Rawang Famous Steam Fish in Ipoh

Here’s good news to all foodie friends! You know the Lan Je Fei Chau Yu (Sister Lan’s tilapia) that we have to queue up for in Rawang? Waiting for our fish for one hour is not too bad but there are times when we go there and they are sold out or closed for the day! Dang!

Well, the good news is that now, we can indulge in an even better fei chau yu dish right here in Ipoh. This family-owned restaurant, just opened in mid-May 2015, serves the best steamed black tilapia (fei chau yu), if I may say so.

If you love Lan Je’s steam fish, you would love it twice as much here at Rawang Famous Steam Fish, which is generously topped with 100% Bentong ginger mash and a dash of spicy kampung cilli. So, whenever you crave for steam fish Lan Je-style, this is where you should head to for your fix. Say goodbye to travelling long distances! Rawang Famous Steam Fish is just down the road from Symphony Suites Hotel.

As you can see from these photos, the size of the fish is not large. In fact, the standard serving of each fish is about 350g to 400g. This is because we are supposed to order one fish per person, which means there’s no more fighting over who gets to eat the best part of the fish. Well, each person will get the whole fish to himself. Prices for the fish start from RM18. No GST is charged.

While observing the team of kitchen crew, the fish is live in the aquarium and only netted out to be cleaned and cooked upon receiving an order. How much fresher could it get? Therefore, diners should expect to be served only in 15 to 20 minutes’ time after placing an order. Other seafood is just as fresh – the prawns are procured from Pantai Remis (Perak), and that also only from the last boat to return to the jetty.

Besides the highly recommended signature dish of steamed black tilapia fish, other dishes that we had included the chef’s speciality of stir-fried brinjal (eggplant) with crisp fried anchovies and spring onions. Brinjal prepared this way is uncommon, I was informed.

Actually, apart from the steamed fish which is available daily, other signature dishes are served on rotation basis, which means sometimes, they are only made available on different days throughout the week.

Soon to be introduced would be roast meat, such as crispy duck, and also time-honoured Hakka dishes whereby their secret recipes have been passed down from one generation to another within the family.

Meanwhile, enjoy the home-style cooking of the dozen or so mainly Chinese dishes on the menu (although there is no hard-copy menu), whether it is for lunch or dinner, at pocket-friendly prices, dispelling the myth that a meal with a fish dish, especially one generously topped with the caviar of ginger (Bentong ginger) is expensive. No, it doesn’t necessarily be so!

The restaurant can comfortably accommodate about 150 diners concurrently. They encourage walk-in customers, which is good for those of us who don’t like to make reservations. I know I don’t.

Rawang Famous Steam Fish (Restaurant)
Add: No. 1, Lapangan Symphony Business Park, Jalan Lapangan Symphony, 31350 Ipoh, Perak.
GPS Coordinates: N 04° 33.618′ E 101° 06.737′
Tel: +605-311 0854

Business hours: 12pm – 3pm & 6pm – 10pm daily

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