Sibu Tales : Restaurant Food

In the 50's and 60's there were very few restaurants in Sibu. I can name a few here : Lok Huen, Lok Tieng Yong, Hock Chu Leu, Yieng Ging, and Sing Chung Leu where wedding banquets were mainly held.

When wedding invitations went out, the names on the invitation card would mean how many should come for the banquet. But there was on Foochow practice which is not found else where was this special invitation written on the card, "Uncle Tiong and the WHOLE Family".
 張 xxx叔 叔 合 家

This also meant that the host would be prepared for the number of seats reserved for the family. How wonderful for children who seldom had banquet food at home.

I personally remember how my grand aunt , a widow, would ask my mother if she could bring one of us to a banquet that she was invited ..She was a shy person and a very affectionate person in her quiet ways.A widow but a very reputable teacher and social worker, she would be invited together with her family. In those days, her grand nieces were her family. I thought it was so lovely of her to include us. Her own daughter, my aunt, was too shy to go. So there I was aged 10 or 11 following her and enjoying my sea cucumber and mushrooms and developed fine tastes and good taste buds.

(the Siew Muai are usually taken away if there are remainders)



And at the end of the dinner, the host and hostess would be so kind as to give a packet of chicken or duck for me and for my grand aunt to take away, and that would have been our first take away.

Most relatives would be given some share of the "remainder" if they wanted to take home. It was the done thing in those days.

What a double bonus. Some people would be too shy to receive such gifts.