big fan of fish balls but the yam puff sure look yummy. Love the crispy puff and soft yumny fillings. Suppose to get you some yam puff and curry puff the other day I bought sio pau because the yam and curry puff are nicer than the sio pau there. Unfortunately they only made sio pau that day. One day I buy for you when I get the chance.
Looking forward to that… 😉
oh, dimsum again?? i hope not two days back-to-back, and definitely not breakfast and lunch in the same day, haha!! looks good, lots of varieties and those you featured are kind of special too 🙂
It was! One day after the other – after all, my friend was here for just a few days, not enough time to stretch to go and try all the nice food here.
Wahh….another round of dim sum! Dim Sums here look quite special. I like the 2nd photo. So colorful….. 🙂
But hard to tell which is what and the girl’s explanations would be Greek to me. I’d stick to the menu…or bring someone who can communicate with the people there.
ooo, dim sum again. quite a few interesting versions here that we don’t see often hor 😀
Yes, and in a way, it is good. Have to take as face value, can’t compare unlike going for the usual dim sum stuff – people tend to compare which is better and where.
It seems that the owner is very innovative. I never seen those dim sums in the last few pictures before.
Me neither… They certainly are a welcome change from the usual.
I love foochow fish balls, this is the only balls that i love to eat. ahhahahhaha
My hubs shop selling this too, so no problem for us to get. I love to add it to my instant noodles.
Sushi rice with meat floss, sound interesting.
The made-in-Sibu ones? Not for me, thank you. I think some of those frozen fish balls sold at the supermarkets can be a little bit better even. I’d use those in my steamboats, not bothered to make our own.
I don’t like their Foochow fish balls too, but some people really likes them e.g. my aunts. They’re fans of this place. I guess one man’s meat and all that.
The floss-mayo-sushi thing looks good though!
That one’s good but not the balls. I cannot understand how anyone can actually like those rubbery balls with a texture like marshmallows. That certainly says a lot about how people’s tastes may differ – one man’s meat is another man’s poison.
I wonder why you can’t communicate with the people there? Hehe~
Lazy to speak their language and they do not speak the local Chinese dialects, all are dead and gone here among the younger generation, or any other languages for that matter – but since the time of my first/previous visit, I’ve picked it up along the way so I should be fine now. Get by perfectly well at many places in town much to the amazement of many who knew me before when I could not utter a word.
If I were to run a business, I would make sure that my employees are multi-lingual….not mono-lingual as there are people from all walks of like and I am sure they would not want to lose their business. There are other races here who may come and eat as well – such as the Ibans, the Melanaus, for instance.
I really like the mugs with the fishes on them! Cute! It seems there are so many places around you to eat! Even tho I don’t eat the meat or dairy I do enjoy reading about the places! Neat!
I think they’re custom made at one of potteries here. Yes, Sibu is all about eating….so many eating places around.
Shame about the bitter gourd ones, they looked tasty especially with the salted egg yolks.
Exactly what we thought at first.
Oh, wow!!! Thank you!!!!
What?
I am not too crazy over fish balls. I must really go for a good proper dim sum session one of these days. It is really fun eating so many varieties of dim sum, a bit of this and a bit of that!
We had that the day before…and my friend actually prefers this one – different from the usual. I guess sometimes, stuff that is out of the ordinary is good for a change.
So many different types of dim sum that I haven’t see before, bet I only the same one all the time!!! =]
Other places you get the same old things, this one is different. Most of the stuff I have not seen before – only problem is dunno which are good and so many, I can’t jolly well try them all.