Marine Live Seafood - **
STEAMBOAT FISH**
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(no photos .. bcs didn't expect it at all.. pls read on)
Conclusion : One Sentence - bye bye WKeng ~~~~
2 nights ago, that whampoa keng steamboat (soup) was seriously lingering in both our minds. Heart/mouth decided to go although mind kept fighting against it.
When reaching Utama, last ditch mind-defence (lol), I told her : "let's detour to Denny first.... tell him about that whampoa keng" .
We drove to Marine Live , met Denny.. chit chat and then started telling him about (what-my-tastebud-can-tell) the ingredients and color in the steamboat soup, the visible ingredients in the soup, the fish parts, the sze chuan, yam, etc.
Denny then told us how steamboat soups are made (long preparation - to boil from a big pot to half of it so as the the soup be concentrated and flavorful from the ingredients etc etc). And that the best fish for steamboat gotta be "Ang Zhor" (Hokkien) meaning Red Snapper. From the conversation, he got hot and heavy. He was all fired up.
He stood up and said :
"let me make one for you - no MSG. If it's not nice to you (micmac) and I know you are demanding, consider as I trick you, OK ?" It sounded either confident or foolhardy. Either way, his eyes
burned with passion.
My partner immediately called the same 2 friends (who went WKeng with us, the local stingy guy+gf) to come for dinner. That way, we would have a collective opinion.
Denny scooped the last red snapper, weighing at 700grams (RP182K, since 1KG = RP260K). And said he will only charge for the fish for the steamboat.
RP182K is "same" as WKeng's small portion fish head/parts steamboat @ RP180k.
Whilst Denny went to prepare and friends coming, I drove to DC Mall to buy steamboat ingredients Denny doesn't have - beancurd skin and Dao-Gua (hokkien).
Denny's Steamboat Fish *BLEW* us away. The soup was delicious. How delicious : stingy friend didn't talk during the dinner - he kept drinking the soup, eating the fish, and saying to himself "good... mmm.. good... mmmm.... not bad... mmm ...mmm" LOOOOL! The girls liked the yam alot and saying to themselves about the texture and freshness and cooked just right - not soft not hard - unlike WKeng.
Comparison :
Portion : Marine Live bigger than WKeng's small size fish steamboat, but no unlimited soup.
Price : Same (Marine Live 700g red snapper @ RP182K, whilst WKeng's at RP180K)
Ingredients : WKeng's only fish parts, Marine Live is a whole live fish. Both also had yam and cabbage/vege. Marine Live no MSG.
Winner - beyond collective doubt and dispute : Marine Live
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True enough, stingy-friend still hungry. He decided to "test" Marine Live. He ordered his personal favorite - char beehoon (biasa). Dish came, didn't look as appealing as Fresh Beer's version. He took one bite, and finished the whole plate and asked how much, Denny replied RP18K.
Stingy-friend immediately made best buddies with Denny Loool...LOOOOOOOOL. It is cheaper than hawker stalls (typically RP22K upwards) and fresh beer (RP30K) with live fresh prawns and fish meat etc.
Final note by Denny was the soup can even be better - but must inform him 1-2 days before so he have time to boil/concentrate the soup, and also see if got red snapper.
I was glad. Very glad - told Denny I would have paid more, noting the ingredients and whatnot in the steamboat.
All he said was "No need, I am really happy just customers come over and chit chat with me over beer" (he loves liquor)
RP182K (and RP18K char beehoon) not include "John recommended me to Marine Live" discount yet
**DISTINCTION**
Edit : Prices are before the RP's "devaluation" to 10K per 1S$. Expect all prices everywhere to increase if it becomes the norm.