vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
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Posts by vkeong
Perkampungan Ikan Bakar Terapung @ Umbai, Melaka
May 18th
The furthest I have been to in Melaka is Umbai – a town famous for seafood, notably ikan bakar. As far as I know there are two places you could go to satisfy your seafood craving here. It could be either at the older Medan Ikan Bakar (in which the Parameswara stall is most popular) or at the spanking new floating complex blessed with a nice view of the sea known as “Perkampungan Ikan Bakar Terapung“, or PIBT in short.
We decided to check out the latter for no particular reason. And no, that’s not my Kancil.
It was only 5.30pm so there weren’t many people there yet. Only a handful of stalls were operating while the rest was just starting to open up for the night. Of course, as expected there will be a few stray cats lingering around, but generally the place seemed clean and well maintained.
After surveying the options available, we chose to order from stall no.5 Enak Rasa Ikan Bakar. Like any normal ikan bakar stall, you get to choose the type of seafood you want and the cooking style you fancy. If you are undecided, the cooks are friendly and happy to recommend according to your preferences.
Fresh Water Prawns @ Han Thoy Restaurant, Panchor (Johor)
May 15th
Panchor is a small town within Muar district in Johor situated approximately 30km north east of Muar’s town center. Back in the older days when road networks were not as developed as they are today, Panchor was a busy river port used to transport inner agricultural and plantation crops on the Muar River. Fresh river prawns are aplenty too, which is why some outstation people would make a special trip off the beaten path for a quick meal here.
We did not have the coordinates of the restaurant so we could only rely on the GPS to route us to the address we found online. After driving along some questionable roads through a dense oil palm plantation for a while, we managed to find Han Thoy (the restaurant famous for fresh water prawns) easily once we reached the town. It was literally just a stone’s throw away from the big river. Our first impression of the town was that it is quiet, clean and seemed to be stuck in the 60′s.
This was meant to be a light meal before we continue our journey to Muar so we only tried two of their signature dishes. There are many cooking styles available for the river prawns but we opted for the steamed version (with ginger and scallion in egg white) because we thought it was the best way to enjoy their natural flavor to the fullest.
Roast Goose @ Yung Kee Restaurant 鏞記酒家, Central Hong Kong
May 11th
Yung Kee Restaurant located at the heart of Central is one of the top restaurants in Asia according to various restaurant guides. They serve a number of award winning Chinese dishes but Roast Goose is the main reason why they are so popular. Just how popular you ask? Well, the demand for Yung Kee’s roast goose is so high that as many as 300 birds are sold daily and it is even served in first and business class on board Cathay Pacific’s flights. So with that in mind, we thought Yung Kee was worth a visit despite their reputation of being expensive.
Among the many places we ate in Hong Kong, Yung Kee is be the classiest of all. Service is much more friendlier and attentive too, which kind of explains the prices here. And maybe because we already expected the price to be sky high, we were not very shocked when browsing the menu. In fact, we found Yung Kee’s pricing is similar to what Yue Kee is charging. Half a bird (two to four person portion) costs $240 while a quarter (two-person portion) goes for $120.
Looks mouth-watering good, right? It definitely is. Sadly, the reality is that it will be very difficult for us to get a roast goose that could match the flavor, smoky fragrance and texture of Yung Kee’s in Malaysia. No matter which piece you pick from the plate may it be the thigh, drumstick or breast, the meat tastes equally juicy and delicious. And of course the crispy skin with a thin layer of fat underneath was our favorite part.
Boat Noodles @ Victory Monument, Bangkok
May 2nd
Boat Noodles (Kuay Tiau Rua) is one of the most popular things to try in Bangkok, recommended by both locals and tourists alike. Boat Noodles is called as such because was originally sold to passing customers on wooden boats that ply the canals in Bangkok. Each vendor would have their own recipe that distinguishes their noodles from the others – may it be a different type of noodle or broth. After looking at various sources online, we made a special trip to the Victory Monument where many Boat Noodles restaurants are located at. We thought this unique local favorite was worth a detour.
This is the Victory Monument, easily reachable via BTS or bus provided you know which to take. If you rely on the Victory Monument and map alone to look for the boat noodles, you are going to have a bad time. Even with the amount of directions available online, you will be lost.
Based on my own experience the easiest way is to look for the canal while walking on the pedestrian bridge. As long as you keep the Victory Monument on your left while walking on the bridge, you should be on the right path. And assuming you are indeed on the right path, the canal will be on your right. Forget about looking at maps, just follow this simple instruction of mine and you will be fine. Or better still, just ask a local who speaks English (if you are lucky enough to encounter one) to point you to the right way.
Obviously there will be more than one boat noodle restaurants (signage apart, differentiated by the colors of their shirts) along the canal but only one was open when we were there, so our decision was already made for us.
Many locals like to have their lunch here so it will be extremely packed during lunch hours. But we did not have to wait long for seats because the turnover rate is fast owing much to the speed of the food arriving at the tables.
