“Travelling: It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Unknown
GOOD morning to all friends who are reading my column today. I am currently on a short family vacation in Sibu.
I arrived here yesterday at noon with five other family members in a Perodua Arus. Among the family members are my youngest sister, Ah Lan, her daughter, Ah Hong, and her son-in-law Zhi Wei. With us are also my former sister-in-law, Neng and her granddaughter, Ohyen.
Our experienced driver is the owner of the Perodua Arus and a family friend, Ah Choi.
The family vacation was planned by Ah Hong, my favourite niece, and her hubby, Zhi Wei. We chose to spend our holidays in Sibu because it is my hometown; my siblings and I were born here and we also studied here. We still have friends and relatives here.
Yesterday, we left Neng’s house at Kota Sentosa at about 6.55 am. We had breakfast at a coffee shop before starting our long journey at 7.22 am.
Along the way, we stopped twice for coffee and toilet breaks; the first stop was at Sungai Tenggang Pitstop while the second stop was at a PETRON Pakan station.
The journey on the Pan Borneo Highway was smooth, thanks to Ah Choi’s superb driving skills and patience. It rained when we started our journey in Kuching but although the sky was cloudy along the way, there was no rain.
We reached Sibu at about noon and our first stop was Farley Food Court Sibu near to Farley Supermarket at Jalan Salim.
We were so hungry we could eat a horse and among the food we ordered were pork porridge, beef noodle, ‘kueh chap’ and beef mee. We also ordered different kinds of drinks including iced coffee and tea.
As soon as we finished our lunch, we walked over to Farley Supermarket which was crowded with shoppers from all walks of life.
I was amazed at the wide varieties of fish and chicken meat on sale.
In Sibu, Ah Hong plans to visit my father’s tomb. She was only five years old when my father died. My father loved her and used to buy her the food she loved to eat. Ah Hong also loved her grandfather very much.
Since I have not visited Sibu for a few years now, I am looking forward to visiting its famous Central Market, supermarkets, ‘kompia’ (or Foochow bagels) shops and wet markets.
The Sibu Central Market, said to be the largest wet market in Malaysia, features unique cultural sights like live chickens wrapped in newspapers and diverse, fresh, jungle produce.
I look forward to exploring the jungle produce and seafood sections as well.
As for ‘kompia’, you can say that I grew up on ‘kompia’. A popular way of eating it was with braised pork; the pork was typically cooked with soy sauce, ginger, star anise, and sometimes five-spice powder, providing a rich savoury and slightly sweet taste.
Now, you can add anything including jam and ham to your ‘kompia’.
Although ‘kompia’ is also sold in Kuching, the best ‘kompia’, I think, are made in Sibu. There, they are traditionally baked in charcoal ovens, resulting in crispy, smoky aroma and chewy texture. And the best time to eat them is when they are still warm.
For our vacation this time, Ah Hong has rented a double-storey house through Agoda for RM520 for three nights. She tried to rent an apartment near Farley Supermarket but none was available.
The house has three bedrooms with many beds and two bathrooms. It has a sofa set, a TV set, a refrigerator, a kettle and rice cooker and frying pan.
The house is spacious for eight people. It is the first house that Ah Hong has rented for our family vacations. In the past, we only stayed in apartments.
It is good to explore the supermarkets in Sibu because I might find unique regional delicacies or snacks not available elsewhere. Visiting the supermarkets in different towns is often called ‘grocery tourism’.
If I have time, perhaps I will take a trip down memory lane by visiting some old lanes in the town. When I was young, I lived at 31, High Street, in the centre of the town opposite the old market. From High Street, my siblings and I would walk to the old bus station to catch our bus to school.
The market has now been demolished and in its place stands a parking lot now.
The old bus station is also no longer there. In its place is the famous Sibu Night Market. I will also try to visit this market if I have time.
The only daily, nightly open-air market in Sarawak, it is a renowned culinary hotspot featuring a diverse, affordable mix of Malay, Iban and Chinese.
Must-try delicacies include crispy ‘apam balik’ (thin crusted pancakes), soybean pudding (‘taufu fa’) and various barbecued meats.
Since Ah Hong and her hubby love good food, I believe we will be trying out many special foods that Sibu has to offer this vacation. Sharing unique authentic meals will definitely strengthen our social bond and elevate the overall enjoyment of our trip.
That’s all for today, my friends. You will hear more about my Sibu trip next week. Take care.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
