A MALAYSIAN'S DELIGHT

SING LONG CAFE OF JALAN CHIEW SIIK HIONG, SIBU

2011-11-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to bring you to another coffeeshop in Sibu... Sing Lung Cafe. There are quite a few dishes that I'm going to show you.

Kolo mee

The Kolo mee and kampua here are appetizing. If you are a fan of Kampua, should give it a try.

Homemade fishball soup with tanghoon

The homemade fishball soup with tanghoon has been credited the best by some. I love it too! It is served with tanghoon, yummy and springy fishballs and some beancurd skin in a tasty hot fish soup.

Prawn noodles on sizzling plate

Well, another dish I like the best is the prawn noodles on sizzling plate. The sizzling plate is still hot when it came to our table. Unlike the normal noodles you get elsewhere, the noodles here were coated in a sweet, spicy and salty seafood sauce with egg, meat and vegetables. The prawns were deep fried and tasted really fresh.

Char siu noodles

There is a chicken rice stall selling charsiu mien / char siu noodles. The homemade noodles are thicker than the usual ones and they are blanched and tossed in a special sauce and served with some pieces of char siu and leafy veggies on top.

My family and I had a hearty meal here.

MOVIE REVIEW : SCHEMES OF A BEAUTY

2011-11-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

I recently finished watching the television series 'Schemes of a Beauty', adapted from Xiao Qiying's short story Turbulence in the Empress's Chamber (未央沉浮). Produced by Lin Guohua and directed by Wu Jinyuan, Liang Xinquan, and Chen Guohua, it was reported that this Chinese series was produced with a budget of ¥50 million (US$7.3 million).

Due to its large and diverse cast as well as expensive set and costume production, the series attracted international attention during its production stages. Amongst the casts include Ruby Lin (林心如) of Taiwan, Sammul Chan (陈键锋) of Hongkong, Yang Mi (杨幂) of China, Luo Jin (罗晋) of China, and etc.

Set in Chang'an, China during the beginnings of the Han Dynasty, Meiren Xinji tells a dramatized account of Empress Dou and how her efforts and achievements in the royal court positively influenced the reign of her husband Emperor Wen, which paved the way for the creation of the Rule of Wen and Jing.

After the death of her mother, Du Yunxi (Dou YiFang/ Empress Dou) was brought up by her uncle and his family. She was later sent into the palace to work as a maid. There she met her long-lost sworn sister, Lie Shen'er who always had the ambition to marry the emperor. Yunxi impressed the Empress Dowager Lu with brilliant intellects, who then changed her name to Dou YiFang and sent her as an imperial gift to be the ladies-in-waiting for the prince of Dai, Liu Heng. She and Liu Heng fell in love. Prince of Dai later became emperor in the aftermath of the Emperor Lü. Lady Dou, a favorite consort of Prince Dai was then promoted as empress. Their alliance finally led them to ascend to the throne of the glorious empire. Their son, Prince Qi, was named Crown Prince.

The film potrayed the scheming plots and plans of the women in the palace in order to gain power and the favoritism of the emperor.

A great film worth watching!

MOI SOUNG CAFE AT CHANNEL ROAD, SIBU

2011-10-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

I've had a wonderful breakfast at Moi Soung coffeeshop today. Before, I never walked into this shop because I thought it was crammed due to the fact that it is the gathering place for old folks. You can see that it is always crowded with senior people chatting and having tea here. I was suggested by many of my friends to try out the kampua there because they agreed thumbs up that the kampua there was nice. And yes, I agree.

It's not only fragrant, but the noodles were tossed brilliantly that they were just right for your bite.

I love the pork meatballs soup that you can get with it... and to add more flavour to it, add a few drops of foochow red wine into it. Absolutely fantastic... and I'm getting extra inches on my waist... what the heck!

I tried the wontons as well... quite nice but not comparable to the kampua they serve. Do give it a try!

TUNG LOK CORNER AT JALAN PAHLAWAN, SIBU

2011-10-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

For fans of a beautiful bowl of prawn noodles, I would highly recommend 'Tung Lok Corner' which is situated at Jalan Pahlawan, near the Sibu Bus Terminal.

The chow chai hung ngan prawn noodle is tantalizing with a mixture of salty, sour and spicy soup of preserved vegetables and medium-sized prawns. The noodles are excellent... look at the pictures below... I bet they make you drool.

Chow chai hung ngan prawn noodles

Chow chai hung ngan fish noodles

RASA SAYANG CAFE AT JALAN PAHLAWAN, SIBU

2011-10-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

The Rasa Sayang Cafe is situated at Jalan Pahlawan, near the Sibu Bus Terminal. It is one of the popular coffeeshops in Sibu.

Kampua

The kampua here is widely regarded as the epitome of good Sibu-style delicacy. It is tossed in a subtle fragrant shallot and lard oil, and served with pieces of pork and fried shallots.

Laksa

Laksa here is amazing, with a mixture of seafood and strong coconut aroma. The broth itself delivers a tang of delicate spiciness that lingers in the mouth.

Mee sapi

The mee sapi (which is the beef noodle soup) is more of like a taiwanese beef noodle. It has a tempting stewed beef stock and big soft chunks of braised beef served in it. Yummy!

I am a coffee lover and here they serve an ideally nice coffee... love it.

MEI LE CAFE AT JALAN PEDADA, SIBU

2011-10-14T05:01:00.000-07:00

My father loves this coffeeshop for its nice plate of kampua.

Here, we ordered the bihun one, instead of kampua. He says that the kampua here are not as oily as you get elsewhere, as you can see from the picture. It may look blant but it has a nice taste.

Chow Chai Hung Ngan

There is a stall here selling pork porridge, tomyam noodles with soup, laksa, etc. We ordered a chow chai hung ngan (thick vermicelli noodles with preserved vegetables) and pork vermicelli. The chow chai hung ngan tastes nice and sour because of the preserved vegetables. The pork vermicelli was palatable, tasted of light savoury pork, not the strong flavour we get elsewhere. I would say that the food here ae suitable for those who are health-conscious.

Chow chai hung ngan with egg, tomatoes, preserved vegetables, bits of spring onions and pork

Thick rice vermicelli called 'hung ngan'

Pork vermicelli

SUNDAY MARKET OF SIBU

2011-10-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

The Sunday Market in Sibu is located at Pedada Road. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays. Unlike the Sibu Central Market, the variety of goods, poultry, vegetables and fruits sold here are limited. However, some say that the prices here are relatively cheaper during rainy days and near mid-noon.

Crowded by locals buying and bargaining

An ideal shopping spot for fresh vegetables

Housewife picking and choosing for the best - no worries, the hawkers here are nice that they help you to pick the good ones as well

Fish anyone?

More jagungs

Sellers displaying their own farm-grown vegetables

Livestocks for sale

Dried herbs and herb plants for sale

Some of the herb plants are known to have healing properties for certain illnesses.

Plenty of yams

Stalls shaded from sun makes shopping delighting despite the warm weather

Imported fruits at discounted prices

Edible frogs for sale at roughly RM20 per kilo - a delicacy which is known to be rich in protein and omega-3

Going home

Usually cars are parked at the nearby shophouses.

DIANG BIANG HU AT BLACKSMITH ROAD

2011-10-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

I love the diang biang hu at the back alley of Blacksmith Road. I remember that during my pregnancy, I could have it everyday and each visit I have to order 2 bowls of them to satisfy my hunger pangs.

Usually, people always order from the opposite coffeeshop called 'Ah Hee Kopi Tian' and they will bring it over to you. 'Ah Hee Kopi Tian' has a wide selection of food, from kampua to fried noodles to light savoury porridge with accompaniment such as stir-fry long beans, salted eggs, etc. as you like. It is normally crowded in the mornings when people go there for their breakfast.

The diang biang hu is grinded rice cooked in porridge-look-a-like broth. They are served with fishballs, black fungus, dried lily bulb, squid and some bits of spring onions and fried shallots. Adding a few dashes of white pepper powder will bring out its flavour.

This is indeed a good choice of a simple meal.

MOVIE REVIEW : OPERATION BILLIONAIRES

2011-10-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Depicting the infamous criminal Cheung Tze-Keung a.k.a. Big Spender, 'Operation Billionaires' is a based-on-reality film. In this movie, they changed the name of the criminal Cheung Tze-Keung to Cheung Chi-Ho, starred by Simon Yam.

Cheung, 'Big Spender' enjoys his lavish living and has a largesse personality, giving his friends and strangers gifts funded from a crime spree that brought in at least $2 billion. He reportedly gave away tens of thousands dollars to a young street painter when in Bangkok.

Together with his partner-in-crime,Yip Kai-foon, they masterminded some of the kidnappings of tycoons, including the kidnapping of Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, son of Li Ka Shing, and Walter Kwok, chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties.He reportedly reaped HK$1.38 billion in ransom money from Li Ka-shing, and HK$600 million for Walter Kwok.

These kidnappings caught the personal attention of then PRC Paramount Leader Jiang Zemin, who took action after a meeting with Li Ka Shing.

Cheung even tried to bomb a jail to rescue his associate but to no avail when his massive amouts of explosives were discovered by the police. He fled to China in January 1998 under an assumed name after failing to kidnap Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan, in retaliation for the jailing of his associate, Yip Kai-foon. However, he was arrested there and all his assets were frozen by the government. The movie ended here because it was understandable that the trial of Cheung had not concluded during the filming of this movie.

In reality, the trial was held in Guangzhou even though the events occurred in Hong Kong. Cheung's lawyer, and other constitutional experts, lobbied the government for the trial to be transferred to Hong Kong where Cheung's crimes would have carried a less severe punishment, but they were rejected.

The trial of a Hong Kong resident in Mainland China has created legal controversials. Hong Kong public were concerned whether if they commited crime in Hongkong, they would have to stand trial in the Mainland if arrested there. The Chinese government responded saying that although these crimes by Cheung were committed in Hong Kong, but they were masterminded in Mainland China. Therefore, the PRC was entitled jurisdiction over the case. There were some who maintained that the Li and Kwok families could get their revenge on Cheung since a trial in the Mainland could guarantee a death penalty, whereas capital punishment was not enforced in Hong Kong.

The Mainland authorities formally charged Cheung and his 35 followers with a series of charges relating to "cross-boundary crime including illegal possession, transporting and smuggling explosives and firearms, robbery and kidnapping". The charges, which were denied by Cheung.

The trial was criticised by some human rights observers for its lack of transparency, as Cheung's mother and lawyer were not allowed in the courtroom, and others alleged that the PRC was holding the trial in secrecy to cover up embarrassing links that military officers had sold weaponry to Cheung. On 16 December 1998, Cheung was convicted and summarily executed in Guangzhou by a firing squad.

AH TECK FOOD STALL

2011-09-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

At the first floor of the Sibu Central Market, there are plenty of stalls selling kampua. But I came across quite a nice one... stall no. 114 - Ah Teck Food Stall.

I was searching for my breakfast one day, when I saw lots of people patronising this stall. The aunties working at this stall were really busy.. so I thought of giving it a try.

I ordered kampua... and I was served.... a large bowl of kampua with large slices of pork and a fried egg. The kampua is soft and tasted great. The slices of pork and fried egg supplement this dish well. All that for RM2.50. The noodle was too much that I had to share with a friend. If you don't like kampua, you may order the noodles one.

Honestly, I will go there for the kampua again.

KOMPIA AT TIONG HUA ROAD

2011-09-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

Just mention Tiong Hua Road's kompia and any locals will know which stall you mean. At the junction of Tiong Hua Road Lane 26, there is a corner house with its gates wide opened at both sides. That is the place to get nice kompia with pork and gravy....

The gravy is a blend of chinese herbs. Immerse the kompia with the gravy before eating to get the best of the flavour... a little salty with a little tang of aromatic sweetness.

As for the drinks, you have a choice of chendol, lime juice, etc. or you could try their asam boi drink. The asam boi drink is a concoction of sour plum and lime, with plenty of ice. It is a cool and refreshing drink with a mixture of sweet and sour.

See u there!

LOCAL FRUITS AND WILD GREENS

2011-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

In the Sibu Central Market, there are natives selling fruits and vegetables which they reaped from the jungle. Here are a few of them:

Buah dabai

An indigenous fruit called buah dabai (dabai fruit). Found abundantly during its season, the dabai fruit is a popular fruit in Sibu. The prices of the dabai increases with its size... as you can see from the pic above, the larger ones can be sold at around RM24-RM25 per kilo.

Prior to cooking, it is quite hard. To eat, firstly it is rinsed clean and soaked in lukewarm water until it softens. Then, season it with salt or black soy sauce and sugar. The flesh tastes creamy and the mixture of soy sauce and sugar brings out the sweet taste of the fruit.

As for the seed, we can sun-dry it and crack it open by using mortar and pestle since it is really, really solid. The nut inside is green in colour and tastes crunchy like peanuts.

Balem fruit

A balem fruit has hard brown skin and fibrous flesh. It looked a little like a coconut. The flesh is cut into small pieces and taken on its own, some use it to make salad and it can also used to make a local shrimp paste called 'belacan'.

Wild durians (durian nyekak)

Durians are seasonal fruit and it usually coincides with that of the mangosteen. They are covered with hard and sharp thorns and its flesh is whitish, some yellowish and has a pungent aroma. Durians are rampant and sold abundantly during its season. Prices of durians are relatively high as compared with other fruits. Unlike the usual durians, the wild durians are rather small in size and very yellow-orangey in colour, in terms of its husk and flesh. It's odour is not as strong as the usual ones, but it has a great taste.

Mangosteen

Also known as 'manggis' in Malay, the mangosteen is a rare seasonal fruit. Before ripening, the mangosteen shell is fibrous and firm, but becomes soft and easy to pry open when the fruit ripens. The white fruit inside is sweet and soft, with a very slight sourness.

Duku / Langsat

Langsat, also known as 'duku', is round in shape, almost spherical, covered by yellowish skin. The fruit is divided into five or six slices of translucent, juicy flesh. The flesh is slightly sweet in taste. The green seeds inside are extremely bitter. The langsat fruits are grown in a bunch.

Longan

Longan, also known as 'mata kucing', resembles an eyeball (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). The seed is small, round and hard, and of an enamel-like, lacquered black. The translucent fruit is sweet and juicy.

Petai

It is long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds with the size and shape of almond and a rather peculiar smell. They are peeled before cooking. It is translated from Mandarin as stinky beans. It contains certain amino acids that give a strong smell to one's urine, an effect that can be noticed up to two days after consumption. Like other beans, their complex carbohydrates can also cause strong-smelling flatulence. In the Sibu market, the natives do sell the peeled beans in small plates at roughly RM5 per plate.

Midin

Midin or milian (in Foochow) is a wild fern plant found in the jungle, similar to the paku-pakis. One usually discards the lower hard stems of the plant and rinse it clean before cooking. It tastes great when fried with garlic or belacan. It is a popular dish served in almost all the restaurants in Sibu.

Pandan leaves

Pandan leaves or screwpine leaves are a basic ingredient in the Malaysian culinary. It is an upright green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long, narrow, bladelike leaves and woody aerial roots. They are usually tied in a bunch and cooked in the food. The pandan has a botanical fragrance and usually used in the cooking of rice dishes, sweet soups, etc. for enhanced flavour.

Bunga kantan

Wild ginger flower, also known as bunga kantan in Malay, is a useful herb in cooking Malaysian and Nyonya dishes. The pink flowers look like a torch. They have an exotic taste and smell.

Local ginger

Similar to ginger, local ginger is very common in Malaysia. It is a kitchen necessity and mostly used in the cooking of confinement dishes. It is known to have a stronger flavour compared to that of the normal ginger. It is more heaty, thus helps warms up the mother's body after childbirth and expels wind from the body for recuperation.

Lemongrass

Known as serai in Malay, the lemongrass is an essential in many of the Chinese and Malay delicacies. The outside leaves are discarded and the tender tips are usually chopped finely for cooking.

Local longans

The fruit inside is similar to that of the usual longan, but quite larger in size.

Rambutans

A local favourite - the translucent fruit is sweet and whitish in colour.

Bamboos

In Sarawak, bamboos are used for flooring, as pipes for water, for bamboo carving, for cooking bamboo rice (lemang in Malay), pansoh manuk (village chicken), etc.

Lemang is one of the traditional food of Sarawak. It is glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk in hollowed bamboos using charcoal. The rice is wrapped with banana leaves to prevent it from sticking to the bamboos.

The method of cooking lemang is originated from the Iban people. It is usually eaten with chicken curry or beef rendang.

Kampung chickens

Reared mostly by villagers, kampung chicken is considered a delicacy and are more costly than conventionally-raised broiler chickens, due to its supposedly better flavour and higher nutritional value. It has tougher meat compared to many other breeds. The kampung chicken is often double boiled in herbs or is stewed. In Sarawak, it is widely bought and cooked for confinement soups.

Kangkong / Water spinach

A common local vegetable grown naturally in Sarawak - popular as a stir-fry or blanched in boiling water and dipped into rojak sauce. They are cheap, about RM1 for a big bunch.

Roselle fruits

Roselle fruits are harvested fresh, and their calyces are made into a healthy drink rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins.

AN INSIGHT INTO THE SIBU CENTRAL MARKET

2011-09-23T01:02:00.000-07:00

The Sibu Central Market is, by far, the largest market in Malaysia. Apart from that, it is the best-managed market in Sarawak.There is an approximate of 1,100 hawker stalls in the market on week days and an additional 400 to 500 stalls on weekends when Ibans and Orang Ulus crowd the tamu (open-air market) with displays of their exotic food and fruits.

The market has a division of sections according to the goods sold by the hawkers. The main sections are the wet areas where hawkers sell fish and other seafood, slaughtered chickens and ducks, tofu, beancurd and beansprout.

At the dry section, there are all kinds of local and imported vegetables, fruits, dried fish and prawns, spices, handicraft, flowers and ornamental plants, sundry goods, drinks, homemade cakes, buns, titbits and other confectionery.

Hawkers selling live chickens and ducks at the dry section attract the most attention from tourists mainly due to the way they bundle up the feathery creatures. Each bird is wrapped up using newspapers, tied securely with nylon strings and displayed in neat lines for customers to choose.

Some stalls sell a large variety of kuih-muih.

Natives display a parade of their jungle products and handicrafts on the floor or low makeshift tables. Among the uncommon stuff sold are live sago worms, frogs, kasam (preserved fish, pork or venison), wild jungle ferns, young palm shoots and wild fruits. For more details, click here.

The first floor is occupied by food and drink stalls and stalls selling clothes and tailor-made items and shoes.

The food and drink stalls are no less attractive, with many of them offering the kampua, kompia, chendol, bubur buang panas and laksa, etc. Prices are competitive here because of the low rent. The portions you get here are normally larger than the ones sold elsewhere.

SMC has direct jurisdiction over the market under the Local Authority Ordinances and Local Council bylaws. The market is managed by the Market and Petty Traders Committee headed by an experienced councillor. The council issues hawker licences and provides security, cleaning and garbage-disposal services. Security guards together with the police would be on beat duty at the popular spot to look out for suspicious characters to shackle lurking pick-pockets preying on unsuspecting shoppers, especially tourists.

An adjacent multi-storey car park built by SMC provides shoppers a peace of mind as far as their cars are concerned when they shop or dine at the Sibu Central Market.

A sheltered area on the right hand side of the market allows sellers to sell seasonal fruits eg. durians, mangosteen, rambutans, etc. Heaps of fruits can be seen and to choose from.

SIBU-STYLE YUMMY FOOD

2011-09-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

KAMPUA

Kampua with dark soy sauce served with pieces of char siew

Kampua mee (干盘面) is ubiquitous and common in Sibu. Derived from the Foochow dialect, it meant dry plate noodle. It is noodles blanched in boiling water till al dente and later tossed in pork lard and fried shallots. It can be tossed also with dark soy sauce and/or chilli sauce. It is served either plain or with char siu (red pork slices), topped with some bits of spring onions.

Qing Tong Mien

For those who doesn't like it dry, one can ask for 'Qing Tong Mien' (清汤面) in Foochow - meaning light soup noodles. The 'Qing Tong Mien' is kampua noodles served in a light savoury soup with chicken stock.

Today, some of the kampua mee sellers do serve kampua with curry chicken. This new idea gives an additional curry flavour and spiciness to the noodles.

Some of the popular places to enjoy Kampua in Sibu are listed below:

* Aloha Corner, Jalan Tunku Osman
* Thomson Corner, Pusat Tanahwang
* Rasa Sayang Cafe, Pahlawan Road
* Moi Soung Cafe, Channel Road
* Dung Fang Cafe, Salim Road

DIANG BIANG HU

Diang Biang Hu

Diang Biang Hu (鼎边糊) is a porridge prepared with grinded rice. The grinded soaked rice which is watery in texture is spilled on the surface of the heated wok; its thin layer dried instantly, is immediately removed by scrapping thus scooped into the boiling water awaiting in the wok. The cooked rice cakes is served usually with fish balls, black fungus and squids.

This dish is sold in almost all the coffeeshops, but the most reputable one is at the back alley on Blacksmith Road.

KOMPIA

Kompia

Kompia (光饼) is known as Foochow bagels made of flour, usually glazed with peanut oil and lightly dusted with sesame seed on the surface with a small hole in the middle. It is sticked on the inner surface of the pottery flask for charcoal heating. It is crispy and fragrant, with a little salty taste.

In Sibu, it is served either plain on its own or with minced meat and gravy. The latter is very much accepted by most people.

YOU ZHAR GUI

You zhar gui

You zhar gui (油炸桧/ 油條) is twin dough batter deep fried until golden-brown and is usually eaten for breakfast. Conventionally, it is lightly salted and made so it can be torn lengthwise in two. You zhar gui are normally eaten as an accompaniment for rice congee, soy milk and in Sarawak, over a cup of fragrant coffee. It is also normally served with Bak kut teh, sliced thinly to be dipped into the broth and eaten.

YUMMY KAFE, SIBU

2011-09-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

Opposite the Ngiu Kee Departmental Store at Jalan Raminway, is a local kopitiam named 'Yummy Kafe'. Similar to the 'Aloha Corner', there are plenty of food stalls here. I'm going to show you some of the different food you can try here.

I love the kueh chap here. Kueh chap is a teochew cuisine. It is soft rice flour cakes cut into squares, then cooked and served in a savoury dark herbal soup, together with some belly pork, pork intestines, pork stomach, some fried beancurd and slices of hardboiled stewed eggs. The savoury soup is cooked using pork bones and special herbs and stewed for long hours, so you can imagine how pungent the aroma of the soup is. I never fail to finish the soup till the last drop. I usually request to omit those intestines and stomach because I'm not a fan of those internal organs. The kuep chap comes with a special sambal chilli sauce as a dipping. The dips add an extra samballish and spiciness to the belly pork... yummy!

Kueh Chap

There is a stall selling vegetables in a fried crispy basket. A portion usually comes in 6 baskets with some chilli sauce. To get the best flavour, scoop some of the chilli sauce onto the veggies before putting them into your mouth.This dish is suitable for vegetarians. Thumbs up!

Vegetables in crispy basket

The roti canai here was declared by most people the best in the town. Many came for the roti canai as well as the Malay mee goreng.

NICE APAM BALIK

2011-09-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Apam balik (半个月亮) is also known as 'terang bulan' or 'martabak manis'. Apam balik is sort of a pancake with plenty of butter, sugar, corn and peanut crumbs in the middle. It is cooked in a pan griddle and tuned over to look like omelette.

As you go along Sungai Merah in Sibu, you will come across a small stall in front of a coffeeshop, selling apam balik. I love their apam balik because they put plenty of butter and coarse penuts. Each costs RM2.00 only.

SWEET DESSERTS AT THOMSON CORNER, SIBU

2011-09-16T03:58:00.000-07:00

Thomson Corner is well-known in Kuching and Sibu for its breakfast, their large varieties of sweet dessert drinks and nice food. In Sibu, Thomson Corner is situated at Pusat Tanahwang and a smaller one located inside the Medan Mall shopping complex.

American Breakfast at RM4.50

Their famous dishes include Laksa Sarawak, nasi pataya, kampua/bihun with sambal (nice) and nasi lemak (my fave).

Their Laksa Sarawak comes with bihun, shredded fried egg slices, some prawns, crispy tauge and chicken shreds. Quite nice, but I personally still like the one in Aloha Corner better.

Laksa Sarawak

Talking about their nasi lemak, it is coconut rice with delicious sambal stirred with fried peanuts and anchovies, half of a boiled egg, some cucumber slices and some crispy fried chicken pieces. Forget about the calories and you'll be one tummy satisfied customer.

Sambal bihun

The typical Foochow noodle, the Kampua, is quite nice, especially the ones with sambal. If you don't like Kampua, go for their bihun ones.

Apart from the nice meals, you'll be refreshed by their wide variation of sweet dessert drinks and soups, eg. bubur chacha, ice chendol, bubur buang panas(similar to Lin Chee Kang), nata de coco, ai yu drinks, longan ice, ice blended drinks, fresh juices, etc.. too much for me to remember. Yes, they taste really nice and refreshing indeed. I had some bubur buang panas, which has red dates, dried winter melon, cubes of jelly, some barley in sweet syrup and topped with crushed ice. Lovely!

Bubur Buang Panas (Lin Chee Kang) at RM1.80

Their version of bubur chacha has cubes of softened sweet potatoes and yams, in thick fragrant coconut milk. This you can either have it warm or cold. They also serve ice-creams in sundae cups... kid's favourite.

Bubur Chacha at RM2.20

Ice-cream

If you prefer burgers, there is a selection of burgers and toast to choose from. Apart from these, there are snacks, such as kompia, hotdog on skewers, fishballs, dumplings, rojak, rojak sotong, french fries, etc. A lot of people like to go there for some snacks and a thirstquenching sweet drink.

Chicken dumpings

The prices are reasonable and affordable by most people. So, when you are in Sibu, this is a place not to be missed.

TEOCHEW PORK PORRIDGE

2011-09-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

A simple, healthy breakfast of pork porridge with runny egg yolk.... a great taste despite its simplicity.

Situated on the 1st floor of the Sibu Central Market, stall no. 49 sells the teochew-styled pork porridge. They don't have much variety because their signature dish is the pork porridge, but you can opt for either one egg or two eggs. The pork porridge smells and taste great, served with fragrant minced pork, preserved vegetable and some bits of spring onions.

There is also one located in Bai Shun Coffeeshop in Sungai Merah.

ALOHA CORNER - A HOTSPOT FOR GOOD FOOD

2011-09-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

As you travel along Jalan Tunku Osman in Sibu, you will see a corner coffeeshop named 'Aloha Corner'. This coffeeshop is usually fully seated in the morning, around 7:30a.m.-8:30a.m., where people come for their breakfast and in the mid-afternoon, people crowd the coffeeshop for their lunch.

There are roughly 8 stalls in this coffeeshop and they offer a wide selection of yummy food.

The first stall sells nice Kampua mee and wantans. I love having the Kampua with dark soy sauce and chilli sauce.

The next stall sells a tasty Lor Mee (better than most Sibu stalls), kompia with minced pork and rojak.

Lor Mee

The third stall sells their signature Laksa Sarawak, which for me, is the best in Sibu. They sell only one type of food, and that is the food that is driving most people to this coffeeshop. Their Laksa Sarawak recipe was a family inheritance. They use the best rice vermicelli in town and the laksa gravy was a concoction of various spices with coconut milk, topped then with prawns, tauge, fried egg strips, chicken shreds and some bits of spring onions. I couldn't resist slurping at the orangey spicy soup until the last drop.

Laksa Sarawak

The next stall in the corner sells fried noodles, char kway teow, meehoon, etc. You should have a go with their fried macaroni, a little oily but nice.

At the back, we have two stalls. One owned by a chubby woman who sells homemade fishball soup with tanghoon (my favourite), pork porridge with century egg and also red wine chicken mee sua (very nourishing and tasty). The homemade fishball soup is a light but aromatic soup stewed for hours and hours using fresh fish bones. The fishballs, known also as Foochow fishballs, is homemade by the chubby lady with a mixture of fresh fish meat and some seasonings. In this soup, you can find seaweed, some slices of carrots, a few pieces of leafy veggies, some fried beancurd, a piece of bitter gourd and some lady's fingers.

Homemade Fishball Soup with Tanghoon

Another stall owned by a man in his forties (I hope I got his age right) sells his signature Teochew char kway teow, a different version from the usual ones that we have. It is char kway teow wrapped up by eggs, served with some chilli sauce. This char kway teow does not come with meat (like the usual ones we had), just noodles, beansprouts, eggs and spring onions, but surprisingly, it does not taste bland at all. I remember I had to wait for an hour for it during one of the Chinese New Years, so just imagine!

Teochew Char Kway Teow

There is a Malay stall in front, selling roti canai and kuih-muih. There's a variety to choose from.

Aloha Corner also sells waffles. My favourite is peanut butter waffle.

Waffle with peanut butter

Address: ALOHA CORNER

Jalan Tunku Osman,

96000 Sibu,
Sarawak

INTRODUCTION TO SIBU (詩巫) - MY HOME, MY DESTINY

2011-09-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

Of the 13 different states which made up Malaysia, 11 states are in Peninsular Malaysia, and two states, namely Sarawak and Sabah are what is known as East Malaysia, in the north-western region of the island of Borneo. Sarawak itself accounts for up to 40% of the total landmass in the country. Located some 60 miles from the South China Sea, Sibu is one of the major towns in the Sarawak. It is located at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan Rivers, some 60 kilometres from the ocean and approximately 183.3 kilometres east-north-east of the state capital Kuching.
Its population is dominated by Chinese as well as indigenous Melanau, Malay, and Iban. The main Chinese ethnics consists of mostly Foochows, and a portion of Hokkiens, Teochews, Hakkas and Cantonese.

Also known as 'The Swan City' and 'New Fuzhou', Sibu is proud for its great variety of delicacies and sightseeing spots eg. the Tua Pek Kong Temple, Sibu Town Square, Sibu Central Market, Sibu Lake Park, Yu Long Shang Tian En Shi, etc, which I will show you in my future posts.