Uncle Lim’s Kitchen at Pangkor Laut Resort

Hock Chew cuisine is becoming a rarity, even in Sitiawan. It’s been a while since I had good Hock Chew food at a restaurant – the best cooks are still my grandmother and mother. 😀 But I was pleasantly surprised with the food at Uncle Lim’s Kitchen when we stayed at Pangkor Laut Resort recently.

A preview of Uncle Lim’s Special Birthday Feast

The restaurant – which overlooks the sea – is named after the resort’s oldest employee and head chef Uncle Lim and serves authentic Hock Chew and Nyonya home cooking. In commemoration of Uncle Lim’s 80th Birthday, his team has prepared this birthday feast comprising some of his favourite home-style recipes. The variety of dishes were not new to me – I have them several times a year for birthdays, Chinese New Year and sometimes even family dinners.

Sweet & sour fish maw soup

But Uncle Lim’s dishes were good in their own right and authentic too; I’m a born and bred Hock Chew so take my word for it. You have to try the sweet and sour fish maw soup (or as Hock Chews call it = Kor Rhu). This version was made using chicken and turned out just as tasty.

A Hock Chew specialty

Most places get the fish maw part wrong – often chewy and starchy, but Uncle Lim’s fish maw was light and spongy with a robust flavour from the kampung koh chilli sauce, seafood, and stock. This is currently the best version I’ve tried outside of home so far.

The four seasons — Egg Foo Yong | Lor Bak | Sweet & Sour Prawn | Kung Po Calamari

The four seasons is a customary dish during weddings and Chinese New Year dinners. You basically choose four items you like for this dish, but my favourite has always been the egg foo yong. Kung Po Calamari was also good stuff as the squid pieces were tender and the gravy, flavourful.

Uncle Lim’s Fantasy Lobster

Deliciously succulent and well seasoned with black bean sauce

But the star of the meal was definitely Uncle Lim’s Fantasy Lobster – a feast fit for a king featuring succulent chunks of stir-fried local lobster in Chinese black bean sauce. This was savoury and aromatic from use of dried shrimps. #awesomestuff

Seafood beancurd

Salted egg chicken

We also tried the salted egg chicken, done the Hock Chew way. While it was decent, I didn’t particularly like this style of preparation. I like my fried chicken coated with yolk and deep fried to crispy perfection. But it is a popular way of cooking meats among Hock Chews – grandmother makes this quite often when rif and I visit her, and we eat it with kampung koh chilli sauce. 🙂

Mango pudding

Avocado cream with citrus pearls

Desserts comprised avocado cream with citrus pearls and mango pudding – a simple yet satisfying end to our meal.
This special menu will be available from September 1 till December 31, 2014 at RM360++ per couple and guests who book the Residents’ Package will enjoy one complimentary dinner upgrade to the special menu between September 1 till October 31, 2014.

Those interested can book the Residents’ Package at Pangkor Laut Resort via the website, call YTL Travel Centre at +603 2783 1000 or email [email protected].

Uncle Lim’s Kitchen

Uncle Lim’s Kitchen
Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Island,
32200 Lumut
Perak, Malaysia
Tel: +605-699 1100
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