Foochow fare in Sitiawan
Bursting with flavours, the cuisine wins over Ewe Paik Leong
AS the cliche goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, when in Sitiawan, eat what the Sitiawan residents — the majority of whom are of Foochow pedigree — eat! I go to Bei King to sample Foochow fare. The restaurant occupies the ground floor of a hotel building that stands inside a walled compound in a residential area.
The front porch with thick sturdy pillars abuts from the flat-roofed structure. Ample car parking sheds are provided.
Inside, the restaurant looks grand. There are latticed wooden panels and antimacassars on chairs, and round tables are draped with spotless beige cloth.
Though lighting is subdued, there is a corporate air about the place. Date nights are not favoured here; wedding dinners and business lunches are perfect.
My dining companions and I are briskly ushered to a room, and a female captain comes quickly to attend to us. There is no menu and I ask her to recommend some Foochow dishes.
When she departs with her notepad, a waitress brings a pot of tea, glasses and a bucket of ice cubes.
TURNING THE LAZY SUSAN
Soon, our orders are whisked to the Lazy Susan turntable in the centre of the table. When rice is served, I chew a spoonful neat. The grains are moist, firm and sticky. I lift my fork and spoon, ready for the dishes.
A stir-fry of assorted vegetables turns out to an assembly of carrots, lettuce, cabbage, bean curd sheets, glass noodles, bamboo shoots and prawns. The Cantonese version of this dish has a good dose of oyster sauce which partners with garlic and ginger to deliver a comforting flavour.
However, this being the Foochow version, a mild tartness first tingles my taste buds, then comes a soothing sensation.
The slippery glass noodles and springy bean curd sheets deliver interesting textural contrast to the crunchy veggies. The prawns are firm and fresh, and the bamboo shoots have a mild pungency.
I turn the Lazy Susan to manoeuvre a
Fish maw soup thrills and soothes at the same time.
bowl of Foochow fishball towards me. They share space with floating cabbage slivers.
An initial slurp of the soup turns out to be clear and garlicky.
Culinary pyrotechnics explode in my mouth when I bite a fishball into two. Its flimsy skin breaks to release gusty aromas of meatiness with a hint of sesame and what smells like five-spice which further bolsters the taste of the minced meat. It’s small wonder that the bowl is depleted of its contents very quickly.
I move on to tofu partnered with broccoli and bamboo shoots. I taste apiece of tofu dripping with dark savoury sauce. There are no surprises here. It’s firm on the outside, soft and moist within.
As I chew, I recall having eaten this dish more than once at wedding dinners inI KL. Usingthoseasabenchmark,thisrestaurant’s tofu is a respectable near equivalent to them.
Next, fish maw soup. A spoonful of the pumpkin-red soup tells my tongue it’s of the right temperature. My initial reaction? Gosh! It’s as “rich” as Bill Gates! The fragrant soup has a sweet, sour, tomato tartness and sharp vinegary bite.
Wow! Thesepowerful flavours jerk me upright in my seat. The fish maw, mushrooms, firm bamboo shoots and crunchy carrots offer different textures. Eh? Bamboo shoots again? Aha, this ingredient must be a staple in Foochow cuisine.
Things go downhill with the oyster omelette. Sure, the oysters are fairly big but they are dry and lacklustre.
I end my culinary cruise with red wine chicken. Though yeasty-like sourness predominates, ginger and sesame are given prominence so that the dish has mild heat. The chicken pieces are soft and tender and they are best when eaten with rice.
Bei King
Lot 35535, Taman Desa Selamat, Jalan Kampung Selamat,
Sitiawan, Perak.
05-691 0253
beikingrestaurant@gmail.
com
www.beiking.com.my Noon to 10pm daily Foochow cuisine
Fish maw soup and red wine chicken
RM15 to RM30 per dish
Corporate feel and quasifine dining
Efficient but stiff
OK, why not?
Foochow fishballs stuffed with savoury minced meat.
This tofu is only one notch above the ordinary.