Lunch at Sauk (off Gerik)

Taiping has two places that are good for its fish. One is at Sepetang, a kelong restaurant and the other is at Sauk. On the last trip, i tried the Restoran Chan Kee at Sauk which is famous for its fresh water fish. Its fish are caught in the wild and does not have that earthy smell which deter a lot of us from enjoying the delight of fresh water fish. The restoran is about ten minutes drive from the North South Highway exit at Kuala Kangsar.

One of its signature dish is the steamed river whiskered catfish (pak soh kung). The light treatment of steaming using only soy sauce and ginger for garnishing allow the natural taste of the fish to come through...

Yue Lam is never my favourite fish dish cos of the fishy smell. Chan Kee's steam cooking using bean sauce somehow had my curiosity overcoming my prejudice. As the dish was moving fast, i grabbed one piece and just put in into my mouth. Wow! Good and Bad! I like it but too bad, that was the last piece. Verdict: The meat was thick but surprisingly smooth in texture. No fishy smell!

Malai (kampung) chicken steamed with XO, anyone? Not much oil and got that chicken aroma that i had not tasted since i was a kid staying in kampung... The only dish that was not steamed... fried intestine. Got slight pipi smell - only for the strong hearted and hardcore fans of spare parts! Steamed frog legs...not much meat and too bland in taste. Still prefer the spicy frog legs from Geylang Lorong 5.