Discovering Lumut
Blogger and father-ofthree Peter Lim, who loves trying out food at less-established places, shares some interesting finds with readers.
Blogger Peter Lim, who loves trying out food at less-established places, shares some interesting finds with readers.
TECH savvy Peter Lim, 43, has not just one, but four blogs, including one in which he shares his own vegetarian recipes.
It’s no revelation, therefore, that one of his primary hobbies is cooking. He also counts fishing, reading, stock market investing and watching martial art movies as his other pastimes.
When he’s not doing any of those, he usually arms himself with his Nikon Coolpix camera and gets on the less established foodie tracks.
“I like to go hunting at unconventional spots, places that other bloggers don’t write about,” he says, citing his trip to the Kepong Baru morning wet market as an example.
“It is always a pleasant experience when I discover some nice food in these nooks and crannies.”
During the December school holidays, Lim took his children to the naval town of Lumut, Perak. Needless to say, the self-professed fan of kam heong crabs and deep fried mantis prawns also used the opportunity to sample some of the town’s and neighbouring Sitiawan’s offerings.
One of the restaurants that he chanced upon one night during supper time was Kari Kepala Ikan Ah Pau.
As it was getting late, the shop ran out of fish heads and Lim opted for wat tan hor (braised flat rice noodles), yin yong (braised flat rice noodles with rice vermicelli) and man yee mee (braised egg noodles in dark soya sauce) instead.
He says the first two dishes share some similarities with the Penang tua pan that he loves.
“The seafood is fresh and the noodles have a nice wok hei (hot wok) aroma – recommended!” he writes.
And it was very reasonably priced too: for these three dishes and drinks, the bill only came up to RM17.
To get to the restaurant, look out for SJK(C) Eng Ling, an old wooden school built by early Chinese settlers, along Jalan Titi Panjang. The restaurant is located right after the school.
Another spot that he managed to squeeze into this trip’s itinerary was the City Noodle Cafe, a busy coffeeshop along Jalan Hala Nelayan 2/1, Pantai Remis, which is known by the locals for its curry mee.
“The lady boss of a fish wholesaler company told me about this stall,” he shares.
And after having a bowl for only RM2.50, Lim gushes: “There are many small prawns floating around in the gravy, plus a lot of fresh seafood, which give it a natural sweetness. There’s a nice aroma to the curry spices and I love the little pieces of baby shark meat, which give it a special taste.”
In Sitiawan, however, Lim serendipitously stumbled upon Restoran Makanan Laut Villa, a seafood restaurant located within the Kampung Cina locality.
“It was the first restaurant that we came across when we turned into the area and there was a good crowd,” he reveals.
As expected of a restaurant in a coastal town, all the seafood dishes served here are very fresh, according to Lim. He had prawns, squid and fish.
The steamed ma yau (threadfin) fish in Teochew style was his favourite.
“I love the savoury and sourish soup,” he enthuses, adding that it goes very well with his rice.
It was also at this restaurant that he had the famed Foo Chow red wine mee sua. He recalls his shock when he saw the dish: “We asked for a small serving, but what we got could easily feed 10 adults!”
Although he loved the taste, it was impossible to finish, he says. On the upside, he adds, everyone walked out of the restaurant with rosy cheeks because of the alcohol content.
Lim notes, however, that the restaurant will move to a new location after Chinese New Year. For details, call 012-469 8118.
If you would like to find out more about Lim’s adventures or learn some new recipes, visit his blog at http://peteformation.blogspot.com. He also draws simple maps to accompany some of his postings.