The Malaysian Food Review

By now most of you would've heard the shocking news of the passing of one of television's most memorable personalities. Yes, the Crocodile Hunter is dead - floored (or should I say, sunk) by a Stingray barb. He's entertained us, educated us, and made us all sound like idiots when we tried to imitate his catchphrases. So I felt compelled to pay tribute to this great man..... by having stingray for lunch.

This mission took me to Jalan Bellamy, the home of 3 famous Ikan Bakar (Grilled/Barbecued Fish) stalls. Jalan Bellamy is located somewhere behind the Istana Negara.

Ikan Bakar Ramli Yusuf was my stall of choice, as it usually is. I'm not sure why I always pick this stall, but I'm guessing it's because it's always the nearest to my parking spot. All 3 are supposed to be good anyway.

For some reason, there weren't as many people as there usually were. Having caught sight of my delicious prey, I quickly grabbed 2 plates of stingray and made for the table, while my lunch partners brought along catfish (ikan keli), shad (ikan terubuk), and a whole squid (sotong) for company.

I attacked the stingray (ikan pari) immediately. In my opinion, stingray was born for ikan bakar. It's a beeeyooooootiful fish, scaleless, with soft and chewy flesh, and its skin when burnt is very tasty. Another plus point is that the stingray's bone is a flat sheet down the middle of the fish, so it's really easy to separate the flesh from it. Some people even consume the crunchy bone altogether. Crikey!

Ok, no more Steve Irwin catchphrases, I promise.

Next up, the catfish (ikan keli). This delicious freshwater fish is easy to eat and extremely soft and tasty.

One thing to note about this fish is that it has plenty of fat. It may gross you out a bit, but don't worry, because it's Omega-3 fat and is actually good for your heart.

This is one of my must-have fishes. It's good even without any sauces.

The shad (ikan terubuk) is not one I would normally pick. It's immensely popular with Malays, who argue that it possesses a very unique flavour. Personally, I prefer chucking it to the starving cats lurking underneath my table. It's not that it ISN'T tasty, the problem is that it's deathly annoying to eat. Terubuk is scaly and chock-full of tiny bones. You need patience for this, and you NEED to eat it with your hands. I won't recommend it otherwise.

Normally, I prefer my squid fried in a crunchy, golden-brown batter, but my resistance crumbled when I saw this little beauty.

This magnificent squid cost us a bomb, but it was well worth it. It was already fresh and tasty, but dipping it into the superb sour chilli sauce made it even better.

The only question is - would you pay RM20 for it? We certainly didn't hesitate.

All in all, I think this place rates very highly among other ikan bakar outlets in KL and PJ. There's a good variety of fish and other seafood, and they all taste great with or without the chilli sauces. Prices are reasonable as well, each fish costs about RM5 or 6, with the exception of the squid which can escalate depending on the size. The only problem I have is that it can be quite difficult to get a seat (or a parking spot) during lunchtime.

Next time i'm there I'll review the scad (ikan cencaru), red tilapia, mackerel (ikan kembong), and cockles (kerang) if they're available.

Steve, this one was for you, mate. Yer a bleedin' legend. Take it easy, and we'll catch ya later.