What to eat in Kuantan: Have you heard of/had "ikan Kerai"?

It was a fruitful, educational & fun weekend for me *yay!!* It's prayers answered as I was wondering what's there to look forward each week for people who live in Kuantan & it's been quite a challenge for me to get 'readjusted' to the lifestyle here.

One of my colleagues came over to Kuantan for a weekend getaway with her family & she introduced me to "ikan Kerai", what she comments as a really delicious fish that I HAVE TO try!

Ikan Kerai

This fish is an 'exotic' river fish, apparently available only in Sungai Pahang (Pahang rivers). My colleague actually traveled to Kuantan for this fish & each time she comes here for a family holiday (once every quarter just because they love east coast food! *oh my my*), she's sure to pop by for her dose of ikan Kerai.

One of the very few places that you can find ikan Kerai is at Akob Patin House 3, opposite East Coast Mall, on the same side of the row with Zenith Hotel. The restaurant sells Malay-style mixed rice, featuring their river ikan Patin/catfish cooked in various styles like in 'tempoyak' (fermented durian) & lemak-buah (fruity-milky gravy) among the many styles.

As we're here mainly for their ikan Kerai, I didn't bother with taking the ikan Patin, but I just had to take my favorite ikan Keli (also a type of catfish) & "pucuk manis masak lemak" (sweet leaf shoots cooked in coconut milk).

Deep-Fried Ikan Keli + Pucuk Manis Masak Lemak

I like this fish cos there's very few small bones & the flesh is sweet.

Ikan Kerai

I've no clue what's the English name for ikan Kerai. It's an interesting tasting fish & it's to no surprise that it left my colleague such a great impression that she would want to have this each time she visits Kuantan. Mind you, it's an expensive fish! I was told by the uncle who works here (not sure if he's the boss), that this fish doesn't come by that easily. It's not easy to catch such a big fish & what more this type of fish. A fish around this size costs around RM160.00! *eek!!*

It's best eaten with the sweet-salty-spicy dip 

The flesh is almost transparent-white, sweet, has the "river-fish taste" & it actually 'melts in your mouth'! It's not a flaky fish nor is it a fatty fish...words just can't accurately describe how the actual texture feels. The skin was perfectly deep-fried & deliciously crispy *yum yum* The major down-side for me is that the fish has LOADS of small bones!

What an interesting discovery for me *yay!* I'll be sharing more discoveries that I experienced this very weekend in the next post or two, so stay tuned! :D 

Akob Patin House 3
24, Jalan Putra Square 6
25300 Kuantan
Pahang Darul Makmur
Malaysia.
Tel: (+6012) 951 4212 - Iwan/ (+60112) 561 1316
Business hours: Tuesdays - Sundays 8:30a.m. - 5:30a.m.
GPS: 3.8185356,103.3259451


Very excited with such new discoveries!