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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Kelong Dinner @ Ciu Yong Seafood Restaurant [Bintan Island]

Whenever it comes to an island escapade, it is always necessary to have that fresh bite of seafood that are usually in abundance in the surrounding water. 

That's exactly what the family did in their recent trip to Bintan island. However, we have no inkling on where to satisfy the fix and have to rely on the recommendation of our driver who strongly endorsed the above kelong restaurant. 

Now, i am skeptical when it comes to such recommendation as more often than not, the establishments are likely to charge a higher price and the food would usually deviate from local taste. Oh well, nothing much i can do about it. 

At the very least, the environment did appear rustic with villagers going on with their daily life. The pace was so slow yet so peaceful and carefree. Of course, we have to understand that kampong life has its blessings and difficulties; for one, i dislike using their washrooms!

A few more pictures of the rural surrounding. 

The restaurant was surprisingly not as big as i expected, which is a plus point. For those looking for air-conditioning and comfort, give this a miss!

Live and literally kicking seafood was what we were looking for and with this came an inconvenience; the fishy smell that i know some people could not stand. 

Families should also be extremely careful with their hyperactive children as not all areas were barricaded and the wooden flooring makes it very easy for one, even an adult, to lose his/her footing. 

Okay, let's start with the food. 

Steamed Crab
The cooking style was markedly different from the norm as no Chinese wine was used and the preparation would be more similar to the steamed fish we get in Chinese weddings. Fresh it was but taste wise, i did not particularly enjoy this version.

Fish Soup
Once again, freshness was its major selling point. The soup was okay although not comparable to the delicious fish soup at Clementi hawker centre! 

Kangkong Belachan
This was one of the best i have ever had. It was not sickeningly spicy and every bite was refreshingly crunchy and juicy. 

Oats Prawns
For a deep fried prawn dish, this would definitely make the cut. Unfortunately, the full power of oats was not spectacularly displayed here; rendering this as slightly disappointing. 

Hotplate Tofu
Tomato sauce base with speckles of chilli padi, this was extremely comforting in the rainy weather; especially when you mix it with plain rice! 

Mee Goreng
For those who are unaware, mee goreng (fried noodles) in Indonesia is very different from the one Singaporeans and Malaysians are accustomed to. The noodles used are instant noodles type and you get a sweeter, not spicier, rendition. My first taste of Indonesia mie goreng was ten years ago and i love it! 

Sadly, this kelong one did not manage to bring me back to the past. It was marginally better than what i can cook at home using packets of Indomie instant noodles and lacked the flavourfulness that put it higher than a typical Malayan mee goreng. 

And for the price of more than S$10 for this plate of mee goreng, i expected much more than the stingy amount of seafood used. 

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Location
Unknown

Contact Number
0812 7752 9000
0813 8679 6866
[i think they will provide transport]

Price [S$1 = 7,700 Rupiah]
Steamed Crab -  Rp 143,000
Fish Soup - Rp 162,500
Kangkong Belachan - Rp 65,000
Oats Prawns - Rp 140,000
Hotplate Tofu - Rp 80,000
Mee Goreng - Rp 80,000
[The prices are not cheap in the local context and i would put it as generally similar to what i will pay in Singapore. The most one can argue is only the freshness of seafood you can get from dining in a kelong]

Menu
As above. 

8 comments:

  1. You kanna chop already. A good meal of seafood with fish prawn crabs will cost no more than $40 for 3 and no more than $70 for 8.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha, i am not surprised!

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    2. the village called Penghujan. from Lagoi takes 15 minutes

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  2. next time you visiting the island, try my car rental alternatively, more flexible in price and hour. Can bring to other interesting objects to other part of the island. This is coincidence that my name is same like your last chauffeur.. :D
    Contact me for your next requirement and see what you'll spend

    Best regards

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Eko,

      That sounds great!

      Maybe you would like to leave your email here for the benefit of those who visit this blog?

      Best,
      Cavin

      Delete
    2. Hi EKO! email me at coolioed@hotmail.com as I will be heading to Bintan in the next couple days. Looking forward to hear from you!

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  3. Hi Cavin,

    Thank you so much for your permission to put my email here.. I also look forward to cooperate with you in the future.

    Here is my email : bintantrips@gmail.com

    Best Regards and happy holiday for all

    ReplyDelete