Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

Japanese Casual Pasta & Cafe Restaurant – “Casual” is an understatement here.

The chic, bright and airy interior of the restaurant

Vanilla Float and Fresh Grapefruit Juice (complimentary with the sets ordered)

Prawn & Chicken Gratin – Penne with Wafu Cream Sauce

Doria – Spicy Cod Roe & Potato (Rice with Wafu mentai mayonnaise sauce)

Oozing with cheese; melted, creamy and glorious cheese, the rice baked with potatoes and spicy cod roe could be a meal on its own. The spicy cod roes provided much of the flavour, slightly spicy and saltish, topping the bland baked potatoes, and complemented perfectly by the creamy cheese melting onto the rice with wafu sauce. A perfect combination, if there ever was one.

The Gratin set was priced at RM13.80, while the Doria set was RM12.80. The selection of pasta at Pasta de Gohan is mind-boggling. I did not bother to count, but there were at least 50 types of pasta cooked with any methods imaginable. Fusion, hybrid, un-original (or original), or whatever the detractors may say, one can NEVER be bored with the endless selections here.

Location : PASTA de GOHAN @ LG2.126A, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, 3, Jln PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel : 603-5621 8166

Here’s some fusion-ized pasta-lovers : kampungboycitygal, Christine, masak-masak, & Ai Wei

But seek solace in the Ministry of Food, a refreshing paradigm shift, a light at the end of the tunnel, a requiem for the masses. OK, for the sweet-toothed ones, at the very least.

Ladies & gentlemen, the newest (or at least, new to me!) addition to the ever-expanding line up of eateries in Pavilion, the MINISTRY OF FOOD !!!

Read about this chic cafe serving Japanese style desserts and beverages from other food blogs over the past few months. A timely resurgence of interest to Pavilion’s rather lacklustre range of restaurants and simple cafes. ‘Twas either too taxing on the wallet (restaurants on top floor, especially), or the meagre run-of-the-mill outlets at the lower ground floor.

Of course I can’t deny the appeal of some, the new Mr Baoz from Taiwan is interesting, but mixed reviews had me doubting. And when one’s craving for some snacks/desserts, it’s either JCo’s donuts (there’s a limit to the fresh appeal of the doughnut craze, and I’ve reached that long time ago), The Loaf’s pastries and still-delectable Uh-Hu-Hu Cheesecakes, and John King’s egg tarts.

Place your order and pay at the counter before you’re served

Cozy and bright ambience

Shira Sesame Hokkaido Gelato Mini (RM9)

Macha Mixed Imo (Soft serve with green tea sauce, red bean paste, yam and Japanese sweet potato) @ RM11

A top selection at MOF, and highly recommended by floggers alike, the Matcha Mixed Imo was served in a boat-like serving bowl, aesthetically-pleasing and leaving a lasting impression on the senses. The smooth and almost liquid-like texture of the soft serve (the soft ice cream made from Hokkaido milk, akin to McD’s soft vanilla ice-cream, but a bit smoother and none of the overpowering vanilla flavour) glided down the throat effortlessly, and the melting green tea sauce and sweet red bean paste intensified the flavours and complemented each other so well.

Imo refers to the imported Japanese sweet potatoes, and they’re deep-fried with light batter. The warm sweet potato and yam provided a hot and cold sensation when eaten with spoonfuls of the others. Blissful. But I’d recommend the sweet potatoes over the yam. (Note : you can have BOTH morsels of sweet potatoes, or BOTH yams, for the same price, if desired)

Location : MOF Japanese Sweets and Coffee @ Pavilion, Lot 1.02.00, Level 1, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03- 2144 1489

Those who helped in spreading the lurve : Masak-masak, Shell Food Station, and Yowazzup?

Notice those HUGE fried dough? HOI KENG Congee Specialist’s the shop’s name, with three branches in Kowloon, and another in Tsuen Wan

Woke up feeling refreshed and not too fatigued, as the previous day’s itinerary consisted of shopping and eating only. A far cry from the tormenting climb, crawl and walks in and around Lantau Island, Macau, Ocean Park, and so forth.

Fish Porridge (HKD18.50/RM8.33), Cheong Fun with Char Siew/Corn (HKD15/RM6.75), and Corned Beef+Bacon Sandwich Set with Milk Tea (HKD21/RM9.45) Read the rest of this entry »

The endless rows of stalls at Medan Ikan Bakar, Kuala Perlis ; Selling (almost) the same stuff rendered decision-making a tougher choice than it already was ….

Batter-fried Squids with Sweet Chilli Sauce – Every table had at least one serving. Really!

It started to drizzle as soon as we arrived, thus sorry for no photos of the place. But it’s very near to the Kuala Perlis jetty, which in turn is the pier for ferries departing to Pulau Langkawi. The area resembles a Medan Selera/Food Court style, with at least 10 stalls selling grilled fish, seafood, satay, and the typical Malay fare ie. Nasi Goreng, Nasi Daging Merah, Nasi Paprik etc.

Yes, if you’re at lost on where to choose to park your derriere, go for the ones with the most customers. Can’t go wrong. Or walk over to the stall and see for yourself the array of seafood on display in glass boxes, gauging their freshness and sizes.

Stir-fried Greens, Steamed Clams (La-la) with Ginger, Boiled Cockles, and Fried Egg with Chillies and Onions (Telur Dadar)

For some unavoidable reason, I had to coerce the others to find the nearest stall possible, before risking humiliation (=P). Therefore we picked Stall No 2, named Wanis Makanan Laut, with sizeable support from the masses.

We arrived in a group of 9, thus every order was duplicated to avoid untoward incidents, (FCOE tearing KYT’s hair, for example). As this was our un-officially FIRST real meal throughout our stay, and potentially our LAST, we went all out when ordering.

Tom Yam Soup with Mixed Seafood and Chicken

The wait for our food was daunting. A good half an hour, if I’m not mistaken. What’s worse was that, the weather was terrible that evening. It rained cats and dogs, splashing rainwater on every patron under the roof, and the icing on the cake had to be the leaking zinc roof. One table of customers was unlucky enough to be ‘showered’ by ‘waterfalls‘, no thanks to the roof that gave way. Guess they had porridge instead of white rice. LOL.

We were fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of mere drippings and minor splashing. Nothing that could break our spirits. And then arrived the deep fried squids. Not as crispy as I’d hoped for, and lacking in taste, but somehow the fresh and bouncy squids managed to win us over (or maybe the hungry souls in us were thankful for anything to fill our stomach) when paired with the sweet chilli sauce. No complaints. And serving them in the rattan basket was an authentic touch.

Grilled “Jenahak” (Sea Bass?) @ Rm3.50/100g

Their specialty of course, is their grilled fish. Pick from their selection of marine species, from fish to crabs and prawns to shellfish. We chose two large Jenahak (sea bass, or is that it?) to be grilled. The fish was fleshy, and bony as well, and the freshness pulled through, without any hint of unfavourable fishy taste/smell. However, the marinade was somehow lacklustre, rubbed on one half of the surface only. And the thickness of the fish was a challenge for the griller, and we were dismayed to find the other half of the fish slightly undercooked. A big no-no, as this is not sashimi we’re talking bout here.

The other dish that was captivating include the Tom Yam Soup, with lots of squid and chicken meat, with heavy Thai influence. Slightly sweetish, but a very fiery undertone, you’ll sweat buckets if you down gulps of them at one shot. The steamed clams with ginger was passable, not the biggest clams you could find, but thankfully fresh enough. And no, the manner of steaming is far from being on par with the Chinese’s way of steaming with wine and superior stock.

Sambal Petai with Prawns

The crunchy and rather L-sized petai (stink beans) had me in stitches, as not even the Malays are fans of this dish. But me being a petai-fanatic since I was small, polished off more than the others combined. But KYT and Ms U were great assistants in this unenviable task. =)

The rest of the dishes were forgettable. Nothing that I’ve not tasted better versions in other Malay restaurants. Fortunately, the rain has stopped by the time we demolished everything in sight. Yes, EVEN the plate of raw greens with sambal (Ulam).

Total for 9 including white rice = RM168. Reasonable, but if there’s ever a next visit, I’ll probably choose another Ikan Bakar stall, OR a Chinese seafood restaurant.

And so we successfully controlled our guts on the way back …. Flatulence after the stinky (petai) culprits spells DISASTER in the form of POISONOUS GAS to the others !!!

PERLIS – The smallest state in Malaysia

Borderless evergreen paddy fields providing an impressive backdrop for wedding photos …. (Eelektra : Take note. =P)

Paddy farms – The aftermath

From Ipoh to Perlis, the journey took us 4 whole hours. That may not be a lot for one who’s accustomed to long distance travelling, but I’ve abstained from long and winding journeys since before the fasting month. Needless to say, I was restless.

Malaysian’s favourite poisons … re-mixed aka “The Spice Crunch” version

Lunch was at the rest stop in Gurun, Kedah. The meagre fare at the stalls was not inviting, thus KFC’s our choice. The Ramadan special Spice Crunch Fried Chickens are nothing but Hot & Spicy, albeit with added chilli powder and spices. But sprinkled on top only. The salty/spicy combination may be detrimental to one’s throat, especially in such blistering hot weather. But we threw caution to the wind.

Sri Garden Hotel in Kangar, Perlis

We arrived in Kangar, which is Perlis’s capital. It was certainly an eye-opener, as I was expecting much more “kampung” (read : backwater) environment than this. Far from being a small town, but of course we’re not comparing Kangar to other state’s capitals.

Clean, simple and sufficient

We were put up at Sri Garden Hotel @ 96, Persiaran Jubli Emas, 01000 Kangar, Perlis. Yup, PUT UP, as it was not our choice. But the hotel is one of the larger ones in town, and stood out amongst others. At merely RM94.50 for a regular double room+breakfast, what more could we asked for? (And everyone’s staying solo, one to a room, to avoid bathroom fights)

Kangar – The state capital of Perlis

More paddy fields in rural areas of Perlis

Scenic stagnant ponds of water … fertile land for the grains to grow

Kedah’s always been well-known to be the “Rice Bowl” of Malaysia, being the main rice producer in the country. But Perlis has its fair share of contribution as well, with paddy plantations lining the outskirts of town.

The vast lands of greeneries, against the hills and mountains, and watching the locals farming under the hot sun, with buffaloes and storks (bangau) basking in tandem, instilled a sense of serenity, and a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Sheer bliss.

Chuping Sugar cane plantation

Perlis is also famous for producing sugar to the community, hence deemed guilty for the rapidly-increasing diabetes prevalence among Malaysians. LOL.

Nasi Lemak for breakfast …. courtesy of Sri Garden Hotel

Food-wise, we were appalled by the lacklustre fare on the first night. Absolutely horrendous experience at Kuala Perlis, that rendered me dumb-founded and couldn’t be bothered to whip out my trusty phone for a shot or two. Even the drinks at that stall (it’s the furthest stall at the Medan Selera at Kuala Perlis, if you’re coming from Kangar direction) were sweet nothings. Remember DO NOT abandon Food Hunt Rule 101 : Trust the power of the people. If there’s not much business at a stall compared to the brisk ones at others, DO NOT push your luck!

P/S : But the next night’s seafood dinner was a saving grace, a timely redemption.

Sungai Perlis

to be continued …. (Motormouth’s down, and out)

Modern and sleek architecture, expressed by the exterior of this skyliner

Esprit Outlet in Tsim Sha Tsui Read the rest of this entry »