Kek Lapis

 

This is one of the most expensive purchase from the Market in Sibu.  This layered cake was Rm21 or was it Rm 23. All I can think of when I eat this cake was how much work and labour the person put into baking this cake. Taste wise, it is nice, not too sweet, and it lasted for quite a while in the fridge. Definitely would be a good choice to to serve during festive seasons :) HEHEHEHE

The Hat

Here's close up shot of the Hat.  If the boys don't want to wear it, it will make a good basket for your spare change, keys etc. Maybe it was never a hat to start with.

Sibu Central Market

I reckon if there's one place to show someone around Sibu, it has to be the Central market. This is like an open air mall (2 storeys) , with multi storey carpark attached . On the ground flooor is the wet market, selling everything from live chicken, little rodents (guineapigs etc) to groceries like salted eggs, veggies ..the list is endless. On weekend, the indigenous people also sells their produce at a designated areas on the ground floor. They sell things like chilis, sago worms, fruits, you have to go there to see for yourself
The picture that I took showed the main area.

After buying the veggies etc, we went upstairs to eat.  There are as many as 50 stalls (perhaps more) selling all kinds of food. It was very crowded on the Sunday.   The food stalls were once upon a time stalls that you find in the alleyway.  The Council has gathered everyone and house them at the Central Market.

 

Here's kueh we bought from the stalls downstairs

We bought this hat from an indigenous woman. Sadly she only had one. She said she would have another one available next Sunday but we would have left then. Abel always said "I am King, I am King" whenever he wears the hat. 

This is steamed layer cake.

Here's what we came to the Market for. The Teochew Mee. This man used to operate his stall behind the standard chartered bank.

Kuay tiaw tam "wet"

Cha chu mee again!

Note the soup that was served with the teochew mee was 'salted veggie' soup unlike the usual soup that was served with kampua.

 

Visiting 大姑妈

Congregating at my 大姑妈's house every Saturday night is like a ritual for our family. My parents would be talking to my other uncles and my cousins while the littlies would play or watch tv. I remembered watching beverley hills 90210 with my cousins before the time of Astro. Then come 'supper' time, my cousins and my auntie would whip up noodles, or kueh or 'dapao' food for everyone.

So we brought the boys to visit my auntie and my cousins.  Abel here with my cousin Eng. hehe.

Abel with 雯蒂(hopefully I have got her name right) . She is cousin Ein's daughter.

Abel had his turn on my niece Agnes' iPad. This is his first experience playing Tocaboca

Here Noel gets his turn.

Home cooked meals

This is one of the few home cooked meals I had when I was back home. It's strange and nostalgic after being away from home for so long and using the same cutleries again. Of course there's always the addition of new soup bowls from buying toothpastes etc. :P

Across the river (part 2)

In the background is 2nd uncle's home. There's durian tree a stone throw away. too bad wasn't durian season when we visited.

Noel and a fern he found.

 Noel found some chinese new year decor gold coins.

About 30m away is  4th uncle's house.

we past by this huge 'comb' of bananas.  Did we use to say 'sesikat pisang'?

4th uncle and auntie's veggie gardens. Organic long beans on stakes  

Lots of long bean waiting to be harvested

This is my favourite sayur petola plant.

Abel took his nap at 2nd uncle's house while Noel is feasting on ice cream with his 'little' uncle and aunt. - they are Jake's cousins.

Noel checking out the chicken mansion.

Trip across river

Usually our trip back to Sibu is super hectic. There're so many relis to visit. We went to see Jake's granny and 2nd and 4th uncle who live in Engkilo. (Across the river) it is about 30-35 minutes drive.

Here's one of the pic we took of Abel and granny. 

Rejang Esplanade

The kids burning the energy off at the Rejang Esplanade children playground

Kompia (foochow bagel)

You can spot a Sibu-rian anywhere in the world when you see they have frozen kompia in their freezer. Often these 'bagel' like food have been gifted by good friends who had made a trip back to Sibu or had been personally lugged over when one traveled back themselves.  

 

Here, a young 'master' was making the kompia in a special oven.  Note there's a special fan and the kompia were baked by charcoal fire. The dough are stuck on the wall of the oven. They are delicious eaten when they just came out of the oven. We had to wait several minutes for our freshly out of oven batch.

Flower biscuit -childhood snack

These flower biscuit evoked childhood memories.  We used to buy them from the corner grocery store (杂货店) and they are filled in those vintage looking glass bulk bin type container.

Now all those stores have died down replaced by chain grocery stores.

 

Anyways in Rejang park there is still one shop selling these sort of biscuits in the old fashioned bulk bin. We bought some to show Noel what we used to snack on.

 

 

Abel on the piano

Dinner @ Kheng Hock

Steamed white pomfret. Mom brought our own pomfret and get it cooked by the restaurant.

Stewed/Braised Turtle with veggies


Sea cucumber soup (海参汤-foochow style)

King ribs (排骨王)

Buttered Prawns (奶油虾）

 

Note: Kheng Hock is located along the Rejang Esplanade opposite the children's playground

Yellow fire hydrant

Noel made an observation that in Sibu (later in other parts of Malaysia) fire hydrants are painted yellow, not Red.
Good observation, Noel. He insists on having a photo taken with a fire hydrant.