It certainly was quite an eventful weekend…and this was on that same Saturday in my previous two posts.
After the sunset service in church that night, we decided to drop by here…
…for a light supper before heading home though actually, I would not say I was particularly fond of this place. It had been quite a while since we were here last. Parking has always been a pain and the mere idea of leaving the car some distance away and walking all the way sure does not appeal to me all that much. Other than that, it was always very crowded but that night, things seemed a little slow – it was not in any way as busy as before…
It used to be the favourite haunt for the young especially and maybe it has lost its appeal or they have found another place to hang out, some place classier and cheap perhaps…or maybe it was raining earlier that evening.
For the uninitiated, this hawker centre (2.31036,111.846066) is located along Jalan Pedada, opposite the AmBank branch at the far end of the blocks of shophouses to the left of Delta Mall.
Well, my girl had only one thing in mind so as soon as we got there, she and her mum went to place the orders…
They’re not actually fried dumplings or what is usually called sui jiao. According to the menu displayed, they are called fried meat…
…and if you ask me, I think they’re just the sio bee or pian sip skin with a little bit of meat filling, deep fried and served (50 sen each)…
…so in a way, they are more like fried wantons, just that they are not folded or wrapped that same way. They were very nice and we did enjoy them especially Melissa who’s usually exceptionally fond of anything deep-fried. We had 10 so, in total, that would be RM5.00.
I asked for the sio bee…
*Do excuse the tint of red in the photos – that must be the coloured lights all over the place*
…as I wanted to see if they were still as good as when we had them before. Smallkucing had these before and he loved them so much that he just could not stop helping himself to more! Believe it or not, he just popped the whole thing into his mouth, one at a time…but I suspected he was doing it to impress Claire‘s daughter, that cheeky little boy! LOL!!!
Yes, they were still as nice…
…and they used to be 50 sen each. However, when my missus went to order, she was told that it would be RM6.00 for 10, 60 sen each. Ah well!!! The prices of everything has been going up like nobody’s business, so a 10 sen hike is really no big deal. Then, when both orders had been served, I asked the girl for the total and she said RM10.00 only – I asked again and yes, it was RM10.00 all right. I don’t know why they told my missus that it would be RM11.00 for everything – maybe they saw me taking photographs and guessed that I would be blogging about them? Or maybe they did not see me initially…and they liked the look of my face? What do you think? Muahahahahahaha!!!!!
We also had the ang tao cendol (RM2.30)…
…which was very nice indeed! I thought it was nicer than what we had here (RM2.50) and cheaper too and if the last time I had it here (RM2.80) was anything to go by, this one would win hands down!
They had cincao (grass jelly) in theirs though…
…but I am pretty sure that if you do not want that, you can just let them know when ordering and they would not add it.
This was from Stall No. 2…
– Simon Peter, a name that always brings to mind one of the twelve apostles in the Bible.
Now, this is one thing that I like about the hawker centres here…
…unlike the horrible experiences I had had at that overrated tourist trap in Penang when one would run the risk of being scolded even before one has sat down. Tsk! Tsk! Kudos to the people concerned too for their use of perfectly-correct English unlike what I saw here…
*Archive photo*
This was a big issue in the newspapers at one time but it wouldn’t bother me much as I would always order a drink whenever I stopped by anywhere for a bite to eat…but with all those extra charges, I do feel that the coffee shop people should put in a little bit of effort to paint the walls and spruce up the place and make it more presentable.
Sunday was send-my-girl-back-to-her-school day and when we got home in the evening, my friend, Lim, dropped by to pass me this…
He went back to Kuching for the weekend on some personal business and a cousin of mine was able to send it to me through him…and I wrapped it up nicely in the brown paper bag it came in and sealed it in one of those sealable plastic bags before putting it into the freezer.
If you’re wondering what was inside, this was what they sent me last year…
*Archive photo*
– the very delightfully-special rum and brandy-infused fruit pudding that my aunt makes. Thank you so much, Uncle Paul, Auntie Irene and cousins – I am saving that for Christmas or maybe, Chinese New Year.
So that wrapped up the weekend for me…and golly gee!!! It’s Friday already and another weekend’s here. Time really does fly, doesn’t it?
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Le most famous blogger in Sibu, how could he not recognize you? He should throw in an extra sio bee, or maybe more 😀
Wahhhhhhh!!!! Given an inch and you ask for a yard. Aren’t you being a bit too demanding? RM1 is the equivalent of 2 sio bee already and you want them to give you one more.
So kiam siap one, discount RM1 only. If I run an eatery and a famous food blogger come visiting, he/she would eat for free 😀
LOL Small Kucing! So small already know how to impress girls! 😀
Gosh!!! You’re worse than Ken! Want to eat for free some more. Let me copy and paste my reply to a comment in my previous post:
“…that is why I don’t do food reviews upon invitation – would feel obliged to say nice things. Even when I have to pay for what I eat, I would be somewhat subtle and try to be constructive, give suggestions perhaps as to how something could have been better instead of saying this or that is not good…”
These simple people running a small food stall are trying to make an honest living here – it’s their rice bowl you may be breaking.
Ya…we thought it was very funny and Claire’s daughter seemed somewhat embarrassed by the attention she was getting.
It must be your face. So famous who can’t recognise? Agree with Ken, should throw in extra sio bee or more on top of that RM1 discount. But then again, this is Arthur we are talking about, who will pay for his own food even on invited reviews 😀
We don’t get free invites here…or at least, not so often. So far I had two only – one even wanted to fly me over to Kuching…but no, I did not go.
Hmmm….you people all kuat lihai one hor! Want an extra sio bee some more – see my reply to Ken’s comment…and RealGunners’. Now, you all got me thinking of the food blogger in the movie, “Chef“.
Nonetheless, I think if they recognised me, it was because I was a teacher, not a blogger – not many will read blogs here and mine, even less so as I write in English, not in Mandarin. Maybe someone in the family was my student before…or was in the school where I was teaching. I prefer to stay in the shadows – not keen on being in the limelight. In fact, I just got this via Facebook from a reporter with a Mandarin newspaper yesterday:
“…can I write something about your blog, your articles on food, etc ? Can you tell me something about yourself, how you got into this food “business”? please send to my e-mail at **********@gmail.com, if you don’t mind? Thank you very much.”
…and my reply was:
“Oh no, thank you very much!!! Shy, shy! It’s just to pass the time and keep mentally active, no big deal. Besides, my blog’s in English, will not be of interest to your readers at all.”
I do like fried wonton. This place looks very popular, lots of people there. 🙂
Used to be jam-packed, so difficult to get a table and it was hard to walk around even in search of one.
Been there once last year when I were so pregnant. Haha. Never been there since because of the reasons you stated here. Lol.
We had rojak and ice cendol then. From what stall, I dont remember but the rojak I heard, is pretty famous there.
Maybe it was from the kompia stall – the one with the plastic twin towers – did not notice it that night, dunno still there or not. The satay here is very good.
ooo at first i thought the red tint on the dumplings was a sort of ketchup … or even blood! heheh 🙂 the brandy fruit pudding looks great, and it’d be a great treat for christmas 🙂
It’s a family recipe. My mum used to make, come Christmas and Chinese New Year every year but she can’t make anymore. Luckily, my uncle’s wife picked up the skill and would make it now and thankfully, I will get one from her each year – whole lot of value and significance and family tradition attached to it.. My girl is not so fond of it…so I guess it ends here. 😦
Yup, I thought the meat looked raw, uncooked – thankfully, it was only in the photo, not so in the real thing.
Haha very funny when I read about J boy popping the whole siao bee into his mouth to impress girls, haha, cute.. But I could pop the whole thing in my mouth too, and I can eat like, 10? OMG that rum fruit cake looks soooooo good, I can finish all too, haha..
It’s in my freezer and it’s not going to come out till Christmas or Chinese New Year. Precious commodity, hands off!!! 😀 😀 😀
Ya, that boy is so cute, very nice, very pleasant and likeable. You met him before?
Nope, never met in real person before.. All from pictures only lor.. A bit skinny though, but eats a lot.. Hmmm…
So near yet so far.
Mana the 3 layer tea? I still remember the 3 layer tea here got umph. drink liao 2am also still awake. Better than coffee.
Come, come..we will drop by here for that. I drink tea at night, whole night busy…going to the toilet. Chinese tea, lagi worse!
They must be very happy that the Sibu Food Mayor went to patron their stall, so they charge you RM10 instead of RM11…
Dunno. Maybe they were just being nice…and felt bad for making us wait. Not long actually.
It’s always nice to go for a nice dinner after church with the family. Lots of variety of food there. Eh….can last till cny meh ?
Can!!! With all the rum and brandy, it is very very well preserved – the longer you keep, the better it gets…and once in a while, can take out and pour more brandy, lagi best! 😀
That day must be your happy day. Famous blogger.
Every day’s a good day.
Hey Arthur, You have a good memory.. Teachers always do, don’t they! hahaha.. I don’t remember about what SKucing did but I certainly can remember we went there for supper… it was drizzling then… and we ate the dumplings and the ice kacang… must refer back to my old posts and see what else we ordered.. 🙂
Just click the links to see the old posts -= they’re all there. Can refresh your memory…and maybe that will make you want to come again? 😉
I love Ais Kacang. Especially from Chinese stalls. I think the Malay stalls quite stingy with the milk therefore the taste not so kaw. hehe.
One nice place here, Malay shop…best cendol…but later, I think the guy who used to make it left…not nice anymore. Yet to come across a nice one at a Malay shop ever since.
Love the sio bee & ang tao cendol. Oppss..I do encounter horrible experience with the stall hawker at the Open air market here too but some are ok. Christmas always come early for you. Fruit pudding looks great.
Oh? Thank goodness it was ok when I went to Open Air. I guess at around 4-5, not many people…and many stalls also not open, so it was all right. Th epao fella, not very friendly though. 😦 Ya…so early, and it’s only October. Hehehehehe!!!!!
There’s something about an outdoor food court that just breathes excitement.
Not really for me, not in the tropical heat here…but I’m ok if there are fans around.
I really like those deep fried crispy things eaten with chilli sauce! That fruit and rum pudding must be very precious for it to be so quickly stored in the freezer 🙂
It is. If not for my uncle’s wife, I would not be having any this year. 😦
I like this place, always go there for their balitongl nice nice and my boys will have the satay. Yes, satay is good. And my brother they all like the dessert there, something like ice fruit punch? I have try the kampua once but no other things.
Satay here is good, and I always tapao the balitongs and cockles home for my girl for dinner – she loves those. Kampua here, a branch of that famous Book of Records bestman one, not my favourite.
I have an idea, now you are famous, they should take picture with you and put a standing banner there and said Food Mayor Arthur Wee been here!! 🙂
Like those Trip Advisor stickers or Jalan-jalan cari makan plaques? Hehehehehehe!!!!
Time DOES fly! I’m still trying to catch up from vacation! When I got back we went to an Apple Festival and that has almost been a week now and I haven’t been able to blog about it yet! LOL I think you will get a kick out of the restaurant review I posted today 🙂
Looking forward to that. Gotta hop over to check out the restaurant now…