Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

Just the other day I read with much interest, a comment on All About Ipoh about some of the older dining establishments in Ipoh. If you have been a true-blue Ipohan all along (a baby of the 80′s, at the very least) then you might have heard of names like Kok Kee and Kwong Chow Dim Sum, Tho Yuen, and the very famous Chee Seng on Jalan Theatre.

Still standing strong amidst the slew of NEW dim sum outlets; Ying Fa is a hidden gem the youngsters of today have probably never heard of, let alone aware of the existence at one corner of Belfied Street.

Of course, all of the names above are but long gone. For me, I had the fondest memories at Kok Kee; a dim sum restaurant that opens until late at night. The aforementioned restaurant occupied a spacious lot on Hugh Low Street (next to the current Hee Lai Ton Restaurant), and was one of the pioneers among dim sum eateries in Ipoh during the 80′s, aside from the very famous Foh San on Osborne Street, and maybe Ming Court/Yoke Fook Moon …. but I was too young back then to be sure of the facts.

Glad to see the locals (mostly families, or extended families) still patronizing Ying Fa, and not succumbing to the allure of the now legendary Dim Sum Street of Ipoh ….

However, let’s not count the immensely valiant Ying Fa out from this equation. Yes, about four decades of legacy, and amazingly still soldiering on albeit the dwindling of customers due to the other more commercialized and comfortable settings, and the sheer amount of publicity that has been pumped into strengthening the “BIG 3″ amongst Dim Sum Restaurants in Ipoh.

Read on to find out why was I enticed by Ying Fa, and what they offer aside from the generic array of dim sum ……..  CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Secret Garden Bistro – The open air dining concept (al fresco) taken to different heights; Sipping on your wine while being caressed by the soothing splatters of water from the fountain, and hopefully …. some lush greenery in the near future.

I would be lying if I say I am not intrigued by the sheer pleasure of introducing yet another new eatery in Ipoh, although this one being relatively new. The official launch of Secret Garden was sometime during the first week of August 2010. The bistro started operating way back in June or July, but the boutique hotel on the first floor (only three premium rooms, as far as I know) designed to exude a certain heritage aura will only be opened for reservations in the near future.

The rustic charm in the carefully executed planning and designing of the facade and interior of Secret Garden deserves a mention; especially those supposedly-REAL barrels used to prop up a glass table top at the bar area.

Many are still kept in the dark about the exact location of Secret Garden, or what type of cuisine one can expect to indulge themselves in. Heck, even if you zoom by this lane leading to Secret Garden, all lined with a tall foliage of trees, you might just miss the place as there is NO huge signboard lighted up with neon spotlights, nor engraved walls/tiles with the company’s name emblazoned on them.

To clear the air of mystique surrounding Secret Garden, read on to discover what could have been Ipoh’s best kept secret …… until NOW.

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Purple Cane Tea House @ Ipoh – Their maiden branch in Ipoh; a solely Tea House concept unlike the other Purple Cane restaurants that emphasize on tea-infused dishes instead.

So you might have heard about what that legendary premise on Osborne Street (Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar) previously occupied by Foh San Dim Sum has been renovated, and transformed into. If you have not, then it’s fine time you revisit that charming, beloved structure now with a fresh coat of white paint, yet nary a demolishing thought put into action; maintaining the iconic facade we have all grown up with.

The people at Purple Cane must be commended for putting deep thoughts into turning this Tea House into something fresh and chic yet retaining that old school charm of the beautiful interior.

The publicity has been minimal until now, with no brochures reaching my hands, nor large advertisements splashed out in the papers. (Maybe there WERE, but I don’t read the Chinese dailies) Heck, if not for the photos posted by fans of the All About Ipoh page, a post from Simple Girl, and a mail from a reader, I would not have known about this quaint gem (ironically, this term was used sparingly by a restaurant down south).

Read on to find out about the cuisine they serve, the products they sell (the tea house is adjacent to a retail area), their location and business hours, as well as how you can get a membership card by dining at the eatery …… CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

The undisputed Malaysian Street Food – Chunks of grilled marinated chicken and beef on skewers, served with the conventional sides of cucumber and ‘nasi himpit’ as well as their signature grilled thick, white bread.

Continuing the Kelantan 2009 saga (read the first chapter on Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah & various Kelantanese kuih-muih), let’s see what we had for dinner on one of the nights spent in Kota Bharu; the capital of Kelantan.

We were initially gunning for some other cuisine (I think it was supposed to be a killer tom yam restaurant, somewhere near to KB Mall; the famous shopping complex of Kota Bharu), but the lack of proper directions led us to a half shack-half dilapidated eatery. Not as alluring as we initially have expected, we adjourned to a backup plan ….. Satay Malaysia Restaurant on Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, a distance away from town centre.

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Fresh produce @ Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah – The sisterhood of Kota Bharu, Kelantan doing their thang!!

Now wait a minute there, Motormouth. Didn’t this visit to the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia take place back in June of (wait for it) … 2009?!!!!

Yeah, a little later than usual; I knew I just had to put into words this amazing escape to Kelantan; that happened slightly more than a year ago. Before this poor old man’s memory fails him, allow me to share some of the shots taken in and around Kota Bharu; the capital of the state Kelantan.

After the jump, be mesmerized by the sheer vibrancy and burst of colours streaking the iconic market of Kelantan; Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah, as well as the availability of various sweet snacks sold at the market …… CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Hainanese Chicken Chop – At RM7.50/USD2.30 per portion; this is a throwback to the glory days; the colonial times when our ancestors were great cooks, whipping up lip-smacking dishes in the kitchens in the British residences.

Sin Kok Thye, or New Cathay could possibly pass off as another run-of-the-mill coffee shop in a part of Klang town that has obviously seen better days. Port Klang on a Sunday is deserted; you don’t even see the ‘foreign army‘ scrambling around, making ends meet at the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Just before you reach the port, you will bear witness to rows of slightly dilapidated shophouses; in no way a haven for food hunters.

But wait, then there’s the almost century old Sin Kok Thye on Jalan Kem in Port Klang. A corner lot at the end of a row of double-storey shops facing a flyover (still operational?); a pork-free establishment reminiscence of the other Hainanese coffee shops like Yut Sun of Taiping and Yut Loy of Kuala Kangsar. Read on to find out more about the Hainanese cuisine served at this charming coffee shop ….. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »