Rompin Restoran Sin Sin — Restaurant in Pahang

One of the best Chinese restaurants in the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia that serves the most authentic Malaysian Chinese dishes using locally caught freshwater and saltwater seafoods as well as locally sourced homegrown vegetables. Although located in the suburbs of Malaysia, the food here is second to none.

The seawater prawns are sourced from local fishermen and then cooked with black sauce and spices that heightens the sweetness and freshness of the prawns. The juices are preserved during cooking and explodes in the mouth once you bite it. The flavours reflect both Chinese and local culture in the region. The savoury taste will tickle your taste buds and it makes your mind dance!

The other commendable dish is the baked Tapah. This is one of the freshwater fish found in the rivers of Pahang likened to the Amazon freshwater catfish. The meat is smooth, tender and without fishy smell. The fish is baked in garlic, spring onions, dried chilli to accentuate the freshness and the aroma of spring. This simple dish bring out the essence of the fish meat which resembles the sweet morning forest air in the jungles of Malaysia. It is a must try, if not it is as if you've not been to Peninsular Malaysia!

The other must try dish is the squid caught from the wild South China Sea. The squid is cooked on a metal pan with garlic and onion, with the heat of the pan bringing out the taste of the ocean with juiciness and 'Q'ness. The squid is not over cooked but receives the full 'wok hey' from the pan giving it a unique taste.

All in all, this is a restaurant that turns simple ingredients into the most magnificent dishes fit for a king. The head chef is young, full of energy, innovative, always thinking out of the box. Bring any ingredient to him and he'll make magic...

It has to be one of our best experiences during this East Coast road trip. Our originally shortlisted restaurant was closed for vacation, so we took a detour and went for the second one on our list — and it turned out to be one of the best blessings in disguise we’ve ever had.

Once seated, the boss approached us with a notepad in hand, ready to take our orders. There was no menu in sight — usually a red flag for tourists — but we decided to trust our instincts, and we’re glad we did.

He recommended the catch of the day — wild barramundi — followed by their signature dish, hot plate cuttlefish. He also suggested clams, which we requested to be done kam heong style. By the time we hit five dishes, the boss smiled and said, “That’s enough for you,” which gave us a good feeling.

When the food arrived, we were stunned. There were four of us, yet the fish was enormous, the cuttlefish platter easily over 30 cm wide, and the clams came in a mountain-sized portion. We thought we might have walked into a “slit-throat” situation — but no, the food was excellent, and we enjoyed every bite.

Then came the bill — and we were completely floored. The price was so reasonable we had to read it twice!

Highly recommended. If you’re passing through, do drop by — you won’t be...

Revisiting 6 years on and chef ah Wei still cooks up a storm in his quaint laid back restaurant. First time trying Ikan Tapah and wild bullfrogs, which turned out quite the treat. This rare fish can only be described as the cod fish of Malaysian rivers, soft, sweet and just slightly oily, doused in a sweet soy sauce which holds everything together! Worth a detour!

Coming across a restaurant with good quality food, cooked with a lot of heart is a rarity these days, especially in a small town like this. Chef Ah Wei deals with fish brought in by his fishing customers so often that he can confidently suggest how best to cook them. We had our medium sized tengirri done 2 ways, yau zam and cheung cheng. Both we extremely well done, with the fish crispy on the outside but still soft and melt in the mouth on the inside. Sure, freshness of the fish matters but the skill of the cook was evident as the duration it spent in the oil and steamer were spot on. The ham yu fa lan po (salted fish with thinly sliced pork belly in claypot) was also done to perfection, slightly charred, with enough savouriness and aroma from the salted fish. Must try place if you're...