Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

Disclaimer (Sept 2012) – Apparently, Restoran Jack Fah belongs to the owner who runs the Teochew porridge stall next door, and this Nyonya kueh + lok-lok stall should not be in any way, affiliated with Jack Fah. Hence, short of renaming this post, take note that this stall in Restoran Jack Fah does NOT belong to the owner of the restaurant. Hope this clears things up.

Just look at the well-preserved facade. And no, this was NOT taken by my late grandfather … in case you’re curious to know. The shot was snapped two nights ago, albeit treated with a layer of old school filter.

It’s scary sometimes, whenever I return for an eating spree in Ipoh and noticed that one by one; the newer cafes/bistros/restaurants had closed down. And more so when the thought of having to update the relevant post(s) with the appropriate tag;

“Closed”. “Relocated”. “Temporary renovation”. “Long vacation” (?!).

Very charming layout of various colourful “Nyonya kuih” laid out on the pieces of banana leaves in the glass display cabinet, tempting one into a frenzy of making choices.

Though all hope’s not lost. Not with good old Ipoh; burning spirit of the hawker souls still lighting up the light at the end of the tunnel. Those true blue classics from decades ago; some over half a century’s old (!) yet still drawing hordes of people on a daily basis.

Case in hand; Jack Fah Restaurant off Anderson Road; near to the roundabout where Sri Maju Express Bus Company is and the famous Embassy’s Hor Hee stall still operates until late night. 

Gingerly wrapping up the tiny diamond-shaped sweet snacks in pieces of nicely-cut newspapers layered with a thin piece of plastic sheet on top; the elderly couple was mechanical in their approach. Almost automated, save for a gentle nod every now and then.

As an Ipoh boy growing up in this picturesque town built on tin mines, I have a confession to make.

You see, in spite of the hundreds of posts on Ipoh food lingering around this blog since 2008, there ARE quite a number of good eateries that had escaped my radar. Imagine for a good portion of my life (more than two decades) spent without noticing these gems already standing on sturdy grounds for decades prior to my first cry.

This Motormouth has constantly failed in identifying the ‘kuih’ from one another. Being one staunch fan of pulut tai-tai (the sweetened glutinous rice with a faint blue tint from natural dye served with homemade egg and coconut jam; kaya) and ‘kuih bingka ubi’ (the yellow blocks made from tapioca with a browned, smoky layer of roasted sides), I could not tell my “Seri Muka” from my “Ketayap” etc.

Jack Fah This stall apparently has a long stretching legacy that could have been dated half a century ago. A small stall that opens for only 4 hours a night selling nothing but Nyonya kuih, fried economy noodles and glutinous rice with BBQ pork; this stall possesses a strong following judging from the crowd that evening.

There are two stalls at the premise next to this; one porridge stall and another lok-lok stall; those skewered ingredients dipped into a bubbling pot of hot soup; then served with various condiments of your choice. The fun factor lies in the fact that you have to stand while waiting for your food to be cooked.

How patience is the key to success? Nah … I’d be more than glad to take away a few pieces of the Kuih and be gone with the wind.

What if you favour savoury over sweets? Then go for the Nasi Pulut with pieces of barbecued pork and slices of egg omelette. The accompanying sauce was a homemade version too.

At RM0.50 per piece (about USD0.20 each), the KL-ites will be jumping for joy since Nyonya Colors serves these at double the price. But to us Ipohans, the price is a little bit steep for the generally small portions.

Mum commented that most stalls sell theirs at around  RM0.40 and almost double the size of these. Really? To me, the difference is miniscule and I’d be more than glad to return unless I find better stalls out there. Come to think of it … there just aren’t many of these around in Ipoh, huh?

Oh, just so you know, Khoo Eng Chee behind of Tuck Kee and Big Tree Foot is a household name selling various Nyonya kuih by wholesale. You can walk in through the (more often than not) half-closed shutter doors and buy from them. Their “Bingka Ubi” is particularly good.

If “Lok Lok” is your thing, then by all means .. have fun. The Nyonya kuih stall is just beside this.

Not particularly hard to find this place, if you know your way around Ipoh. This is in between old town and new town; though with the recent development around Greentown, Ipoh Garden East and Station 18, you’d be hard-pressed to call this portion NEW town per se.

Tong Sui Stall & Nyonya Kueh Stall @ Restoran Jack Fah
No. 3, 5, the street between Jalan Raja Musa Aziz and Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar (Osborne Street)
Opens from 7pm-11pm. Closed on Sundays.
This road runs parallel to Jalan Masjid; unofficially named as Coffin Street of Ipoh for the many funeral homes.
GPS Coordinates : 4.592429,101.083003