After gaining two kilogrammes following a trip to Sibu, the author talks about the foods that she had during her week-long stay.
Exploring food in Sibu
An adventure to a foreign land is not complete unless you experience its gastronomy. Though Sibu is still a familiar breath of air, it is quite different from Kuching, the city of cats. The language spoken on the land of the swans is usually either the Iban or the Foochow dialect.
And with cultural differences comes a contrast in food that can be similar yet delivers a different experience on the taste buds. I spent a week in Sibu and visited various eateries serving the local speciality. Though some can be found in my hometown of Kuching, food always tastes best in its place of origin.
I stayed in town, right in the heart of Pekan Sibu, where there was abundance of food. Sibu’s coffee shop culture was as strong as in many other parts of Sarawak, and I truly enjoyed each visit to the many kopitiam. The kopi peng was splendid, and it was accompanied with food I had never tried before.
I began my adventure by trying out the laksa that Sibu has to offer. It was my first day, and while I am not new to Sibu, my usual visits consist of me eating kampua mee three times a day. This time, however, I felt a bit more adventurous. The laksa I had — and all of the laksa I tasted in Sibu after that — was unlike any laksa I have ever had.
The laksa flavour was perfectly shrouded in santan, allowing the broth to have a rich coconut milk taste rather than the spicy, prawny flavour. I read in a booklet called “Taste of Sibu” that the locals here prefer their laksa this way.
My next culinary adventure was to capture the essence of Sibu during lunch. And I did so with its very own loh mee. I had no idea what to try, so I just jumped the gun and ordered whatever words looked appealing to me.
At first sight, the Foochow dish looks appetising. The aroma of a thick, starchy brown broth with an egg drop accompanying the noodles of choice — I chose round noodles — had me salivating. It had a savoury flavour, and if I were to live in Sibu permanently, it would be my go-to lunch meal.
My loh mee was topped with pork ribs and fried tofu. Altogether, it creates an energy-packed bowl that is ready for anyone on an adventure. The portion that I received was huge, and I knew Sibu was generous with food.
On my last day in Sibu, I had the dry version of zhao chai fen gan. Zhao chai, or fermented green mustard vegetable, is a popular Foochow dish in Kuching, but it never occurred to me to order it. Nonetheless, I knew I had to have this dish at least once while in Sibu.
I knew the dish would be sour because of the vegetables, but the sour taste would soon empower my taste buds. I would say that trying this out for the first time was a good experience, but it is not something I would want to have every time. I am sure many tomato lovers would enjoy this dish because the sour taste is similar. The zhao chai fen gan I ordered was fried with eggs and shredded chicken.
Other foods
Of course, when I am in the swan town, I had to try the authentic kampua mee and bian niik. This pair is inseparable, and I am not sure why. But every kampua and bian niik I tried was delicious — it is as if perfection comes along with food served by the Foochows of Sibu.
My personal favourite is the black kampua mee, which has a savoury taste, springy noodles, and sliced chicken. The meat of the bian niik — wantons — is spread differently than the kiaw in Kuching. While we roll our kiaw in wanton skin here, in Sibu, the bian niik is spread like butter on bread and then folded. Both have their differences when it comes to enjoying similar foods.
During one of my lunches in Sibu, I came across seaweed soup noodles. Growing up, my mother would always make seaweed soup for us. Another savoury dish, the one I recently had was loaded with seaweed and meat. I could also taste the white wine that was added to the soup. It was a nice combination.
Also, when in Sibu, one must not leave without buying some Foochow snacks, such as kompia, chin niing bian, ma ngi, and others. When visiting the famous Sheng Kee 63 Confectionary stall in town, there would usually be long lines of people holding onto their personal box or basket of snacks, waiting to pay.
The ones from this stall, which are freshly made every day, are so addictively chewy that I could unknowingly eat 10 at a time. They say that kompia is the male version, topped with sesame seeds, while chin niing bian is the female version. Each has unique characteristics of its own. Kompia is often baked over charcoal in a traditional oven, whereas chin niing bian is baked in an electric oven.
Left or right?
Food from home is always the most comforting as it is where we were raised. However, the Foochow cuisine that Sibu has to offer will always have a special place in my heart. It is also comforting, possibly because of the similarities in taste. In addition, Kuching also has the common Sibu food culture.
The fact that food was still so reasonably priced surprised me. In Kuching, the average price for kiaw is now RM6 per bowl. In Sibu, the average price for bian niik is RM4. Most of the kopitiam food I ate in Sibu cost around RM6. And the portions were very generous.
Kuching is laid back, but Sibu is on another level as the people enjoy the tranquillity of the town. A town rich in history, with many of its old structures preserved, swan town, like its representation, is poised with grace amidst the harmonious tunes that make Sibu, Sibu.
