“Xia Mi” Yam @ Weng Kee Seafood Restaurant, Ipoh
June 29, 2010 | 11,080 views
Has the Motormouth lost his mind? Or teeth, going for Baby Food now (those gooey, yucky stuff) instead of raw, crunchy and fiery delights? 🙂
Whatever it was, I sure did not regret bumping into Reana’s post HERE, on how she relished every bite (or rather, spoonful) of the braised yam/taro with dried shrimps. Listed as “Xia Mi Yam” in the menu, you might be wondering aloud what in the world is that ancient-sounding Chinese dish. A clever combination that worked wonders for us, the other dishes at Weng Kee Seafood did not disappoint one bit. Understandable, considering that the chef of the restaurant, Mr Chan has been donning his aprons and frying up the wok for a good 30 years now.
Since 1980, Weng Kee Seafood Restaurant has undergone serious renovations, but still retaining the charm and quality of the food. Booking in advance is highly recommended, for the place can be very crowded on weekends.
Nai Yau Kam Foong Yue (Butter Tilapia Fish Fillets) – A whole tilapia fish (or “Fei Zhou Yue/Kam Foong Yue”) filleted, deep-fried to crispy perfection, then topped with shredded eggs cooked in a creamy-based sauce, and lots of curry leaves to perk the flavours up.
Thankfully we arrived a good half an hour before 7pm. Every single table in the restaurant was reserved for the evening! Not that the restaurant’s ultra spacious, for there were only about 10 tables, and two more on the outside.
The menu came with English translations, hence you don’t have to rely on the power of “I spy with my little eye” technique and order whatever the neighbouring tables are feasting upon. Or, you can trust Mr Chan himself, and let him recommend the signature dishes, or go for the daily specials.
Four Heavenly Kings – Stir-fried petai (stink beans), kacang botol (winged beans), long beans and ladies fingers (okra) with lots of onions in “sambal belacan” sauce.
The crispy tilapia fish fillets cooked in their signature method; the “Nai Yau” (butter cream) way is a hit with the children for sure. Not that we are complaining though, as the fillets of tilapia were not reeking of muddy taste, yet the flesh was firm, sweet and even moist albeit the harsh manner of being deep-fried. And the topping of egg floss with curry leaves was addictive, combining a sweetish, milky taste with a faint piquant aroma from the curry leaves (they’re edible, by the way).
Steamed La La Clams with Ginger and Coriander in Soy Sauce
The Four Heavenly Kings (Sei Dai Tin Wong) dish is so named because of the complementing combination of four types of greens; stink beans, long beans, winged beans and okra cooked in a pungent and slightly spicy sambal belacan (chili paste fried with fermented shrimp paste). One of the better versions I have tested in Ipoh, the sauce did not overwhelm the individual characters in this dish; the petai being their stinky and crunchy self, long beans and winged beans still with their natural crunch and not soggy, and the ladies fingers/okra was soft and absorbed the delicious sauce. The addition of lots of onions rendered the dish with a distinct fragrance and sweetness; balancing out the fiery kick from the sambal.
The La La (Clams) steamed in soy sauce was a highly recommended dish from the chef himself. Deservedly so, for the clams were fresh and sweet, albeit a little smaller than expected. We detected no unpleasant bits of gritty sand nor stale/fishy taste.
And the dish that probably can be found at Weng Kee only to this date; Xia Mi Yam or Braised Yam with Dried Shrimps
We are die-hard fans of yam dishes. Yes, from the classic Teochew dessert named “Or Nee”, or steamed yam with ginkgo nuts (and occasionally, a sweet pumpkin or sweet potato paste), to steamed taro cake (“woo tau koh”), and braised pork belly with yams (“woo tau kau yuk”) to fried nin gou with yam and sweet potatoes.
Hence, although the Xia Mi Woo Tau (Braised Yam with Dried Shrimps) did not come across as one of their forte, but we succumbed to the allure of a potentially yam-orgasmic sensation. 🙂
And the dish was a crowd-pleaser. Soft cubes of yam seated amongst their mashed cousins, with the aromatic dried shrimps, shallots, and scallions intermittently appearing within the scoopful of goodness. I do not know how to rate this; as a main dish or an appetizer (or maybe a savoury dessert?), but I am darn sure Mum and grandma will be back again just for this dish.
The meal came to RM59.70/USD18 for the three of us, a reasonable price to pay given the rather generous portions especially the fish. And Weng Kee serves individual meals at well, from about RM4.50-RM5 per dish.
WENG KEE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
20, Tingkat Taman Ipoh 6,
Ipoh Garden South,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-545 1215, 6012-517 3686 (Michael Chan)
Business hours : 11.30am – 3.00pm, 6.00pm – 10.30pm.
Closed on Wednesdays.
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to Weng Kee Seafood Restaurant
This restaurant is situated next to Scotch Pub, the famous Western diner since ages ago.
Because you are a baby? :p
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:14 am
LOL. Yeahloh … old liao, losing teeth. Must find the most easily digested food.
[Reply]
been there many years ago, heard the food so so only now, anyway, after reading ur post, I should re-visit again
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Yeah, in fact it has been more than 3 years since the last visit. It was on a Reunion dinner, I remember.
Then I read Reana’s post, and got me interested again.
The food’s not bad.
[Reply]
i would say, best food comes from simple stalls/restaurant.. compared to top, fine dining ones..
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Yeah, ajjah. I do agree with you. But of course, there are some worthy fine diners in Malaysia as well.
We can’t compare an apple to an orange, for some occasions do call for a dining environment with better ambience and some wine …. 🙂
[Reply]
Yes, their buttered fish is the best.. my son keep asking to go weng kee just for the fish.. lol..
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Yeah, thanks to your recommendation. 🙂
Anyway, I’m eyeing the Kapitan chicken and Cheese Prawns for the next visit.
[Reply]
Yummy Steamed La La…the price is reasonable leh ^^
[Reply]
LOL. If baby food is this affordable and yummy then I don’t mind eating it too.
[Reply]
Wow, absolutely love the look of that braised yam dish!! If I ever do make it here, Imma order that and have it alone all to myself!
[Reply]
one of those popular ‘tai chow’. Nice!
[Reply]
When talk about Weng Kee …. first time came into my mind is … WENG KEE POR LOR PAU ….. lol …. so famous in Hong Kong
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Polo Pau? Hehehe … I liked Kam Wah’s polo buns though, had them for breakfast twice when we were there.
[Reply]
I do like yam a lot but I really haven’t try this Braised Yam with Dried Shrimps before. I bet it is tasty judging from the look of it. Ah… it’s been some time since I last ate la la.. I feel so hungry when I saw that Steamed La La Clams with Ginger and Coriander in Soy Sauce of yours x_x
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Actually I thought that yam was steamed, until I googled the dish and found a recipe on Food-4-Tots.
You can view the recipe here :
http://food-4tots.com/2009/02/18/braised-taro-with-dried-shrimps/
[Reply]
[…] Weng Kee Seafood Restaurant @ Ipoh Garden South | Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog […]
is the location in google map correct? I think it’s showing the residential area….?
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Thanks MMfollower. My mistake. Corrected that location already.
This restaurant is beside Scotch Pub in Ipoh Garden South, within spitting distance from Riche Montana Korean Buffet, D’Vine Kafe, and Mi Cong Yin.
[Reply]
Erm not sure I like the look of the yam dish… plus I’m not a fan of yam either, but the prices are reasonable so I would probably suggest this place to my family whenever I balik kampung 🙂
[Reply]
The food is quite OK. Price-taste is quite OK. But seriously, I think the lady boss needs to smile a little bit more. Sometimes, I feel like she thinks I am not going to pay or something. 🙂 I stop going there since earlier this year…
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:25 am
Lady boss? Oh … she was not around that evening though. Haha … blessing in disguise.
[Reply]
Unfortunately Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:00 pm
actually, they are nice people. just that sometimes, you would go to a place frequently and you expect the owner of the place and even the waiters, etc. to actually show more friendly gestures, you know. sometimes, i just don’t know how people do business. 🙂
[Reply]
J2Kfm Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Haha …. I got you there.
But we can’t expect them to be their usual friendly self day in and day out right?
As long as they do not change into arrogant beings, I would allow them some leeway …. ‘off’ days if you will.
Braised Yam with Dried Shrimps sure is a good find 🙂
Hardly see this dish around.
[Reply]
[…] Weng Kee Seafood Restaurant @ Ipoh Garden South (NEW!!) – Since 1980! Try the Butter Tilapia & Xia Mi Yam […]
Hey that’s my dad’s car in the picture u shot. Such coincidence. It’s our favourite restaurant to have a good lunch or dinner. MUST TRY PORK CHOP RICE!!!
[Reply]