Lok Lok Steamboat @ Pantai Lok Lok, Taman Cheng Lai, Butterworth

Like most things, steamboat seems to taste better on a stick. OK some of you may disagree, but it does make eating so much more convenient. 

The front of the house

Being the front stall of the Seberang Jaya Wai Sek Kai, Pantai Lok Lok may have it all in the locations department. But a good location is not the only factor, if  the food is not good. Fortunately, the food was very good.Steamboat restaurant and lok lok trucks are everywhere and they more or less have the same concept of dipping items to be cooked in a pot of water. So what makes this place stand out?

Options

Firstly, it has a vast variety of tasty morsels on a stick to choose from. From shellfish, to pork and a wide array of vegetables, there is an almost endless selection.  When it comes to meat items, you can choose lean, streaky cuts of pork and even some offal. Seafood consists from the humble fish ball to more extravagant ones like mussels and scallops. In addition to steam boat items, some of the skewer can be grilled or deep fried. Some items like wan tans have already been fried so no further cooking is needed. 

And more options. Get a plate ready

Even the variety of vegetables here are noteworthy. Usual suspects like kangkung and cabbage makes an appearance. But broccoli? Need to make Mum proud and eat my greens right? Top it off with a very reasonable price of about RM 1 or 2 per stick, and you got yourself a winner. 

Note the sauces, although there are 10 bowls, the sambal was a repeat. 

Another winning quality of this place that it does not have just one dipping sauce. 2 or 3? How about NINE! All of the dipping sauces are made in house and each table has a good helping of each of them. Part of the fun was trying out the various sauces, and even combining a few to make a cause of your own. 

The "menu"

With that alongside various skewered goodies, you have an endless selection when it comes to flavour combinations. I personally liked the "bawang laksa bunga" sauce. Well, that was what it was called, according to the sign. It has a zesty flavour and has a fruity kick with some heat. Dipping it with some boiled pork belly really made my day. To me, this mix of sauces was what makes this particular steamboat place stand out, and I believe that is the same thing with other patrons. 

The first of many plates. 

Like places that allow you to pick and choose, it is best to go easy on your first plate and work your way up.  Find a thing that suits you then only stack in more. Fortunately, everything was good here and many repeats for many skewers came soon after. 

A great thirst buster

And lastly is the variety of desserts that they have. Leng chee kang and lemonade jelly were popular selections. They also create a good balance between the heat with their chilly constitution.  The leng chee kang was loaded with toppings and was a combination of various flavours and textures. 

Just too good. 

My favourite for the night was the honey lemon jelly, which was topped with basil seeds. It was zesty and sweet, which complimented the somewhat bland agar-agar jelly. It was so good that i had 2 helpings of it. 

Boil! Boil! Boil!

Despite variety being the name of the game, the method in ordering the items in order is relatively simple. For the skewered items, just take a metal plate and stack it with your desired items and bring to your table. A staff member will come over to do the counting for you. If you picked an item to be deep fried, then pass it to the counter. Drinks and desserts can be ordered if you are able to catch a staff member's attention. Thats it. Just like any other kopi tiam.

Close up to the various sauces. 

This was a great gourmet experience on the cheap. It was hard to believe at first that this dinner for 4 only costed RM89. It was a real miracle, seeing that we had scallops, squid, mussels, and topping up on desserts. 

A view of the inside. 

Personally I would recommend this place with no hesitation. Of course, being a road side stall, there is a small issue pertaining to hygiene. But this is a matter for any country when it comes to street food. Anyway, if you want to have a good budget gourmet meal, Pantai Lok Lok's address is as follows:

Lebuh Kurau 5, Taman Chai Leng Park, 13700 Perai, Pulau Pinang,