Cycle 16 – Item 282

Post 5,761

14 (Tue) October 2025

Egg Fuyunghai

2.5

on MSY Mola Mola 1

-Banda Sea, Indonesia-

with fellow divers

Living Aboard the Mola Mola: Day 2 of 7

• • Day -4 (16.277 Nasi Goreng Kampoeng)
  • Day -3 (16.278 Ikan Bakar)
  • Day -2 (16.279 Chicken & Beef Platter)
  • Day -1 (16.280 Buntut Goreng)
  • Day 1 (16.281 Beef Semur)
  • Day 2 (16.282 Egg Fuyunghai)
  • Day 3 (16.283 Egg Balado)
  • Day 4 (16.284 Ayam Goreng Lengkuas)
  • Day 5 (16.285 Hotpot)
  • Day 6 (16.286 Beef Rendang)
  • Day 7 (16.287 BBQ with “My” Sambal)
  • Day +1 (16.288 Fried Chicken Nusantara (Quarter Chicken Package))

In Indonesia.  Here for a 7-day liveaboard scuba diving trip: sailing across the Banda Sea on board the MSY Mola Mola, while diving, eating, drinking, sleeping (i.e., “living aboard”) the boat.  The Banda Sea is one of four seas surrounding the archipelago of Maluku Islands aka the Spice Islands (where European powers fought wars during the 16th-17th centuries to gain control of the islands’ abundant spices, such as nutmeg, cloves, and mace).  Primary objective: sighting schools of hammerhead sharks.  (Two prior liveaboard trips were both to the Maldives aboard the MV Adora (see previously 14.062 Sautéed Sword Lettuce (Three Times) (2023) (9.191 Grilled Beef Tenderloin (2018).)  My first time ever in Indonesia – who knows if I’ll ever return? – I arrived a few days early to maximize the visit and hang out in Jakarta.

After sailing through the night, we arrived this morning at Pulau Suanggi.

DAILY SCHEDULE

Sleep.  Eat (light breakfast).  Dive (1).  Shower.  Eat (full breakfast).  Sleep.  Dive (2).  Shower.  Eat (lunch).  Sleep.  Dive (3).  Shower.  Eat (snack).  Sleep.  Dive (4).  Shower.  Eat (dinner).  Drink (booze).  Read.  Sleep.

Repeat.

Because I didn’t bring an underwater camera this trip, I will have to rely on photos/videos from others.  (As far as I’m aware, only 1 video was shot of me – see Day 5.)

DIVE 1

– Pulau Suanggi –

Nothing to report.

DIVE 2

– Pulau Suanggi –

Saw a shark in the distance but couldn’t tell if it was a hammerhead (other divers who were closer said it was).

LUNCH

Thus, these posts will mostly be about the food.

With 14 of 16 divers on the trip being Asian, 11 ethnically Chinese (Singapore 8, Hong Kong 2, Malaysia 1, Indonesia 1, Philippines 1, Korea 1 (me), Swiss 1, English 1), the kitchen is making an effort to prepare Chineseish food – fine by me.  (The food on the Adora, vaguely European, vaguely South Asian, was great but got tiresome at times.). Just hoping they’ll throw in some local dishes, which would seem to go with the overall Asian theme.

DIVE 3

– Pulau Suanggi –

Nothing to report.

DIVE 4

– Pulau Suanggi –

Nothing to report.

DINNER

The crab was clearly the centerpiece of the spread, and it did smell amazing, but I didn’t feel like getting my hands messy.

Whereas egg fuyung is originally a Cantonese Chinese dish, it is also popular in Indonesian Chinese cuisine.  Referred to as fuyunghai (芙蓉蟹) (hibiscus crab), the dish is often made with crab meat, along with vegetables such as carrots, bean sprouts, and cabbages.   In contrast to the brown savory gravy in the Cantonese version, the Indonesian version  includes a sweet and sour sauce.

Didn’t detect any crab (perhaps because crab was served as a separate dish).

The sauce was too sweet.

(See RESTAURANTS IN INDONESIA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)