I was out for dinner one evening last week with my teacher/blogger friend and his wife (Yes, he’s married now!) and his sister who is currently studying in the university in Sibu. I took them here (2.30367,111.849346)…
…which used to be a West Malaysian franchise. I had dinner at this restaurant with my in-laws once and I was there twice before, here and here. For the uninitiated, it is along Jalan Pahlawan behind the block of shops where Secret Recipe is, more or less back to back with this coffee shop with the nice steamed paos.
There is an air-conditioned section…
…but everybody did not want to sit there and it was perfectly all right by me.
I ordered the meat…
…with the cincaluk (fermented shrimps) dip (RM12.00)…
…that I had the first time I was there and loved so much and yes, they all loved it too. I thought the meat was a little bit dry this time around but the very very nice dip sure saved the day!
We also had the sweet and sour fish (RM12.00)…
…which was not all that well done when I was here with my in-laws but this time around, they got it spot on. It was just right…and maybe it was because we were early, the only people around at the time, so the cook was able to give his best.
For the vegetable dish, we had the cangkuk manis fried with egg (RM8.00)…
…and yes, they do it pretty well here and we also had the Foochow-style tofu soup (RM8.00)…
…which was nice and went absolutely well with the black vinegar provided but I wished they had added more of the canned oysters as there was so little in it that I could hardly taste it.
After dinner, RM40.00 for the food for the four of us, I dropped my friend’s sister off at the university hostel and drove the two to the airport. They had to catch a flight to KL for some business that they had to deal with.
On the way back, I had a rather unnerving experience. I drove along the rather dark trunk road (so-called highway) and at a junction, the traffic lights had turned orange so I slowed down and subsequently, stopped. I saw in my rear view mirror a vehicle coming really very fast from behind – it was a trailer or rather one of those long vehicles, minus the trailer…and it swerved to avoid my car. Thankfully, there were no other cars in the other lanes and I lived to tell the tale. It zoomed past and continued on its way right ahead without slowing down or anything even though the lights had turned red…and it sure was a relief that the cars from the other side had not started moving yet – for once, I was thankful that some/many cars take their sweet time to start moving when the lights have turn green! Otherwise, it would have been a real ugly sight!
With drivers like this on the road, when accidents happen, don’t blame the road, don’t blame the government, don’t blame anybody else. It is very obvious who is to blame! It is not so bad if they go and kill themselves and they never think of the loved ones that they leave behind but innocent lives may be lost just because of these people with XXXL egos and XXXS brains. The sad thing is that this is not an isolated case – he is not alone! When will they ever learn?
Anyway, my friend and his missus did what they had to do in KL the following day and came back the next morning. I picked them up at the airport and took them for breakfast here. The other night, my friend’s wife was talking about how she loved the steamed ikan tapah here so I thought she would love this – the Foochow-style fried noodles with slices of the much coveted fish (RM12.00)…
…and yes, she did. I would not say that was expensive – if you put together all those generous slices of fish, you would get quite a substantial piece for your plate of steamed fish at a restaurant and that would probably cost a lot more…but still, RM12.00 is rather steep, I must say. Perhaps, they could give less fish and charge say, RM8.00, to make it more affordable. After all, it’s a noodle dish…not a fish dish with a bit of noodles added.
I tried the tomato kway teow with the fish as well (RM12.00)…
…and yes, they do it pretty well here. I am not all that fond of it if they are over-generous with the ketchup so much so that it would drown out the taste of everything else.
It sure was nice seeing you two again, Jarod & Michelle, and thanks so much for the dinner and breakfast treats. All the best in everything that lies ahead. Cheers!!!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
CINCALUK! that’s a magic word for me … it reminds me of what my grandmother used to enjoy putting on our table for weekend lunches for us to use as a dip 😀
You like? Now, you must come and try our Bintulu ones. After that, there will be no looking back! 😀
looks like a fine meal. quite mild. just love loking at the cangkuk manis, my favourite. been too long since i last have!
Been so long since you came home what. KL doesn’t count – they do not seem to have it there.
I can almost smell that sweet and sour through the screen. It has such an addictive smell I find.
It has? Personally I prefer it with pork, nice juicy chunks, but fish is fine.
Omg! That was scary for a minute. Those big vehicles should not drive too fast!!
Thank God nothing happened.
Yummy tomato kway tiaw. The tapah fish must be fresh to be cooked that way.
Exactly! Praise the Lord for his unfailing protection. The out-of-town road was dim at night despite the street lights, no brightly-lit buildings and houses all around unlike in the town proper. He could have rammed right into me! 😦
Yes, I think these shops get their regular supply and with the bustling business, they would not need to keep the fish and prawns frozen very long. Fresh and sweet!
RM40 only for those food. That’s a good deal. Wet day in Kuching, fried noodles & tomato kway teow fits to have for this cool morning. Cincaluk, I would love it more than anything else. Hard to get good ones here.
I get from my brother-in-law in Bintulu, homemade ones – he knows where to get the best. I would avoid those sold at the market, dunno clean or not and if it looks nice and red, they say they use colouring.
Wet here too.
I’ve never eaten cincaluk, I’ve seen it though, in a bottle, but never even smelled it.. Yummy tofu soup, my all time favourite..I hate it when big vehicles like trailers or trucks drive fast.. That day, I was in the middle lane, a lorry was tailing behind me, flashed me somemore, I was like “Damn, big vehicle like you, please drive on the left lane lah, somemore wana flash me”.. Sigh, drivers nowadays….. 😦
Maybe he thinks you are going too slowly so you should keep to the left lane. That’s for people going slow and easy. Many will do that, stick to the fast lane…and go very slowly but I do not horn or flash, just follow quietly or use the other lane when the coast is clear – so many bad people these days, they could stop anytime and bash up my poor old car. Do not trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.
I would say cincaluk is an acquired taste. I did not use to like it before but once I’ve learnt how to enjoy it, I am hooked for life! Great for steaming pork or chicken too! So very sweet, so very fragrant!
Thank God for the protection…
Amen.
I must ask Nick when he want to go Sibu liao, so many yummy foods…
I’ve asked him – he said no money. You sponsor him lah, sure he will come. Your SGD value is so high, not like our miserable ringgit. Will be so very cheap for you. 😉
Cincalok dip sure sounds like an interesting twist!
Sure brings the dish to a whole new level – it’s a trend that is catching on here. I hear they have this too at some other places in town.
RM 40 for that 4 pax meal is quite reasonable – I like the look of the fish!
I know what you mean by those drivers. That’s why I have to keep an eye on the rear view mirror when I plan to stop at red lights – some people might be rushing to beat the yellow/red light and they might not expect you to stop.
It’s quite common over here and it’s the reason for a lot of accidents, so I’ve learned to look at the rear view before I stop and in some cases when there’s a car travelling at high speed behind me to beat the red light, you can’t even stop! I myself have to keep going too or else get rear-ended. Very dangerous.
RM 14 is pretty standard for tapah fish noodles, don’t know who set the prices too, Sibu prices are an anomaly, just had breakfast this morning and was reminded of how much cheaper our drinks are in KL.
It’s RM12, not 14 – the fish noodles…and minus RM4, the standard price for a plate of Foochow fried noodles these days, I think RM8 for all that fish is very reasonable. You put all that together you may get more than the thin slice of steamed tapah at the restaurants that definitely will cost a bomb. Having said that, I do think it is over-indulgent – so much fish for a noodle dish, more like a fish dish with noodles. They can just give 3-4 slices and charge say RM8 to make it more affordable.
For one thing, the much coveted tapah is indeed very expensive though I wonder why as I do not feel it is anything all that special compared to the other types of fish. I, for one, would never buy it when I see it at the market nor would I order that at a restaurant. It does not come cheap.
On the other hand, I would agree that the prices for the prawn noodles are an anomaly – take, for instance, the HUGE RM50 a bowl one. You can get one that size at the wet market for say, around RM20 (they probably get it for less from their wholesaler/supplier) – add RM4.00 for the noodles…they make around a 100% profit!!! And yet, so many go for that! When we were there having our fish noodles, everyone else at that crowded coffee shop was having the prawns. To me, it is more something to show off – take the photo and flaunt on Instagram or Facebook for all to see.
Yes, I am sure if the fella had rammed into my rear, he would blame me, asking me why I stopped! I hear that happens all the time. Sad. 😦
I like the bright red decor! What kind of meat is that? 🙂
Pork. Something like a cross between roast and barbecued pork or what they call “char siew” and “siew yoke”.
No midin? But still like the pucuk manis la. Sedap
They did not want. I guess they had had more than enough in the jungle school – for free!!! Just go and pluck their own.
The fish certainly looks awesome. I always love fish fillet. Yumm yumm,
I think the price is reasonable too considering fish is not cheap nowadays…maybe in KL la.kekeke
Here also not cheap…especially tapah, very popular but I am not really crazy about it. Would rather go for the cheap tilapia…much nicer or some of the others.
The meat does look very dry. Eh, that reminds me! I bought a bottle of cincaluk after reading one of your posts. Geez! I must go search for it. Don’t know if expired already 😦 You sure had a scary experience with that speeding trailer. Thank God, nothing happened to you.
My sentiments exactly – thought it was ok the last time around. Cincaluk got expiry date, fermented already. We keep in the fridge, anyway – all our stock. Thank God indeed.
Wow, that food looks sooooo good!!! ❤ – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Just the tip of the iceberg! Lots of good food here, that’s for sure. 😉
Very glad you were not hit by that wayward driver.
Sure am glad too, thanks. That was close.
Everything looks great. What type of meat is in the first food picture? It looks very pink, reminds me of ham.
The cangkuk manis looks tasty. I love seeing green in dishes. I’m a huge fan of vegetables, but am naturally drawn to the green vegetables for whatever reason.
That’s roast pork and the red colour is most probably from the “char siew” sauce, available in bottles. I love greens too – yet to get used to purple, purple cabbage, purple lettuce, purple sweet potatoes…
The cangkuk manis at Rm8 is cheap le… and luckily I just had foochow soup yesterday but a modified version, they added crab meat in too…hahahah…
Yeah, there are so many stupid reckless drivers around and Thank God you are unhurt as well as other road users. Over the last weekend, when the lights have turned red, I began to do a U-turn (which is permitted) and a stupid driver just happy happy speed thru the red light and almost hit me. Luckily I slowed down and gave him a blaring horn and he waved his hand to me to apologise… sigh …
Then, my friend just witness an accident here in SG due to another stupid driver who hit onto a few cars. He posted his webcam on FB and make a police report.
Aiyor!!! I would not dare to horn though often I would be so tempted to show them the middle finger. They may just stop and come out and bash me up – you dunno those gangsters!!! I always imagine those driving like that would be one of those – signs of a lack of proper upbringing and education, no decency, no consideration for others.
Oh you like cincaluk eh? Not for me… but i do enjoy a simple nice dinner of dai chao ‘typical chinese cuisine’ over other fancy mancy kind of food. Hehe
Same here! Simple Chinese or Malaysian will be great. I love Malay or Peranakan. You can try their cincaluk omelette…or cincaluk fried rice. Mild, only a bit added – very nice. Don’t go for the cincaluk ulam just yet – have to acquire the taste slowly.
Wanted to meet up with you again this weekend for more sinful delights but oh well… =,(
Sorry, weekend is family time – anytime, on weekdays.