Ipoh Famous Curry Mee @ Yat Yat Seng, Ipoh Garden …. and a Golden Beagle?!
March 12, 2009 | 1,893 views| 43 Comments » |
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Ladies & gentlemen … Finally, a break from all the Hanoi posts, breaking the monotony and halting the eventual transformation of Motormouth From Ipoh; from a Food Blog to a Travel Blog. In fact, that may not be a bad idea after all, given the expanding waistline and endless gluttony sessions, and full time hibernation in the office ….
Which stall needs 4 staff at any one time? THIS one does!I lurve my curry noodles. Have doubts? Click HERE (Part One of Curry Noodles Crawl) HERE (Naturally, there’s Part Two!) HERE (Mee Kari Ipoh Garden) or HERE (Chuan Fatt @ Pasir Puteh).
Another one of the more famous version in Ipoh, touted by some as THE best (I’ve doubts, but it’s somewhere in the top 5 I’d say), is the one being sold for years (since I’m a kid, if I’m not mistaken) at Yat Yat Seng Coffee Shop, in Ipoh Garden.
Pie Tee and Kuih-Muih – The appetizers?Locating this coffee shop is a breeze, as this is situated opposite the Ipoh Garden’s post office, at the roundabout with Maybank, and CIMB on opposite ends. The address and map to come later, no fret.
Aside from the curry mee the whole world’s coming here for, I’ve taken a liking to the Nyonya-styled pie tee (top hats, as they’re fondly referred to) served by one of the stall in this shop. In fact, this was where I first tasted pie tee, back when I was a mere kiddo. The crunchy skin of the cup, filled to the brim (pic above as reference) with julienned yambeans and carrot, with fried shallots, chopped French beans, shrimps and various other ingredients (sorry, I popped the whole thing in my mouth, without second guessing the ingredients … my apologies), and served with chilli sauce at the side. Wanna make some? Refer to Rasamalaysia’s post HERE.
One is NEVER enough. But of course, leave some space for the mains lah ….
Hainanese Chicken Rice (RM3.50), comes with soup of the dayThe curry mee stall serves delicious chicken rice as well. Yup, heard that right. At merely RM3.50 per plate (not pricey lah, given the portion and the taste), the chicken rice got the thumbs up from the other discerning diners (read : family), as they stay true to the original taste of Hainan Chicken Rice. Mum claimed that the ones manning the stall ARE Hainanese, after all. I didn’t confirm this, as they’re buzzing/warping around at full speed, catering to the needs of the famished crowd.
But the accompanying soup of the day, Boiled “Choy Kon” (dried mustard greens?!) soup with chicken feet, was impressive. Normally, at your average chicken rice stalls, you’d expect mediocre soup boiled from the unwanted chicken parts and bones, with a layer of oil so thick you can almost scoop them up and use as moisturizer for the whole body. But their soup was full of flavoured, yet they did not experience extreme thirst after downing the whole bowl. No MSG!
The (Super) Star …. perennial favourite of curry noodles pursuers like yours truly ….Of course, coming here for breakfast or lunch won’t be complete without a plate or bowl of their famed curry mee. Starting from RM4.50 per serving, you can either have it dry or wet. As some of you might have guessed, I’m all for the dry curry version, no matter which outlet I patronize. For additional 50 cents, you can add cockles, and another 50 cents for pig’s skin.
If you’re drooling over this pic, come visit Ipoh …. =PMy plate of EVERYTHING was priced at RM5.50, not the cheapest option out there, but a plateful of flat rice noodles (hor fun) with Char Siew (BBQ Pork slices), Siew Yoke (roasted pork), cockles, pig’s skins, chicken meat, and shrimps, with bean sprouts to balance out the carnivorous appetite (highly doubtful it succeeded though!), you’re paying for what you get. And best of all, the lime was pre-squeezed, hence saving you the hassle of bringing extra tissue.
The curry was flavourful (previous visit was below par), not too thick, yet not too diluted. Far from spicy though, so if you want some fire, better inform them beforehand. A rather satisfying plate of dry curry noodle, I’d rate it a strong 7 out of 10. Still trailing behind Nam Chau, Yee Fatt and Mee Kari Ipoh Garden, in my opinion. Though I’ve yet to taste the idolized Merdeka Garden version. Any takers?
You gotta queue sometime …. Especially on weekend mornings
Location : YAT YAT SENG RESTAURANT @ 83, Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan, Ipoh Garden 31400 Ipoh, Perak. Address might be wrong, as I’m guessing from the road and the place. But it’s directly opposite the Ipoh Garden’s post office, and facing the roundabout. A short distance away from Kinta City Shopping Centre (Jusco), and same road with Hospital Fatimah. Here’s a MAP from Ipoh Selatan toll exit to this place. About 5-10 minutes by car.
Adopt me? =)On another unrelated note, here’s a shot of the adorable puppy (cross breed between a Golden Retriever and a Beagle!) up for adoption! But a tad too late, as a friend of mine has ‘dognapped‘ this furry little cutie away, and sworn to give her a good life ahead.
“What? Not handsome meh?”And here’s the father of the pup. Dirty to no end, his name’s Bob, and I posted a picture of him sometime back, when he was still clean, golden and shiny. Guess fatherhood’s taken a toll on you, huh? Hahahaha …… ^_^
.. btw...
i like ipoh laksa cos it’s quite different from the rest. the best part, got lime! haha! oh, throw in some char siew and cockles too!
is bob waiting for his daughter’s return? he looks sad lar.
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I lurveeeeeeeeeeeee curry mee too haha. The Hainanese chicken looks a tad pale though..
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Salivating over the plate of curry laksa while gulping down my miserable mixed rice now.
Awww…pup sooo cute. So glad it found a new home.
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YES!!! You made it!!! You posted the cute puppies!!! I’m so happy!!! Thanks!!!
But seriously, Bob and his daughter look so sad… ah.. I wish I could give them a big hug!
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Oh gosh, so kiut la! Reminds me of Marley pulak.
Merdeka Garden curry mee? At night wor, how to take pictures?
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A-wha? I was all ready for Hanoi part XXII! But puppy makes me go all soft and warm inside, like a warmly toasted bun… gosh I must be hungry…
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I luv ipoh curry mee. Pig’s skin in curry is awesome! Can’t find it in Penang
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OMG – that plate of curry horfun really made me drool! I lurve cockles and pigskin in my curry too!
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Wow… very tempting curry mee! You’ve just decided what I should have for dinner tonight.
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the curry mee looks so so good. i wanna have a plate too!
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I love Ipoh dry curry mee too! With lots of see hum and char siew…yum!!
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ur curry mee~~~ the “liu” is more than the mee ^.^
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Nic : wei, CURRY MEE ok? our laksa like the Penang assam laksa one. KL-ites these days …. =P
vkeong : they ordered the Bak Cham Kai, a tad too white indeed, but skinned mostly, for health’s sake? hehe …
Precious Pea : yeah! since that day, she has travelled to THREE homes. then only get PR status.
Selba : they’re deceiving lah … eyes only droppy, but my fren says very playful one! Bob on the other hand, is hyperactive! which explains why he’s all fenced up.
Jason : aiya, can tapau back ma … but so far. you come back, we go there, deal?
550ml jar of faith : aiya, Part 5 coming up … maybe over the wkend. how can you think of food, when it’s pups we’re talking here eh? heheh …
allie : yeah, indeed a different touch. but still, i feel char siew, chicken n shrimps make sufficient accompaniment to a luscious bowl of curry mee. Pg got the BLOOD ma.
Raynebow : however I found this curry mee’s pig skins rather soft. not bouncy enough for my liking.
iamthewitch :its easy to find curry mee in Pg. though DRY curry mee’s a tough find eh/
sc : yeah, given the fact that curry noodles can be found in almost every coffee shop, it shouldnt be a drag.
bangsarBabe : yeah … biting into those juicy see hum, paired with thick, sinfully rich curry gravy with a squeeze of lime … imagine.
mimid3vils : the noodles also not less wei … I have yet to mix them all up.
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No charsiew in curry noodles for me pls. Just doesn’t seem right to me. Still very much a staunch fan of the Penang type.
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Ipoh Garden where?
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Tummythoz : what?!!! who said no char siew?! aiya, wantan mee also got char siew, how can you say NO to char siew?!!!!
NKOTB : refer to the MAP provided. specifically, its very near to Woolley Food City. facing the roundabout with Maybank in one corner, and the post office at another.
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i think that nam chuan’s is still the best hehe
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Thanks for this post, J2Kfm, so good to see people you know in the pictures, keh…keh…keh…
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kampungboycitygal : Nam Chuan’s? Nam Chau you mean? Nam Chuan is the S’wak laksa in Bangsar right?
ahlock : people you know?!!! you mean you’re related to the stall owners ah? hehehe … faster faster get me reimbursement!
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oh dear..jz had dinner n jz saw ur curry mee..hungry lioww..darnn.. ;p
That pup cute la! Hw come become mix-breed??
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HI J2kfm
chanced upon your blog when i am looking up on ipoh food infor cause i’ll be visiting ipoh next mon! if i am coming from Telok Intan Leaning tower to Ipoh town, which is the nearest and good coffee shop i could stop along the way for lunch? it would be good if i can try the dry curry mee, chicken rice etc all in one place. thks in advance for your recommendation!
regards
octopusmum
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this place is so near my grandma’s house – we eat here a lot! On the 3rd day of CNY or so, it will re-open .. then the madness starts. It’s hard to get a seat! After which u wait 1hour for your food..
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thenomadGourmand : hungry leh?
ehehhe .. nothing beats SPICY (though this one’s not) dry curry noodles for the kick!
mix breed cz dad Golden, mum Beagle. they kinda stay 2gtr.
Anonymous : hi octopusmum. coming from Teluk intan, if you exit thru Bidor, then go PunChun for duck noodles (though quality may vary!), or if Tapah/Kampar, go Kampar. Morning go market, LOTS of hawker food, or go Kam Ling for dimsum/egg tarts. if Ipoh, chicken rice n dry curry mee at once? can try Yat Yat Seng! if want MORE hawker food, can try Woolley Food City (lunch n dinner). if you dont mind sampling from a few shops, then Old Town, or the area around Foh San in town (got almost everything you can ever hope for, from chicken rice @ Bak Gong, Hakka Mee @ Yin Yau Kui, now New Paris, curry mee at Xin Quan Fang, salted chicken @ Aun Kheng Lim, and even kaya puff from Sin Eng Heong.
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That super mega curry bowl of everything looks like can feed all of team bsg + 2 more !
On a more serious note when Nizar wins back his seat do remember to bring him here , with us …who knows he might decide to present it with a plaque for best democratic generous display
LOL !
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Cumi & Ciki : that long?!! i know the queue is daunting, come peak hours. so we choose the times when people's digesting their breakfast at home, before lunch hours!
BSG : erm, democratic or not, it sure is generous! of course, you CAN have your say in the ingredients that go into your bowl orplate, hence, it's all POWER to the PEOPLE.
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i give a 5 stars rating to the curry mee-mouth watering!
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heeeheehee i was about to go ‘oh no!! not ANOTHER ipoh curry mee post!!’ lol. you should really be crowned ipoh curry mee king!!
rm5.50 seems like a reasonable price to pay…so much ‘liu’ wor…
and you know travel blog aint that bad. i love reading abt them
and oh the puppy is sooo adorable!!!
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The pie tee looks exceptional! I guess I adore the stuff since I am one-eight Peranakan, hehe.
The puppy is soooo kewt! Too bad I live in a condo else would love to adopt one.
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wow, tks for all the recommendation! i think i’ll need to stay for a week if i want to sample all those food but i only have about 2 days. i have already planned to try the duck noodle at Bidor on the way to the hot springs park. so i think i’ll go to Kampar for lunch from Telok intan. May i know how long is the drive from Telok Intan to Kampar? I should be leaving Telok Intan at around 12 noon sure hope there will be food left by the time i reach Kampar. thks
regards
octopusmum
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I’m drooling at the curry mee.. ;P i wanna visit Ipoh. haha.. is it really oily? I’m very into dry version curry too!
R u from Ipoh? or you’re just posted to Ipoh? I’ll be registering with the MPS board this year after graduation
wanna hear your experiences…. can? ^^
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The toppings is fantastic esp the ‘siew yoke’. Very Ipoh.
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the curry mee look delicious and seem very different from the one that we are having in Penang. Btw, how come got dog on your food post?
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foodbin : 5 stars based on the looks alone?
hahahah …
Lingzie : hahaa… ANOTHER one of those eh? still a lot more to be discovered in good ol Ipoh lah …
travel blog it ain’t yet, but the transformation may be gradual …
Life for Beginners : 1/8?!!!! hahahah …that’s a tiny 50mL of Peranakan blood maybe? but truth is, hard to find good pie tees.
Anonymous : from Teluk Intan to Kampar may probably take an hour or so. using the Kampung Gajah way though, not the highway exit at Bidor. if lunch, the hawker centre at the market may not be operating fully, thus you’ve to search for other options. curry chicken bread from Yau Kee or Kam Ling maybe.
Christine : hey, yeah … i heard from Edmund, ur coursemate that you guys gonna grad soon. hope you get the hosp of your choice. feel free to ask anything with regards to our jobs. I’m born, bred and now working in Ipoh.
worldwindows : how true. siew yoke is seldom added onto other curry mee versions.
Steven Goh : uh oh … hostility i’m sensing? not a dog lover ah? i’ve posted pics of dogs since last time though.
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No no no…I’m not ‘related’ to the stall owner. Hmm…I’m not Hainanese.
No more leads 4U from here, keh keh.
Forgot to comment that the chilli sauce does not look suitable for the pie tee. Fresh ground chilli with ginger and a touch of lemon juice and sugar are the better choice of chilli sauce for pie tee.
Pie tee looks delicious. Never bothered to order because stall looks unappetising la…But now I would ta pao home. Eat with home made chilli sauce ma…
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thks for the infor about the hawker centre…may i know where is yau kee and kam ling? are they along the same street as the hawker centre? and do they have non spicy stuff cause my kids can’t really take chilli? sorry to bombard u with so many questions. will be leaving tomorrow morning but should be able to access your blog from hotel. will be going to ipoh from kl on Monday, can’t wait!
octopusmum
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Hey, the background colour is black again, or is my eyes playing optical illusions on me?
BTW…black is better than dark choc
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Sorry…I’ve compared it with my site. Still dark choc la…The sun shining on my laptop play tricks on my delicate eyes :0
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The curry mee looks delicious, especially comes with char siew & siew yoke..geng ah^^
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ahlock : you saw your family members in the pics?!! =)
hahahah ….. no matter black or dark choc lah, i simply chose a dark background only. can read then ok loh …. right?
Anonymous : there are 2 Yau Kee in Kampar if I’m not mistaken. but both in town area. Kam Ling got only one. if i’m not mistaken, they serves Chinese dishes as well, but you gotta confirm from other reviews, as I’ve not dined there before. It’s NOT on the main road, but on the roads adjacent to the main one.
Shell : yeah, the amount of meat and calories was just mind-boggling …
but curry mee should be sinful, ya?
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i grow up in ipoh .. indeed i already bought chicken rice from this stall more than 10 years ago. seriously.. i don’t know why ppl so fancy about the curry mee sold there. If you curry mee lovers and you happened to stay in ipoh, you won’t have bother to eat the curry in that stall . the daughter is the one who cook the mee and simply pour the curry inside. Sometimes its over cooked or under cooked. however, you had to admit it have one of the best chicken rice in town. you must taste the rice itself, you can even eat it on its own.. sounded like kfc advertisement..haha
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Yeah, I do agree that the chicken rice’s good. on a side note, the lady selling the curry noodles is one of the RUDEST hawker I have ever came across.
I do not wish to elaborate here, but for that type of attitude, she sure is not in my good books now.
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This is my uncle’s stall, You should try my dad’s one at Ipoh Garden South
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