Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

Is it that time of the year again to reflect on what’s good and what’s not? Yes it is.

Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for Motormouth’s TOP 10 LIST of Memorable Eats from Ipoh in 2011? Dive in. Read the rest of this entry »

The Chinese believed that when you’re not well, avoid eating solid food. But the uncles seated next to us were as energetic/vibrant as tigers. And they sure were joyously slurping away.

I don’t hide my disdain or sheer displeasure from eating a piping hot bowl of porridge (or congee, depends on where you’re from). I can’t imagine myself squatting by the streets, with a scorching hot porcelain (or worse, plastic) bowl in hand and slurping on a gruel that’s best described as a sick man’s food (or worse … baby food?), all the while sweating like a camel.

Wait. Camels don’t really sweat. But you get the point.

That explains the very scarce posts on porridge finds in Ipoh. There’s this one in Bercham that I kind of enjoyed, maybe more to because the coffee shop has this amazing roast pork stall that complemented the porridge oh-so-well.

Sinful stuff; yet you can’t help but to munch on these deep fried pig’s intestines lightly seasoned with salt and pepper once you get your hands (or maybe …. chopsticks, since hands don’t sound civilized!) on them!

Then there’s those times in life when Motormouth does incomprehensible stuff. Like that afternoon when I went all manic in search of this much-hyped about mixed pig’s offal porridge stall in town. Read the rest of this entry »

*A second chapter to the Bentong-Bukit Tinggi retreat, here’s an endearing take on Bukit Tinggi (literally translated to High Hills) in Pahang. For the first chapter in the series, jump to Motormouth’s Food & Travel Guide to Bentong

1. Bukit Tinggi BBQ Restaurant – Pot of Seafood Treasures (RM65/USD20) – Prawns, Crabs and Clams boiled and not seasoned or flavoured. The juice from the seafood was retained in the compartment below, to be cooked with mushrooms and wild greens native to the land.

Read the rest of this entry »

Unfamiliar sights of Ipoh tucked hidden beyond the flats in old town; a stone’s throw away from the famous stretch of coffee shops specializing in Ipoh’s famous white coffee.

Remember this post on the Hidden Gems Beyond Ipoh Old Town Flats? We missed the potentially “tear-jerker” of a nostalgic lunch at Cheong Loy Rice Shop. They barely call these places restaurants back then, simply named “Fan Dim” for the crowd of tin miners and traders would be hastily wolfing down rice or porridge with simple dishes like salted egg, preserved vegetables stir-fried with roasted pork or plain steamed fish with a soy sauce dip.

Braised of Porky Goodness. Pig head’s skin, intestines and tripe braised in a light yet flavoursome soy sauce-based broth infused with fragrant nuance of spices, and a pungent kick from the homemade chili sauce with a dash of vinegar.

And you know me. I don’t give in that easily. The week after that, I was back in Ipoh again; and here’s the story that I want to share with you. Oh, not so Christmas-y alright …. but in Ipoh, it’s best to eat what the locals love. And for more than 70 years, Cheong Loy has stood adamant against the tides of time. Read the rest of this entry »

What does Christmas mean to you? Is this a season for gift-exchange? A time to shop and let there be forgiveness if you overspent, for the desire to shop-til-you-drop is ingrained into the X’mas spirit of celebrations anyway?

Or are you already salivating at the thought of fresh roasted meats from the spit; a gigantic fowl in the form of a turkey stuffed with a plethora of ingredients served with a side of tarty cranberry sauce, or even fruit cakes with chunks of fruits and nuts soaked in an intoxicating brew of brandy (which I just had yesterday)?

Whatever the reason is, you might be looking for a reason to splurge come this jolly season. And the year end bonus, school holidays, extended weekends, year-end sales and Christmas buffets make things seem so much more lavish yet affordable to the mind.

Here’s …. a reason to Indulge in Ipoh. Read the rest of this entry »

Just did a Wordless Wednesday post on Nam Chau few days ago, thus I’ll be committing an unforgivable sin to repeat that on a consecutive basis. Call this laziness. Procrastination.

Or sheer burnt-out. Those who are friends with me on Facebook would have known this from the ridiculous onslaught of status updates; mostly bordering on lunacy and peppered with an incredibly gloomy outlook.

But hey … every cloud has its silver lining, at the end of every tunnel there will be a light and there should be fireworks to cap the dreary year with. Without fail. And for me, this extended weekend (taken for personal reasons, not a national initiative … wait for X’mas next week, people!) could not have come in a more timely manner.

Read on to find out more about this chee cheong fun aunty that has been one of my favourites since a decade ago. Read the rest of this entry »

1. Dry Curry Noodles @ Nam Chau, Old Town – Despite the unforgiving brickbats from some quarters, I still think this is the BEST in Ipoh, as far as dry curry noodles are concerned. Don’t argue. If you think otherwise, that’s fine. Taste is subjective.

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