Mid-week Roast Pork Cravings
February 9, 2010 | 8,247 viewsWhat makes a good slab of roast pork? Is it the crunchy skin, the perfectly tender and moist marinated meat? The layer of gelatinous fat underneath that crackly skin? Or even the accompanying piquant, and garlicky chili sauce?
Truth be told, back when I was a small kid, roast pork was never a favourite of mine. Nor even something that I would gladly choose when it came to take away lunch at the chicken rice stall. I’d pick the Char Siew (BBQ marinated pork), the Siew Cheong (Pork/Offals Sausages), and even the roast chicken/duck, in that particular order. Probably more of an adult’s piece of meat, Siew Yoke (that’s roast pork in Cantonese) caters to the matured and possibly, jaded tastebuds more often than not.
On a whole different level, if you will.
Some prefer their Siew Yoke with equal proportions of lean meat, and fat. Or ‘Bun Fei Sau’, if you’re having trouble communicating your wish to the burly butcher, or sometimes grumpy auntie hacking away like nobody’s business. If you’re not sure which part of the pig suits your taste, don’t ask for any particular part. Let him or her work his magic and ask for the BEST cut.
But of course, the premium cuts, such as pork belly, will cost you more. But since you’re not indulging often in this most sinfully fragrant (thanks to the 5 spice powder), chunky and crunchy treat, why not opt for the BEST? 
Many would commonly ask to have a small portion of roast pork chopped up and served on a piece of translucent plastic sheet, lined with a piece of crumpled, old newspaper, and only toothpicks given as cutlery. And not forgetting a squeeze or two of the almost compulsory garlic chili sauce on the side. Others swear by a side serving of white rice, or oil rice (yes, downgraded to be the SIDE dish now …) to go along with their meats.
But no doubt almost everyone who digs into their Siew Yoke would attest to the fact that the CRISPIER the skin, the better. Do you know that the skin was repeatedly stabbed/poked with a sharp knife, or any other apparatus that your sadistic mind can think of (ice pick may work, but don’t quote me!), to ensure that the skin stays crispy, as that horrific stunt of homicidal intent actually releases the soft, greasy layers of fat/oil underneath. Really?
Definiitely NOT a poor man’s rations, for a serving of roast pork may cost anything from RM5 to RM20 (or more, and I’m only referring to the casual peddlers, traders and hawkers, not your Canton-i etc), depending on your choice of cuts. And nothing beats sucking on the bones/ribs after a good, solid feast to satiate that incessant carnivorous cravings.
So, how do YOU like your Siew Yoke? Or … mind to tell where you have your fix?
Roast Pork (Siew Yoke) @ WONG FEE KEE RESTAURANT (Read my previous post HERE for the take on the fantastic Zhu Chap Chuk/Pig’s Offals Porridge, and Popiah) @ Lorong Bercham 5/Jalan Bercham in Ipoh. Adjacent to Ngan Woh Coffee Shop which sells fanstastic fish head with bitter gourd, homemade fishballs and stuffed fish paste, as well as Sar Kok Liew (stuffed turnip/yambean). Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to WONG FEE KEE in Bercham of Ipoh.
Opens daily from about 12pm onwards. Her son operates another roast pork stall in Ipoh Garden East, at Kedai Kopi Taman Timur Baru, a corner coffee shop with an array of hawker food, on Jalan Perajurit. The son opens from about 1pm onwards.
OMG, those siu yuk are looking so delicious. Not sure about the char siew though, too red lah.
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Too red? Yeah … maybe. A little scary, but truth is, when she serves them with the sweetish sauce, the cuts of succulent char siew are actually very good. I’ve tasted before.
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Crispy Roast Pork @ Wong Fee Kee, Bercham, Ipoh | Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog…
What makes a great roast pork? Crunchy? Lean? Fat? Tender? Or all combined?…
whatever form it is, bring it on i say (except the skinny bits)
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My stomach is growling loudly right now.
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Patchman Reply:
March 10th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
it can be heard from here..!
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oh my… u made me craving for them now…
for this whole week, my mind has set on pork and anything to do with PORK!
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My goodness – the char siew looks bright enough to glow in the dark! Haha…
(The siew yoke looks so good!)
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Super love this post bro. Know why? Because I love pork too. :p
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Looking sinfully GOOD!
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Haha…this morning i was at the wet market hunting down for the best cut of belly to make siu yuk, all sold out and I almost gave up. Now I am very determine to hunt again tomorrow morning! Yum!!
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
You can easily buy the roasted one from Pudu ma … that famous one … which I also haven’t tried yet.
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man that’s some serious dye going on there! i luv photo 1 and 4. i like it that way – just like the Pudu one!
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Simple, crackly and ever so messy. Who needs styrofoam boxes, or wacky containers? Give them a sheet of old newspaper and watch them go !
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Ohh… pork! Cravings now…
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The siu yuk skin looks so perfect!
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Best siew yoke for me is in Kampar! Seong Kee I believe.. must try that one day ok?
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Seong Kee?!! Wait … there IS a famous Seong Kee roast chicken, roast pork and char siew stall in Bercham of Ipoh woh … Related?
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Simply irresistible. So crunchy skins …..
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i am a char siew person, but lately why dont know become a siu yok person wor? why ah?? heehehehehehe
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Hehehe, you’ve GROWN …. my dear. Just like my transition from a Char Siew lover to a Siew Yoke AND Char Siew lover.
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Chee seng from Kampar serves the best Roast Crispy Pork
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Chee Seng, or Seong Kee? Hmm …. my first time hearing famous roast pork in Kampar. Gotta ask around. Thanks, Stanley.
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my own self made siu yoke!!!
ok i’m trying to post here without my url, see if it works
anyway wish you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous Chinese new year!
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the siu yok really makes me drool…..especially now when i am only drinking herbalife as dinner :’(
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man…just try it last week on 5th day of CNY, this is really really realllllly goood stuff!!! awesome!!
but that day, ipoh was so crowded man, at 10.30am, we went to yee fat, no place to sit and 70% of the table was not served yet. Lou wong was 90% full, and went to the small coffee shop oposite UOB bank there, also full house.
lastly went back to ngan woh, also FULL! luckily when we reach someone stand up and we got to sit, but all the yong liu finish liao :’(
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[...] I decided to try to the Pig’s Offals Porridge that Motormouth recommend, only to find out they haven’t start business yet!! End up I had to patron Ngan Woh [...]
[...] Wong Fee Kee (Pig’s Offals Porridge/Zhu Chap Chuk) @ Bercham and BEST Siew Yoke !!! [...]
[...] Okay, this particular area of Ipoh town has not been booming since Greentown, Ipoh Garden East and De Garden took over as THE places to be for food and drinks. You know, back in those days you could find throngs of people overwhelming the food court named Hollywood (or something) at the corner where you can also find a bak kut teh restaurant now. That place used to house a wonderful pork porridge( ‘zhu chap chuk’) stall, to which I have not found a worthy heir yet (except maybe Bercham’s Wong Fee Kee). [...]
Next time try Ipoh 1st Garden >> Guang Zhou Restoran >> zhe jiang siew yoke ????
very best…….when u eat u can hear the skin “chui chui chui” hahaha
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 18th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Yes Molly. I have always wanted to do coverage on that siew yoke stall, but no time yet. Plus the stall only opens from 2.30pm onnwards!
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[...] explains the very scarce posts on porridge finds in Ipoh. There’s this one in Bercham that I kind of enjoyed, maybe more to because the coffee shop has this amazing roast pork stall that complemented the [...]