A Story of Gu Lou Yuk, Puppy Duck & Chicken Dung
May 14, 2010 | 9,037 viewsAnd yes, Friday’s here before the spurts of cheers, celebrations & camaraderie really set in. And I bet most would be at home now (or live on the scene) cheering their lungs out for the heroes/darlings of Malaysian sports. (Malaysia is in the semi-finals against China for the coveted Thomas Cup)
Though it was still a five-days working week for me, yet I spent the first half of it cooped up on a secluded ‘island’ somewhere on the west coast of Perak (more on this over the weekend), a Wednesday that saw me almost choked with emotions and fits of rage, no thanks to last minute bureaucracy-red tape matters but culminated in a most devil-licious feast at Assam House Restaurant in Medan Gopeng (a post to come soon enough, I promise) and finally a Thursday that saw me hopping around town in a much frantic pace, wondering if all the extensive/meticulous preparations was well-worth the loot?
No frills, unpretentiously packed with flavours, and screamed for our attention.
I don’t, and never doubted the magnificent pulling power of Gu Lou Yuk, or Sweet and Sour Pork. In case you’re still in the dark, Gu Lou Yuk happens to be one of my favourite Chinese ‘chu char’ dish ever since I learned to utilize my (motor)mouth and started to chew.
Okay, slightly exaggerated maybe. But I still vividly remember the times when we placed orders for Gu Lou Yuk almost every single time we dined in Chinese restaurants. Back then, there was the evergreen Wong Koh Kee on “Concubine Lane” (Lorong Panglima) in Ipoh old town, when I first fell in love with that amazingly crunchy pieces (or rather, chunks) of pork first marinated then deep-fried to perfection, before basking the morsels of meat with a sticky and zesty concoction of sauce.
If you like your Gu Lou Yuk with a crunchy texture without much meat, you will fall in love with Koh Kee’s rendition. But if you’re seeking for a meatier version, bursting with flavours and fragrance from the five spice powder (and whatever else) used to marinate the pork prior to being coated with corn flour and subsequently deep-fried, then Ming Feong whips up a plate of Gu Lou Yuk that might just get you on your knees !!! (Begging for more rice lah, don’t think otherwise … 🙂 )
You can almost sense the wandering lost souls circling around your tables. (Just kidding … I hope)
Ming Feong Restaurant is situated on the main road of Pusing in Perak, a surprisingly ‘manageable‘ 15 kilometres away from Ipoh town. If you’re driving from Menglembu area, then you might just reach Pusing before your engine gets warmed up. Really.
Fresh Beef Fillets stir fried with Ginger and Scallions, served with rice.
I first wrote about Ming Feong back then, when we were on our way back from Batu Gajah. That was almost two years ago. But the Sang Har Meen (Egg noodles with Freshwater Prawns) did not impress, and I was dumbfounded at the hoo-ha over this supposedly legendary restaurant from the golden years of Malaya.
Then I read about the famous “Puppy Duck” creation, a signature of Ming Feong’s that you can’t find anywhere else. Animal activists hold on to your swords/tasers/molotov cocktails, for this dish was aptly named as such, but rest assured it contains NO puppies, dogs, kittens nor whatever cute creatures we have grown fond of. Unless of course, you champion for DUCKS’ rights as well … then I can’t help but feel sorry for the ducks that went into the claypots! 🙂
Puppy Duck (Kow Chai Ngap) is their most precious recipe; at least half a duck braised in a claypot. Tough luck, for there were only two of us, hence no ducks for us. Though I was really, REALLY tempted to order half a duck, just to see how far our stomachs could stretch ……
Gai Lap Fan (Stir-fried Diced Chicken with Mixed Vegetables in Gravy) – A perennial favourite of many, especially children. A safe choice if you’re at lost on what to eat.
And so we were there at Ming Feong for lunch one fine afternoon, on the way back from the aforementioned island. And no, we were NOT in Pangkor Island in case you’re wondering.
Problem was, the menus were all printed in Chinese. Only. So there I was staring at the piece of paper with almost 50 individual meal items and their prices (the most ‘exorbitant’ item came to only RM10, being the Sang Har Meen which I blogged about before this), without a clue on what to order this time around. And yes, I am a BANANA. Go ask your Chinese friend on what this means. 🙂
Droolworthy? You bet. Almost too good to be devoured, in a few minutes flat. By two gluttons.
Thankfully, the young lady (hinting at possible family business this one, although I am not so sure) was cheeky enough to participate in my embarrassing endeavour. She rattled off a list of signatures from her mind, without a reasonable pause in between. Ho-hum.
And then I heard “Qiong Chung Ngau Yuk Fan”, or Beef with Ginger and Scallions with Rice. And I halted her before she went out of breath, or out of items to recommend, whichever that was coming first. Tender fillets of beef, evidently fresh from the pinkish centre and chewy texture, were stir-fried with generous stalks of chopped scallions (spring onions), and ginger. A classic Chinese dish, you don’t get to order beef that often in most Chinese eateries here in Ipoh; in accordance with religious beliefs.
Gai Lap Fan (Chicken Cubes Rice, literally) was lapped up ever so rapidly by ZP, I merely poked my fork at one piece of the chicken, before the plate was polished clean by him. Should not be anything short of satisfying, I assumed. Served with white rice, instead of fried rice; as in the case of most ‘chu char’ stalls.
I sure hope this man is not reading this post. If you are, I am sorry. I was merely trying to snap that heavenly pot of braised ducks that we had missed ….
While we were deep in thoughts (okay, maybe not so … but we were glancing around the place, appreciating the ambience preserved since colonial days), a lady breezed past us carrying a plate of Sweet And Sour Pork. Yes, my eyes were fixed, salivary glands went into overdrive, and a hand shot up, ordering an extra serving of Gu Lou Yuk. Since we could not have our Puppy Duck, everything goes here ….
And boy, did the Gu Lou Yuk manage to WOW us! Of course, we had to wait a good 10 minutes or so before the dish arrived. One because this was an extra order AFTER they started cooking up our initial orders. Secondly, the place was starting to get packed right before 1pm. Hmm, but well worth the wait we reckoned.
Every bite was a delight. Perfect combination of the sweet’s and the sour’s, the sauce was whipped up with enough zing; packing a punch unlike some lazy, watery tomato sauce masquerading as sweet and sour sauce served elsewhere. And the pork was delicious, meaty yet coated with a crispy exterior, albeit not as hollow as Koh Kee‘s, hence not as crunchy.
Kai See Th’ng !!! aka Chicken Dung?! (There’s a more civilized name; Chou Yip Pan, or Tim Pan; as I was told by some readers … but still … 😉 )
And I could never leave Pusing without at least a piece or two of the famous kueh (sweet snacks) sold by the peddlers diagonally opposite of Ming Feong. You can read about the various kueh sold here in my previous posts : HERE and HERE.
The lunch came to RM20/USD6.30 for the both of us, including herbal tea for two. You bet I will be back for the Puppy Duck, and many more interesting dishes served at Ming Feong in the near future. Question is, how many ‘makan kaki’ will I need to bring then?! 😉
Address & Contact :
MING FEONG RESTAURANT
37, Main Road (Jalan Pusing),
31550 Pusing, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-288 1362.
Directions : Pusing is a small town off the Lumut Highway (Lebuhraya Ipoh Lumut). If you’re coming from Ipoh town towards Lumut, just follow the signboards leading to Lumut/Seri Iskandar/Batu Gajah, and turn RIGHT when you see Pusing/Papan. Or there’s another turning at traffic lights at the crossroad branching off to Batu Gajah on the left, and Pusing to the right.
# You can read about the Puppy Duck story on Ipoh Echo’s website.

Kai See Th’ng? Sorta looks like black Ang Ku Kueh… 😛
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 14th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Almost, but without any fillings. It’s made from a type of leaf, and it’s rather addictive.
I know, maybe suits the elderly more, for it’s chewy and a little sweet, like ang koo ……
My grandma likes them. And so do I.
Wait … that makes me sound old ….
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Argh, i guess i’ll only be able to catch the replay later….niways, hi5 fellow bananarian and gu lou yuk fan! I think it’s a dish that aptly defines chinese cuisine. Like bigMac is to mcD. This version looks good and very homemade. Great stuff! I like everything in this post including the tim pan! I like mine kosong, without filling. 🙂
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 14th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
It’s okay Nic … don’t bother catching the replays. It’s a little heart-wrenching.
Anyway, I love Gu Lou Yuk, and remains my main priority when ordering from a new outlet.
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Omg. That black kueh really does look quite gross loh….
Haha….
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Wow! The sweet and sour pork looks so good! And I just eaten them today at Ding Tai Fung at The Gardens! Haha! Don’t mind eating them again! Yummy!!
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[…] Ming Feong Restaurant @ Pusing, Perak – Puppy Duck & Gu Lou Yuk … […]
Whenever I donno what to order for my meal, gu lou yok definitely come into my mind to “rescue” me 🙂
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eh, we are looking for the best Kou lou Yoke in KL, cannot find man. sure or not this one is good?! 😛 LOL
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Chicken dung? Yikes….must I eat this? :p
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Hmm, i luv sweet & sour pork, too!
But i dun fancy kueh except ang ku..
In Taiping there’s a stall selling nyonya kueh too.. quite famous..
My boss used to tapau lots for me till i sked oredi!!
I do like the pulut rice with kaya (blue thingy) & the type stuffed with sambal..
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 15th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Taiping pasar? Pray tell! I like kueh to go with my coffee break.
The blue pulut with kaya is called Pulut Tai-Tai (correct me if I’m wrong).
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Yay gu lou yuk hard core fan! 🙂 It’s also my default order whenever I have chu char in anywhere.. be it in Kampar, Penang or KL. Even Saucer has got to bear with me, not that he’s complaining. LOL!
Anyway, I prefer gu lou yuk which is meaty, rather than crunchy. The crunchy ones are usually without much meat, which means we’re eating flour! Eww! The worst is those with lots of fatty meat, wrapped with flour. That’s gross! Ming Feong seems to be perfect!
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 15th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I usually go for the meatier ones, without overwhelming fat.
But Koh Kee’s version that is hollowed, but very very delicious. I can’t describe with words, but the gravy was a robust, tangy and even with a slightly buttery taste.
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melody Reply:
May 15th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Izzit the Koh Kee at yee lai hon?
I luv the sam tan wong..
damn packed around lunchie.. haiz..
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 15th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Yeah, that one. Sam Wong Dan (steamed three eggs), Watercress with Roasted Pork (sai yeung choy siew yoke), and Pei Pa Chicken.
And also Hoong Siew Fish Head.
Hey J2Kfm, nice post 🙂 I do like Gu Lou Yuk very much~ i like to order tis dish too whenever im eating at outside 😀
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my fav gulouyuk is at the backlane of petaling street, its called Sai Kee, it is a dirty and smelly but the place has been there for years with a huge loyal following, any1 been there
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 15th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Sai Kee? Haven’t heard of it, but I don’t doubt the authenticity of dishes done by those eateries tucked and hidden in the most unassuming corners.
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Wow this kinda food beats all the high class food anytime man! drool-worthy definitely!!
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I really dare not try the Chicken Dung, haha! other dishes looks delicious enough
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hmm gou lou yuk is my fave! in KL, i lurve those at Sang Kee, near Petaling St area towards the stadium!
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[…] Ming Feong Restaurant @ Pusing, Perak – Puppy Duck & Gu Lou Yuk … […]
I have a tendency to concur, even though I am not positive about some of one’s details
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The serving of Kau Chai Ngap is not that large actually…. once, I went with my bf, the two of us managed to finish 1/2 the duck…along with some noodle too… as it is not that meaty (lots of bones actually) and a lot of herbs (which we didn’t eat)…..
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J2Kfm Reply:
December 29th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Yeahloh, that time the lady said two of us only, should not order the duck in claypot. Hmmm.
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I am trying to call the phone no. of Ming feong restaurant (052881362) and has not been
able to reach them. No one pick up the phone. I want to find out weather they are open
on the 24th January 2012 ( the 2nd day of CNY). I have also called up 103 directory to verify the no. and this number is listed with them. Any help, I am from kuala lumpur and will be on the way up to penang on that day, and wish to drop by.
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Puppy Duck used to be good at Ming Feong but the past few times i’ve there the quality has dropped as the duck meat is very tough. I’ve just found a new restaurant in Gunung Rapat named Super Taste Stemboat & Seafood Restaurant (http://www.emily2u.com/ipoh-live-fresh-seafood-steamboat/) serving Puppy Duck. Very good and tasty. Personally i will say it better than Ming Feong.
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 28th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Super Taste! That restaurant was also featured in the Chinese dailies not too long ago. And since I am not a fan of steamboat, I gave that a miss. Maybe should hop over for a try of their other dishes then.
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[…] the countless nameless stalls around Ipoh, the other famous stall at Jack Fah Restaurant, and even Pusing’s memorable classics), the chewy blocks of yellow-coloured snack have this distinctive texture without being […]