Steamed Fish

Fish is part of a staple Malaysian diet, especially for the Chinese and it represents prosperity and the wealth status of the host. Fish is a must serve dish in every Chinese banquet. With the depletion of seafood products from our rich Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, fish prices are soaring up the scale and thus aqua culture is the temporary solution for this problem currently.

I grew up near the sea and my family were pioneer fish merchants in Northern Malaysia. Fish is one of my favourite white meat as it is healthy. There are many ways to cook a fish (not skin a cat) and the most popular method for Chinese are steam fish. There are unlimited ways to steam a fish depending on the creativity of the chef.

Popular salt-water fishes such as Kerapu, Senangin, Siakap, Jenahak, Tauteh and many more are getting more and more expensive every year and especially during festive seasons such as Chinese New Year. There are around 7 types of Kerapu in Malaysia and the most popular ones in Peninsular Malaysia are the orange dotted Kerapu, which is the second most expensive and the light browned Kerapu. The most expensive Kerapu comes from Borneo which is called the 7 coloured Kerapu (directly translated from the Hokkien dialect).



The Kerapu and Siakap fishes are being cultured in a large scale as Kerapu is a popular fish for Chinese wedding banquets and Siakap is enjoyed by all the ethnics in Malaysia especially the Malays as Siakap is popular for Ikan Bakar (grilled fish/ restaurant serving seafood in Malay cuisine). Cultured fishes is nowhere compared to wild fishes in taste, texture and price.

In Kuala Lumpur, fresh water fishes is a popular alternative for the Chinese community. This situation was influenced by inland Perak and Pahang as they rely on freshwater fishes for white meat. Popular freshwater fishes are Carp, Ikan Hantu(Lam Kor Yi), Patin, Tilapia and Sultan fish. Freshwater fishes are hard to cook as the stomach of the fish has a stench of soil if not washed properly. Ikan Hantu is the most expensive fish in Peninsular Malaysia. I've eaten Ikan Hantu before, the texture of the fish is unbelievably delicate and the flavour of the fish is strong and pleasant. The last time I ate it, it cost me RM10.00 for 100gms plus cooking charges.

I would like to share a few tips and tricks so you can get that perfect steamed fish:

1. Buy a fresh fish. It would be the best if the fish is still moving when you buy it.
2. Starve your guests before serving your steamed fish and describe how fresh the fish was,
eg. how it was moving to cook up a desire to dine the fish mentally.
3. Make sure you don't overcook the fish or the texture will be hard.
4. Discard all the organs and the blood in the stomach immaculately.
5. De-scale the fish properly. You don't want scales in your mouth.
6. Apply some oil on the skin of the fish before steaming (Virgin olive or palm oil preferred).
7. Make sure your guest eat the fish while its still piping hot.

If you follow all the steps above, you will experience a good time eating your steamed fish with your guests or loved ones. Remember, fish is a very sensitive meat to prepare. It needs extra attention and love to cook fish. If you have any inquiries, please mail me @ vsleep@gmail.com

Laksa in Petaling Jaya SS5D/1

Most of the times when we look for a place to eat, it will be in hawker centres or shoplots. Some of us would go the length to search for food by the road side. For me and some of my friends, food by the road side is the best. You can smell the eau de diesel, take in the sights and sounds of cars, lorries, embrace dust and dirt. And in some instance, Mat Rempits zoom by with fantastic acrobatics. It may be dirty, but hey the essence of all makes the food tastes good. Have you seen how dirty a kitchen is in a hotel or even a KFC restaurant? This is like a kitten in comparison.

Last Saturday, I went searching for Laksa (previous post). This time in the PJ area and a specific road side stall. It's located at the T junction of Jalan SS5D/1. I have actually eaten at this stall few times before this. Suffice to say, the proprietors sells their wares which include the laksa, nasi lemak, cendol (chendol) and ikan bakar (grilled fish) from a van and a small pickup truck. It is a typical Malay stall operated by 3 Malay ladies for food and two malay/sometimes three men for the drinks. The best thing is, everyone whether it's Malay, Chinese or Indian would dine here.

Imagine dining under the cool shades of the trees while watching the world go by with a wok of laksa and a bowl of cendol. Now, that is what I call blissful. It rained the day I was there though. :)

The laksa is served in a mini wok laid over a rattan basket which is quite unusual. It reminds me of claypot rice. The presentation looks really cute. The difference between this laksa and the previous laksa is the gravy. This one is thicker than a typical Chinese laksa. Chopped cili padi (small spicy chili) were sprinkled on top of the noodles. There is a half-cut egg served together with massive amounts of sliced cucumber and big sliced red onions.

I ordered two woks of the laksa. I ordered two slices of grilled fish as well. The fish they use are stingrays.It is just superb. We'll review the grilled fish soon enough. The price is quite reasonable. Try it out. I bet you'll like it.