Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Tsim Sha Tsui

Taking the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) trains from Mong Kok to Tsim Sha Tsui is a rather short trip, separated only by 2 stations wedged in between. (HKD4.40/RM2).

The YMCA Building @ Tsim Sha Tsui

Various skyscrapers around Tsim Sha Tsui, most notably The Peninsula (bottom pics), an award-winning hotel that has been operating since 1928.

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Sharing a communal bathroom was not a problem for us, and we managed to get prepared for breakfast by 8.30am. Not bad huh? =P

Throngs of people paying Kam Wah Cafe a visit for a taste of their famous Polo Buns, and various other delights

Situated at G/F, 47, Bute Street in Mongkok, the cafe is merely a few roads away from our hostel. And we did not regret going all out in search of Kam Wah, for a taste of their famed Polo Buns (aptly named Pineapple Buns, due to its physical resemblance to the fruit). Read the rest of this entry »

Wong Chi Kei Noodles – A brand to be trusted for wanton noodles?

Clockwise from top left : Tam Tam Meen (Noodles with spicy minced meat), Chicken Noodle Soup, Pork Chop Bun, and Butter Cream Toast

Waking up at early hours was not tough, as it signified the start of a long, long journey ahead. The sun rises at earlier hours compared to Malaysia. Probably the more “eastern” coordinate? Breakfast was easy, as we walked to Largo do Senado and looked for Wong Chi Kei Congee & Noodles, a trusted name since 1946 (or so they claim). They have a total of four outlets in Macau and Hong Kong. Read the rest of this entry »

From Malaysia with Love …. To Macau, hostility reigns supreme?!

Air Asia was running a low fare promo back in July, with fares from LCCT, Kuala Lumpur to Macau from RM30 onwards (of course, you can NEVER believe the fare advertised, as they exclude the fuel surcharge and airport tax … gimmicky & misleading, as usual). But still, total two-way fare including everything amounted to RM350 per person only. Yup, dirt cheap for a 4 hours flight in a cramped-to-the-maximum cabin, with leg space smaller than most express buses. But I ain’t complaining, as back then RM350 can probably get you on a domestic flight only.

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Here’s the complete list of posts, day by day :

Day ONE – Arriving in Macau (Largo do Senado, Yishun Milk Company, Rude Macanese)
Day TWO – St. Paul’s Ruins, The Venetian, Taipa Village, Margaret’s Portuguese Egg Tarts
Day THREE – Arriving in Hong Kong (Mong Kok, Temple Street, Hui Lau Shan Desserts)
Day FOUR (Part 1) – Lantau Island & Kam Wah Cafe’s Polo Bun
Day FOUR (Part 2) – Avenue of Stars & Symphony of Lights
Day FIVE (Part 1) – Dimsum @ Lin Heung Tea House, Central & Golden Bauhinia Square
Day FIVE (Part 2) – Madame Tussauds Wax Museum @ THE PEAK
Day SIX (Part 1) – A Day’s Out in Ocean Park
Day SIX (Part 2) – Mong Kok’s Street Food and Red Ant Baked Rice
Day SEVEN (Part 1) – Shopping in Shatin
Day SEVEN (Part 2) – Lan Kwai Fong’s Buzzing Nightlife, Tai Cheong’s Egg Tarts, and Tsim Chai Kee Noodles
Day EIGHT (Part 1) – Last Day in Hong Kong (Soy Milk + You Tiao for Breakfast?)
Day EIGHT (Part 2)/Day NINE – Goodbye MACAU (DUMBO Portuguese Restaurant, Ruins of St Paul & Largo do Senado at night)

Vibrant & Lively City of Hong Kong

According to the proprietor’s daughter, who was the one running the shop with her family, they hailed from China, and Dong Bei is one of the pioneer Chinese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. This restaurant is situated among a whole stretch of Chinese restaurants, serving an array of Chinese cuisine of different origins, from Szechuan to Teochew food. Dong Bei is literally translated to East-North, referring to a region in Northern part of China, or better known as Manchuria (the old name).

She explained to us (or rather, warned us) to brace ourselves for the slightly spicier than normal Chinese fare, resembling Szechuan’s offerings, but a notch below (thankfully!), in the Hot-o-Meter. This is because the province mentioned above experiences quite a cold climate, hence requiring the extra heat from all the chillies and peppercorns.

Refreshing, cooling herbal concoction promises to soothe the throat … or douse the flame

Without further ado, the lady (girl?) placed two glasses of herbal drinks, most probably “Yeung Sam Sou” (a type of wild ginseng?) with red dates. Oh well, in preparation for the hot stuff?

Salad of raw beancurd strips with julienned cucumber and coriander

An appetizing amalgam of flavours, the salad consisted of tossed raw beancurd strips (imported from China, not available in Malaysia) with cucumber, and coriander as garnishing. No mayo was sighted (duh … ) but some chilli oil with a faint hint of garlic was used to erm, lubricate the greens. A light and wholesome appetizer, with slight crunch, albeit oilier than your usual healthy salad.

Roasted (or stir-fried) pork ribs with salt and pepper

The small cutlets of spare ribs stir-fried with some red and green chillies, with adequate amount of chilli oil were savoury, but a little salty. And if you leave the meat to bask in the oily sauce, you’re guaranteed to experience well-soaked ribs, bursting with chilli oil. Not spicy, no worries.

Wood Ear Fungus stir fried with carrots and spring onions

The wood ear fungus (Muk Yee) is imported from Northern China, and delivered a crunchier bite compared to local’s produce. It was indeed true, and this simple vegetable dish was a delight to relish, crunchy and flavourful. My favourite dish of the evening. And what’s more, NOT too oily to boot.

Ma Lat Chicken Wings

Szechuan food aficionados will swear by the Ma Lat chilli paste, an ultra spicy, tongue-numbing concoction of the hottest dried chillies and peppercorns imported from the Sichuan province. But at Dong Bei, the heat has been toned down, probably to deviate from the resemblance to Szechuan food.

But still, the Ma Lat chicken wings served in a big, simple steel bowl, came in a generous portion, definitely meant for sharing. The chicken meat was tender, and bursting with flavour, but the peppercorns and dried chillies combination may prove to be slightly intimidating to some. I can stand the spiciness, but I just can’t stomach the greasiness. At the lower part of the dish, large bean sprouts and cucumber strips were drenched, and drowned in the spoonfuls of chilli oil. If you’re one who avoids oily food, this may be the ultimate bane of a dish.

All in all, the spread reminded me a lot of Beijing’s food. Especially when their signature dish, the “Water-Cooked Fish” (Sui Zhu Yue) is also widely and proudly served in most Beijing’s restaurants. You’ll be forgiven for thinking the fish is a humble dish cooked in soup, or water for that matter. But in reality, the fish is submerged with OIL, lots and lots of oil. The oil is supposed to maintain the smoothness of the flesh, and not meant to be drunk. But the sight of a whole fish “swimming” in oil will definitely deter a healthy eater. We were not served this dish, for a whole fish can feed a family of four.

They’re opened for business everyday, from 12pm to 12am, EVEN on Chinese New Year. Imagine that. Sorry, no prices for the dishes, as the meal was FOC. Muahaha … Thanks, Jason!

Location : 280, Changkat Thambi Dollah, Off Jln Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel No : 03-21487694.