TikToker Eats RM3,000 River Fish From Sarawak & Malaysians Have Mixed Feelings About It
"At this price, there are better options than having river fish."
By Wayne Garreth — 23 Feb 2023, 10:57 AM
When most people think of 'expensive foods', multiple options come to mind; wagyu beef, oysters, caviar, white truffle, and even certain types of crustaceans.
However, would you ever spend thousands of ringgit on fish?
Singaporean content creator and TikToker Kerryn Lee recently made a trip to Malaysia, where she documented her adventures relating to travel and food. However, a recent TikTok from her trip has been making waves on the Internet for a rather astounding reason.
In the 26-second clip posted to her account on 16 February, Lee shared an experience of having a SGD1,000 (approximately RM3,300) fish dish at a restaurant in Sibu, Sarawak.
"This is Empurau fish. In Chinese, we call it wang bu liao. I had it during my trip to Sibu, Sarawak. This fish is expensive because it's very hard to get, it comes from the upstream of Rajang River in Sibu," she said in the video.
According to Lee, this species of fish is known for eating fruit that drops into the river. Giving her take on how it tasted, Lee stated that the meat was really tender.
Towards the end of the feature, Lee explained that since the fish is so expensive, customers usually deep-fry the scales and turn it into another dish.
"Do you think this SGD1,000 fish is worth trying?" Lee said when closing out the TikTok.
Stunned by the price of the dish, many users expressed their take on whether they felt the expensive fish was tasty or not — some having tried the fish themselves, too
A fair bunch of the commenters mentioned that no matter how good it tasted, no fish is worth RM3,000.
"At this price, there are better options than having this river fish," wrote one user, while another said, "Not worth it, fish is fish."
However, a number of people who tried the Empurau fish in the past said it was indeed worth the price.
"It's worth it! Not even Sarawakians themselves get the opportunity to try this Empurau fish. You are very lucky," wrote one person.
Multiple people even went as far as to say what other types of luxury foods Lee could buy with RM3,000 instead, including salmon, bluefin tuna, abalone, and lobster.
"With SGD1,000, I better buy king crab," penned one user.
Nevertheless, Lee's experience didn't stop certain TikTok users from making jokes about the entire situation. "Let me guess, it tastes like fish?" wrote one person.
Another user, who had also ate the Empurau fish previously, said that the experience was truly unforgettable, especially after he paid for it.
"At least you're helping the restaurant pay their shop rent," joked another person.
Despite the pricing of the item being rather steep, a report on the Empurau fish deemed it to be the "King of The River" in Sarawak
In an article published to New Straits Times (NST) in 2021, the Empurau's high commercial value was said to fetch anything from RM800 to RM1,000 per kilogramme at the time.
Elaborating on the few reasons behind the expensive price tag, it was affirmed that due to the fish feeding on fruits found on the riverbanks in Sarawak, a fatty taste and distinctive fragrant aroma emerges when it is cooked.
During an interview with an Empurau trader by Bernama, he noted that Empurau was always in high demand from restaurant operators and dignitaries who come all the way from Kuching and Kuala Lumpur. This is because the fish is difficult to find due to its slow-growing and seasonal reproductive rate.
The trader also showed off an 8.2kg Empurau fish during the interview, which held a price tag of almost RM7,000.
