With an outlet located all the way in Tunamaya Beach & Spa Resort, Desaru, many seafood aficionados would find themselves having to drive an hour away just to savor the succulent seafood that Nelayan has to offer, but not anymore.
New Outlet In Kampung Wadihana
Nelayan sports a simplistic yet comfortable "Kampung style" layout, Photo by Nelayan Seafood
The new outlet is located along Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir (click here for location), close to popular spots like Banafee Village, New York Hotel, and numerous car washes. The new outlet serves up pretty much everything you would expect from the one in Desaru, so read on to find out what's good.
Fresh And Halal Seafood
Fresh seafood prepared on order, Photo by Nelayan Seafood
The minute you step into the store, you'll notice a set of aquariums on the right, these are where they keep a majority of their fresh seafood, like lobsters, groupers, and the like. Lets go through a few dishes that we recommend having here.
7 Style Of Fresh Fish
Nelayan's famous Hong Kong style Grouper, Photo by Nelayan Seafood
No surprise that the first recommendation would be to try out their fresh fish. There are a total of 7 different styles to choose from, which ranges from Nyonya or Teochew steamed, sweet & sour, two different Thai styles, Hong Kong style, and steamed while covered in minced ginger. One of our favorites is the Thai style apple fish, which is a deep fried fish coated in chili and spices, served with apples, it's a mix of savory and spicy with a sweet and zesty finish thanks to the apples. Another one we recommend is the Hong Kong style, which is basically Cantonese style steamed fish covered in ginger, and green onions, that is then doused with a bit of hot oil to create a slightly crispy exterior. The main flavor of this dish comes from the soy sauce, giving the dish a clean and simple taste that helps promote the qualities of the fish. Speaking of fish, they have a selection of grouper, red snapper, sea bass, Tilapia, Soon Hock (Marble Goby), and cod. Prices of the dishes will be subjected to the market price of each fish during that day.
Captivating Crustaceans
Local lobsters that were swimming in a tank a minute ago, Photo by Nelayan Seafood
It's time to take a look at those delicious clawed, crawly critters that we all know and love, we're talking about crabs, and lobsters. Similarly with the fish, the prices of these crustaceans is dependent on the market price for the day (while we were there, mud crabs go for RM18 per 100gm), so it would definitely be wise to enquire the cost before making an order. As for preparations, you can have them either in black pepper, sour and spicy, or covered in salted egg yolk, we really liked the salted egg yolk one.
It Would Be Shellfish Not To Share
Photo by Nelayan Seafood
Snails, and clams, all manner of goodies await diners. Basic shellfish such as clams and oysters are served in as many styles as you can name, but the one we recommend trying, especially if you're not one to shy away from something a little more exotic is the Siput Gonggong with signature sauce (RM45). This dish comprises of a plate of boiled snails (Dog Conch) that are served with a spicy secret sauce (reminiscent of a Thai sauce), the way you eat this is by digging out the meaty snail from the shell and dip it into the sauce. As for taste it is actually rather pleasant, with the snails giving off an earthy flavor not any different from chickens or mushrooms, and the sauce just adds a more appetizing boost of deliciousness to each bite.
A More Terrestrial Selection
A variety of chinese non seafood dishes are also available, Photo by Nelayan Seafood
Maybe you're allergic to seafood or just don't like it, worry not as Nelayan also serves up non seafood dishes too. Those looking for a snack can try their prawn paste chicken wings (RM15), or several manner of Chinese style chicken dishes. We really enjoyed the Wok-fried chicken cubes with sliced ginger (RM20), which was a simple dish that had a really homey feel. There's also chicken chop (RM22), Chicken in Yam basket (RM28) and numerous styles of omelet dishes available.
Worth A Visit
Crabs, you can have them prepared in as many ways as you like here, Photo by Nelayan Seafood
So if you're ever in the city area and on the hunt for seafood, give this place a shot, especially since it has a rather wide variety of dishes that are reasonably priced.
