Rich Seafood Porridge from Matang, Perak

Matang ~ A Malay word for Matured. Cooked. Not naive. But also the name of a small town, (or rather, village) situated within the Larut, Matang dan Selama district in Perak, which covers Taiping as well. In that case, Matang is merely a stone's throw away from Taiping town.

Coming from Ipoh towards the north, exit at Taiping/Changkat Jering toll exit. Then follow the road sign to Taiping town, passing by Changkat Jering, and going along Jalan Simpang (Simpang's a small town before Taiping, btw) until you reach the traffic lights at a crossroad. Turn left towards Matang/Kuala Sepetang, and you'll soon cross an overhead bridge, overlooking the North-South Highway.

A short distance away, and you'll reach a 90 degrees right curve, followed by a turning on your left into Kampung Matang. Take the NEXT turning to the left instead, and you'll soon reach Matang town, with a Chinese temple on your left. Directly opposite the temple is our destination of the day, for ....

MATANG FAMOUS SEAFOOD PORRIDGE !!!

Light House Seafood Restaurant

There are at least 3 or 4 similar establishments around the same area, and we believed KCA when she said her mum recommended Light House Seafood restaurant instead of the rest .... Her parents are foodies, full-fledged personnels, searching for good food at every nook and corner ... =P

Humoungous claypot of seafood porridge, with shark's meat (yes, read that right), homemade fishballs, prawns, and enoki mushrooms

We ordered TWO pots of porridge, one with prawns, one without. Simply because KYT cannot "tahan" (stand) the overwhelming seafood flavours, proclaiming them as too fishy. Yet he managed to gobble tonnes after tonnes of sushi, sashimi, and all types of seafood imaginable, the night before at TAO. Hmm ... Contradicting statements, huh? =P

Here at Light House, you choose what goes into your pot of porridge. From types of fish such as tiger grouper, normal grouper, pomfret and shark's meat, to fishballs, prawns, and shellfish. We opted for shark's meat, fishballs and prawns, as the other species are pricier options. Moreover, boiling tiger grouper in porridge somehow sounds sooooo wrong, no?

Smooth, delightful grains of rice, boiled with the sweetness of the seafood-infused broth, complemented by the abundance of rich, succulent seafood. No soy sauce or pepper necessary, else you just 'kill' the flavours. One small reminder though, if you're not a big eater, ask for smaller portion. They tend to go overboard in stuffing your guts.

Steamed Clams (La-la) RM12

If you do not wish for all the ingredients to 'drown' in the porridge, you can order side dishes. We ordered the steamed La-La. Pleasantly surprised by the LARGER than usual clams, with thick, succulent meat, steamed to perfection. Yup, at RM12 for that large serving. Worth every cent.

Or Chien aka Oyster Omelette @ RM15

The Or Chien did not fare too well, though the fried egg was crisp at sides, and the 'wok hei' shone through. However, too much flour was used, rendering the omelette stickier than your average, and the oysters barely noticable.

Deep-fried Fish (Cai Yu Zhai) 16 pieces for RM13

Crispy, fried small fish that went really well with the wet, and sweet porridge. Provided much desired crispiness and texture. A good snack, nevertheless.

Total damage? RM127. The 2 pots of porridge cost RM72, each ingredients priced separately. RM42 for the shark's meat, RM21 for the prawns, and RM9 for the fishballs. Oh, did I mention that the fishballs are not your typical variety? These are larger, firm yet bouncy balls, homemade and tasty. Be sure to add them into your customized pot of simple food for the soul ...

UPDATED 9/9/08 - Location : Light House Seafood Restaurant @ No. 10, Jalan Cina, 34750 Matang, Taiping, Perak. Tel : 05-8475408, 05-8475649.

Opening hours : 11am - 11pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

Map to the Place