Pontian Wholesale Fish Market - Second Post



Recently, I have been receiving enquiries from readers who are interested to visit Pontian Wholesale Fish market. So, I decided to make a trip to Pontian as I have not visited the wholesale fish market for some time.



We wanted to make sure we catch all the action at the market, so we arrived 9-ish at the Pontian fish market. We parked our car and joined the locals at popular Kheng Guan Hiong kopitiam. We had two very fragrant, old style Pontian coffee, charcoal grilled kaya and butter toast, two soft boiled eggs and a pack of tissues for a grand total of RM5.00. 



10:30am. The wholesalers standing by at their weighing scales, waiting for the lorry loads of fish to roll in.



Moments later, the lorry loads of fish appeared and everyone sprung into action, including us, foodies and hungry photographers :P

Well, over here the fish is brought to the wholesale market in all kinds of vehicles. Lorries, in the boot of saloon cars, and even on bicycles. In Pontian, the small fishing boats download their catch at the river just a couple of kilometres from the wholesale market. (The fish loading area will be on my next Pontian trip itinerary :P )



Every day's catch is different.



Today's "Catch of the Day" is a large stingray.



Even in the big gaggle of people and fish, it is easy to tell the fishermen, fishmongers and the wholesalers apart :) This stylish gentleman is a __________________ (fill in the blank).



Deals are still made the old way - through whispers.



Money is also still tallied up the age old way with a trusty stainless steel lined abacus - "iron abacus 铁算盘" they say is good fengsui for businessmen, of course.

Not sure what these fish are.



This eel is quite common but I don't know what is it's name.



More interesting fish.....




The small bundles destined for wet markets or restaurants. Some JB restaurant owners source for seafood directly at the wholesale market.



The prized Pontian wild sea prawns. The best prawn mee stalls use these for stock.



Pontian Wholesale Fish Market
Address: Off Jalan Pontian in the direction of Kukup

Map: http://g.co/maps/n7y8t

GPS: 1.475556,103.392387

Hours: 10:00am plus to around 1:00pm plus

Date visited: 12 Apr 2012, 16 Sep 2013



Recently, I have been receiving enquiries from readers who are interested to visit Pontian Wholesale Fish market. So, I decided to make a trip to Pontian as I have not visited the wholesale fish market for some time.



We wanted to make sure we catch all the action at the market, so we arrived 9-ish at the Pontian fish market. We parked our car and joined the locals at popular Kheng Guan Hiong kopitiam. We had two very fragrant, old style Pontian coffee, charcoal grilled kaya and butter toast, two soft boiled eggs and a pack of tissues for a grand total of RM5.00. 



10:30am. The wholesalers standing by at their weighing scales, waiting for the lorry loads of fish to roll in.



Moments later, the lorry loads of fish appeared and everyone sprung into action, including us, foodies and hungry photographers :P

Well, over here the fish is brought to the wholesale market in all kinds of vehicles. Lorries, in the boot of saloon cars, and even on bicycles. In Pontian, the small fishing boats download their catch at the river just a couple of kilometres from the wholesale market. (The fish loading area will be on my next Pontian trip itinerary :P )



Every day's catch is different.



Today's "Catch of the Day" is a large stingray.



Even in the big gaggle of people and fish, it is easy to tell the fishermen, fishmongers and the wholesalers apart :) This stylish gentleman is a __________________ (fill in the blank).



Deals are still made the old way - through whispers.



Money is also still tallied up the age old way with a trusty stainless steel lined abacus - "iron abacus 铁算盘" they say is good fengsui for businessmen, of course.

Not sure what these fish are.



This eel is quite common but I don't know what is it's name.



More interesting fish.....




The small bundles destined for wet markets or restaurants. Some JB restaurant owners source for seafood directly at the wholesale market.



The prized Pontian wild sea prawns. The best prawn mee stalls use these for stock.



Pontian Wholesale Fish Market
Address: Off Jalan Pontian in the direction of Kukup

Map: http://g.co/maps/n7y8t

GPS: 1.475556,103.392387

Hours: 10:00am plus to around 1:00pm plus

Date visited: 12 Apr 2012, 16 Sep 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Pontian Wanton Mee - Uniquely Johor Twist to a Cantonese Classic

The Pontian style of wanton mee is unique and to me, it is one of the foods that make up the Johor brand of foods. (The others include foods like Laksa Johor, Mee Bandung Muar and Kway Teow Kia. More on these in future posts.)

What then is Pontain wanton mee? The first distinction is in its sauce. Love it or loathe it, the sauce is a unique blend of ketchup, chili sauce, oyster sauce, soya sauce and sesame oil concocted by old Mr. Loh, the creator of Pontian wanton mee and founder of Heng Heng wanton mee years ago in 1948.


Heng Heng, Jalan Parit Mesjid, Taman Anggerik, Pontian. 9:00am to 6:00pm. Friday off.



Heng Heng wanton mee where it all started is still around today in Pontian, run by Mr. Loh's son.



Other than the unique blend of tangy, sweet and savoury sauce, fish balls in the wanton soup is another characteristic that sets Pontian wanton mee apart. The fish balls are a nice touch but they are otherwise quite ordinary in texture and taste.

Other than these features, Pontian wanton mee is pretty much similar to their cousins in other aspects.



The wanton noodles are crunchy and al dente like all good wanton noodles should be.



The wanton fillings are tender and flavourful, and wrapped in slurp-easy, slippery skins.



Pontian char siew though, is a little uninspiring. Pontian char siew looks pale, thinly sliced, limp and dry. It's flavour is as anaemic as it looks. I prefer my char siew chunky, charred at the edges and coated with tacky savoury sweet caramel-like gravy - the way they do it in KL.


Ah Chuan, Batu 36, Jalan Johor, Pontian, Johor. 9:00am to 6:00pm



For authentic Pontian wanton mee, besides Heng Heng, there is Ah Chuan. Ah Chuan is actually the name of old Mr. Loh and this shop is owned and run by his daughters. Not surprisingly, Heng Heng and Ah Chuan's Pontian wanton mee are very similar with nothing much to tell them apart.


Sin Kee, 8383 kopitiam, Batu 36, Jalan Johor, Pontian. 1:00pm to 6:00pm. Thurs off.



The third flag bearer of Pontian wanton mee is Sin Kee. Not a shop but a small stall in the popular 8383 kopitiam. Sin Kee is not related to the Lohs but it is the favourite of many in Pontian. The founder of Sin Kee has retired and he is succeed by a nephew.



In most aspects, Sin Kee's wanton mee is similar to Heng Heng and Ah Chuan. The big draw of Sin Kee is their crunchy noodles, which are still handmade and the dough is kneaded by riding on a bamboo pole, just like the old days. As a kid, I used to have a lot of fun bouncing on the bamboo pole at my neighbour's flat who was a wanton mee seller in old Toa Payoh in Singapore.



Sin Kee's wantons are also heftier.

Love it or loathe it, the Pontian style of wanton mee has spread beyond the little fishing town of Pontian and are seen in Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The Pontian style of wanton mee is unique and to me, it is one of the foods that make up the Johor brand of foods. (The others include foods like Laksa Johor, Mee Bandung Muar and Kway Teow Kia. More on these in future posts.)

What then is Pontain wanton mee? The first distinction is in its sauce. Love it or loathe it, the sauce is a unique blend of ketchup, chili sauce, oyster sauce, soya sauce and sesame oil concocted by old Mr. Loh, the creator of Pontian wanton mee and founder of Heng Heng wanton mee years ago in 1948.


Heng Heng, Jalan Parit Mesjid, Taman Anggerik, Pontian. 9:00am to 6:00pm. Friday off.



Heng Heng wanton mee where it all started is still around today in Pontian, run by Mr. Loh's son.



Other than the unique blend of tangy, sweet and savoury sauce, fish balls in the wanton soup is another characteristic that sets Pontian wanton mee apart. The fish balls are a nice touch but they are otherwise quite ordinary in texture and taste.

Other than these features, Pontian wanton mee is pretty much similar to their cousins in other aspects.



The wanton noodles are crunchy and al dente like all good wanton noodles should be.



The wanton fillings are tender and flavourful, and wrapped in slurp-easy, slippery skins.



Pontian char siew though, is a little uninspiring. Pontian char siew looks pale, thinly sliced, limp and dry. It's flavour is as anaemic as it looks. I prefer my char siew chunky, charred at the edges and coated with tacky savoury sweet caramel-like gravy - the way they do it in KL.


Ah Chuan, Batu 36, Jalan Johor, Pontian, Johor. 9:00am to 6:00pm



For authentic Pontian wanton mee, besides Heng Heng, there is Ah Chuan. Ah Chuan is actually the name of old Mr. Loh and this shop is owned and run by his daughters. Not surprisingly, Heng Heng and Ah Chuan's Pontian wanton mee are very similar with nothing much to tell them apart.


Sin Kee, 8383 kopitiam, Batu 36, Jalan Johor, Pontian. 1:00pm to 6:00pm. Thurs off.



The third flag bearer of Pontian wanton mee is Sin Kee. Not a shop but a small stall in the popular 8383 kopitiam. Sin Kee is not related to the Lohs but it is the favourite of many in Pontian. The founder of Sin Kee has retired and he is succeed by a nephew.



In most aspects, Sin Kee's wanton mee is similar to Heng Heng and Ah Chuan. The big draw of Sin Kee is their crunchy noodles, which are still handmade and the dough is kneaded by riding on a bamboo pole, just like the old days. As a kid, I used to have a lot of fun bouncing on the bamboo pole at my neighbour's flat who was a wanton mee seller in old Toa Payoh in Singapore.



Sin Kee's wantons are also heftier.

Love it or loathe it, the Pontian style of wanton mee has spread beyond the little fishing town of Pontian and are seen in Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Pontian Wholesale Fish Market

Besides eating Pontian wanton mee, bak kut teh, claypot rice, seafood porridge, and enjoying coffee and toast, what else can we do in Pontian?

One of the things many visitors enjoy doing is to visit Pontian Wholesale Fish Market. Some Singaporeans even make regular trips to this fish market for their super fresh fish at reasonable prices.

Every day at between 11:00am to 2:00pm, fishermen will bring their catch of the day to the Pontian Wholesale Fish Market and sell their day's catch to wholesalers.

This is the calm before the frenzy as wholesalers wait for the fishermen's lorries to arrive.

The first lorry loads of fish will begin to arrive at about 11:00am. The fish had earlier been off loaded from fishing boats at the nearby Kukup jetty.

Once the lorries arrive, workers quickly unload the fish.

The fish are divided into smaller parcels and weighed.

Retail fishmongers will bid for the fish. Visitors will find this custom curious as traditionally, bidding is done through whispers.



Ikan Parang or Wolf Herring



  

Cownose Ray

Everyday will bring a different catch, and some of the fishes are seldom seen. These are some of the more exotic fishes that I have spotted, and I am still trying to find out their names. Send me a comment if you know what fish these are J

The Pontian Wholesale Fish Market is a fun place for photo bugs with plenty of photo opportunities, for foodies to walk off their calories before their next makan venture, for the curious sightseer, and also for the savvy homemaker who demands the freshest fish and yet will pay only reasonable prices.

Pontian Wholesale Fish Market

Address: Off Jalan Pontian in the direction of Kukup

Map: http://g.co/maps/n7y8t

GPS: 1.475556,103.392387

Hours: 10:30am to 1:00pm

Date visited: 15 Apr 2012, 16 Sep 2013

Besides eating Pontian wanton mee, bak kut teh, claypot rice, seafood porridge, and enjoying coffee and toast, what else can we do in Pontian?

One of the things many visitors enjoy doing is to visit Pontian Wholesale Fish Market. Some Singaporeans even make regular trips to this fish market for their super fresh fish at reasonable prices.

Every day at between 11:00am to 2:00pm, fishermen will bring their catch of the day to the Pontian Wholesale Fish Market and sell their day's catch to wholesalers.

This is the calm before the frenzy as wholesalers wait for the fishermen's lorries to arrive.

The first lorry loads of fish will begin to arrive at about 11:00am. The fish had earlier been off loaded from fishing boats at the nearby Kukup jetty.

Once the lorries arrive, workers quickly unload the fish.

The fish are divided into smaller parcels and weighed.

Retail fishmongers will bid for the fish. Visitors will find this custom curious as traditionally, bidding is done through whispers.



Ikan Parang or Wolf Herring



  

Cownose Ray

Everyday will bring a different catch, and some of the fishes are seldom seen. These are some of the more exotic fishes that I have spotted, and I am still trying to find out their names. Send me a comment if you know what fish these are J

The Pontian Wholesale Fish Market is a fun place for photo bugs with plenty of photo opportunities, for foodies to walk off their calories before their next makan venture, for the curious sightseer, and also for the savvy homemaker who demands the freshest fish and yet will pay only reasonable prices.

Pontian Wholesale Fish Market

Address: Off Jalan Pontian in the direction of Kukup

Map: http://g.co/maps/n7y8t

GPS: 1.475556,103.392387

Hours: 10:30am to 1:00pm

Date visited: 15 Apr 2012, 16 Sep 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Ah Chuan 亚泉 - the Grand Daddy of Pontian Wanton Mee 笨珍云吞面

The Pontian style of wanton mee 笨珍云吞面 has that distinctive tangy and spicy sauce, and like all things unique, people either love it or hate it. So it is hardly a surprise that Pontian wanton mee evokes such heated discussions, in hawker centres and in online forums.

Love it or loathe it, one thing for sure, Pontian wanton mee has a big enough following to spawn a thriving franchise that has branches all over Singapore, in Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, and even in Batam, Indonesia.

Yet, people from Pontian are indignant and never fail to point out that all these are nothing but poor copies of the real thing back in Pontian.

To find out for myself, I went to the quaint, charming seaside town of Pontian to check out the Big 3 of Pontian wanton mee – Ah Chuan, Heng Heng, and Sin Kee.

My first stop was this unassuming looking shop along Jalan Johor in Pontian, but don't be fooled - this is the grand daddy of the famous Pontian wanton mee.

Ah Chuan is the original MR Loh who came to Pontian from Guangzhou, China more than 60 years ago and started his wanton mee push cart stall that has become today's Pontian wanton mee legend.

Through hardwork and innovation, Ah Chuan prospered and moved his push cart stall into this shop more than twenty years ago. This shop today is run by MR Loh’s daughters. One of MR Loh’s sons runs the popular Heng Heng wanton mee in Taman Anggerik on the north side of Pontian Kechil.

The wanton mee is prepared out at the front of the shop as is the usual set-up of food shops in Johor. MR Loh's daughter was preparing the noodles.

These four shiny steel cans hold the four key ingredients namely oyster sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil and tomato ketchup that make up the distinctive Pontian wanton mee sauce. On the back wall are photos of celebrities who had featured Ah Chuan in their programmes and publications.

Ah Chuan's noodles are thick, heavy and eggy - springy to the bite. Coated with the distinctive tangy and spicy Pontian wanton mee sauce, the noodles are smooth, flavourful and tasty.

The char siew was lean, dry, thinly sliced and tasted like pork jerky. This is certainly not the chunky, juicy type of char siew which is my favourite but Ah Chuan's jerky-like version is quite delicious to me too.

The wanton skin was soft, smooth and wrapped a pinch of tender sesame flavoured minced pork.

A fish ball, another of the distinguishing marks of Pontian wanton mee. Good but nothing special here - the fish balls are bought from suppliers. The tasty soup has a robust anchovy flavour just like the 古早味 (heritage flavour) of the old days

Eating wanton mee at Ah Chuan helps me appreciate the living history of Pontian wanton mee while enjoying top class wanton noodles at the same time J

Restaurant name: Kedai Mee Ah Chuan

Address: 130, Batu 36, Jalan Johor, Pontian, Johor

Map: http://g.co/maps/kw333

GPS: 1.480017,103.395965

Hours: 9:00am to 6:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 15 Apr 2012

The Pontian style of wanton mee 笨珍云吞面 has that distinctive tangy and spicy sauce, and like all things unique, people either love it or hate it. So it is hardly a surprise that Pontian wanton mee evokes such heated discussions, in hawker centres and in online forums.

Love it or loathe it, one thing for sure, Pontian wanton mee has a big enough following to spawn a thriving franchise that has branches all over Singapore, in Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, and even in Batam, Indonesia.

Yet, people from Pontian are indignant and never fail to point out that all these are nothing but poor copies of the real thing back in Pontian.

To find out for myself, I went to the quaint, charming seaside town of Pontian to check out the Big 3 of Pontian wanton mee – Ah Chuan, Heng Heng, and Sin Kee.

My first stop was this unassuming looking shop along Jalan Johor in Pontian, but don't be fooled - this is the grand daddy of the famous Pontian wanton mee.

Ah Chuan is the original MR Loh who came to Pontian from Guangzhou, China more than 60 years ago and started his wanton mee push cart stall that has become today's Pontian wanton mee legend.

Through hardwork and innovation, Ah Chuan prospered and moved his push cart stall into this shop more than twenty years ago. This shop today is run by MR Loh’s daughters. One of MR Loh’s sons runs the popular Heng Heng wanton mee in Taman Anggerik on the north side of Pontian Kechil.

The wanton mee is prepared out at the front of the shop as is the usual set-up of food shops in Johor. MR Loh's daughter was preparing the noodles.

These four shiny steel cans hold the four key ingredients namely oyster sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil and tomato ketchup that make up the distinctive Pontian wanton mee sauce. On the back wall are photos of celebrities who had featured Ah Chuan in their programmes and publications.

Ah Chuan's noodles are thick, heavy and eggy - springy to the bite. Coated with the distinctive tangy and spicy Pontian wanton mee sauce, the noodles are smooth, flavourful and tasty.

The char siew was lean, dry, thinly sliced and tasted like pork jerky. This is certainly not the chunky, juicy type of char siew which is my favourite but Ah Chuan's jerky-like version is quite delicious to me too.

The wanton skin was soft, smooth and wrapped a pinch of tender sesame flavoured minced pork.

A fish ball, another of the distinguishing marks of Pontian wanton mee. Good but nothing special here - the fish balls are bought from suppliers. The tasty soup has a robust anchovy flavour just like the 古早味 (heritage flavour) of the old days

Eating wanton mee at Ah Chuan helps me appreciate the living history of Pontian wanton mee while enjoying top class wanton noodles at the same time J

Restaurant name: Kedai Mee Ah Chuan

Address: 130, Batu 36, Jalan Johor, Pontian, Johor

Map: http://g.co/maps/kw333

GPS: 1.480017,103.395965

Hours: 9:00am to 6:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 15 Apr 2012

reade more... Résuméabuiyad