When you are in Ipoh, “East Ocean Seafood Restaurant” is where you ought to zero in on if you want an indulgent feast. Just check my hashtag on Instagram: #veronicaphuaeatsipoh and you will see a number of my posts show dishes from that place.
On my second visit there, my sis-in-law pre-ordered a special menu that was a series of superlatives. I kid you not, we were presented with one jaw-dropping dish after another, starting with the most immaculately roasted suckling pig I have ever eaten - it was impossibly even in colour, perfectly crunchy of skin with moist and tender meat beneath. Then came a delicious steamed chicken (I heard it was sourced from one of the homes in the nearby kampung) accompanied by a beautiful and refreshing salad of purple onions, tomatoes, spring onions and cilantro. A platter laden with the massive 大头虾 (”Big Head Prawn”) followed. This specimen’s very sweet, firm and bouncy flesh was a joy to eat. Weighing 3.1kg, the gigantic Marble Goby that arrived next was steamed simply with soya sauce and a dash of oil. We enjoyed the fish’s exceedingly fresh and cottony-soft flesh as well as its liver and innards that were arranged alongside. The stirfry of asparagus, almonds, “wai sun” (Chinese yam) and goji berry was our unusual but delectable vegetable dish. For the mandatory carbs to end our meal, it was fried egg noodles adorned with scallops galore and cloaked in “wok-hei”. It was pretty rich so the chilled dessert of homemade jackfruit jelly was very welcome.
In case you are curious, the bill for our group of thirteen diners cost RM1,360 (about SGD 450).