Just like my
favourite har gau tim sum, the famous
Kuching sio bee is a localised version of the standard "
international" dumpling (or
siu mai in Cantonese). The taste and texture is totally different, so it is a must-try if you're from out of town. The
sio bee goes really well with the sweet
chilli sauce, which is not very spicy. You order by the number of
sio bees you want and each cost rm 0.60 at
the time of writing. Compared to what you get in West Malaysia, the size of the
sio bee is pretty good value for your money. The
soya bean drink they serve is also very refreshing, especially during a hot day.
This
sio bee establishment, Sin
Kwang Heng, is of legendary status amongst the locals. It is located in the centre of town, referred to as "open-air market". It's a
recommended place to go for a light afternoon tea or supper. As with the
har gau place recommended in an earlier article, the selection of
tim sum is pretty limited here as well. That's not really a problem because almost everyone who patronises this place is there for the
sio bee.
Open-Air market location map (click
here)