Revisiting Sitiawan

Since the movement control order was imposed in mid-March this year, my wife and I haven't been anywhere outside of Penang. Not since the 18th of last month, anyway. As my wife had an appointment in Taiping, we took the opportunity to revisit Sitiawan too. Somehow our schedule was too tight in Taiping and we had no time for lunch there. After a quick visit to a fast food joint, we set forth for the coastal Hockchiew town in Perak, arriving there after a leisurely two-hour drive.

One of the reasons why we had Sitiawan in our minds was to seek out some local Hockchiew food. On top of our list was the red yeast wine chicken meesuah soup, the sweet and sour fish maw soup and their crispy oyster omelette. We would have ordered their homemade tauhu but we were stuffed: after all, there were only a party of two at the table.

Lunch over, we headed over to an unnamed timsum shop behind the Yee Si Restaurant but as luck would have it, it was closed or otherwise we would have loaded ourselves with their crushed peanut-filled mantou. So it was with some reluctance that we went to the nearby Chop Wah Seong to pick up their dried meesuah, bottled red yeast wine and also the famed Kampong Koh chilli sauce. 

This is the sweet and sour fish maw soup.

The Hock Chiew red yeast wine chicken meesuah soup.

And the fabulous fried oyster omelette.

The Settlement Museum is possibly one of the most interesting attractions in Sitiawan. Located right next to the Methodist Church, the museum chronicles the history of the town's people and activities, and especially the Methodist Christian movement in the area. 

I've visited this place a rather long time ago but for my wife, it was a first occasion for her. During our previous visit, the museum had been closed for upgrade. It now open, of course, but visitors now have to pay a fee to tour the premises. The museum is quite well laid out with lots of exhibits and there is a new wing at the back of the old building. I was quite fascinated with the displays of old radiograms and record players. The place is well worth a visit.