Pulau Aman Mee Udang & Mantis Prawns

Mee Udang and the Mantis Prawns are like the whole point of going Pulau Aman to many people.

To me, it is an unforgettable brand new experience, yet I hope it won’t be happened again... What happened? Curious right? :p

After we get off from the boat, we head straight to the Restaurant Terapung (Floating Restaurant), no chance to get lost by following the crowd. When approaching the restaurant, you will see a dock where people queuing for fresh fishes and prawns. If you are not going alone, get some of you queue at the dock, and others can walk further in to queue for the restaurant’s table. Of course you only need to do that if there are a lot of people (avoid public & school holiday).  They are 2 different merchant, so you have to buy your own freshie, bring it to the restaurant and ask them to cook for you.

I was the one queuing at the dock, and I just wanted to get some mantis prawns. Like most of the famous food in Penang, the person-in-charge is kind of arrogant. The person kept saying, "No more mantis prawns for today." I was really curious and I see the people still queuing, and no movement. After 15 minutes standing there, I finally understand. There are fishing boat sending in supply like every 5 minutes, many of them bring in normal prawns, tiger prawns, fishes and crabs. Mantis prawns? Not much. Maybe because of the timing which is 1pm that time, or demand > supply.

However, people still show low interest on other fishes and prawns, even the big mantis prawns, as it is more expensive. So we just so willing to wait despite the uncertainty.

The Big Mantis Prawns costs RM120 for 4, I bet can just buy one though. Small Mantis Prawns costs RM50 per kg.

Finally, it is my turns, they got me 800g (7 mantis prawns) for RM40, without even asking me how much I want. Boat came, mantis prawns came, throw all in the plastic bag, weight it, hand it to you, take it or leave it. If you don’t want, the next person surely more than happy to take it. So I paid, bring my still jumping mantis prawns, walk towards the restaurant, where my friend still queuing. While waiting, V took a picture with it bravely.

On the other hand, I busy marketing off half of my mantis prawns as we not going to finish all 7 mantis prawns. It just took me open my mouth and in less than 5 mins, they are sold to a person behind the queue.

Finally, V grabs us a table. Despite the restaurant is really really dirty, we had the freshest mantis prawns I ever had. Without any sauce or spice, only cooked by steaming the mantis prawns, you taste its sweetness and freshness (while V actually felt it 'jilak').

We also ordered the Mee Kuah Udang and fried rice, which are really nothing worth mentioning. Wonder how it became so famous. One of the blogger who mentioned the fried rice is better than the mee udang, I really couldn't agree at all. The prawns in mee udang and fried rice are very fresh though. You don’t need to get prawns from the dock unless you need extras. Mee udang and fried rice cost RM5-RM6 respectively.

The meal was completed by a lime juice (malay: limau ais). Totally refreshing on a too much seafood meal in hot afternoon (better ask them to lesser the sugar though).

We have a short walk on the trail and village after mail, check out my another post.

Just a short afternoon, but a long day for me. Looking at too much killing with my bare eyes. 

Check out my other posts:

How To Go Pulau Aman?
Boat Fees & Schedule
Pulau Aman Village

Pulau Aman Fishing Village

Signboard after exit the Jetty on Pulau Aman. Separate as left and right side of the island.

 We have a short walk on the trail on left after exit from the Restaurant Terapung (Floating Restaurant). The trail don’t have any sign but we hope the trail would be round island, however, after walking 15 mins, it still shows no sign at all, so we finally decided to turn back.

Scenery on the trail

Walking back and V explores to the right of the island which houses numbers of village families. It looks like the Mabul Island village that we went last year, original and close to the nature.

At very end of the right side of the island, there is a very beautiful bay that have not been discovered by many (before I wrote it here of course).

There are few people fishing there. We watched them caught a stingray (malay: ikan pari), and cut its tail. Then they put it in a very small container.

After 5 mins, it gives birth to a baby stingray. The fishing guy said, whenever they caught a stingray, it will gives birth a baby, which they don’t know why. What else... that is survival behavior, knowing that they will be killed soon.

They put the baby stingray back to the sea.  

I don’t like fishing. Don’t like the feeling that we kill the animal with our own hands, or watching it to die. If we have to catch our own food some days, I think I have to be vegetarian...

The trip is a fresh experience for me, watching how people live at the other side of Penang.

Check out my other posts:
How To Go Pulau Aman?
Boat Fees & Schedule
Pulau Aman Famous Seafood: Floating Restaurant (Restaurant Terapung)


Something to Learn:
"Rays have been known to store sperm and not give birth until they decide the timing is right".^[1]
"Stingrays give birth to fully developed, live young, not egg cases like skates do. When they are near term, even the slightest stress - like dangling from a hook or bird’s mouth - can cause them to release their young.  ^[2]

Pulau Aman Boat Schedule & Price

How to Go Pulau Aman Jetty? Check-out HERE.

Ferry Price:
Adult: RM6 (Return)
Children: RM4  (Return)
One-way: RM 4

Schedule:
(Weekdays)
From Pulau Aman:
8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
From Batu Musang:
9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm

(Weekend & Public Holiday)
Non-stop boat supply

Duration: The journey takes only 10 mins in speed boat while around 15-20 mins in slow boat.

Speed Boat

Slow Boat

Check out my other posts:
How To Go Pulau Aman?
Pulau Aman Fishing Village
Pulau Aman Famous Seafood: Floating Restaurant (Restaurant Terapung)

Pulau Aman - How to Get There

Pulau Aman is one of the nearest tourist island in Penang other than Pulau Jerejak.

I finally get the chance to visit Pulau Aman after almost 4 years in North when my old friend from Batu Pahat visit me during the school holiday.

We started off from Bukit Mertajam, using the north-south highway from Juru Toll, drive for about 15 minutes and exit at Bukit Tambun toll. After exit the toll, turn right following the brown colour signboard pointing Pulau Aman Jetty. Drive for another  500 metres, you will need to make a left turn, stay with the signboard. The left turn will lead you to the Batu Kawan stadium, the biggest stadium in Penang state, in the middle of nowhere, resides on the left-hand-side of the road. Keep driving straight and you will notice the signboard started showing Jetty Cassia.

Before I came, I did some homework and people mentioned there are 2 jetties, Jetty Bukit Tambun and Jetty Batu Musang, where the Jetty Batu Musang is the correct jetty to Pulau Aman now. It make me worry if I was on the right track. But end up, hell the Jetty Batu Musang, none of the signboard mentioned its name. Just follow the Jetty Cassia guys (well at least for these few months until they change again), the Jetty Batu Musang name will only be seen right at the jetty.

It’s nothing complicated because you don’t have much choices on the route, just stay on the road, despite you will see deserted place with bushes and swam, you will reach the jetty eventually. It took us about 40 minutes or less from Bukit Mertajam to the jetty, smooth traffic.

Sorry that I don’t have information on the public transport to jetty.

The ferry/boat fees and schedule can be found HERE. 

GPS Coordinate:
N 5 15.914 E 100 24.44


Check out my other posts:
Boat Fees & Schedule
Pulau Aman Fishing Village
Pulau Aman Famous Seafood: Floating Restaurant (Restaurant Terapung)