GEORGE TOWN, May 1 — Deep inside a quiet little fishing village at the mouth of the Kerian River is a jetty. This is where fishermen arrive in their boats to unload their catch, weigh them and sort everything out into enormous ice-filled boxes and barrels.

This can be considered the heart of Kampung Sungai Udang, a small village deep inside Nibong Tebal, the southern part of Seberang Perai that is near the Perak border.

Every morning, the jetty is filled with activities as fishermen unload and fill barrels and boxes with an assortment of fishes

The fish market at the jetty as buyers choose and haggle over prices

The village has been around for at least 60 years or more; the row of tired-looking wooden houses interspersed with more modern brick ones lining the street speak of the humble beginnings of this village.

While it is located at the mouth of the Kerian River, it also has the smaller Sungai Udang running through it giving the village its name. With a small population consisting mostly of fishermen, fish farm owners and traders in the seafood industry, it is a close-knit community where outsiders are often eyed with suspicion.

Due to its rather secluded location, the village sees very few outsiders except for those who stumble upon it accidentally or those who come just to watch fishermen unloading their catch of the day at the jetty.

Fish, fish everywhere at the Sungai Udang jetty (left). Unloading...fishermen unloading fish at the jetty (right)

Workers at Sungai Udang jetty transporting containers filled with ice and fishes to be frozen and sent to markets and traders

The jetty itself is a ramshackle-looking building with extensions to the side and a double-storey structure on one side. By 9am, the jetty which also doubles as a seafood market is already a hive of activity as boat after boat comes in and unloads barrels and boxes of all types of fishes and crustaceans.

Those waiting at the jetty weigh the catch, divide the fishes and prawns into different containers and pack everything with ice.

Some of the fishes are also poured onto the wet wooden floor and divided into small heaps so buyers can take their pick. Some are placed into baskets and ice-filled boxes to be sold at makeshift stalls.

The middlemen will almost immediately start haggling as they pick and choose what they want while other buyers, mostly local residents, walk around slowly looking at what each makeshift stall has to offer.

Similar to a scene at a morning market, the fishermen will loudly announce what they have for sale. Phrases in Hokkien and Malay of  ikan, ikan, ikan, murah, murah, murah (fish, fish, fish, cheap, cheap, cheap) or chim, tua boi chim (crabs, large crabs) fill the air.

Most of the fishes are wild-caught from the sea but there are also fishes and prawns from fish farms that have been increasing over the years off the coast. The jetty is one of the major hubs in Penang for seafood to be brought in, sorted out, frozen and distributed to wet markets and traders all around the state.

The task of weighing...each box of fishes are weighed before it is sent to wholesalers, markets and traders

Just above the jetty, on the second floor of the building, accessible via a staircase on the side, is a seafood restaurant that very few people save for the locals know about. It is a food court of sorts with a row of about five stalls but only a couple of stalls are occupied by Restoran HK.

Considering it is located right above the jetty, the seafood they provide is obviously fresh but that’s not the uniqueness of the place. They allow customers to buy their own fishes, crabs, prawns and squids from the jetty themselves and bring it up to them to cook.

So, yes, you can pick your own fresh catch and have it custom-cooked according to your preference right above the jetty.

Seafood galore at HK restaurant

The no-frills open air seafood restaurant upstairs is open from 10am daily

The restaurant opens rather early too, at 10am, so customers can take their time to shop for their own seafood at the jetty downstairs and then head upstairs for a nice, seafood brunch.

With fish so fresh, the most popular way to eat it is steamed with garlic, ginger and tomatoes as garnishing. They also add chopped cili padi to spice things up. The flesh of the fish is smooth and soft, with just the slightest hint of the sea.

Similarly, the crabs are either steamed or baked so that all the natural flavours are preserved. Shrimps and squids can also be steamed but if you crave something different, the restaurant is more than happy to either stir fry it in a simple assam sauce or even a sweet and spicy sauce.

Sea crabs can also be steamed and enjoyed as is

The cooking is mostly simple and home-style and not made complicated with the addition of different sauces and spices. Expect the dishes to be fresh, sweet and full of natural flavours.

Do not expect a fancy ambience, air conditioning or pretty plating at this open-air restaurant. The sea breeze and some stand fans keep the heat at bay but it does win on view as it overlooks the river and you can watch boats come in as you feast on the food.

Best way to enjoy fresh crabs...steaming them

The restaurant is also open in the evenings but the jetty will be closed by then so customers have to make do with the restaurant’s own stock of seafood. All in, the village is worth a stopover to check out the busy jetty and fish market, plus have a seafood feast upstairs.

Restoran HK

1835, Sungai Udang, Nibong Tebal

Hours:   10am-4pm, 7pm-10pm (daily)

Tel: 012-5633513 (Siew), 012-4739391 (Yong)