Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

# Updated 31st Mat 2010 – This lovely Hakka Mee stall is moving to the shop next to All Inn Cafe, opposite of Kong Heng Coffee Shop. The premise was previously occupied by Dai San Yean Gopeng Mee (I remember I blogged about it sometime ago … or did I?) Opening soon on 3rd June 2010 #

Ipoh’s old town is hands down, one of the most famous place for food in all of Ipoh, or in Malaysia for that matter. I’m not kidding you. Come public holidays or the weekends, you’ll see hordes of hungry souls swarming the area for breakfast-brunch. And yeah, not to mention the tea breaks after lunch, and some outlets even catering to the evening diners.

Mr Chang in his element, preserving his dad’s heritage of Hakka noodles with minced pork, served with tender slices of beef in a most hearty broth

Given the rather strategic location of my office, right smack in the midst of old town itself (and no, I am not telling where … I don’t wanna be stalked on a daily basis. Hehehe … AS IF lah …), we have our breakfast every single working day in one of the many exceptional choices here.

On one side of Jalan Bandar Timah (or Leech Street, as the road was known as such back in those days) is my personal favourite coffee shop serving delicious dry curry noodles, egg toast and white coffee – Nam Chau. Further down the road you have the classic Kong Heng which still serves the BEST popiah in town (yes, bar none … not even the mobile stalls at a backlane of Canning Garden  nor the one previously at the field in Canning Garden which was shrouded in a most infamous ghost story-mystery). Adjacent to Kong Heng you’ll find Thean Chun, where you must try the Ipoh famous Kai See Hor Fun (Smooth flat rice noodles/koay teow in soup, with shredded chicken meat), caramel egg custard, and the herbal tea with egg.

Don’t scoop up those minced garlic and munch …. or you’ll never make it to the audition of Twilight 3. Oh and if you’re not fond of beef (or you just can’t eat them) don’t worry. He serves separate soup (pork-based) for the stuffed fish paste/Yong Tau Foo

But of course, the hunt does not end there. Maybe I’ll write a post on ALL THE FOOD YOU CAN FIND IN IPOH’S OLD TOWN someday down the line. So you know where to seek for good grubs and not resort to the same old, same old white coffee fix from Nam Heong/Sin Yoon Loong on the other side of Jalan Bandar Timah.

Springy egg noodles aka Hakka Mee, topped with some minced pork

For now, I’ll write about this rather famous amongst the Ipohans, yet almost unheard of Hakka Noodles served with Beef Soup in old town, also located on the same street, before you reach the tall Maybank building on your right. The two lots have NO signboard, so you will easily miss this if you’re not careful. This restaurant (the name’s SUN YIK, but you can’t find the name printed anywhere else other than on the company registration certificate on the wall) is situated directly opposite of Yew Ming which serves traditional Teochew porridge (read about my review HERE)

Having an imaginary heart attack, yet? Don’t be. There was barely any fats in the slices of beef, yet they were tender enough to require almost no chewing.

Chang took over the business from his father, a legacy that dates back to the 60′s. Previously operating from a corner coffee shop directly opposite of Kong Heng (now the shop has become All Inn Cafe, which serves Tong Sui aka Sweet Soup Desserts), Chang’s Hakka Noodles has moved to this current location for about 30 years or so now. (Correct me if I’m wrong).

The signature item everyone’s having? The Hakka Noodles served dry, topped with some savoury minced pork. But the real STAR of the meal? The side serving of tender, almost melt-in-mouth slices of beef cooked in a hearty, beefy broth, garnished generously with chopped coriander, a compulsory addition to beef soups. The soup tasted sweet, but not from the addition of MSG. You’ll find yourself scooping spoonfuls of the broth onto your plate of bouncy, QQ Hakka noodles and the rest sipped/drunk at the end of your meal.

You can order by referring to the menu on the wall, but all written in Chinese

The slices of beef are meant to be dipped into your own concocted garlic chili sauce (okay, not exactly homemade, but you mix the chili sauce and fresh, minced garlic according to your preference), to enhance the overall experience, so to speak. The minced pork toppings was packed with flavours as well, if not a little too salty for my liking.

The Hakka noodles was not one of the best I’ve tasted though. A colleague even mentioned that Hugh Low Street’s Yin Yau Kui‘s (now moved to the opposite side of the road, in a corner coffee shop named Restoran Paris) fares much better. But personally, though I like Yin Yau Kui’s Hakka mee, I hated their fishballs, and the other Yeong Liew (remember what Liew is?), for I found them tasting rather artificial.

But still, for a wholesome breakfast or dinner, as Chang opens for dinner on several days a week, away from the maddening breakfast crowd over at those significantly more famous-with-tourists outlets (you know which ones …. don’t you?), try Chang Hakka Noodles with Beef Soup at Restoran Sun Yik instead. And yeah, they do serve white coffee (WHICH coffee shop in old town doesn’t?!), on top of the usual ‘leung sui’ (herbal tea) and such.

Chang’s Hakka Noodles with Beef Soup (NEW ADDRESS)
Restoran Sun Yik
No 4, Jalan Panglima,
30000 Ipoh,
Perak, Malaysia.
Opens daily for breakfast (7am-1.30pm) and dinner (Tues-Sat only, from 7pm-9.30pm)
Here’s the GOOGLE MAP to Chang’s Hakka Noodles & Beef Soup in Ipoh’s Old Town.
The shop is at the same row as Li Heng Fatt Hor Hee, and next to All Inn Cafe (a shop that sells tong sui from morning until evening)