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One of the things that I miss most about Malaysia is the availability of various kinds of little fishes in the market; little fishes that I grew up eating, little fishes that need no special recipes, little fishes that taste like heaven when deep-fried with just a little salt and turmeric powder or tamarind, little fishes that are so crispy (or “garing” in local language) that one can pretty much eat the whole thing including the bones, tail and head…(view more seafood galore after the jump)
Thanks to my Penang food blogger friends, I got to savor these very delicious deep-fried “chi ya hu” (the name of the fish in local language) recently. It’s definitely one of the most memorable dishes that I’ve had in a while. This fish is our family’s favorite and used to grace our dining table so very often…it was something nostalgic, something that I’ve missed quite a bit.
If you are in Penang, you can get this deep-fried fish at Crab Village Restaurant in Tanjung Bungah. Other killer seafood dishes that I recommend are:
Wok-baked crab. Love the smoky flavor of these wok-baked crabs, just like the way my late mother used to prepare her crabs.
Sweet and sour clams.
Wok-baked shrimp. The same cooking style as the crab. Equally delish!
Crab Village Restaurant
Tanjung Bungah, Penang
Malaysia
(The restaurant is right beside Hollywood Restaurant and before the floating mosque. I am entering the deep-fried fish dish to 7 fishes fiesta hosted by Finding La Dolce Vita.)
Get More Delicious Recipes Below:
Fried Fish with Soy Sauce
I love fish, but I don’t eat enough of them here in the United States; I can hardly find the ones I love most. Growing up in Malaysia, fresh fish is abundant. There are all kinds of fish available in the wet market–big, small, tiny, deep-sea, or fresh water. I prefer smaller and tiny fish, deep-fried to crispy goodness that…
Seafood Dynamite Recipe
I am not sure if this is an authentic Japanese recipe, but this is certainly one of my favorite eat-out dish when I dine at Japanese restaurants. This dish is usually called Seafood Dynamite, or Baked Seafood in Dynamite Sauce, or something along that line. In any case, it’s basically baked assortment of seafood—usually baby shrimp, bay scallop, clam, etc.—…
Malaysian-style BBQ Seafood
My good friends Farina and Michael came over to visit last week and we made some Malaysian-style BBQ seafood, inspired by this popular hawker fare in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. They are called Portuguese-style baked seafood. There is really nothing Portuguese about it but Malaysia do have some Portuguese descendants because Malacca was a Portuguese colony in the 16th century….
Nyonya Acar Fish
Whenever I am home in Penang, I make it an effort that I learn our family recipes from my aunt, who is in her late 70′s. Since my late mother passed away some 3 years ago, she is now the only person who knows the recipes of all our much-treasured family dishes—everyday home-cooked recipes, Nyonya food, and kuih (sweet cakes)….
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Look! The fish has tiny “wings”!
All of it looks so tasty! Are the fish a river fish or ocean fish?
Tiga – yes, I noticed them too, I eat everything, wings, head, tail, bones. LOL.
Marc – they are from the sea…they are great and very versatile. Some of my most favorite Nyonya dishes are made with this fish. :)
Those deep fried fish would go great with beer!
I’m curious about this wok-baked crab. I don’t think I’ve had it before. What is the process?
I wish they had those in the States. I too love the concentrated flavor and unique textures of tiny fishes.
I love deep fried fish… very crunchy outside yet moist flesh….
hi, do u just got back from Penang? did u ever try the seafood delights in Bkt Tambun, Prai b4? we normaly dine there and the price is much cheaper than Penang island:)
These look delicious! I really like fried small fishies :) We have a lot of those over here too!
What a coincidence – I have a draft on fried fish sitting in my box. I think we had them on a weekly basis in our home too!
I miss chi ya hu a lot! We used to have it with porridge as lunch. I’ve not tried wok-baked crab though, I wonder how it tastes like, but it sure looks yummy in your pic.
Love fried little fishies. I’d munch on them, head, fins, tails and all. We don’t fry fish at home though so I’m with you on the nostalgia.
I’m conscious of the fact that everything is edible in crispy fried fish, but I still have some phobia with bones getting stuck in my throat!!
Everything looks delicious, but I have an especially soft prawn-flavored spot in my heart!
Ha!Finally you’ve posted them up! It’s great meeting you in person! And to my surprise you know mandarin!
In Hawai’i we love to eat oama or young weke (goatfish) just fried whole and eaten. Only happens in late summer when it’s the season. Wish I had photos of it.
OOOOO! Would love to have this in our 7 fishes feast roundup! :)
I am SOOO coming to Malaysia w/u next time
Is there another name for this fish? (in Malay perhaps)Cant seem to make it out from the foto…looks mouth watering! love ur site!
do you happen to know the english name for chi ya hu? i’m trying to look for it over here in Oz, missing it a lot =(
Sorry but I don’t.