Of Reaching the Half Year Mark, Leaving Malaysia & Comfort Food
June 28, 2014 | 3,211 viewsDry Chicken Kuey Teow (Kai See Hor Fun) from the new stall at Macy Cafe was good; yet a pale shadow of the former stall operated by the grumpy duo.
Time flies. Cliched as this may sound, it sure felt like yesterday when I kicked 2014 off with this BEST OF 2013 post; a series of 13 dining discoveries (or re-discoveries in some cases) of the previous year. We are now drawing the curtains on June and the first half of 2014, ushering in the second half of the year with heads held up high and prayers for better weather and haze-free skies ahead (in Klang Valley, at least) or your favourite team to win the World Cup.
For Motormouth, the thought of leaving Malaysia for a year in slightly less than 2 weeks time is daunting. An exciting yet disturbing sensation overwhelms me; a dreadful realisation that I may take time to cope with the change in environment, work load and well, to some extent, the longing for delicious Malaysian street food.
Dear readers, I will be moving down south to Singapore for a year.
Although Keng Nam coffee shop does this better, Macy Cafe’s version was not a lost cause by a large margin. The sweet glutinous rice with kaya makes for a light (relatively, compared to the other hawker fares here) breakfast and paired well with the white coffee.
The decision was made owing to the fact that for one, Singapore’s a mere hour away by flight. And the job assignment lasts only for a year. However, in the midst of tying up loose ends and completing tasks at hand, plus arranging for the transfer and logistics arrangement is gradually taking its toll on me. It slowly dawned on me that in the coming months up to a year from now, I will be exploring and writing about Singaporean cuisine more than Malaysian food.
Though the caption for this blog, and the essence of my reviews won’t differ much by nature, this opens up an endless opportunity to recommend great culinary finds in Singapore and share my ‘makan’ journey not only in our neighbouring country down south, but across the region.
This could be an evolution of Motormouth From Ipoh. But still, don’t worry. The once-a-month homecoming should be packed with food stories from Ipoh and Klang Valley; as I begin to draw out my To-Eat List even before even departure!
Caramel Egg Custard at Macy Cafe is a good alternative to Thean Chun’s, especially on the mornings after staying up all night in the midst of World Cup fever, and you would rather drop dead than jostle with the breakfast crowd in old town.
And well, no comparison for this 3 Layer Milk Tea except maybe New Weng Fatt’s, and it’s not fair to compare the version here to Kuching’s unbeatable version (had a really excellent one near to Four Points by Sheraton)
As I am still reeling from the planning and series of farewell meals and speeches (please don’t make me do this … I’m coming back in a year, okay?!), allow me some leeway in not writing the usual style of review today.
Macy Cafe sits for as long as I can remember (easily more than 2 decades) next to the overhead expressway in Ipoh Garden East, and is a favourite amongst the Sunday breakfast crowd in the neighbourhood. Though I still miss the “kai see hor fun” stall (one of the owners was diagnosed with a malignant disease, I was told), Macy Cafe still serves the BEST ‘tong sui’ especially Bubur Cha Cha in Ipoh. This including comparisons with Sin Hong Kee on Cowan Street and the tourists’ favourite Tong Sui Kai.
Just discovered that they serve glutinous rice with kaya (pulut kaya) and caramel egg custard as well.
Keeping my fingers crossed on discovering authentic hawker food gems in Singapore. Care to help Motormouth in this one? 🙂
*Find out more about Macy Cafe in this post on the former Chicken Kuey Teow stall and coverage of their brilliant Tong Sui boiled fresh daily.

Hi i look forward to your write up on singapore food!
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Looking forward to your sg food trials!!!
And…..
Good luck in your new adventure down south
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Going to miss your frequent Ipoh food adventure. All the best to you on your new job. Stay safe 🙂
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Dear Motormouth,
Good luck in Singapore. Their “sweet” as opposed to savoury char kway teow is a story on its own. Here are some dishes I enjoyed:
http://chopinandmysaucepan.com/food-safari-singapore
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All d best to U!
The next time U R home, try Moon de Moon’s Kai see hor fun. It’s excellent, even better than d previous Macy stall.
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Sir,
We will all benefit from your overseas stint. We will get to know more places in Temasek and Johor. Perhaps even Batam. Best wishes to your work endeavours!
Last week I had the privilege of trying Foh San’s dim sum. Will try others on “Dim Sum Kai” (Jalan Leong Sin Nam) when opportunity strikes again.
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As long as you are still within the region, I think your blog is safe otherwise because of time different in other country …we will lost the touch of your food blog…Happy Singapore Stay!
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[…] Dry Hen Kuey Teow (Kai See Hor Enjoyable) from the brand new stall at Macy Cafe was good; but a pale shadow of the previous stall operated by the grumpy duo. Time flies. Cliched as this may increasingly sound, it positive felt like yesterday once I kicked 2014 off with this BEST OF 2013 submit; a collection […] Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel […]
[…] Dry Chicken Kuey Teow (Kai See Hor Fun) from the new stall at Macy Cafe was good; yet a pale shadow of the former stall operated by the grumpy duo. Time flies. Cliched as this may sound, it sure felt like yesterday when I kicked 2014 off with this BEST OF 2013 post; a series […] Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel […]
Surprised to read about your relocation to Spore! Been an avid follower of your blog and being a M’sian living in Spore for the last 24 years, your posts often evoke that yesteryear feeling especially when the stomach craves for some home tastes. On the other hand, will be pleased to give my 2 cents worth of my opinion on the food scene here… Keep up the good work, MM!
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[…] hope you’re not reeling from the revelation that was before today’s post. So I will spare you the melodrama and pepper today’s […]
[…] Dry Chicken Kuey Teow (Kai See Hor Fun) from the new stall at Macy Cafe was good; yet a pale shadow of the former stall operated by the grumpy duo. Time flies. Cliched as this may sound, it sure felt like yesterday when I kicked 2014 off with this BEST OF 2013 post; a series […] Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel […]
Good luck in Singapore!
I hope you will find the time to visit Ipoh regularly.
My wife and I really enjoy reading your reviews about the restaurants in Ipoh. I grew up in Kuching but I’ve been visiting Ipoh for many years now ever since I got married. My wife is from Ipoh and her parents have lived in Ipoh all their lives. I have to admit that we all learn so much about the restaurants in Ipoh from reading your blog.
My favourite is the chee cheong fun stall in Canning Garden. I love the chee cheong fun with just soy sauce, chili sauce, fried onions, and sesame seeds. I could eat two plates in one sitting!
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du lich nha trang
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