Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

Hah! Bet you assumed from the title that this would be another ‘commercialized’ review of a hotel stay. Not entirely. In some ways, yes … the whole of last weekend was spent in Pangkor Island Beach Resort; a famous retreat on the famous island named Pangkor in Perak that is no doubt the star attraction of this silver state of Malaysia, when it comes to tourism activities. Can’t say the same though for my beloved hometown of Ipoh, since 4 stars-and-above hotels are almost unheard of in this part of the city.

And yes, I admit that the accommodation and food were all paid for. Not in the usual manner of a professional review in exchange, but because I was attending a workshop at the resort. More or less like the good old days when we used to spend weekends after weekends cooped in hotel rooms and conference halls attending lectures and such.

Yeah, the good old days …And that horrendously long 14 days spent in Coral Bay Resort on Pangkor Island back in 2008!

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To do away with the midweek blues many of us might be having (and the incessant cravings for the weekend!), this was how I fended off my Monday blues last week; immersing myself in a short 3 days 2 nights getaway to Swiss Garden Golf Resort & Spa at Damai Laut, Lumut. Here’s their website, in case you wanna read more about this almost secluded piece of land to the west of Perak, within spitting distance from Pangkor Island; THE most idyllic island getaway one can hope for when you’re in Perak ….

Established since 1997 (yup, a good 13 years!) Swiss Garden Golf Resort & Spa does not change one bit. Or at least that was how the place looked like to me, on this 3rd visit.

A soothing respite before bracing myself for the onslaught of deadlines and impending headaches (read my Pusing’s Ming Feong post for more musings) for the rest of the week …

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That’s a real ship out there … wonder what’s the purpose though

Italian cuisine in LUMUT?!

Lumut is a small town to the south of Perak, on the western side. Previously overshadowed by Pangkor Island, the famous tourist destination in Perak, Lumut has been developing well, with a sleek and modern port, and a water front resembling Johor Bahru’s Danga Bay.

Memories of visiting Lumut in the past revealed a few notable gems, particularly the nasi kandar, and walking around town, savouring the sights and sounds.

Bistro style dining, with a bar and bottles of liquor on display

Once our work was done, the sight of a new restaurant/cafe at a backlane was enticing, and with my favourite Italian fare all printed on the awning, FCOE and Tall Gal were dragged (willingly, I might add) to an early lunch at CAPRI Restaurant (Ristorante-cum-Bar-cum-Pizzeria).

Lemon Juice @ RM6

Still reeling from the heavy breakfast, we opted for something lighter, to prevent from being bloated and floating off like balloons. The Lemon Juice had a very faint hint of citrus-y lemon fragrance, slightly fizzy, but not tangy enough. And marred by the lack of sweetness, the drink was far from satisfactory.

Salmon Fettucine @ RM21

There were more than 10 types of pasta on the menu, and the one that caught my attention was the Salmon Fettucine. Probably stemming from my Italiannie’s experience, fettucine with salmon in creamy tomato sauce sounded too heavenly to resist.

But major mistake was made. Or maybe I set my expectations too high. The pasta was far from al dente, slightly soggy, and the sauce was short of creamy. Cubes of salmon were thankfully present, but the non-existence of tomatoes somehow spoiled the overall experience.

Pizza Marinara @ RM29

A whopping 16 varieties of pizzas were enlisted on the menu, and making a decision was tough. But FCOE being a non-beef eater somewhat made things easier. So, seafood’s the way to go.

Prawns, Squids, Mussels. And with some eenie-weenie bits of cheese and tomato paste. That was all to it. From the appearance alone, you can judge the sparsely added ingredients. You can even count the prawns (all 4 of them), the squids (pitiful 5-6 pieces) and mussels (less than 6), and the very thin layer of mozzarella rendered the cheesy (or rather, the lack of) experience less than stellar. The dough was tough, rather than light and chewy. Gee, I’d stick to my Pizza Hut if REAL Italian pizzas are like this one.

Tabasco sauce was not enough to save the pizza, therefore we requested for extra parmesan shavings. And guess what? Shavings’ all we got. On a small plate. With a small spoon, probably masquerading as caviar on a plate? Never realised parmesan’s THAT exclusive.

Tiramisu @ RM11

Fortunately, all’s not lost. The dessert came in the form of Tiramisu, perennial Italian dessert, bound to satiate that sweet tooth’s cravings. Soft, fluffy, with a hint of liquor, the cake was served with a dollop of fresh cream on the side. No idea what it was doing there, but the addition of the spoonfuls of cream to the tiramisu neutralized the bitterness tone. Though not among the best out there, but still bearable, after the abyssmal mains.

Total damage for 3 = RM73.70, including 5% service charge and 5% gov tax. Will we return? NOPE, definitely. Muahaha …

Location : CAPRI @ 4174, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, 32200 Lumut, Perak. Tel : 05-683 3112.

Another round of Gong Pian?

Remember I raved bout Sitiawan’s Gong Pian? Seems Ayer Tawar also has its own following.

The abundance of sesame seeds on the biscuits @ RM1 each

Of course, if you’re eating these biscuits, preferably, have them HOT from the oven. When cold, the biscuits are tough, and chewy. I chose the ones with pork and onions, at only RM1 each. In comparison, I’d say a step below Sitiawan’s version.

Ching Chin Koi @ Ayer Tawar

Location : Ching Chin Koi Restaurant @ 249, Main Road, Ayer Tawar, Perak. They were selling these in the evenings, so go for them in the afternoon-evenings I guess?

Nowadays, I’m limiting myself to one post a day, for fear of running out of ideas/photos/stuff to blog about in the near future,

Stir fried la-la in spring onion and ginger

Before my memory fails me, kindly bear with me and let me crap more on Pangkor food. Actually, not crap at all. Simply put, let me promote the ONLY chinese seafood restaurant that I went during the whole 2 weeks ordeal. Yeah, pitiful, but with meals being served SIX times a day, how to resist hotel food eh?

Deep Fried Squids

This restaurant, Chao Sheng (hope I get the name right, as I’ve forgotten to take any shot of the shop at all), belongs to a fren’s uncle. This fren of ours was involved in this 2 weeks course, therefore bringing him along certainly favours us, as we can be assured of quality and fresh seafood, and discount privileges, while his uncle benefited from a bunch of hungry devils (all 23 of us!)

Steamed white snapper Teochew style

We left all the ordering to the obedient nephew (hehe), and sat down chatting away, glad to be dining in a completely different environment unlike the usual routine days. Quick summary of the food ordered and their taste ;

The stir fried lala were very fresh, completely free of unpleasant shellfish smell, and the light sauce complemented the dish pretty well.

The deep fried squids were crispy and tasty, dipped in chili sauce, these babies vanished while I was busy picking the fish. sigh … talking bout the fish …

The white snapper (I hope I got this right, Hung Chou=red snapper, Bak Chou=white snapper?) was fresh, the flesh firm yet soft and the portion was enough for 11 of us. However I do not prefer fish to be steamed Teochew style, as compared to soy sauce, or taucu sauce.

Hot plate Egg Tofu with Seafood and Vegetables

Kung Pow Mantis Prawns (see the itchy hands distracting me from a good shot?)

The hot plate tofu was delicious, loaded with a variety of meat and seafood, and the egg white-infused sauce went well with the rice.

The mantis prawns cooked ‘kung-pow’ style came in generous serving, however tastewise, it was moderate only. Definitely overshadowed by other dishes.

We also ordered Or Chien or Oyster Omelette and another vegetable dish (forgot what it was, as all attention was channeled to the seafood). Both were alright, nothing to shout about.

The bill? a measly RM105 for a table of 11, plus rice, tea etc. Cheap right? However be warned, the price may vary for outsiders, ie : those without blood relation to the owner, haha!!!

Location : Pasir Bogak, nearby the beach, just a few minutes walk from Coral Bay Resort. It is a corner shop, unpretentious, minimal decor, and right beside a road leading to a school or something.