My ex-student, Xavier, contacted me to tell me that he would be leaving soon – the following week, in fact, to go back to the UK to continue his studies at Cambridge there. I had wanted to take him here once but they were having the week off at the time and we ended up elsewhere so this time around, I made sure that he could have the more authentic dim sum at this restaurant…
*Archive photo*
…before going off. Another ex-student of mine, Lawrence, Xavier’s good friend and former classmate, was leaving in a few days for Miri to start work there and needless to say, we were delighted that he was able to join us as well that morning.
Of course, they would be able to get the same where they were going but for Xavier especially, what he would get there would probably cost an arm or a leg, especially after the conversion of our currencies. Anyway, I do think what they serve here is very good – as good as many of the better dim sum places that I’ve been to here, there and everywhere. They told me that the chef was from Shanghai but I am not too sure whether he is still around or not.
I ordered some of the items that I had had before, their char siew (barbecued pork) pao…
…and the three-flavour siew mai (meat dumplings)…
…and the har kao (prawn dumpling)…
Of course, I simply had to order that favourite of mine, the lau sar pao…
– the steamed buns with the salted egg custard filling. It turned out that Xavier had never tried these before…and he almost had all the filling on his shirt when he bit into it. LOL!!!
I asked for this…
…because I thought Rose had it when she was here and I wanted to give it a try myself but when I checked her blog, it seems that this was not among the things that she had. Nonetheless, it was very good and if I’m not wrong, this is some kind of prawn roll wrapped in bean curd skin and deep-fried and served in its special sauce. I enjoyed it very much, lots of little prawns inside.
We also had their tomato kway teow…
I thought we could have that for a change as on my previous visits, I had ordered their Foochow-style fried noodles and even though theirs had never failed to please, I wanted something different this time around…and yes, they do it very well here and I would not mind having it again in future.
That was all that we had and though it did not look like we had a lot, we were very full after we had finished everything. Probably the kway teow and the buns were very filling and did not leave much tummy space for anything else. The bill came up to only RM38.50, inclusive of free flow of Chinese tea. Well, if anyone is interested in dropping by to give it a try and has no idea where this restaurant is, it is opposite SMK Deshon along Jalan Sena (2.308964,111.848674) and I would suggest that you come in from the Lot 9 side (opposite Delta Mall, Jalan Pedada) as the sinking swampy land has made the road atrociously uneven in parts on the Sibu Bus Terminal side.
After that delightful brunch, I took the boys here…
…because they asked me about THE book and they did not know where (and how) they could get a copy.
They went up to the Sibu Resident’s Office on the 5th Floor to ask for it and after signing their names, they were given a copy each, no questions asked, and they left the place happily, book in hand…
They did say that it was a breeze and the people there were very nice and friendly.
Thanks so much for the very pleasant get-together, boys. All the best to the two of you in your undertakings ahead. Do take care, and God bless always.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
What a wonderful post! The boys have lovely smiles. I wish them all the best. 🙂
Thanks. Yes, they’re very lovely boys.
wow cambridge in UK! this dude has bright future ahead! i’m so envious, unlike me, very sad case. 😥
You? A sad case? I thought you studied overseas too? And you’ve completed your Masters and went on a holiday in Hongkong & Japan…and now a celebrity blogger, go and dine ever so often at the high class E & O? Gee!!! Everyone would give anything to be in your shoes… 😉
It’s always heart-warming to read how close you are to your ex-students. The dimsum there is really reasonably priced.
A few of them, yes. Not all. Some would avoid me like a plague. Hehehehehehe!!!!
Yes, it always amazes me how cheap it always is at this place. Once I wanted to pay be credit card, thinking it would be a lot…but when I found out the actual total, I just settled by cash.
Wow look at those dimsum my favourites.
You’ve got lots where you are (with the very authentic old, loud and rude typical Hongkong waitresses some more! LOL!!!)…but I bet they cost a bomb! I’ve been to another place before but the last one I went to was here:
https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/all-things-considered/
y’know, that final complex in your last photo looks like a building in putrajaya 🙂
Not so familiar with Putrajaya…but it sure reminds me of DayaBumi, the pride and joy of the mid-80’s. I wonder what is there now….
I had that prawns beancurd roll before. I think I did blogged about it. On 3rd visit.
http://kuchingnite.blogspot.com/2014/08/more-goodness.html?m=0
I want to try that tomato noodle the next round I go over. Been weeks we didnt go there for breakfast.
Ahhhhh!!!! So you did!!! I positively remembered seeing it in your blog. Yes, as you said, “The prawns rolls in beancurd skin. Very tasty. We can’t get enough of it!” My sentiments exactly! Really very good. Ummmm….when are you going? You have my number… Wink! Wink! 😀 😀 😀
What a nice day to start off when I hop over to your blog and was greeted with this awesome dim sum but the tomato kway teow looks too red, because of the lighting, eh? Wish both the boys all the best.
Nope, not the lighting – the photo editing. I thought it looks nicer like this. Hehehehehehehe!!!!! Thanks for your good wishes.
Eh, those are proper siew mai! I thought in Sibu they only sell those sio bee that you always feature in your blog.
Don’t worry sir, Cambridge is only an hour train ride into London, he won’t be deprived of authentic dim sum 😀
Provided he’s willing to fork out the money. Not cheap there, I’m sure…especially when we convert.
Yes, other than our local Foochow-style sio bee, we DO have siew mai, as you know them, at the dim sum restaurants here but they’re the same as any dim sum restaurant elsewhere – more or less – better than some of those coffee shop-kind of dim sum places over at your side. I had had horrible…AND expensive ones at Jalan Alor and a good one right across the road, same place. Like everything else (even our local Foochow-style ones), one must know where to go! We have those here too – the nothing-to-shout-about dim sum places at the coffee shops, not worth one’s calories.
So nice of you to bring the boys for a nice dimsum before they leave.. The dimsum restaurant looks like a high-class restaurant, I wouldn’t dare to go in and order dimsum, sure expensive.. But surprisingly, the price is ok, RM38.50 for 3. Got dimsum, noodles, buns, free flow Chinese, enuff la for breakfast..
Me too. People were telling me about this place and I thought it would be expensive. Took out my credit card the first time, ready to be slaughtered…but when I saw it was so cheap, I paid cash. 😛
Not bad , your ex students still remember you. You must be a great teacher back then. Nice dim sum!!! Seldom see you eat dim sum anyway.
Cheaper to go for something simpler mah. Save for special occasions.
All the best to the boys…
Thanks.
THE BOOK! Do i have to go to Sibu to get it? hehe.. :).. Have a great tuesday Arthur!
The two kids have been down with flu with baby karlson being hospitalized for the past one week.. ><, they're getting better now though.
Yes, you have. No point getting the book if you’ve never been here to try some of the stuff in it. At least when you’ve been here and you’ve eaten a few of our local delights, you can keep the book to remember them by. Coming over soon?
Oh dear! Your poor kids? In hospital for one week? That’s serious. What flu is that? Good to make sure they get the medical attention – kids fall sick all the time but have to see it does not get too serious.
It is good that you keep in touch with your ex-students. No doubt before going overseas, be sure to savour all the favourite local foods before the next trip home 🙂
…and suffer the torture whenever they peek into my blog. 😀 😀 😀
You must be proud of your student. 😊
Most certainly. Always glad to see them doing well…
Two handsome boys! Yes, all the best to their future undertakings! Make Teacher Arthur proud… so finally… saw your dim sum….Just five choices only for RM38 over.. this must be a prestigious restaurant.. 🙂
It’s a restaurant all right, not one of those coffee shop like outlets and dim sum chef from Shanghai, they say. Expensive? For us here, not really. At the coffee-shop types, only slightly cheaper. Around RM12.00 for 3 baskets – they hold you to ransom – take all or nothing. Not so bad if everything is nice – not really, would need to know what to order…and you order one meat dumpling…all the rest will taste the same, may just look a bit different. Not worth the money, that’s for sure. I’d rather pay for quality – and for what is like real dim sum…not those half-baked ones.
I’d like to try some authentic dim sum with you someday. I seem to always end up at big hotels. I’m guessing this is not what you’d consider an “authentic” experience. 😉
Hotels may be good. My favourite in KL has got to be Xin Cuisine at Concorde KL, Jalan Sultan Ismail, really good – I have loved its dim sum since it was the Merlin Hotel in the late 80’s. I had dim sum at a Tai Thong restaurant at Melia KL (Jalan Imbi) and the Chinese restaurant at Crown Princess (Heard it’s closed?) – they were all right, did not bowl me over. I had a good dim sum breakfast a long time ago at Toh Yuen at Hilton, Kuching but that was a long time ago – dunno if they still have that there – much nicer than the then Holiday Inn Kuching. If it is some dim sum selections that you find in their breakfast buffet spread, you can give them a miss – they’re ok, that much I would say. I had my fair share of those at many hotels on my working trips before I retired.
I have not tried the dim sum at those -i restaurants sprouting all over like Canton-i or Dragon-i at places like Mid Valley so I am in no position to comment on those.
best of luck to your students!
Thank you.
Char siew pau good? I like this type of char siew pau. Ok, this is another place that i am going to try when i go back next round ( don’t know when yet ).
Let me know. I’ll go with you.
I’m back from vacation and catching up on your blog. Sounds like this was a fun time. I have to say I LOVE that last building – very neat – I love different styles of buildings – any kind of ‘eye candy’ really!
Welcome back, bet you had a great time. This is a brand new building, just completed. It looks impressive, sort of Moorish architecture, I think, that part at the top.
Very nice! LOVE new buildings! Always nice to see something NEW around, ya know!!!
I would rather they restore and preserve some of the the nice old buildings. This one’s not bad, has some kind of cultural touch to it – not too fond of some of the ultra-modern structures.
Suituapui!!! I love all the food photos you post up. The number 1 thing I miss about my hometown of San Francisco? All the delicious yum cha / dim sum restaurants I would frequent with my mom! Cheers! xx
Ya, you would have lots there, all the Chinese restaurants. Yes, you call them yum cha, same as in New Zealand. Yum cha literally means drink tea which people always do when having dim sum.
Aiya so much ‘meat’ foodie pict, me on vegetarian today, cannot eat meat, hehehe :p
Has it got to do with some 9-day Chinese festival? I don’t eat meat on Fridays but solely out of habit and not following strictly to this nowadays – will eat fish instead.
I have a vegan blog if you want to swing by 🙂
Yes, do hop over, Hayley.
Nice dim sum meal. So good of some of your ex-students to keep in contact with you after many years. Hope the boys do their parents and Teacher Arthur proud.
They do and they will. They’re very good boys, these students of mine.
Have you tried the dim sum at Mitsu Shabu Shabu behind RMC)? Theirs are pretty authentic. I was told that their dim sum chef came from China. I met your wife and mother in law in the Eye Clinic by the way. Send my regards to her. 😊
I dunno their current chef now. When they first started, they also had a chef from Shanghai – it was much nicer then but they sent him packing after a year. Many of the nice things available before were taken off the menu…and then, they incorporated shabu-shabu into their business. Not bad, not as nice as when they first started, but quite good. I’ve blogged about it a number of times – you may check out those old posts.