Location: Hokkien Cuttlefish and Chandol, Second Floor, Sibu Cental Market.

I think Stall 121 Hokkien Cuttlefish and Chandol is by far, the best place to eat Cuttlefish Kangkong in Sibu. In fact I even dare to claim that this is the best in Sarawak!

This is actually a rather common and simple snack that basically consists of blanched cuttlefish and Kangkong (local spinach) accompanied by fried Tauhu and to be eaten by dipping with sticky sweet-spicy sauce.

Everyone can blanch cuttlefish and KangKong. And everyone can fried Tauhu. So there’s really no secret there. It is all down to the sauce that makes the huge different.

And that is why I think Stall 121’s sauce is the best I have ever tasted.

And I shall make no intention to hide the fact that I have started eating their Cuttlefish Kangkong when I was a kid. So there is some sentimental influence here, I affraid.

I came during noon time and ordered the Fried Tauhu with Kangkong. I was never a big fan for Cuttlefish anyway.

The tauhu was fried to perfection, golden crispy at the outside and tenderly juicy inside. The Kangkong was also blanched perfectly, crunchy and sweet. It is so easy to overcooked your Tauhu and Kangkong. Sounds simple but still requires lots of attention to fine details.

And their sauce tasted exactly the same after all these years. Never once I was disappointed. Unlike some sauces that are too slimy and gooey, which I thought was disgusting, their sauce was runny, sticky and unbelievably smooth. Sweet, spicy, thick and delicious. Generous sprinkle of ground peanut powder added even more flavor, aroma and texture to the sauce. And unlike many others who pre-made their sauces beforehand and stores in big containers, Stall 121 makes their sauce fresh everyday. There many stalls out there that flooded the sauce onto the Cuttlefish Kangkong like a salad dressing, but the owner here insists that the sauce is for dipping purpose.

I have eaten many Cuttlefish Kangkong all over the country. And I still think the best is right at my hometown Sibu.

Many came over the years in effort to learn or even buy the secret of their sauce. But I was told today by the owner that no one has fully managed to crack this 40 years old secret recipe.

The fried Tauhu and Kangkong tasted absolutely delicious when dipped in the sauce. I could even eat the sauce all by its own.

And that’s the end of the review.

Simple, delicious, affordable and healthy.

I truly believe that this is a 4 Star performance.

Food Stall, News

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Location: Tiong Hua Road Kompiah Stall

Tiong Hua Road is a quiet residential area in Sibu. There’s really no special reason why you should travel to this area unless you are an old school Kompiah lover. Located along the Tiong Hua Road, there is a family running a Kompiah stall at their hourse. When first started many years ago, this stall was a regular hangout for school students looking for a casual and budget snack.

Today, it has transformed into a Sibu’s household name, famous for its Kompiah served in traditional way. Instead of deep-frying in oil, their Kompiahs are considered as Wet Kompiahs as they are soaked in light broth seasoned mainly with Five Fragrance Powder. The result is their Kompiah is soft and has absorbed all the flavors from the broth.

We arrived today just for the occasion.

We ordered three Kompiah with and without the pork. We also ordered the Ice Kacang. The environment was fairly relaxed and homey. As I grew up eating their Kompiah here, I did feel a bit sentimental as the house basically stayed almost unchanged as if time has forgotten its existence.

The Ice Kacang arrived in glass with crushed ice cubes instead of my preferred shaved ice. But my real problem was that the Ice Kacang wasn’t creamy or milky. The red beans and jelly were not up to mark as well. I was quite disappointed. I remembered their Ice Kacang tasted much better than this.

Anyway, the Kompiah arrived. They certainly looked and smelled exactly how I use to remember it. The presentation was also very rustic and almost non-existence. The Kompiah with pork did look a bit awkward with thin slice of pork scattered around the plate. I remembered the pork was supposed to be the filling rather than the garnishing. And certainly I remembered the pork used to be a bit bigger and fattier.

But the Kompiah tasted exactly the same; moist and spongy. The Kompiah’s bottom were softer while the Kompiah’s upper crust still retained chewy texture. The sesame seeds on the Kompiah also added good nutty aroma to the dish. The broth was infused with light Five Fragrance flavor. The thin pork slices however were tasteless and dry. I would recommend to order the one without pork instead.

The Kompiah without pork is RM 0.40 each and with pork is RM 0.60 each.

Well, the old taste of childhood’s Kompiah is definitely still well-preserved here. But my concern is whether the younger generation without the shared childhood memory like we did, will still appreciate their Kompiahs.

I mean if I wasn’t born and raised in Sibu and schooled nearby, to be perfectly honest, I might even feel that there’s really nothing special about their Kompiahs. Technically its just Kompiah soaked in broth, that’s all to it. And I personally know many locals who actually preferred the crispy Kompiah over their soggy Kompiah.

The old taste remains. But the expectation is changing.

I was glad that I returned to taste the old Kompiah. Done it, been there…but what’s left? Perhaps I will return again for sentimental reason. But not for culinary reason.

Tiong Hua Road Kompiah is famous. Tiong Hua Road Kompiah is sentimental. Tiong Hua Road Kompiah gets 2 1/2 Stars.

Aftertaste: While taking the photos of the Kompiah, the owner almost stopped me of doing so as he claimed that his Kompiah was too famous already and needed no more publicity. I have problem with people with big ego.

Chinese specialty, Food Stall, News