Gerik Food – Curry Wild Boar, anyone?
October 27, 2009 | 804 views| 39 Comments »
Curry Wild Boar’s Meat
A year ago, we went before to this restaurant for a meal. A restaurant with a name almost passing off as an expletive in Cantonese; Chau Y (ahem) Restaurant in the small town of Gerik in Perak.(For the previous post – The Gerik-Pengkalan Hulu Trail (Pt2))
Gerik may not sound like a familiar name to most, unless you’re one who travels to Betong often (you can of course, see how ‘often’ I actually crossed the border to the land of sins with a 3 days excursion to Betong last year, and subsequently a day trip (!!) to Betong recently), or you’re passing by the town en route to the east coast, arriving in Jeli (that’s a town in Kelantan, not the jiggly sweets you might be thinking!) then Kota Bharu in a matter of 4-5 hours. And that reminds me of the long overdue Kelantan posts I promised months ago …….
Stir-fried Anchovies with Cashew Nuts
A meal for 6 at Chau Y Restaurant this time around came to about RM10 per person. Reasonable enough for our standards, though the ‘locals’ (haha … or as local as they can get) the price leans to the slightly higher end. You be the judge, and I’ll show you the dishes we ordered.
First and foremost, the curry wild boar is the die for. Really. I’m kind of addicted to the Chinese style of cooking their curries, instantly fried up a wok, and stir-fried the meats with the curry paste, unlike the more traditional approach of the Indians whereby curries are supposed to be cooked in claypots for that earthy flavour and aroma. (Another place that brought to my mind, with the curry chicken cooked this style was at Tanjung Piandang)
Imagine slivers of lean meat; tender yet with a slightly firmer texture than the average pork, the wild boar was cooked with a thick and reddish curry paste, and garnished with chopped scallions, red chillies and curry leaves for that extra zing. At about RM12 per portion, this dish got the thumbs up from us city boys of Ipoh. =)
Kam Heong Chicken
Equally satisfying was the anchovies with peanuts, a dish commonly served with porridge, or as a snack to go with your pint of Carlsberg or Tiger. Or Heineken or Guinness. Geez, I’m not taking my chances to leave any specific brands out here, for fear of being judged bias (and potentially losing some advertorial opportunities? =P)
Crunchy anchovies paired with cashew nuts, stir-fried lightly to maintain that crunchiness, yet fragrant enough with the faintest hint of sauces. A delightful combination really, an ensemble that combines the most simplest of ingredients.
Fried Beancurd
The Kam Heong Chicken (‘golden fragrant chicken’?) was a tad disappointing though, unsure of its direction. A little salty, a little sweet. No hints of spiciness, yet glistening on the exterior, which reminded me of honey chicken sans the sticky coating of the sweet elixir. Hmm ….. tough call. But at a comparatively premium price of RM15, this dish won’t see a return anytime soon. At least for me.
Thankfully, their signature beancurd that was crispy on the outside and velvety smooth on the inside, was simple and tasty enough to be judged positively. And the crunchy garnishings of dried shrimps and fried shallots performed wonders for the everyday fare.
Paku-pakis (Ferns) stir-fried with Sambal Belacan
And to complete the feast, we chose the rarely available ‘paku-choy’ or ferns, to be stir-fried with some fiery sambal belacan. Or as fiery as I hoped the greens would be. To no avail though, as the sambal provided next to no heat, but still sumptuous enough to be polished off in minutes. We LURVE our greens, oh we do.
Restoran Chau Y (geez, I almost felt apologetic after mumbling those words …..)
Of course, Gerik and Lenggong, and the other small towns in Hulu Perak (northern most region of Perak) are very famous for the freshwater fishes. But do enquire on the price per 100g or per kg, before placing your order, to avoid being conned. Or just as a precaution, as some bigger riverfish can cost up to hundreds, and I highly doubt the restaurants there accept credit cards.
Which brings me to another pertinent question. Sudah potong ka? I mean, your credit cards, to be charged RM50 per card per annum !!!! =)
Location : Here’s the GOOGLE MAP TO CHAU Y RESTAURANT @ GERIK
The restaurant’s on the main road of Gerik, on the left side of the main road (when you’re going towards Pengkalan Hulu direction/going north) after passing the town centre. If you see Bangunan Persekutuan Gerik on your left, you have gone too far. Backtrack slightly and you’ll see Chau Y. Opens for lunch and dinner.
Updated (9/11/2009) – This post was featured in The Star Sunday Metro dated 8th November 2009. You can read the article at The Star Online at the following link : Memorable Chow
Thanks for the link.
What a weird name. Kakak…but actually if you...
the wild boar curry looks spicccccy. i’m a sucker for wild boar; i’ve only seen it on a menu four or five times, so i always make a point to order it if it’s offered. but i gotta say, farmed pork seems to taste better, rite?
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
erm, wild boar has that extra firm texture, plus the slightly wild, gamey taste.
it’s different.
of course, I eat the usual pork way more than the wild variety.
[Reply]
Curry wild boar? I have never tried anything that wild before. :p
But the ikan bilis does look nice.
Perhaps I should try this curry wild boar one day.
[Reply]
I have no guts to try wild boar, but the rest look ok to me.
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
seriously, Little Inbox, it taste almost like the common pork, with a slightly firmer texture of the meat.
[Reply]
These village type Chinese restaurants do have a certain great attraction for us , being cheap and with local popular items difficult to get in big towns. What they may lack in fine cutleries and cool airconds they make up superbly with “what u c is what you get” , the hallmark of great eating !
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
yup. these are the places that are easily missed out by the general outsiders, for dining in a small town like Gerik may sound like out of place.
[Reply]
noticed all the dishes, there r spring onion for topping ya…..talking about curry wild boar, tried b4 in an economy stall in Ipoh…quite ok also
[Reply]
Curry + pork = YUM!
(*drool* It looks so tempting…. Erm, how many hours is Grik from KL though?)
.-= J´s last blog ..Auberge de la Reine Blanche @ rue Saint-Louis en L’ile =-.
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Ipoh to Gerik is about 150km, roughly 2 hours.
so KL to Gerik ….. about 4-5 hours?
but if you’re on the way to Betong in Thailand, you have to pass by this town on the way there, before reaching the border town of Pengkalan Hulu, then only crossing over to Betong.
[Reply]
wow i’ve never tried wild boar before!!!
[Reply]
I reckon food of small town will be more interesting than those in the cities.
It’s cheap, simple and original. And of course delicious if you know which one to go. Thanks for the info
will keep it just in case I happen to be in Grik.
[Reply]
kinda far, hor??
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
not really. it’s 2 hours from Ipoh. not that we purposely go there for food hunting.
but passing by while on the way to Pengkalan Hulu for work.
[Reply]
bro..
i like reading your articles bout food..but this posting bout wild boar really got me wanting to give my five cents..
I’m a big fan of wild boar meat too..
i try to have it atleast once a week..hehehe
so just want to give some suggestion to try the curry wild boar dish in lawan kuda…just 30 min drive from ipoh town
there are roughly 5-8 restaurants that serve wild boar curry here
each have their own way….but i like em all..
My personal fav are Ka Ka fatt a bit further deep in lawan kuda baru..they serve a good version of Petai with minced pork meat and they have a fresh supply of tender coconut
there’s another 2 restaurant in lawan kuda baru..Lau wan keah and man yee..their version of wildboar is tasty too
And along the the main street of Lawan kuda…
JJ fat, qia jia fa ,668 and kwan hoe all serve excellent wild boar curry too…
most of them are open for lunch and dinner except for kwan hoe,man yee and lau wan keah..which are open from 6pm onwards..
do give it a try…
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
thanks for the information anba!
that’s of GREAT help.
you know, I’ve been intending to go to Lawan Kuda for some exotic fare, but sad to say,
NO kaki lah …… aiyo. none that wanna sample the fruit fox, terrapin soup, wild boar and probably squirrel meat with me.
hmm …. i’ve only tried the curry chee cheong fun in Lawan Kuda, on the main road itself.
http://www.j2kfm.com/of-lawan-kudas-chee-cheong-fun-kampars-hawker-fare-the-slaughter/
[Reply]
i heart wild boar meat
mum will cook them in curry once a while 
[Reply]
make sure u dont tongue twist saying the name!
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
yeah, got me chuckling everytime my fren suggested the place. hah ….
[Reply]
the fried anchovies definitely a good snack go well with beer huh….
PS: But I don’t like beer
[Reply]
wild boar curry remains me of toddy-they goes together very well!
the fried anchovies with cashew nuts remains me of a hot bowl of white porridge.
[Reply]
it takes skills to whip out a good wild boar dish… occasionally when my workers came out of the forest with a kill (wild boar that is), we will cook it curry style or ginger & onion style…
for places like my hometown… wild boar meat is easily available
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
your workers come out from a forest?!!! hahahah … engineer ah? architect?
or illegal logging?!!! hehehe … good for you lah. can easily taste the wild meat.
[Reply]
[...] Curry Wild Boar @ Chau Y Restaurant, Gerik | Motormouth From Ipoh … [...]
Hahaha…So many comments on Gerik wild boar meat one?…Well, it’s better for you guys to come over to Gerik and try it yourself! Some of you may like it, some may not like it all. It’s about 4 hours from KL – Gerik. Cheers!
[Reply]
[...] Curry Wild Boar @ Chau Y Restaurant, Gerik | Motormouth From Ipoh … [...]
Oh I typed so much jus tnow but it is all gone now because of error grrrr…
Nice yummy food you posted up here. Wild Boar meat i enjoy eating the one in Leong Ya at Sungai Besi.
Ok looks like I am going to bed hungry tonight hahaha
.
Oh I added your food blog to m blogroll
.
.-= ladyviral´s last blog ..Deepavali Open House =-.
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 28th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Leong Ya in Sg Besi? ok … duly noted. thanks!
[Reply]
lurve lurve lurve kari babi hutan! ya know, for the longest time, i’ve always wanted to have it with spaghetti. i think it’ll be great! haha.
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
October 28th, 2009 at 8:13 am
spaghetti?!!!! *_*
pork chop style or wat?
that’ll be cool though. the epitome of the most UNhalal food ….
[Reply]
All the foods look delicious. I missed the curry wild boar cooked by my aunt. It’s so tender and fill with aroma. lol
[Reply]
berry nice! i like wild boar meat too cos less fattening LOL
[Reply]
looks very goooodsssss
[Reply]
your template look alot more better now…heee.
[Reply]
Looks like superior ‘tai chow’ to me. Feedings the fussy families is big business if one succeed. Citibank charges RM600 for a year subscription!
[Reply]
Oh, all this food sounds familiar to be, hehe, used to visit this restaurant almost every week when I was in Gerik..hehe.
[Reply]
Wild boar meat! That’s quite something. My countrymen need to know about this. Anyone knows where we can get it in Singapore?
.-= Veron´s last blog ..Koko, Siam Square Bangkok – Lovely Flavors in Siam Square =-.
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
November 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
In Singapore ah? alamak. You can try Johor, but not so sure it’s that hot there.
in Lawan Kuda near to Ipoh also famous for exotic foods. can even find snake soups, terrapins, fruit foxes, etc.
[Reply]
Cheers for the useful info – I had fun reading it! I always enjoy browsing your blog.
[Reply]