Metro

Sunday November 8, 2009

Memorable chow


In a recent post, Blogger J2Kfm takes a trip down memory lane to share his experience of a meal of curry wild boar in Gerik, Perak.

ALTHOUGH the restaurant’s name, Chau Y, could almost pass off as an expletive in Cantonese, the food that it serves is something worth raving about, writes blogger J2Kfm.

About a year ago, he and his friends went to the said restaurant located in the small town of Gerik in Perak for a meal.

Paku-pakis (ferns) stir-fried with Sambal Belacan.

One would not know of Gerik unless one travels to Betong often or passes by the town en route to the east coast.

A meal for six at Chau Y Restaurant came to about RM10 per person, which is reasonable enough for our standards. But the locals still feel that the price was high.

The first dish to arrive was the curry boar, which is to die for, he writes.

“I am kind of addicted to the Chinese style of cooking their curries; they stir-fry the meats with the curry paste in a wok, unlike the more traditional approach of the Indians whereby curries are supposed to be cooked in claypots for that earthy flavour and aroma.”

Slivers of lean wild boar meat, though slightly firmer in texture than normal pork, are cooked in a thick and reddish curry paste and garnished with chopped scallions, red chillies and curry leaves.

At about RM12 per portion, this dish got the thumbs up from the city boys of Ipoh.

Restoran Chau Y serves a mix of Chinese dishes, including the exclusive wild boar meat and various freshwater fishes.

Equally satisfying was the anchovies with peanuts, a dish commonly served with porridge, or a snack to go with Carlsberg, Tiger, Heineken or Guinness.

The anchovies were stir-fried lightly so that they remained crunchy and has the faintest hint of sauces.

“A delightful combination really; an ensemble that combines the simplest of ingredients,” enthuses J2Kfm.

But he found the Kam Heong or golden fragrant chicken a tad disappointing. Describing it as “a little salty and a little too sweet”, he notes that there was “no hint of spiciness, yet (it was) glistening on the exterior, which reminded me of honey chicken, sans the sticky coating of the sweet elixir. But at a comparatively premium price of RM15, this dish won’t see a return (for me) anytime soon.”

The signature dish was the fried beancurd, which he describes as crispy on the outside and velvety smooth on the inside. It was a simple and tasty dish and the crunchy garnishing of dried shrimps and fried shallots performed wonders for the everyday fare.

To complete the feast, the blogger and friends chose the rarely available paku-choy or ferns stir-fried with some fiery sambal belacan.

Gerik, Lenggong and other small towns in Hulu Perak (northern-most region of Perak) are famous for freshwater fish, but the blogger advises visitors to ask about the price, per 100g or kg, before ordering to avoid being conned.

“Some of the bigger riverfish can cost up to hundreds (of ringgit) and I highly doubt that the restaurants here accept credit cards. Just be cautious,” he warns.

The restaurant is located along the main road in Gerik, on the left side after passing the town centre. Head towards the roundabout, and then turn off to the road leading to Kota Baru on the right.

www.j2kfm.com/gerik-food-curry-wild-boar-anyone/

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