Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

This article was first published in The Malay Mail Online and print edition on Oct 5th. Read it HERE.

Crazy-huge river prawns sourced from the rivers of Teluk Intan; seen here stir-fried with the ‘sang meen’ in a simple yet tasty sauce

Sungkai is a small town wedged between Bidor and Slim River along the North-South Expressway that has benefitted significantly from a surge in tourism thanks to Sungai Klah Hot Springs Park.

In all honesty, this little town that was barely known to outsiders (this includes Perakians too, I can assure you that!) has much less to shout about compared to neighbouring towns like Bidor, Kampar, or even Slim River. In terms of attractions, like I mentioned earlier, the hot springs park is one of Perak’s major tourism highlights. Although not known to many, there is one wildlife conservation centre aka Sungkai Deer Farm that also houses other wildlife such as ostrich and exotic birds. But when it comes to food, there is nothing the likes of guide books-worthy specialties, unlike Bidor’s duck noodles, Kampar’s curry chicken bun, or even Tanjung Malim’s halal pau.

Seldom do people mention Sungkai and food hunt in the same breath. Even holiday makers tend to stay cooped up in the Felda resorts at the hot springs park; or even drive all the way to Bidor for their meals. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the final chapter of my 2D/1N Jeram-Teluk Intan-Bidor-Sungkai food run. Find the related stories below :

Jeram’s Famous Pau & Yam Puff @ Kedai Kopi Shin Lock
Teluk Intan – Day One
Teluk Intan – Day Two

This sifu (let’s call him the Bidor’s dollmaster, for the sake of it!) seemed to be deep in thoughts, never skipping a beat albeit within firing range of my camera. Look at the laborious process of manually-shaped moon biscuits before they went into the oven.

While we used the Kuala Selangor way to travel from PJ to Teluk Intan, the shorter (in terms of time, not distance) route has still got to be the Bidor way. Hence, we picked the obvious choice when departing home on the second day.

Bidor is a relatively small town in Perak; south of Ipoh (about 60km away) yet distinctively popular for two things – The fresh fruits stalls and of course, the legendary Pun Chun herbal duck thigh noodles.

Seedless guavas, soursops, durians, ‘jambu air’ (rose apple) and oh yeah … “PETAI” (bitter beans/stink beans) are but some of the famous must-buys in Bidor.

But we did not enter Pun Chun this time. Instead we chose to have our lunch at Sungkai. Let’s cap this fantastic series off, shall we? Read the rest of this entry »

“Just so you know, this weekend brought back lots of sweet memories to this Motormouth from Ipoh. The good times spent throughout the three years I was in Ipoh; when we scouted around the whole of Perak for good food, the crazy antics of dining 6 (!!) heavy meals a day, followed by incessant sessions of lectures listened with a half-hearted attempt at keeping the eyes wide open, and the thousands of miles travelled ….. for work, to attend courses, and sometimes …. just for the sake of travelling and having a jolly good time …”

Felda Residence Hot Springs – No elevators, just staircase. But then again, only two floors, so don’t complain ….

AGES ago (3 years, almost), if you have been a reader since then, you must have read about our experience at Sungai Klah Hot Springs, when these new blocks of residences (hotels) were not even built yet. We stayed in individual chalets, complete with a personal hot springs pool (yes, kinda luxurious huh?), right outside our villa with two rooms and a spacious living room.

Not bad for RM600/USD200 per night back then, but seemingly, the rate has increased to about RM900 or more …. so we retracted with tails between our legs and foaming at the sides of our mouth after hearing of the new rate.

The relatively new accommodation at Felda Residence Hot Springs in Sungkai, Perak.

But of course, they have these newer blocks with nicely furnished rooms; catering to the poorer souls with limited budget (read : us). If I were you, I’d continue reading the ramblings …. Read the rest of this entry »

Giant Octopus with an orange tongue (slide) !!!

After a complimentary breakfast of fried eggs (oily and yummy!), fried rice and noodles (forgettable), mini sausages (half-cooked! *_*) and buttered toasts (good quality loaf, rumoured to be FELDA’s very own product), we entered the hot springs park, which is opened to the public.

Admission fee for adults is RM10/person, and children at RM8/child. Pricey, given the limited pools/attractions. But ours are FOC, a privilege for the residence’s guests. Probably a photography enthusiast’s dream come true, with lush flora and fauna (HUMONGOUS giant bees!!! ^o^). But if you’re expecting a lot, do think twice. Half day’s more than enough to cover the whole park, and then some.

Location : Sg. Klah Hot Springs Park, a short distance (roughly 20-30 minutes from Sungkai). Do refer my previous posts HERE for information.

In a nutshell, they advertise their signature dishes, complete with the shop’s contact numbers … How’s that for self-promo savviness? 😉

A brief introduction of Sungkai, a town I hold close to my heart. The reason? I practically grew up visiting this small town quite frequent, as my late grandfather stayed here ever since I was born. For those in the dark about living and embracing the simple, village-type of lifestyle in a small town, the experience is priceless. Imagine “recreational” activities such as having a splashing time at a waterfall, a walk in the palm oil plantations, strolling around the whole town enjoying your favourite ice-cream, and dozing off to the lullaby of crickets.

Read the rest of this entry »

Maintenance/management team must be sleeping on their job …

As we were within the vicinity of Sg. Klah Hot Spring Park (TRAP in Malay, acronyms for Taman Rekreasi Air Panas), we decided to try our luck in search for a spot to crash for the night.

OKU/Disabled at RM2? Hmm, shouldn’t they deserve better?

MYSpace ?! *o*
Our “Villa”

Our very own hot spring pool !!!

Comfy living room fully furnished

Delightful bedroom, had us sleeping like logs …

Yup, a 32″ LCD TV with cable channels … Indulgence? 🙂

I’m rushing off for work (and holidays) somewhere up north as I’m typing this, therefore further explanation in the next post, possibly over the weekend. Til then, have a pleasant weekend !!!

P/S : Do drop comments/brickbats where you seem fit. As for the location of this posh villa, and the rate, keep your fingers crossed first, k? 🙂