Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

A Chinese Feast unlike the casual ‘dai chow’ restaurants; cooked by a chef from Hong Kong @ Canton Palace Restaurant & Lounge

Opened since 4th of July 2012 (Freedom?!), Canton Palace is a new restaurant in Ipoh Garden East that is a joint venture between three partners with minimal experience in the F&B industry, yet proving to be an inspiring breath of fresh air; combining dishes that showcase the flavours of Hong Kong and exemplary service level.

Crispy Aromatic Duck (1/4 portion for RM15/USD5) wrapped like how you would devour Peking Duck, yet including shredded meat of a crispy, deep fried duck drumstick, and stalks of cucumber resting on a bed of sweetish, hoi sin sauce.

Modern Chinese cuisine with a splash of fusion written all over the UK-inspired menu (the chef apparently has a working stint over in the country back then), read on to discover this invigorating cross between authentic and contemporary Chinese dishes. 

Clockwise from top left : Deep Fried Pig’s Intestines (RM8/USD2.70), Claypot Brinjal with Minced Pork and Salted Fish (RM13/USD4.30), Long Beans with Minced Pork (RM9/USD3) and BBQ Platter of roasted chicken and Char Siew (RM18/USD6)

The vivid memories of dancing into the night (and wee hours of the morning .. until the very efficient PDRM came for inspections at 3am!) at Y2K Pub back in the late 90′s came flooding over me as I stepped into the premise once again. The wooden flooring and soft lighting emanate a soothing dining ambience; jazzed up by clever use of mirrors and glass panels surrounding the perimeter. They could have done something with the air-conditioning though, as the heat from the lamps created a warm environment that will not bode well in this sweltering hot weather.

Since my family have been here twice, they knew that Canton Place’s Crispy Duck wrapped in a flour skin with stalks of cucumber (but where’s the spring onion?!) served with a duet of chili oil and sweet ‘hoi sin’ sauce is a must-try. And hence we did.

Unlike the more popular Peking Duck whereby you only get thin, crackling pieces of roasted duck skin, here you get crispy shredded meat, skin, bones and all at your disposal. Not too bad, but the skin served warm in a bamboo basket should be eaten as soon as possible as after awhile, the skin will stick to one another.

The Deep Fried Intestines are not what you usually expect from Mixed Pig’s Offal Porridge; where the small intestines from a pig will be chopped into bites no longer than 2cm and deep fried to crispy perfection then lightly salted. At Canton Palace, the big intestines are used instead. Prior to deep-frying the offal, the chef marinated the part first; a secret concoction with a noticeably tangy edge.

The BBQ Platter combining both roast chicken and Char Siew (roast pork) came across as passable though, as I would prefer my Char Siew to be of the half fat-half lean parts then caramelized to a sticky finish rather than served all lean and chewy. But Grandma was having a whale of a time digging in though.

Long Beans with Minced Pork resembled Szechuan version of the same, while Claypot Brinjals with Minced Pork and Salted Fish was a perfect complement to bowls of steamed rice. The sodium level should be toned down slightly in my opinion.

Desserts were on the house; this time we were served with bowls of sago in a coconut milk broth, with added zing from canned pineapples and syrup.

The meal came to RM68/USD23 for four pax, including Chinese tea and rice. Pretty reasonable I’d say, given the prime location, new concept and a very fresh outlook; against the conventional Chinese restaurants or diners within the vicinity. And soon enough, they will embark on expanding the menu with more options, including dim sum for breakfast!

Hong Kong chef and Hong Kong dim sum. I sense a bountiful relationship here.

Other notable items on their current menu include: BBQ Baby Back Ribs (!), Pork Chop with Homemade Sauce, Lamb Shank, individual portions of rice/noodles for the smaller group of guests, and many more interesting appetizers.

You can’t miss this if you are turning in into Tesco of Ipoh Garden East …

CANTON PALACE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE (non-Halal)
No 2 & 2A, Jalan Medan Ipoh 6,
Bandar Baru Medan,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel No : +6016-555 4033, +605-546 0050
Opens daily from 12pm until 11pm
*Location : The premise previously occupied by Sincero Wine & Dine, and Y2K Pub & Bistro before that. Opposite of Tesco Hypermarket and also 1919 Restaurant.
*Lounge is situated upstairs whereby you can reserve the place for yourself, or have a quieter meal of Western food or drinks only.