Brunei Restaurant Review: The FuChow Restaurant

There’s quite a number of Fu Chow people in Brunei and if you’re wondering what’s Fu Chow cuisine, and you asked around – most people would say – just go to Sibu and you will see plenty of Fu Chow cuisine. Recently, there’s a restaurant that specializes in Fu Chow cuisine that’s opened in Brunei and I had the privilege to try the food before their opening day together with Mei Ting, Radio DJ from Pilihan FM Brunei, who did the food talk show with me every Saturday morning at 10:30 am.

 

Located just next to R & T Electronics, and same row as Guardian in Kiulap, the restaurant name speaks for itself – the FuChow Restaurant. Finally, one can savour the cuisine from the famous food town of Sibu in Brunei, don’t need to fly or drive all the way there to satisfy our cravings! It’s a non-halal restaurant as they serve plenty of pork dishes.

 

Kong Pia – or known by many as the Asian Bagel, these are actually imported all the way from the famous Kong Pia bakery in Sibu and fried at the restaurant. I have to say ~ even when it’s plain – it’s very delicious! The slight chewy texture, the crispy crust and most importantly – the fragrant smell ~~ ooooo yes!

 

Kong Pias are usually served with a saucy minced pork, and can be eaten as a snack or breakfast ~~ they are one of my favourite food from Sibu and also available in Kuching. So happy I can get good ones here in Brunei!

 

They also have various flower and herb tea blends that goes very well with the FuChow cuisine ~~

 

Rose and plum tea ~~~ ahhhhh ~~~ refreshing ~~ it’s good to order a pot to share ~~

 

KAM PUA MEE!!! The FuChow/Sibu version of kolomee ~~~ is a must try! One plate is never enough for me ~~ *cough* Remember to add the chili vinegar to heighten the taste! *cries* Yay ~~ no need to go so far can enjoy this in Brunei! W00h00!

 

The Fu Chow Style braised noodles with bittergourd is pretty good too ~~ my other friend who doesn’t like bittergourd actually enjoyed this dish ~~ the addition of chopped crispy pork cracklings adds an extra dimension to this noodle dish ~ a bit like Singapore Hokkien Mee ~~ yet different ~~

 

They also have Pak Zhen Herbal soup, with pork knuckles ~~ Pak Zhen usually means 8 treasures but the boss divulge a secret and says there’s actually ten treasures in this soup – just that 8 sounds more traditional and nicer! A hearty soup that is bound to warm the hearts of many ~~

 

Another interesting dish is this special pepper and pig stomach soup ~~ which has the strong kick of peppers and tender pork stomach ~~ my two friends enjoyed this soup very much but some others find this too peppery for their taste ~~ for me ? I LOVE IT! *slurps slurps* This is not shown in the menu – so you need to request for this ~~ Hei Jiao Zhu Du Tang please!

 

Cao Cai Mee Fen – a special picked vegetables soup with slightly thicker rice vermicelli is their specialty too ~ the owner tells us that the rice vermicelli and pickled vegetables are specially from Sibu itself! Mmmmmm ~~~

 

If Pan Mian is your thing, this would be a good dish to try – what’s special about this Pan Mian is that the rice flat noodles are actually pretty soft and silky as you slurp it together with the soup, harmonizing well with the light soup and fried anchovies ~~ adjust seasoning to your taste with soy sauce, chilies and garlic!

 

How can we forget this Sibu iconic dish!? Ding Bian Hu, which essentially means wok side paste. The slurry batter is cooked on the sides of the wok, then scraped into the soup to cook ~~ then additional ingredients will be added.

 

Usually, the soup would be full of vegetables and other condiments but the boss was demonstrating to us how to cook it ~~

 

Let the paste cook on the hot wok side – then scrape it down into the hot water to cook further and soften ~~

 

Have you seen these dried flowers before? They are usually tied up to look like a ribbon and added to Ding Bian Hu soup ~~ is actually related to Lilies ~ it takes quite a big amount of work to tie these flowers into ribbons just for the dish!

 

It’s very cool to watch the boss do it step by step ~~ to show the essence of a proper Ding Bian Hu ~~

Here’s a youtube video of the process ~~~ Less than 15 second cuts ~~ *drools*

 

*slurps* After watching the boss prepare the traditional Fu Chow Ding Bian Hu, it has really worked up my appetite again! Let’s EAT!!!!

 

They also have stir fried Wild Boar (San Chu Rou) in their menu ~ oooo these would go so well with some fermented tofu (fu yee) ~~

 

For snacks, they also have braised intestines, pork bellies and other goodies ~~

 

They even got – Pig’s Tongue ~~ oooooh tenderlicious ~~ do you dare to try my foodie followers?! *nom nom*  ~~ don’t worry ~~ it doesn’t feel like French kissing a pig ~~~

 

Mmmmm ~~~ pass me another plate of Kam Pua mee to finish my meal ~~ LOL! Be sure to check out The FuChow Restaurant in Kiulap ~~ they are still new so be patient if service is slow due to a packed restaurant. I’m just so glad I can have my favourite Fu Chow/Sibu food in Brunei! More Kong Pia and Kam Pua Mee please ~~~~ *om nom nom nom nom*

 

The FuChow Restaurant

Next to R & T Kiulap, Same row as Guardian Pharmacy

Opens 7am to 10 pm.

Brunei Restaurant Review: Wang Jia Wang Restaurant

When one thinks of Foo Chow cuisine, one would think about Sibu. Having visited Sibu when I was in my teens and sampled their trademark dishes, as well as eating at my Foo Chow friends open houses where they serve Foo Chow dishes – I must say I’m happy that a restaurant is serving these dishes in Gadong!

 

The restaurant took over Heng Heng restaurant, which is located on the same row as Chin Nam Hong (building next to Jin Chiew Kopitiam). They are still in their soft opening stage but it’s already gathered quite a following from the local Foo Chow populace.

 

Foo Chow friends and people who visited Sibu will surely have tasted Kam Pua Mee – it’s the Sibu version of Kolomee – but it has its own distinct texture and taste. I remembered friends who would buy the instant noodle version of Kam Pua from Sibu just to satisfy their cravings. Thankfully – you don’t need to go through so much trouble now.

 

This is something pretty new to me – Hong Guang Man Mian – which is a Chinese phrase for a face that’s blushing red. The red colour comes from fermented red yeast – to give quite a delicious taste to the noodles. This uses a different noodle from the Kam Pua noodles as well – using the curly kind. I personally like this dish for the unique taste of fermented red yeast in my kolo mee.

 

Dian Bian Wu, another Foo Chow dish is served here as well. A soupy scrambled rice noodle type of dish.

 

Known as Bagel of the East – Gong Pia is made using a special oven similar to Naan. It has a nice chewy texture and is usually fried to enhance the crisp outer layer – and filled with minced pork. One of my favourite things to eat when I visited Sibu.

 

Wang Jia Wang also serves Penang cuisine in their restaurant. So far – many had been raving about their Kway Teow having good Wok Hei (caramelization) and giving it the thumbs up. It’s pretty good – I must agree – but not as good as the ones I had in Penang.

 

This is the popular Hokkien Mee Penang style – which is sliced pork, prawns in a spicy prawn broth. I must say it needs more ooompph in the soup. Having tried lots of Hokkien Mees in Penang, this is quite bland and I’ve told their management – I hope they heed my advice and improve this dish. A good dish but more room for improvement.

 

Penang style Lu Mian/Lo Mee. It’s a gravy heavy noodle dish served with stewed pork, chicken feet and eggs. I felt it needed more stickiness and a touch of vinegar but that’s my preference.

 

Snack wise – they have Hainanese fried Spring Rolls, Five Spice Meat rolls and these Sambal Chicken Wings.

 

There’s still other dishes I have yet to try but for now – rejoice that there’s a place for Foo Chow and Penang dishes under one roof! Now – if only they serve Lui Char here!

 

Wang Jia Wang Restaurant

Building same block as Chin Nam Hong/Next to Jin Chiew Kopitiam

Gadong Central

Brunei

Opening hours is 7am to 10pm for now.

Brunei Restaurant Review: Sukanya Kopitiam

The local community would be familiar with a restaurant in Kilanas Spg 66 area – an old canteen which serves good Chinese Malaysian dishes. The road is pretty rough and bumpy while parking is pretty limited but it hasn’t stop a flock of people having breakfast there on Fridays and Sunday mornings. I have fond memories of their braised pork leg and chicken rice ~~~ it was pretty sad to hear the restaurant has since closed down.

 

Fortunately – I heard news about the restaurant actually is still around – in this very restaurant. I first heard about Sukanya restaurant when I posted about Thiam Hock’s Curry Fish Head – and my readers pointed me to this restaurant in Bunut Spg 618 – claiming to have Curry Fish Head that’s not only as good – but even better than Thiam Hock.

 

The best part about the sign is to hear about my favourite Ah Lai Ocean Quarry Kolomee is served here. Another best part is to see Uncle Ah Lai himself in the restaurant during the tea time there. Nostalgic memories of the kolomee satisfied right on the spot!

 

Fans of Cao Chai Mee Fen will be glad to hear they serve this pickled vegetable soup with thick rice bee hoon here. Since they also serve a variety of YU CHAP (fish parts) – I ordered mine with Yu Chap.

 

Oooooo look at that! Slurp slurp!

 

When I was in Kuching, I had fond memories of Tomato Kway Teow. I had tried quite a few in Brunei but left with disappointment – but when I tried Sukanya’s version – with Yu Chap of course – I was very happy! The Kway Teow had the wok hei while the sauce was to my liking! Hurray for good Kio Chap Kway Teow!

 

Fish Head or Fish Slices Bee Hoon is another one of their specialties. My dad whose a fan of these enjoyed it as well!

 

My readers will know that my favourite Curry Mee is at Soon Lai restaurant in Menglait but this curry mee was preferred and recommended by some of my readers. Personally – it is a very good curry mee but not as rich as the one in Soon Lai – so my vote still goes to Soon Lai – but taste is pretty subjective and you might like this version better! The tau hu pok loaded with curry sauce .. ooooh yes yes yes!!!

 

I caught a glimpse of Singapore Hokkien Mee on their menu and decided to have that as well – an interesting combination of two types of noodles – stir fried in a special gravy – very different to the typical Hokkien Mee we are used to – which tends to be darker in colour and using thicker starchy noodles. A pretty good dish to try too – though I must ask my Singaporean friends to verify it’s authenticity ~~ *update – my sg foodie claims it doesn’t taste like Singapore’s version but it’s still ok – better than most she had in Brunei*

 

Last but not least – is this Kuching Fried Noodles – Oh my ! Using one of my fav veggies Mani Chai (cangkuk manis) to stir fried with kolomee noodles – this has definitely won me over. The thinly sliced charsiew adds a good texture contrast with the noodles. I’m missing this as I’m typing! Thank god this place is near where I live!

I had yet to check out their other dishes – but so far this has been a regular place for me to visit! Check them out at

 

Restaurant Sukanya

Spg 618, Madewa Bunut Area

Brunei Restaurant Review: Phongmun Restaurant

It’s amazing that Phongmun Restaurant is celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this year. I remember vivid memories of having dim sum here with my family as a little kid as I used to live in Kampung Ayer.

 

Besides dim sum during the weekends, I’ve also attended countless wedding celebrations here. Notice that this place is pretty child friendly as they got quite a number of baby chairs in this picture.

 

I would say Phongmun is a family restaurant, catering to weekends for the common tradition of a Chinese family having dim sum together and having quality family time together.

 

I guess because a lot of us grew up coming to this restaurant, we did not stop to appreciate some of the carvings and décor in the restaurant, which otherwise – we would marvel in awe if we were in a new restaurant or in another country. Have you ever stop to marvel at these dragon sculptures?

 

They also have a VIP room and these other traditional Chinese structures. Perhaps the younger generation need to drag themselves out of bed to have early Dim Sum, they didn’t really appreciate the ambience.

 

My camera doesn’t do justice for this beautiful sculpture in their VIP room. It’s quite a majestic sight!

 

Now Phongmum restaurant is not just about the Dim Sum ~ they do offer plenty of options when it comes to Chinese food. For starters, they have  Lunch Specials for every Tuesday: Chicken Rice and every Thursday: Suckling Pig w/ rice. While they also serve Charsiew/ Roasted Pork/ Roasted Duck/ Roasted Chicken from Monday till Friday. They are pretty popular during lunch, as there’s quite a big working population around Bandar Town area.

 

One thing you might not know is that they serve pretty good Chinese Fine Dining at Phongmun restaurant, or some might call these – Kung Fu Cuisine! For this post, I will highlight and show you some of their delicious, time consuming dishes that require real Kung Fu/Cooking Techniques. They usually require you to make advance orders for these dishes – usually one or two days in advance! Check out this huge Lobster Salad!

 

If it’s a special occasion where you want to celebrate – or a big client you want to impress – you won’t go wrong with this exquisite lobster salad. Confirm very ‘got face’. Beautifully decorated and bound to catch anyone’s attention.

 

Lobster meat ~~ oooh yes please!

 

This is the Double Boiled Chicken Ginseng soup – using carefully selected Kampung Chicken cooked with Chinese herbs and Ginseng. A very hearty soup with tons of health benefits!

 

Double Flavour Chicken or Bai Hua Xuang Wei Chi is a combination of two dishes: Buttermilk chicken cubes & Fish Paste topped with Crispy Chicken Skin.

 

The chicken skin is carefully taken out and turned into this crispy top for the fish paste. Yum! The headchef really showcases the technique of Chinese cooking in this dish that looked so simple.

 

Phongmun Signature Beancurd – The Phongmum’s version of home made seafood beancurd served in a thick gravy – unlike typical ones which is usually served with mayonnaise.

 

Braised Abalone, Winter Mushroom & Sea Cucumber served in Phongmun Signature sauce. This can be served on individual plates equally divided for your guests. Look at that delicious abalone! I bet you would love to take a picture with that now and instagram it!

 

#abalone #huatah #likealousai #finedining #foodadventures

 

Mei Ting and Poh Chuan enjoying their posh Chinese fine dining experience ~~

 

One of my favourite Chinese dishes - Braised Pork Knuckle with handmade Mantou – *slurps*

 

One simply does not say no to these gelatinous fatty pork – after longs hours of braising to absorb the flavours of the sauce and softened to a jelly like texture! Hubba hubba!

 

They are even better – served with your choice of steamed or deep fried mantous (all homemade by the dimsum chefs of Phongmun restaurant)

 

That awesome moment when you use the fried mantou to *kiap* (sandwich) the pork fatty part with meaty part with the oozing gravy ~~~~~~ OMG! HOW CAN YOU RESIST THIS! NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!!! ATTACK!!!

 

Another Kung Fu dish for the night is this Steamed Chinese Pomfret, Qiling-style, with crispy fried fish bones.

 

The bones had been removed – fish sliced and arranged perfectly with ham, carrots and mushroom and served with sauce.

 

A beautiful dish that requires a lot of knife skills and preparation. Another great dish to impress your guests or to treat your loved ones.

 

The crispy deep fried fish bones are deep fried till cracker like texture and dipped with sauce for a good crunchy snack to accompany the fish – I have to admit I really enjoyed this dish. A dish that can put a smile on your face.

 

I’ve heard good things about their Yangzhou Fried Rice and I’m not disappointed. It’s pretty good and served as a good accompaniment tonight to the fine dishes we have.

 

We end our fine dining experience at Phongmun with a delicacy you often see in Chinese Wedding banquets – Sesame balls with lotus paste. I know a lot of friends who really loved these! ~~ bon appetit!

 

Phongmun restaurant does have other common Chinese dishes in their menu if you wish – but that’s for another blog post. This post mostly highlights the availability of Chinese Fine Dining dishes suitable for special occasions and weddings – or just a foodie culinary journey.

Good news:

Phongmun 30th Anniversary Promotion (1- 31 Mar)

15% discount off total bill for orders above BND$100 if you dine in during dinner time from 7pm – 10pm daily during the 1st till 31st of March!

 

Phongmum Restaurant

Opening hours: 7am to 10pm daily

Address: 2nd Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jln Sultan

Tel: (673) 2229591/ 2229562