Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

Min Sin Yie Vegetarian Restaurant

Still remember this place? Click HERE for my previous visit with FCOE and TallGal. On the 1st and 15th of every month in the Chinese lunar calendar, grandma will go vege (though half day only), and as time goes by, the options become more and more limited. She being a picky eater doesn’t help either. So, after a few visits to Min Sin Yie at Taman Ipoh Permai, my family was hooked. The food is good, the service satisfactory, and the location’s very near to our house.

Clockwise from top left : Salted “fish” with “Minced Pork”, Butter Milky Mushrooms, Curry Vegetables, and Watan Tofu.

They have set menu, on top of the ala carte dishes. The sets cater to any amount of people dining along, and we picked the one for 4-6 pax. At only RM48/set, rice and chinese tea is included, and there are 4 dishes and one soup.

What we like about their food is they are not oily, nor salty, yet closely resemble the taste of the REAL deal (read : meat !!!). Most notable in my books would be the Butter Milky (Nai Yau) Mushrooms, deep-fried to crispiness heaven, and drizzled with a rich, creamy butter gravy,with curry leaves and some chillies. Highly recommended.

4 Heavenly Kings (RM8)

But of course, if there are more of you, and you do not wish to order the sets for 7-10 pax, you can opt for the RM48 set, PLUS any ala carte dish you desire. For instance, the aptly dubbed “Four Heavenly Kings“, with brinjals, stinkbeans (petai), long beans, and French beans, topped with some vegetarian minced pork, and garnished with strips of red chillies. Slightly spicy, the dish goes really well with white rice.

Crispy beancurd skin

If you’re eating individually, and in a rush, you can pick any dishes you like from their wide array of dishes available at the counter, economy rice style. The vegetarian roasted geese and deep-fried beancurd skin come highly recommended.

For address and contact, refer to old post HERE.

” There are times in life when we weep in sorrow, Wailing our hearts out till it’s all hollowed,

But persevere my dear friend, do not stay mellow, For after the storm, the calm will follow ….. “

Annyong haseyo? (Good morning) Ottoshimnika? (How are you?)

Clean, spacious, and unpretentious – promising a satisfying Korean dining experience

Korean restaurants in Klang Valley are a dime a dozen, literally. The other day I was in Hartamas, and the dozens of Japanese and Korean restaurants within the vicinity were mind-boggling. But here in Ipoh, searching for a reputable Korean restaurant was akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Recently (about 5 months ago) Onix Jun Korean Restaurant (aka Dae Jang Gum, how “imaginative”) opened for business in Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, the business centre behind Kinta City/Jusco shopping centre.

Banchan (side dishes commonly served in a Korean meal)

Of course, this is NOT the only Korean restaurant in Ipoh, the other equally popular one is Yea Won Restaurant (click HERE for previous visit with Jason & Citygal), located in Medan Ipoh Bistari, also within the same perimeter of the area behind Jusco/Tesco in Ipoh.

Thus, comparison is inevitable. But me, KCA and KYT, who had been to both, unanimously agreed that Onix Jun serves higher quality Korean offerings compared to Yea Won.

Even the kimchi taste better, and very appetizing, preparing the palate for the impending Korean gastronomic fare.

Pa Jeon (RM12) and Kimchi Jeon (RM12) – Korean pancakes

The Kimchi Jeon was not spicy although the appearance may be deceiving. Jeon refers to Korean pancake dishes, and at Onix Jun, 3 types are served – Pa Jeon (egg & green onions), Kimchi Jeon (kimchi, duh … ) and Pumpkin Jeon (need I say more?). Dip them in soy sauce, the thin pancakes make great snack if you do not want a heavy meal. The Kimchi version scored better in my opinion. The Pa Jeon was too plain, unlike my aunt’s homemade version, bursting with flavours from the prawns, and gochujang sauce as accompaniment.

Fried Rice Cakes (RM20)

Another favourite of mine when dining Korean-style is the Fried Rice Cakes. The rice cakes at Yea Won was abyssmal, tasteless and sticky gravy, lacking in flavours. But the rice cakes here fared much better in our books, the chewy rice cakes served with carrots, scallions, and cabbages, topped with sesame seeds. The sauce provided much of the flavour, slightly sweet, sour yet savoury. Kinda resembles Chee Cheong Fun’s sweet gravy.

Spicy BBQ Pork (RM19)

Half lean-half fat cuts of pork, marinated in slightly spicy sauce (typical red pepper sauce ~ Korean speciality), and barbecued. Wrapped them in Romaine lettuce, and gobble them whole. Good stuff. If only the portion is larger. Hmmm ….

Kimchi Stew (RM18) with rice

Piping hot, or rather, BUBBLING hot on arrival, the kimchi stew was piquant, sour, and appetizing. Ingredients thrown in include chicken cubes, soft beancurd, cabbage, scallions, etc. A healthier option compared to the barbecued meats, thus, perfect for the anorexics/bulimics.

Dolsot Bibimbap (RM15)

One of Korea’s most famous rice dish, is the Bibimbap. Visually appealing, the warm rice is topped with various vegetables such as mushrooms, bean sprouts, radish, minced pork and an egg yolk, served in a claypot. How to eat them? Mix them well with the red pepper sauce (not spicy, no worries), then satiate the RICE POT in you. However, I do find their Bibimbap slightly dry, probably the reason why a bowl of soup was served together.

Bulgogi Rice (RM20)

Bulgogi, aka Korean Barbecued Beef, is one of the safest choice to order in Korean outlets. Marinated simply with soy sauce, sugar and various ingredients, then barbecued or pan-grilled, the sliced beef cuts is tasty enough to eat on its own, more so when complemented by a bowl of fluffy white rice. The sweet broth reminds me of sukiyaki beef, frothy with lots of sesame seeds, scallions and carrots, for a balanced meal in a pot.

Onix Jun aka Dae Jang Gum is manned by a Korean family, now residing in Ipoh. They speak impeccable English, and even Mandarin, so no worries. Of course, the second time I visited, they hired some locals as well. Previously, they were running their business at another premise, in the same area of Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, but lesser known to Ipoh foodies.

Location : 31, Jln Medan Ipoh 4, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh. Tel : 012-5377530, or 05-5477530.

Business hours : 11.30am-3.00 pm for lunch, and 5.30pm-11.00pm everyday, except Sunday when they open from 11.30am – 11.00pm straight. Closes on 1st and 2nd Tuesdays of the month.

With that, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to KCA for the treat, on behalf of KYT and TallGal. Altogether now, Kamsahamnida !!! ^_^

The prawns, the squids, the compulsory B-A-L-L-S, dumplings, enoki mushrooms and boiled quail’s eggs (to boost that cholesterol level a notch or two)

Cameron Highlands houses various steamboat outlets, each with its own following, and charges almost the same price. But the portions may not be adequate, and choices are rather limited. So, being the smart alecs that we are, we transported 2 whole steamboat sets, shopped for a lot of ingredients before we reached the highlands, and held the inaugural annual steamboat dinner in Cameron.

Seeing greens? Motormouth I may be, but I worship my vegetables nonetheless …

One pot clear broth flavoured by chicken stock, another by tomyam paste. Once again, we did NOT learn our lesson from last year’s Steamboat-in-Cameron event, leftovers aplenty, that lasted until the next day’s breakfast. Mostly the greens were bought in excess. Wonder which one of us is the culprit/carnivore ….

Giant white radishes … Arm yourself with one, and no thugs will dare come near!

After a potentially stomach-bursting dinner, the sane option would be to burn them “evil calories” off. And what better way than to traverse through the pasar malam (night market) in Brinchang, savouring the sights, the sounds, and erm, the FOOD?!!! =O

Clockwise from top left : (a) Crystal Jambu (amazingly sweet and crunchy fruit @ RM6 each!), (b) Fried mushrooms, watercress, enoki mushrooms, (c) Fried BIG prawns, crabs and chicken, (d) “I see strawberries. They’re everywhere.

Ice cream with a twist?

The night market at Brinchang town comes alive every weekend, on Friday and Saturday. My aim of course, is the FOOD. Though you can buy fresh vegetables, flowers, clothes and accessories, and the usual offerings at your favourite pasar malam.

My list of MUST-TRIES : 1) Batter-fried Enoki Mushrooms, and “Kam Cham Fah”

2) Fried sweet potato balls – Orange & Purple ones!

3) The jagung/maize/corn – Dubbed “Jagung Mutiara” ~ Sweet & juicy

4) The imaginatively-flavoured ice cream …

The ice-cream stall owner is a friendly auntie, making her own ice-cream, and developing new flavours every now and then. It so happened that night, BEER, RUM, Cheesecake, Mango, Strawberry, Buah Cinta (Love fruit?), and various other weird varieties were available.

People say steamboat should be enjoyed with a pint of beer or two. Sad to say, we did not buy any. BUT, here’s redemption. BEER Ice Cream !!! You can really taste the beer in the creamy dessert, thus every lick was a joy. The other flavour I tried was the Cheese flavour. Awkward, but not as cheesy as I’d hoped it would be.

Various sights around, and from our apartment, The Honeymoon Villa

Strawberry Muffins, and the morning-afternoon market at Brinchang

Sweet Potato Balls, and Jagung Mutiara (RM2/each), that can be eaten raw

And that’s a wrap, folks. Thinking of a destination for your family vacation? Or a simple getaway from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life? Visit Cameron Highlands for a cool, relaxing, and serene experience …

MATANG FAMOUS SEAFOOD PORRIDGE !!!

Light House Seafood Restaurant

Humoungous claypot of seafood porridge, with shark’s meat (yes, read that right), homemade fishballs, prawns, and enoki mushrooms

We ordered TWO pots of porridge, one with prawns, one without. Simply because KYT cannot “tahan” (stand) the overwhelming seafood flavours, proclaiming them as too fishy. Yet he managed to gobble tonnes after tonnes of sushi, sashimi, and all types of seafood imaginable, the night before at TAO. Hmm … Contradicting statements, huh? =P

Here at Light House, you choose what goes into your pot of porridge. From types of fish such as tiger grouper, normal grouper, pomfret and shark’s meat, to fishballs, prawns, and shellfish. We opted for shark’s meat, fishballs and prawns, as the other species are pricier options. Moreover, boiling tiger grouper in porridge somehow sounds sooooo wrong, no?

Smooth, delightful grains of rice, boiled with the sweetness of the seafood-infused broth, complemented by the abundance of rich, succulent seafood. No soy sauce or pepper necessary, else you just ‘kill’ the flavours. One small reminder though, if you’re not a big eater, ask for smaller portion. They tend to go overboard in stuffing your guts.

Steamed Clams (La-la) RM12

If you do not wish for all the ingredients to ‘drown’ in the porridge, you can order side dishes. We ordered the steamed La-La. Pleasantly surprised by the LARGER than usual clams, with thick, succulent meat, steamed to perfection. Yup, at RM12 for that large serving. Worth every cent.

Or Chien aka Oyster Omelette @ RM15

The Or Chien did not fare too well, though the fried egg was crisp at sides, and the ‘wok hei’ shone through. However, too much flour was used, rendering the omelette stickier than your average, and the oysters barely noticable.

Deep-fried Fish (Cai Yu Zhai) 16 pieces for RM13

Crispy, fried small fish that went really well with the wet, and sweet porridge. Provided much desired crispiness and texture. A good snack, nevertheless.

Total damage? RM127. The 2 pots of porridge cost RM72, each ingredients priced separately. RM42 for the shark’s meat, RM21 for the prawns, and RM9 for the fishballs. Oh, did I mention that the fishballs are not your typical variety? These are larger, firm yet bouncy balls, homemade and tasty. Be sure to add them into your customized pot of simple food for the soul …

UPDATED 9/9/08 – Location : Light House Seafood Restaurant @ No. 10, Jalan Cina, 34750 Matang, Taiping, Perak. Tel : 05-8475408, 05-8475649.

Opening hours : 11am – 11pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

Map to the Place

The front entrance to TAO Cuisine – Famous for its Japanese buffet and sushi

The heavy eastern influence clearly projected through the ambience

Situated in Auto-City in Juru, Penang, this restaurant famous for its Japanese buffet, had been operating for a few years, with another outlet at E-Gate on Penang island. When I was a mere student, forking out RM50 per person for a meal sounded far-fetched, and bordering on absurdity. Now? It’s possibly time for a comeback. With a vengeance. Muahaha …

Their sushi counter, with UNlimited supplies of rolled rice with all types of fish imaginable … With the sushi master helming the process, you can be assure of the freshness of the cuts

With more than 100 items on their menu, the concept is simple, albeit slightly different from the average buffet meals. You ORDER the dishes you desire through the person waiting (waiter-ing?) your table, instead of getting up from your seat every few minutes to replenish your plates. Pros? Perfect for lazybums (like us), and you can browse the menu in the comfort of your seats, rather than pressured to choose at the buffet line. Cons? The 10% service charge, and frantically waving for their attention. But fortunately, although we were seated in a private room (for larger crowds, obviously) the waiter was very attentive, and dropped by our door to check if we need anything, periodically.

Sary Abalone – Fresh, QQ-texture abalone slices with mayo sauce

Sashimi Karapacho (yup, I suspect they mean carpaccio, but the raw cuts were different) – Various chunks of fish/octopus drizzled, or doused with mayo, and sweet Japanese sauce

Salmon Papaya

Their signature item, Salmon Papaya which were cuts of sweet, matured papaya wrapped with smoked salmon. A different flavour, fusion if you will, but remember to eat them once they’re served. After awhile, the cuts tend to get a little soggy. Over-hyped, me thinks.

Sashimi Moriawase and various Hand Rolls

Thick cuts of salmon, butterfish and octopus served fresh. However, the serving above was a DOUBLE portion. Imagine that. Probably a strategy to minimize wastage, OR cut cost. As I’m sure everyone would be gunning for the sashimi to get his/her money’s worth. The hand rolls were so-so, too much rice, and too little fillings. And the seaweed’s too chewy for my preference.

Chef Maki – Changes every now and then, depending on the chef at helm. Delightful salmon slices with kiwi, and sides of crunchy seaweeds and salad

Kimisu Tako, Tako Sunomono, and Lingo To Mozuku Zuke – All passable appetizers, the first two involved tako, or octopus, while the latter was crunchy strands of seaweed

(Clockwise from top left) : Thai Spicy Lamb, Grilled Shisamo (smelt), Teppanyaki Duck Breast, and Yakitori (grilled chicken on skewers)

The cooked items on the menu were an impressive lot, incorporation grilling, steaming, and boiling, and influences from every corner, from Chinese to Western, and Thai to Korean. Particularly interesting was the Thai Spicy Lamb, marinated lamb cuts cooked in a spicy sauce, with capsicums and onions. Every bite was an explosive myriad of flavours, savoury, and spicy. The grilled chicken on skewers were exceptionally large cuts of chicken thigh meat, so much that we were having problem finishing them. Probably a plot to fill our stomach in order to prevent over-binging on other items? Hmm ….

(Clockwise from top left) : Steamed Unagi (eel), Taiwan Mantis Prawns, Tako Kimchi, and White Skin Crab

Some crappy stuff like the White Skin Crab resembled poorly wrapped Chee Cheong Fun, with bits of crab meat, and the mantis prawns which were a tad saltish. The steamed unagi was delectable, and its freshness shone through. If only we opted for a larger portion …

Grilled Lamb Shoulder

No gravy was necessary. Juicy cuts of lamb shoulder marinated to perfection. No gamey taste, no chewy texture. But some fatty parts remained intimidatin. Must-try.

Sakana with Spicy Mayo

Grilled cuts of cod fish, topped with creamy mayo sauce with a kick. Suffice to say, these disappeared in a flash.

Grilled Salmon

Rich with Omega-3, salmon remains as the top choice for fatty fishes, as tuna and cod are pricier options. Large plate of perfectly grilled salmon, fresh, and devoid of fishy flavour. KYT nodded in agreement. Hehehe …. The skin was crispy as well.

Mixed Tempura (Prawns and Vegetables)

Normally, the main problem with tempura dishes in buffet meals would be too cold, and the batter too thick, rendering them inedible if not dunked in the tentsuyu sauce, and lots of daikon (white radish). But at Tao, as they deep-fry them ON-THE-SPOT, the crunchy and light batter complemented the fresh prawns really well. One minor gripe; Where’s the daikon??!!

Shitake Kushi (Grilled shitake mushrooms on skewers)

Juicy mushrooms, grilled with a bit of salt. Appeared rather dry and shrunken, but surprisingly moist and tasty. Good snack. Though the others did not resound my opinions.

Crab Meat With Cheese

One glimpse and these fried ‘wanton’-like structures looked mediocre. But one bite, and we were in seventh heaven. Hot, creamy cheese oozed from the fillings, very rich, but paired with the crunchy skin, this is a MUST-TRY item. We ordered second servings before the end of the meal.

Motoyaki Scallops

And this might be MY favourite choice for the whole evening. Grilled scallops with a spicy and creamy sauce. I downed a few in no time. And we ordered seconds as well. Not exactly BIG in sizes, but scored with the full flavour. And you can have UNlimited servings of these babies. Size indeed, DOES NOT matter.

One word … Zen

We only managed to order roughly only 50% of the items in the menu. Yup, there are WAY more to choose from. Of course, some dishes I did not snap, and some photos came out blurry as everybody’s in frenzy to tuck in.

Price : RM48/person ++. But come before 6.30pm and you’ll get an “Early Bird” discount of 10%. Thus, we paid RM50 per pax nett. Their dining session is separated into two, to cater to a larger crowd. 5.30pm – 8.00pm, and 8.00pm – 10.30pm. Pick one, and remember to book in advance if you’re going on weekends or public holidays, to avoid disappointment.

Location : TAO Authentic Asian Cuisine @ Juru Auto-City, Penang. From the North-South highway towards Penang from the south, turn left into the JURU exit, after the Juru toll. You’ll see the Auto-City on your left, even from the highway. Tel No : 04-5017826.

Website : www.tao-cuisine.com