Abel Cheng's Archives

Refreshingly Cold – James Cendol of Sitiawan

March 24, 2010 By Abel Cheng

After visiting Segari Turtle Sanctuary, it was about time to end our trip and go home. Before we did, we stopped by in Sitiawan for a bowl of cendol (a local dessert with shaved ice, coconut milk, and palm sugar) to cool off the hot day.

From my research, the best cendol you can ever have in Sitiawan is James cendol.

The famous cendol stall is situated right at the entrance to a Hindu temple on Jalan Lumut – within a walking distance from The Store supermarket or Uncle John Cafe.

Sitiawan James Cendol Stall

Unlike the old days, now you can’t spot Uncle James in red bow-tie anymore (used to be his trademark) as the stall is now run by his wife and son.

This was the first time I tried James cendol. The palm sugar and coconut milk was very thick and overall the cendol was awesome and refreshing – though I found it a bit salty.

Sitiawan James Cendol

The price for normal cendol is RM1.50 while cendol with glutinous rice (pulut) is RM1.60. Both J and K loved the one with pulut. Yummy.

A Pleasant Surprise

On the way home from Teluk Intan to Bidor, we were happy to see a huge rainbow. One of the best we had ever seen! Simply awesome.

Rainbow

Note: This is the tenth and final article of Family Weekend Getaway: A Road Trip To Lumut series.

Up Close with Turtles at Segari Turtle Sanctuary

March 24, 2010 By Abel Cheng

This was the main reason why we came to Lumut. Segari Turtle Conservation Centre is about 30 minutes’ drive from Teluk Batik – on the way to Pantai Remis. To reach Segari Turtle Sanctuary from Lumut or Seri Manjung, you have to cross three bridges. Huge and beautiful rivers.

Follow the road signs and it will lead you to the turtle center in a remote beach somewhere in Pasir Panjang.

Segari Turtle Signboard — Another 7km to Segari Turtle Sanctuary after exiting main road

Even though the Segari Turtle Conservation Centre is not very big but it serves a very noble cause by conserving the sea turtles. This absolutely helps to prevent them from extinction. The center collects turtle eggs from the beach nearby and place them in the hatchery area of the center. After hatching, the turtles will be separated by size (or age) and put into respective pools to let them grow. Once they are big enough, they will be freed into the sea.

You can have fun at the beach there but when we were there, it was 3.30pm and the sun was glaringly hot. I must say the beach here is far better, cleaner than Teluk Batik.

Segari Turtle Sanctuary (Pusat Pengurusan Penyu)
Pasir Panjang, Segari,
Perak.

Opening hours:
Mon-Sun – 10am to 12.30pm, 2pm to 5pm
Fri – 10am to 12 noon, 2.30pm to 5pm

Entrance is free.

Note: This is the ninth article of Family Weekend Getaway: A Road Trip To Lumut series.

Next: Refreshingly Cold – James Cendol of Sitiawan

Lunch at Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock Seafood in Sitiawan

March 24, 2010 By Abel Cheng

We reached Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock Seafood Restaurant at about 1pm. The restaurant was empty. But when we sat down and ordered, customers started to fill up the small, modest village restaurant.

Kampung Cina – where Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock Seafood Restaurant and a string of other restaurants are located – is a food haven for those who are looking for mouth-watering seafood at irresistible prices.

Again, this place was recommended to me by Wang Tao. We were supposed to have dinner here last night but we changed plan.

Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock Seafood Restaurant, which was originally started just to sell tuak (an alcoholic drink made from fermented coconut flower sap) and later moved on to include other food to go with the drink. Tuak is still available if you want to have a sip of the local beer.

We ordered four dishes: steamed ma yau fish, fried squids, fried fish (it is a popular dish here but I forget the name. The fish is small and long), steamed prawns, and vegetable.

The ma yau fish was very fresh and I didn’t taste the “fishy” smell. It was very well done. The fish was sweet and tender.

Not many restaurant can prepare nice and tasty fried squids. But this restaurant really impressed me. Not to mention the squids were fresh, the fried squids here were tender, juicy, and succulent.

Overall the lunch was excellent and most importantly the price was highly affordable. Our bill came up to about RM60 – which was lower than what I expected judging from its popularity – which had recently shot up to sky after being featured on a local TV food program.

According to owner Ling Hock Beng, they catch their own seafood. In other words, they control the supply chain right from the source. And that also explains the reason why the seafood offered here is fresh and cheap.

Highly recommended!

ah pek lee kou hock seafood restaurant map — Map to Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock Seafood Restaurant, Sitiawan

Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock Seafood（亚伯利口福椰芭海鲜）
Lot 135, Kampung Cina,
32000 Sitiawan
Perak
Malaysia
Opening hours: 11am to 10pm (Tuesdays off)
Telephone: 012-540 9478, 016-597 7756 (Ling Hock Beng)

Owner of Ah Pek Restaurant — Owner – Ling Hock Beng

Note: This is the eighth article of Family Weekend Getaway: A Road Trip To Lumut series.

Next: Up Close with Turtles at Segari Turtle Conservation Centre

A Monkey Encounter in Taman Paya Bakau, Seri Manjung, Lumut

March 24, 2010 By Abel Cheng

This is the second day of our visit to Lumut. After having breakfast in Seri Manjung, we went shopping for sea products. Since our stock for anchovies and dried shrimps at home had run out, it was time for us to replenish our stock.

Our guide recommended us to go to a shop called Pemborong Hasil Laut Anak Kampung Pangkor (Ming Hoe). You will see the huge shop (about 3 shophouses) on your right on the way to Lumut town from Seri Manjung. The shop is run by a couple and they are extremely friendly and helpful. The customer service is top notch.

We bought what we wanted and some snacks. I was not sure if the prices were reasonable but the dried marine products there (I was told they were from Pangkor) were definitely of better quality.

After we had done our shopping, we dropped by at Taman Paya Bakau in Seri Manjung.

Taman Paya Bakau, Seri Manjung, Lumut

I was surprised when I saw a bunch of monkeys waiting for us at the entrance to the mangrove swamp. I was later advised to take good care of my camera as the monkeys were interested in it too, besides food. That is why you must not hold any food or drink in your hand. The monkeys will snatch it from you. This was what happened to a couple who were holding cans of drink while entering the park.

Taman Paya Bakau - Monkey — Monkey at Taman Paya Bakau

The park looks new and it has a very nicely done walk path for visitors to make a round in the park. I am impressed with the quality and workmanship of the platform in the park.

Taman Paya Bakau - Pavement

Mangrove Trees

For the adventurous lot, you can try out the hanging bridge there. While you are up there, you can have a better view of the mangrove trees from the top. This park is built in such a way that you can have a closer look at these unique trees without getting yourself dirty.

Taman Paya Bakau - Canopy Walk — Canopy Walk at Taman Paya Bakau

Note: This is the seventh article of Family Weekend Getaway: A Road Trip To Lumut series.

Next: Lunch at Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock Seafood in Sitiawan

Adventurous Dinner – A Night Out in Sitiawan

March 24, 2010 By Abel Cheng

We didn’t go for seafood dinner as originally planned. The reason was the restaurant (again recommended by Wang Tao, our homestay owner) is very popular and having dinner on weekends spells long wait.

As I didn’t want my kids to wait too long for dinner and on the other hand I wanted to try out local specialties, I asked for alternatives. Without hesitation, Wang Tao recommended a place for charcoal fried kuey teow. At the same place, I could also try out Sitiawan’s popular local delicacy ang chiew mee suah (red rice wine noodles).

The place is located opposite Sitiawan wet market (near KFC) and it is open from evening till early morning. The stalls are modest and we had our dinner at the roadside.

We ordered one charcoal fried kuey teow (RM3.00), porridge (RM5.00), and ang chiew mee suah (RM5.00). Nevertheless, there were other stalls there offering fried chicken and grilled fish.

I must say the red rice wine soup tasted very strong. The char kuey teow smelled excellent (burnt smell what else!) but it was a little soggy. The porridge was excellent too. When you eat, remember to stir the porridge completely as there is a raw egg at the bottom of the bowl. Don’t worry, the egg will be cooked by the hot steamy porridge during stirring.

Sitiawan Charcoal Fried Kuey Teow - The Cook — The Man Behind Sitiawan Charcoal Fried Kuey Teow

J and K loved ang chiew mi suah at first sight, so we ordered another bowl. They finished it all.

A few minutes before we left, I felt uneasiness in my stomach. I stopped eating and tried to relax. On the way home, my wife felt a sense of strong feeling rushed up to her cheeks. Same thing happened to J. Everybody was not feeling well and was quiet in the car. We suspected the culprit was the alcohol in the red rice wine.

K was quiet in the car too. Later we heard him burp. In a flash, my wife quickly grabbed a plastic bag and he vomited into it. Then he felt much better. Again, we suspected that K couldn’t take the alcohol in ang chiew mi suah. Lesson learned: it is always handy when you have extra plastic bags in the car. You will never know when you need one.

There’s more. Since K was not feeling well after dinner, while preparing K to go to bed early, he vomited again. He had not thrown out all of his dinner in his first try. Yuck! After that, K was like his usual self running around in the bungalow… as if nothing abnormal happened.

I felt so bad that Wang Tao had to clean up the mess notwithstanding he was helpful.

Next time when you let your children try out ang chiew mi suah, beware of their alcohol intolerance. But you wouldn’t know until you let them try it. So what the heck, just let them try it and take care of them later.

Note: This is the sixth article of Family Weekend Getaway: A Road Trip To Lumut series.

Next: A Monkey Encounter in Taman Paya Bakau, Seri Manjung

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