With house specialities such as crab bee hoon, shrimps steamed in homemade red wine and fried sand whiting, ES Tung can’t wait to return to Ah Poh Seafood Restaurant again soon
HEN I was child living in Kuala Terengganu, my grandmother used to fry fish dipped in flour for snacks. Known locally as ikang celop tepong (fish dipped in flour batter), it was a snack as popular as goreng pisang, eaten at tea time with home-made chilli sauce similar to those used for keropok lekor (fish fingers).
The fish, usually selar kuning (yellow scads) or kembong (horse mackeral) bought right off the boats of fishermen returning from sea as they passed by our home that was built into the estuary, would be cleaned and fried immediately to retain its freshness.
Later, when I had the opportunity to travel to other fishing villages around the country, I found that different fishing enclaves had their own seafood based snacks similar the fried fish my grandmother used to make.
In Kuala Rompin, for example, I stumbled upon fried shrimp fritters being sold by a roadside hawker, which were eaten with a dollop of red sauce made using ground chilli and vinegar. In Tanjung Sepat, I found an eatery that sold lala (bivalves) dipped in tapioca flour batter.
In Kuala Selangor, a small family-run eatery serves yet another interesting snack, one which I had not seen for some time - fried sand whiting, also known as ikan bulus (or suar chiam in Hokkien).
THE POH BROTHERS
The eatery, named Ah Poh Seafood Restaurant, is inconspicuously tucked away in a row of two-storey shophouses, a stone’s throw away from the town’s post office. Parking is plentiful along the roads since this is the only eatery along this part of the town.
I find out later that Ah Poh Seafood Restaurant is run by two brothers — Ong Chin Poh, 58 and his brother Chin Chai, 56.
The former is in charge of the shop front while his brother is the chef. They had been operating in the area for over two decades, serving homecooked dishes to a steady stream of regulars near and far.
It is almost 2pm when my wife and I arrive, having avoided the holiday horde of seafood hunters in Sekinchan and Pasir Penambang earlier. Seeing that Ah Poh Seafood Restaurant is not crowded, we wonder for a moment if they were still taking orders or was about to close.
To our pleasant surprise, a waitress tells us that the crowd has just left moments before we arrived and a table is prepared for the two of us.
To quench our thirst, we order grass jelly (or chien chau in Hokkien, a black jelly-like drink that was supposed to be good in reducing heatiness).
Asking the waitress for her recommendation for a simple lunch for two small-eaters, she suggests that we try their curried fish fillet and sweet potato leaves.
At that moment I notice diners at the next table has ordered a plate of chien suar chiam (fried sand whiting in Hokkien).
I ask for a small plate since my wife is not keen on fried stuff. The waitress says I am lucky because this dish has been taken off the menu a while back due to the short supply of this fish.
This restaurant does not have a very extensive menu but its house specialities, I was told by another diner, could rival many in neighbouring areas, including Pasir Penambang.
Among their house specialities are crab bee hoon, fresh shrimps steamed in homemade red wine, snapper fillets fried with curry and of course, fried sand whiting.
I could not try their crab bee hoon because it has to be ordered at least three days in advance. This is because the chef sources his mud crabs from local fishermen and supplies are not regular these days due to the destruction of the mudflats, the crabs breeding grounds.
BUTTERFLY FISH
The first to arrive on our table is fried sand whiting. We have to wait a short while because one table of diners has plenty to order but the wait is definitely worth it.
Although fried sand whiting is served in most Chinese seafood restaurants along the coast of Selangor right from Sasaran to Sungai Besar, Ah Poh’s fried sand whiting is a class above.
I am told that the fish was caught in local waters and the ones we have averaged about 12cm long at the most - an excellent size for frying, if done well.
Looking at the plate of about 10 fried fish, I must compliment the chef. Each small fish is expertly “butterflied” (cutting the fish into two halves joined by a tiny strip of flesh near the dorsal fin), deboned and fried till golden brown.
The skin is crispy but the flesh is moist and soft. Only experience will allow you to fry this tiny fish to this stage of golden goodness without having to singe the tail in the process. This “butterfly” fish is eaten dipped in sweet chilli sauce, which I feel could be made hotter.
The plate of potato leaves are more or less like the many home-cooked ones I had tried but the curried fish fillet is definitely delightful.
My wife has earlier thought it is a mistake to order two fish dishes but later says that she was glad to have ordered it. The tender fish fillet bathed in a creamy, slightly sour curry gravy is accompanied by small cuts of ladies fingers and chopped onions.
The fragrance of the curry spices is enhanced with bits of lime leaves. Most seafood restaurants use chopped coriander leaves or curry leaves in similar dishes and this one, I must say, is definitely better. The gravy is also not too hot for the palate and it goes well when heaped onto a plate of steaming rice.
Our bill comes to very reasonable RM38, inclusive of three glasses of grass jelly and two plates of rice. As we are leaving, an Indian family arrives to have a feast of crab fried bee hoon, which they have pre-ordered. Smelling the fragrance of that, I tell my wife we must return. I want to try their shrimp steamed in homemade red wine too.
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AH POH SEAFOOD RESTAURANT (Non-Halal)
Jalan Sultan Ibrahim, Kuala Selangor, Selangor
Tel: 03-3289 7173, 016-677 5135, 016-202 9677
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Sunday 11:30am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 9:30pm. Close on Tuesdays
WHAT’S COOKING: Home-style cooking, serving seafood dishes for lunch and dinner. For light eaters, they also prepare noodles in various styles.
MUST TRY: Crab fried bee hoon, shrimp steamed with homemade red wine, curried fish fillets and fried sand whiting. If you want to try their crab dishes, call at least three days in advance to make your order.
ATMOSPHERE: Simple small-town eatery. No frills, non-air conditioned, friendly staff. The family speaks Hokkien.
SERVICE: Orders can take a while to make their way to the table, especially during peak periods but the wait is always worth it. Go on weekdays, if you want some quiet. It is usually crowded on weekends and public holidays, so go early if you want a seat.
OVERALL VERDICT: Go give it a try