My friend, Mary, contacted me and asked me when I would be free to go back here…
…for her chicken rice that we loved so much the last time around and praised to the skies. Well, for the uninitiated, this is the Flavours Thai Kitchen at the Orchid Hotel (2.292906, 111.828398) at Brooke Drive here in SibuΒ where this used to be sometime ago.Β Of course, if it has got anything to do with food and such good food at that, I am available anytime! Hehehehehe!!!!
Well, before I knew it, there we were, back again the very next evening, with my missus and my friend and ex-classmate, Robert, and all the rest for the awesome simply-the-best chicken rice in town and the perfectly done white steamed free range chicken…
…to go with it…and if you think that was all there was, you couldn’t be more wrong. If you know Mary, you can expect a whole lot more than you can imagine so the dishes kept coming like they were never ever going to stop.
This was the table setting for another big group of people there that night…
…and this was our table…
…complete with “excavators”…
…for anyone who may need to do some excavation works in the course of the evening. LOL!!! The chili dip in the bowl on the right was for the chicken and it went so very well with it that everyone went back for more and in no time at all, it was all gone.
We also had the grilled catfish (ikan keli)…
…which was really good but somehow it did not to go down too well with the rest. Perhaps, they were not all that keen to mess up their fingers and it was quite a hassle eating that with a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. Of course I did not care and jumped right in – I could always go to the washroom to wash my hands right after that. I had my fair share of three of those – the rest did eat a bit, all of them, and Mary was so sweet as to insist that I took the remaining three home. Yippee!!!
The mango kerabu (salad) on top was so good and Mary even asked the chef to make more so I could take that home as well along with the fish…and I took home with me what was left of the huge bowl of chicken rice too. “face palm* Ah well. Mary insisted that good food should never ever go to waste and of course, I wholeheartedly agree. Hehehehehe!!!!
There was this dish of shrimp sashimi…
…too and I loved it! Some were of the opinion that it was too spicy but I thought it was just nice. Then, Mary got me this – the sea crab sashimi…
…from another table to try…and I heard someone saying, “How come he has crab and we’re not getting any?” Na na na na na!!! LOL!!! Yes, it was very nice too, the first piece that I had and I loved it! Then I went on to the next piece and oh boy!!! You can guess from all those chili seeds on it what happened! Hmmmm…if any of the rest had that, they would be drinking gallons of water to “put out the fire”, I’m sure.
Because of the general opinion of the rest, Mary asked the chef to tone down the level of spiciness of the som tam (green papaya salad)…
It was good too and there were prawns and sotong (squid) in it but between the two, my vote would go to the mango salad on top of the grilled catfish. I felt that was much nicer.
Then, there was this dish of chicken satay…
…and I enjoyed a couple of sticks just like that. Each one was bursting with the flavours of the marinades that went into the cooking though I wouldn’t mind it if it had been grilled a little bit more for those lightly burnt edges that would enhance the taste even more. I did hear praises of the dip, something with pickled cucumber or whatever, but no, I just had it on its own and it was good enough for me – anything that tastes so good, I would not want to drown it out with whatever sauces or dips.
There was also a dish of kangkong fried with lots of garlic and whatever else but I did not manage to take a photo of that – I was enjoying the fish at the time and it was all gone before I could take out my camera. Then, somebody said that Mary’s kampua mee was so very good…and she insisted on getting the chef to make one for me…
…and it was indeed very nice! No, it was not the same as any other kampua meeΒ as everyone would know it – it had its own special taste and yes, I did enjoy it very much.
It was indeed another delightful evening with the most wonderful dinner – thank you so much, Mary, for having us all back again. Cheers!!!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I agree with you on that – ‘good food – yes! I’m available.’ π
Anytime – throw in some really great company, and some brought whiskey and wine…all the makings of a wonderful evening.
So merry with the good food. Love the colours and I bet it satisfies all of you. Nice gathering.
Very nice indeed. I love Thai food and I enjoy spicy stuff, really enjoy everything here.
The steamed chicken looks delicious! π
Very! Especially with free range chicken, the meat is a lot nicer than the regular hormone-injected and chicken feed-fattened ones.
Wow! I am impressed by the food.
Steamed free range chicken is the best.
Very very nice. Dunno the prices though as both times, I ate free. *face palm* So shy! π
Yes, so much nicer than the chicken at the regular chicken rice shops and Mary’s chicken rice is way above any that one can get in town, love it so much!
See the satay reminds me i have not eat satay for sometimes, hehe…
Lots in Singapore. My time, in the 70’s, I used to go to The Satay Club – Nicol Highway/Beach Road there.
Love all the dishes. I would say that too…how come you got crab & I don’t, haha…so
pampered by Mary. The bitter gourd in the shrimp sashimi must be very bitter cos the white pulp is still there. Indeed a wonderful dinner with great company.
Oh? Didn’t know if that was supposed to be eaten – I thought it was only for decoration, to add a bit of green colour to the dish. So the white pulp makes it bitter? Didn’t know that. I always get rid of all of it – maybe I should leave a bit behind then – they say anything that is bitter is good.
Hehehehehe!!! You would want to try the crab too, eh?
Love all the dishes. I would say that too….how come you got crab & I don’t, hahaha. The look of the bitter gourd in the shrimp sashimi must be very bitter cos the white pulp is still there. Indeed a delightful dinner with great company.
Oh? What happened? First comment came through all right, just that it was awaiting moderation.
What a great array of dishes. The catfish looks most interesting to me, though I am one who doesn’t care for eating messy stuff in restaurants. Don’t mind that at home.
Best eaten using hands – the Malays sure have got it right…and the Colonel too, finger licking good. I went ahead and did that, old folks like me don’t bother about appearances and what other people think as long as I can get to enjoy myself. π
Oh la la! Very good food all that. What? You ate 3 ikan keli in one sitting? hee..hee…It goes so well with mango kerabu. If I were there, you and I will be fighting over the fish π π π I guess this place must be earmarked besides Payung as a must visit in Sibu.
Definitely! They have an authentic Thai chef here.
I love fish and I love keli and since the rest were not all that keen, I had a feast!!! Got my hands all dirty so when the kangkong came, I could not take a snapshot of that, couldn’t take out my camera with my dirty hands. π
Everything looks scrumptious! Do you happen to know the opening hours? I would love to try all those lovely food there.
If you click the link to their Facebook Page or the previous post on this place, you would see the opening hours there. Never mind – I’ll mention that here – the times on their sign are:
Morning: 7 a.m. – 10.30 a.m. every day, mainly to provide breakfast to all the hotel guests but they do attend to walk-in customers as well. Mostly breakfast stuff – kampung eggs, half-cooked…their own verysion of the kampua…and maybe you can get pad thai, dunno what else.
Night: 6 p.m. – 10.30 p.m. (CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS)…but I think they are quite flexible with the time.
Speak to Mary, she will suggest what you can have and do ask them to tone down on the spiciness if you are not so much into that.
P.S.:
You’ve been here before? Your comment does not need moderation so my guess is you’re not new around here. Most welcome, everybody.
I have been following your blog for years and really enjoy reading your food reviews. In fact I have met your missus and your mother in law once in the Eye clinic a long time ago and told her I enjoy reading your blog. Don’t know if she remembers me though. Your sister or sister in law (Lucy) will definitely know me though as I have seen her on quite a few occasions during her eye surgery. Thank you for sharing the opening hours of the restaurant. I do look forward to try all the lovely stuff there! Perhaps I might even bump into the real Mr STP one fine day!
Ah yes! I do recall my missus mentioning that. Always welcome to drop by, glad you enjoy reading – great way to keep busy, mentally, at least…so I would not go senile that soon after retirement. π π π Yes, do drop by the place – great Thai food and yes, hope we’ll get to meet someday. Cheers!!!
I didn’t know there is this Thai restaurant at orchid hotel that serves good chicken rice. I always go to chopsticks or Sibu chicken rice when it comes to chicken rice. Is it the best in the town? O.0
This is specially cooked for us, not on the menu. Maybe if you place a special order, Mary may do it, not sure. Chopsticks, no good now…never been to Sibu Chicken Rice. New Capitol is good but quality control is poor, sometimes disappointing.
Fantastic reviews and pictures!!
Everything (food) is awesome!
Proud to know The owner of Flavours Cafe, Miss Mary Ngu.
Truly a pleasure indeed. Awesomely great food here, sure will keep going back for more of that and the wonderful hospitality. Thanks for your compliments.