Perut Ikan

This is Nyonya restaurant in SS2. This restaurant has been around for almost 20 years serving nyonya dishes. One of the dishes served here is 'Perut Ikan' (fish intestines). I think only those from Penang, and the older ones only know of this dish. It's known to us as 'pulu ikan'. It is cooked with a variety of vegetables - pineapples, long beans, eggplant but the main one is 'lau heok' or daun kadok, which is called pepper leaves in English. This leaf is grown wild along fences and you can just go around and pluck them. But now with so many developments around, it's hard to find them any more. There is this small little shop in Chowrasta Market where you can go and buy the ingredients. I remembered my (late) mother brought me there before and just asked for ingredients to cook 'perut ikan' and the shopkeeper will just get them all and placed in a plastic bag. As for the fish intestines, I remembered we have to soak them in bottles and changed the water several times. It's real smelly mind you! Nowadays I think very few people cook this at home. You can get this in some Nyonya restaurants though. In 2008, I found the recipe published in the Star Papers.

The 'perut ikan' served at Nyonya Restaurant is not too bad but there is very little daun kadok in it and a bit too sourish. Nevertheless, the second or third best is still better than nothing! My (late) mother's 'pulu ikan' is still the best!