Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

“Nestled in the hills of Janda Baik, Pahang resides a secret haven by the name of Aman Rimba. Laced with endless natural tropical beauty, timeless tradition and serenity of the highest level, Aman Rimba is a private getaway from the world you have come to know.” (excerpt taken from Aman Rimba’s official website)

The brief moment when Chris of Pureglutton extended this invitation for a two days, one night retreat at Janda Baik, I was skeptical. Searching frantically for online information led me to a few reviews and websites on resorts utilized for team building projects. You know, the generic dorm-like environment that reminded me of one remotely memorable experience back in Langkawi two years ago.

That was sheer horror.

This is not.

And then I was told that the place was going to be Aman Rimba. From their website, and several blog posts published on the net, the overall feedback was magnificent. The idyllic retreat looked promising from the pictures posted online, and the prospects of spending two days away from civilization sounded so much more bearable.

I was actually looking forward to that weekend. And guess what? This turned out to be one of my most unforgettable travel moments of 2011.

Warning : A crazy load of photos after the jump. I can assure you, if the thought of wandering into the wild and yet well within the backyards of Malaysia for an ideal getaway never crosses your mind, this post might just change your perception.  Read the rest of this entry »

Notice the more saturated tones of yellow on the chicken skin? Compared to the ones with a lighter shade of yellow, the “choy yin gai” (farm chicken) possess a definite advantage in terms of flavour, texture and yeah … monetary values, of course.

Just came back earlier this afternoon from a self-declared heaven on earth.

Yeah it was indeed a very timely excursion to one of the most obscure places in Malaysia, yet brimming with potential, exuding characters unparalleled and just plain screamed for attention, albeit in a subtle manner. Wait for the post in another few days.

For now, let’s talk CHICKEN RICE.

Half a chicken (option of the usual chicken or “choy yin gai”) poached to a marvelous extent; retaining the natural juiciness of the flesh with a toothsome bite (we picked the “choy yin gai” at more than RM30 for half a chicken), garnished with bits of fried shallot and coriander but not before being drizzled lightly in the usual soy sauce-based concoction.

Satellite Chicken Rice and the countless New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice outlets were none too impressive, but Hong Seng in Section 17 was a clear winner when it comes to roasted chicken.

And then here’s the supposedly champion of all champions; Loke Yun Ampang Chicken Rice. But …. seriously? Read the rest of this entry »

*For the first half of this series, jump to THIS post.

And he means business. Continuously dishing out plate after plate of his signature Mee Kahwin (literally translated to “Marriage Noodles”); a combination at times also known as ‘Mee Rojak’ elsewhere.

The onslaught of eating throughout the previous day got us reeling from the after effect; bloated, tired yet satiated. And brushed with not the slightest hint of regret. But of course, the post-holiday effects got me staying away from sinful stuff for days.

We could have gone for Chung Wah chicken rice balls, since we were up pretty early (okay, it was already about 10am, but still good enough for a Sunday brunch) and the tremendously famous shop on Jonker Street was still pretty vacant.

Instead, defying all odds … or rather, expectations, we ventured over to this almost non-descriptive coffee shop named Ming Huat on Jalan Ujong Pasir; directly opposite of Portuguese Settlement’s entrance. Interested to know where else we went on the second day? Read on ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Christ Church Melaka; and the famous fountain at Stadhuys – Walking on grounds trodden by the Dutch since more than 300 years ago.

Guess what? After a brief hiatus (two years, in fact), I was back in Melaka for an unofficial annual pilgrimage. It has been ingrained somewhat into the mind of this Motormouth; to honour the promise of visiting this town with the richest history in Malaysia; bursting with character and quaint charm almost unrivalled, at least once a year.

Last year was out of the question since the eventual move to KL took me some time to settle down amidst the barrage of workload inherited from my predecessor.

Since December is off limits again this year, might as well squeeze in a short getaway (about 1.5 – 2 hours of drive from Kuala Lumpur) in October when everyone’s still not in the holiday mood. Yet.

A hodge-podge of collective colonial elements, punctuated with influences from the Peranakan heritage and local flavours injected from the myriad of races staying within the neighbourhood, Melaka town is undoubtedly one of the best place in Malaysia to experience the spirit of 1Malaysia.

Be prepared for a very, VERY long post ahead. If you’re holding back your bladder, running chores and hastily squeezing in mere minutes in hopes of reading a filler post, or already on the brink of starvation waiting for your meal to be served, I highly recommend that you read this much later.

Ready? Here goes …. Read the rest of this entry »

Fried Porridge (RM12/USD4) – Just when you can’t have the best of both worlds, ie; eating healthy food (porridge) yet not bland and character-less, try “Bubur Goreng”.

I know. I should not have gone all out and walloped everything in sight when nursing a sore throat, terrible cough and giddiness.

But then again, that’s just the rebellious nature in me.

To lessen the guilt, so to speak, I have decided to go against all my principles and went all out to hunt for porridge for dinner. And knowing me, you would have laughed at the thought of dear Motormouth seated obediently on a stool while scooping plain old, boring porridge into his dropped jaw; wet towel on the forehead and thermometer under his tongue.

Heck, I can’t imagine the atrocity of it all myself. *shudder*

And hence, off I ventured to territories unchartered; this residential area named Berkeley garden in Klang for something unlike the version of a poor man’s food laden with sinful bits of fried pork lard, cubes of mushy yam and tofu, and fine strips of dried cuttlefish …..  Read the rest of this entry »

“Lou Mei” – Sounding a tad too vulgar to be a vegetarian dish, this platter of mixed braised ingredients (dominantly soybean-based products with a flour-y finish) appears only ONCE a year. During the Nine Emperor Gods’ Festival (9 Wong Yeh Dan).

From the title alone, I guess you might have a very rough idea on where this is going.

Yup, another one of those infamous Motormouthing sessions. On a sunny Friday peppered with rainfall in certain areas in the Klang Valley. And me here hibernating at home with an almighty MC to approve of this additional/unofficial rest day.

Since started working almost half a century’s ago (hehe, felt like that … really), I have NEVER taken an MC from a private practitioner. Nope, seriously. Zero, zilch, nil.

Not bragging, since I’d rather used up a day of EL (emergency leave), than searching frantically for a clinic in the neighbourhood (and since moving to KL, my directions have all been haywire), register myself at the premise then wait obediently with a mild sickness while observing my surrounding populated by …. equally sick people.

Or worse, terribly sick ones.

Read the rest of this entry »