After our breakfast, I took my Singapore friend and his friends to the Sibu Central Market, purportedly the biggest in the country.
We walked around the jungle produce section and they stopped to try the buah isu, a wild variety of the durian…
*My friend’s photo on Facebook*
I am never fond of this so I did not try because of its unique/peculiar taste and its extremely spiky and sharp thorns but they loved it! My friend said it tasted something like buah cempedak. They walked around this section and were amazed by many things that they would not get to see back in their island republic including these…
*My friend’s photo on Facebook*
– among the hottest chili in the world. If I am not mistaken, these are one of the Habanero varieties. Unfortunately/Fortunately, there were no sago worms that day so they did not get the opportunity to sample those and eat them alive! Hehehehehehehe!!!!!
After that, we proceeded to the dry section and my friend bought 500 gm of the Rajang hay bee (dried prawns) for RM40. When he got back home, he said that his mum told him they could get those in Singapore at SGD50 a kg. They cost RM80.00 a kg here at the moment so after conversion, it is still a little bit cheaper. He also bought two packs of The Kitchen’s instant kampua noodles to take home and try – they are selling them at RM7.50 each here, a ringgit more than at the actual source.
From there, we proceeded to the wet section and they were stunned by the sight of the udang galah (freshwater prawns)…
*Photo taken using mobile phone camera*
…also known as the tua thow hay (big headed prawns). They were selling at RM60.00 a kg that day but when I went a few days later, there were hardly any left…but I did get to see these big ones at one stall going for RM70 a kg. I heard one of the sellers telling a customer that they had started saving for Chinese New Year – that would be when they would take them all out and sell at astronomical prices to reap the harvest. Tsk! Tsk!
We spent quite a long time there and decided to move on to some place else. Oopsss!!!! I forgot to take them to the hawker centre upstairs!!! I drove them to the Tua Pek Kong wharf and dropped them off to see the floating grocery stores…
*My friend’s photo on Facebook*
…and they said that they got to talk to the people there and they were given some very interesting insights into how these people run their business and they even got the chance to go and look inside one of them…
*My friend’s photo on Facebook*
From there, we drove to Rejang Park to see how they make kompia traditionally at my regular place but I saw that they were done for the day so I took them here instead but here too, they were still working on the dough and even though the hot burning charcoal was red hot and ready in the oven, they had not started baking the kompia yet. After that, it was time for lunch but we were all still full from the heavy breakfast plus a sample of the fresh-out-of-the-traditional-oven kompia at the place we visited so we just dropped by here for some desserts.
They loved the rum and raisin mille crepe…
…and thought it was nicer than the tiramisu…
…and they enjoyed the chocolate lava cake…
…too and the kompia stuffed with pork belly slices…
…but between the two, they thought the ones with minced meat…
…were nicer.
They did order the nasi lemak as well but no, they were not too impressed by it. Well, if you are a regular follower of my blog, you would know that I am still searching for a really good one myself, one that I would insist that anyone visiting our town should go and try.
After that, I dropped them off at a shopping complex in town…
*Archive photo*
…to browse around and maybe buy a thing or two…(to be continued)
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I like Kompia and never miss buying dried shrimps in the market. The desserts are a feast to the eyes.
Don’t miss them if ever you’re in town – very nice…but I need to cut down on those – I’m too sweet already. Hehehehehe!!!! Yes, the dried prawns and a bag of the kompia, don’t leave Sibu without those.
buah isu i heard long time d, how the taste actually?similar with durian o not since outlook quite same with durian 🙂
kong pia, i know is famous one too 🙂
Come on over and try for yourself – hard to describe and explain. Kompia…way nicer than Sitiawan’s. When are you coming over? I am waiting… 😉
the buah isu is so fascinating … it looks like durian outside, but inside the flesh is like a different colour. also love your pics of the chillies … they look like vibrant cherries! 😀
Eyewwwww!!!! Cherries, they’re most definitely not. I’d draw the line at cili padi – these are too hot for me! Buah isu is a different variety of the durian, same family but different in many ways. Like how there are many different kinds of bananas – varying lengths, textures and tastes. 😉
Never heard of buah isu, but the colour of the flesh is so nice, looks like it taste very sweet.. And oooo those chillis look like cherries! So nice bright red colour! Love your rum & raisin crepe cake..Would love to try that.. Here, I’ve only eaten rum & raisin ice cream only 😦
My favourite at BR…and my favourite when it comes to the mille crepes here – not as sweet as the double chocolate and not too mild like the vanilla, just right!
Though I have seen those wild durians but never tasted it. I would stick to the local durians. Is the hot chilli what we called lantern chilli, having the shape of a lanten? *Hi5** , I am like your friend, prefer kompia with minced meat.
LOL!!! You have people on your side now. Most of the ladies would join you too – the layers of fat scare them so! 😀
I am not a fan of those wild durians either, very peculiar taste, i prefer the normal version 😛
Hang around! I came across one that I actually did enjoy!
I saw something new to me in this post. I was already wondering, why do they stuff cempedak inside a durian shell? So it is not stuffed but the fruit is really that way. Interesting!
Yes, you’ll find lots of interesting things here, quite different from what you’re more familiar with. Like how I always take our pasar malam for granted, never bothered to drop by much but my Singapore friends loved it and went every night – said it is unique in its own way, different from the rest in the country or other countries.
aha…those dried chili must be the ones i bought from the kedai runcit there where they dried it. very spicy
Nope, the ones you bought were cili padi, dried cili padi…also very hot. I understand these are a lot hotter – of course, I do not dare to try.
singaporeans… wat do they know about Kompia … tsk tsk.. has to be the samchan one… go there go here, so action, money power so big… tsk tsk…
You also money very big, body also very big. They kalah liao lor! When are you coming again? Can go here, go there too…and eat kompia with sam chan. Muahahahahaha!!!! Like I always say, to each his own – one man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Like you, my friend is also planning to go to Kuching, rent a car and I will meet him there to drive to Sibu, stop here, stop there, stop everywhere. But you, cakap only lah…see who gets to do that first! 😉
auw.. am just trying to emulate your style of commenting… u did better… so, did they tell u they will be coming back again to Sibu?
Am busy making millions here… stop disturbing me will ya… Singkaporean… they are just a suakoo in their own world!
Yes, already booking air tickets, applying for leave – my friend, i.e. dunno the rest or any other friends following this time.
Not all the same lah – you come Sibu, also some not nice one…not all like me. Got some shoot point blank at people, some take videos of girls in bathroom one. Muahahahahaha!!!! But not all like that, of course. They are very nice people – my friends who came. I am sure Sharon (somewhere in singapore) is very nice too.
I die die must eat those desserts when go Sibu…
When?
Claire retiring soon, can jio her go find you, hehe…
I will not say a thing.
The mille crepes were not as good as they were before. Smaller too. =(
Maybe the person making is distracted by her new-born baby? I do not like their new varieties but I thought these that they have had all this while are ok…but yes!!! They certainly are smaller now. Tsk! Tsk! But say what we want, that place is always packed to the brim and so very noisy, not at all conducive to go and enjoy a delightful meal plus dessert. My friends asked for the choc lava cake that they saw in my blog…or I probably would have taken them elsewhere. 😦
Wow, I bet a tour around the market is a great experience. So many treasures to find.
Yes, I love going round markets too when I travel especially the farmers’ markets overseas…so very interesting, so different and so nice to browse around in the very delightful weather.
You’re a good tour guide! I’ve never heard of buah isu, let alone taste one. Love the colour of the flesh.
I try to be the best, for anyone who cares enough to come to our little town – make it truly worth their while coming here so they will not regret coming. Many things here that you’ve never heard of, I’m sure.
Your friend certianly can take very superb pictures. I just ate Kompia Sibu Sugar Bun last month, my brother bought them for me. However, it didn’t taste like it used to be like last time…. 😔
What I heard was the sifu (master) they employed to make for them was kicked out as he was up to no good…and now the Iban employees are the ones making – dunno how much of the skill they acquired from the sifu, not even sure if they were the same ones working under him then – these people never stay long. But Malays/Muslims love to buy the ones there – they think it is more halal than the rest in town.
Wonderful…and I love the coloured boats!!!
I always bring visitors here to see them – not something one would find elsewhere.
Love the picture of the chili, very red!
Grow up in Sibu, but i don’t know what is inside the boats and also didn’t know they are floating grocery stores!! hahahahha
I love to go to the central market too, lots things to see, to buy and to eat.
Not me, very hot!!! But if I have visitors, I will surely take them there to look around. Interesting things they do not get to see elsewhere. Hah!!! You’re in Sg Merah side…like me, seldom ventured into town, I guess. Before this, I only knew they carried passengers – before there were express boats…would take days to reach Kapit.
No no, before i was in Brooke Drive, near the library, then we moved to Merdeka now my mum at Sungai Merah side. 🙂
Ahhhh!!! I see, quite near town then.
Quite a tour around the town.
My mum’s favourite durian. She loves that wild durian but no one in the family enjoy it. Hard to find it nowadays in Kuching.
You made me missed the mille crepe. Haha.
Oh? Lots of this buah isu this time around, they’re everywhere! And we even came across a different variety that I actually liked very much – watch out of the post in that…but I would not buy – those sharp thorns so scary and very very hard to open.
No mille crepe in Kuching? Make your own – kids back to school next week, very free. Hehehehehe!!!!!
Did not go for cake hunting back here. Haha.
Yes. Need to be skillful and careful when open that durian. I remember the fruit very well as a kid. It is durian season over here too but I did not see buah isu. Not cheap I heard.
They only wanted one to try, RM7.00. Cheaper at Durin Birdge, RM5.00 each but you have to buy 4, RM20.00 altogether. 😦 Luckily they managed to buy one from a lady who bought 4.
Pity that we didn’t get to try the red durian. Hopefully next trip will get the chance!
Pray! Not that easy to come by. You’re lucky…there seemed to be a lot of buah isu this round, just not the red ones. I don;t think we get as many usually…or maybe I wasn’t looking.
Oh..the wild durian is interesting, the colour is so deep yellow! And the colour of the red chillies is so attractive. I can’t imagine eating them if they are one of the hottest chillies in the world!
Not for me either, thank you very much.
Ohh boy I missed durian, Yum!
Yum yum indeed! We have the originals here, none of those hybrids…and the different types of those wild varieties thrown in for good measure.