Foochow Merng Goh and A Cup of Soy Bean Milk

When my maternal grandma came to Sibu, she would take the slow single storey motor launch from Nang Chong early in the morning. It would around 6 a.m and if the tide was low, the current would be flowing out to the South China Sea. That meant that she would arrive later by half an hour or even one hour. She would reach Sibu by 8.

The motor launches competed with each other but it was quite a friendly kind of competition.  there were around three motor launches coming up the river from mid valley. One would come from Sarikei, picking up passengers and goods from Bintangor. This one would reach Sibu the latest by ten. It would by past all the Chinese villages and the Iban longhouses.

So the Sibu Tua Pek Kong wharf would be really busy with in coming boats at about 8.

(My maternal grandmother would stand to have her post river boat ride at the corner there. Today it is a busy place.)


The corner of Market Road and Island Road had a few hawkers' stalls selling kuih and soy bean milk for those travellers who did not have the time to sit in Moi Suong Coffee Shop and other places.

My grandmother had two choices. To have fish balls at Lok Tieng Yuen or to have a Merng Goh and a cup of Soy Bean Milk. She would have the latter because she wanted to give her relative some business and to catch up with family news.

The Merng Goh at the corner has always been the best in my memory. I would always have the white one.

Lok Tien Yuen's fish balls might have to wait.