Still wobbly from the long ride from the north, I'd continue posting on my previous excursion-cum-work-cum-holidays (haha ... confused?) at Sg. Klah Hot Spring's FELDA Residence. For my ultimate vacation (",) over the weekend that took me, KYT, TallGal, and NINE (9!!!)others over the border, do stay tuned for my next posts .... (OK, I'm too battered to sort the photos this instance, that's why) =P
In a nutshell, they advertise their signature dishes, complete with the shop's contact numbers ... How's that for self-promo savviness? ;)
A brief introduction of Sungkai, a town I hold close to my heart. The reason? I practically grew up visiting this small town quite frequent, as my late grandfather stayed here ever since I was born. For those in the dark about living and embracing the simple, village-type of lifestyle in a small town, the experience is priceless. Imagine "recreational" activities such as having a splashing time at a waterfall, a walk in the palm oil plantations, strolling around the whole town enjoying your favourite ice-cream, and dozing off to the lullaby of crickets.
Signature Beancurd with Minced Meat, Preserved Vegetables and Spring Onions (RM8)
Anyway, enough with the touch of rendezvous (this being a FOOD blog, after all!). On special occasions, (Eg. Chinese New Year, & Bai Tin Kung ~ an occasion on the midnight of the 8th day of CNY, whereby Hokkiens offer their prayers to the Emperor of Heaven) my grandmother would order a special dish of pork's knuckle/hand, (weighing >>1kg each, no less) for our dinner. Oh btw, not only does our family consists of >20 members, most are gluttons/gluttons in-the-making!
Stir-fried Yau Mak with Fu Yee (fermented beancurd) RM7
Strange enough, all these years of feasting on the famed pork hand dish, I never dined in the shop itself. Coincidentally, work took us to the town of Sungkai itself, and we were in luck as our tasks ended at dinner hour. And Choy Kee Restaurant, with its bright yellow signboard situated on the Main Road of Sungkai itself was luring us like bees to honey, or in this case, flies to garbage dump (*_*). Yup, we were startled to discover the number of flies on the tables and floor of the shop. But lucky for us, seated near to a fly-electrocutor (whatever the machine's called) somehow deter the flies from approaching. Or it could be FCOE's stench. But I digress .... =P
Marmite Chicken (RM10)
Enough of babbling, let's get to the dishes. Their signature dish of tofu (beancurd) with minced meat toppings was a simple, yet very delicious dish. The tofu is homemade, with egg ala Japanese tofu, but very smooth and soft. The yau mak (Romaine lettuce?) cooked with fu yee (fermented beancurd) was thankfully not too saltish, and right up our alley. The Marmite chicken's serving was a bit lacking, though equally good in terms of taste. But let us move on to the **STAR** of the evening .....
Gigantic Pork Knuckle Braised in Soy Sauce (RM26)
Timeless classic. Suffice to say, my favourite dish of the night. Though KYT may agree, as the fatty portion overshadowed the lean meat. But the meat was braised with such care, and flavours, the meat's consistency was just right, soft and tender, soaking up the sauce while not being overwhelmingly salty. A must-try if you ever drop by in this shop, or in Sungkai for that matter.
Location : Choy Kee Restaurant @ 35, Jalan Besar, 35600 Sungkai,Perak. Tel : 05-4386287 or 019-3369609. To get to Sungkai town, turn at Sungkai exit on North-South Highway, which is between Bidor exit and Slim River exit. Around an hour drive from Ipoh.
For BSG's chomping good time at Choy Kee, do hop over HERE.
No worries, not an apparition or ghost. But the steaming, erm, BUBBLING hot water was indeed rather horrifying, to say the least.
So, what did we do after that satisfying meal? Of course, we returned to our "VILLA" (refer previous post for more photos) for some stretching out, relaxation, and obviously, a timely soak in the personal hot spring pool. But the water was WAY too hot, possibly heated well to boil an egg or two. We could only dipped our toes and feet, before jumping up and down, squealing like children. Hehe ....
Here's to those who's wondering where in the blue world is this place :
FELDA Residence Hot Springs Sg. Klah, 35600 Sungkai, Perak. Tel : 05-4388801. Visit their site at http://www.plantationresorts.com.my/HotSprings/index_ap.shtml for more information.
(P/S : Our villa's rate is RM600 each, accomodates up to 4 residents per villa, per night. Cost an arm and a leg, huh? But the place is rather seclusive, AND exclusive. The standard rooms are going to be opened in August this year, so keep your fingers crossed? =P)
