Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

Steamed Freshwater Prawns with Egg whites - Lined up remarkably with their vibrant orange-hued shells and some with golden luscious roes oozing from the smashed heads!

Tanjung Tualang is a small town located about 40km away from Ipoh town. No doubt the township is almost synonymous for its very famous freshwater prawns, aside from the infamous tin dredge near to Chenderoh (a short distance away from Tanjung Tualang) which was (and probably still is) precariously threatened with the prospects of being submerged in the waters. The tin dredge was opened to the public at a fee, but not sure if it’s still offering the tour in and around the dredge. (You can view some great shots from brandoneu’s blog here)

At a corner lot in the square formation of one-storey shoplots forming the perimeters surrounding the market, Yew Kei Seafood Restaurant appeals more to the locals, and came highly recommended from not one, not two, but a few of my friends and relatives staying in the town, or nearby.

Now let’s get to the more interesting part of this post; the FOOD. Or might as well categorize them as SEAfood. Or in particular; the Tanjung Tualang’s famous freshwater prawns. They come in various sizes, with their respective prices. A kilogram of the L-sized prawns cost RM78/USD23.60, a kg of M-L sized ones will set you aback at RM68/USD20.60, while the M-sized ones are priced at RM60/USD18 per kg.

I went to Luen Fong Restaurant once before, about a year ago, and prior to that, Lung Seng sometime back in 2008. Both of the restaurants were good, the latter being the better choice for me personally, for the freshwater prawns fared much better. But of course, there are detractors that swear by Luen Fong’s prolific legacy (they were even featured in a Guangzhou food documentary, aside from the local ones). So why did I pick Yew Kei this time around, a relatively unknown name that has been dwarfed by the other giants? Read on to find out ….. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

## Updated July 2010 – On the 1st of July 2010, the whole stretch of shops including Luen Fong and Sun Mee Fong restaurants were tragically burnt from a fire. Hence they have ceased operations until further notice. ##

The abundance of roes was astounding! Pity Mr Prawn’s head also punctured by the pressure!

To get you along the mid-week blues (though it’s a much, much revered 4 days working week), let me share another famous Chinese seafood restaurant in Tanjung Tualang of Perak. No doubt you’ve read about my crustacean-walloping experience back in August of 2008. What? You mean you forgot to read the Lung Seng Restaurant review, when we had half a kg of prawns cooked Kam Heong style, while another 500g in lots of crunchy Nestum? Go read now, wipe your chin dry, and come back again.

Okay, done? Tanjung Tualang houses so many seafood restaurants, you’d be thinking where to go for some simpler hawker food. Really. They’re all around the wet market of Tanjung Tualang, built in the midst of the town itself. Another restaurant that has been around for many years now, and with a strong following of its own, is Luen Fong Restaurant – An air-conditioned corner lot next to Sun Mee Fong (sp?), another popular choice amongst the tourists. Though I have heard from a friend, stating that the locals do NOT patronize these erm … tourist-traps. Instead, they go to lesser known brands, an example being Yau Kee (again, not sure of the spelling).

CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »