Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Fried Salted Egg Yolk Crabs – Have fun licking those shells clean

Ever so often I get this question from random readers or even friends;

“So, where do I go for delicious seafood in Ipoh?”

At times, I got stunned. Unaware of really outstanding choices around my hometown, I randomly point them to ‘chu char’ restaurants including the diners like Mun Choong, East Ocean or even Unique (yeah … shocking I know). Ipoh, unlike towns like Sitiawan or even Kuala Sepetang isn’t as well known for fresh seafood.

But as time goes by (and the ‘makan’ sessions got more intense), the discoveries of more viable options like Wah Chai, Lucky Seafood, Rasa Lain and Crab House lent more weight to the recommendations.

How about Sun Wen Cau near to Falim in Desa Rishah then?  Read the rest of this entry »

Bits & Bobs @ Ipoh Old Town is located in between Burps & Giggles and Plan B; focusing on the simpler indulgences in life back in the early days of baby boomers and Gen X. Think ais krim potong, ais kepal & red bean ice (hong dao bing).

3 March 2008 – I first started writing on Motormouth From Ipoh. 6 years have since come and gone. More than 1000 posts on food, travel and at times, incoherent ramblings; like true Motormouth style.

It amazes me even until at this point of time that I am still able to churn out periodic stories here in this space of mine. What seemingly started as a no-holds-barred personal account of food trips somehow ended up being something much bigger. And tipping over slightly on the negative scale; this gradually become more time-consuming and less personal as time goes by. Sad but true.

Ernest Zacharevic waved his magic wand (or rather, brush) in Ipoh with this very subtle piece of wall art in Ipoh old town opposite of Kong Heng kopitiam; the packet of black coffee (kopi-o) hanging from the pane. Remember this is on Jalan BANDAR Timah and not Jalan BIJIH Timah as reported in The Star.

As stubborn as old tradition goes, the anniversary posts have almost always been a story about Ipoh. To commemorate my 6th years of blogging, let’s celebrate the rejuvenation of Ipoh old town with a Sunday morning walk about.  Read the rest of this entry »

Laksa Perlis & the Full Ensemble of Condiments @ Manjoi, Ipoh

A week away from blogging and it sure felt like as though the earth had been torn and opened up, swallowed some senses and spilled out a spate of devastating haze attacks, water rationing spells and just earlier this morning, the (still) missing MAS flight code MH370 from Malaysia to Beijing. Prayers go to the passengers, flight crew and family members of the flight.

Last week, Motormouth was away for a short 5 days escapade to Seoul, Korea; call that a brief respite for the ‘Seoul’  if you will. The full story to come once I collect my thoughts and emotions.

For today, let’s shift our focus to this Laksa Perlis stall closer to home; in Gugusan Manjoi in Ipoh, to be exact.  Read the rest of this entry »

Pratunam Famous Chicken Rice Shop with all soldiers decked in pink T-shirt. Not many refers to the shop as “Go Ang”, a name I picked up from TripAdvisor. But more popular recalled as the chicken rice shop opposite of Platinum Fashion Mall in Pratunam, Bangkok

When the shopping gets a wee bit out of control, trust some sane minds in the group to lead the deviant souls back to the right path. And so, the hours spent at CentralWorld or Platinum Fashion Mall in Pratunam area must be intermittent with good food; not random snacks, ice-cream or fast food in the malls. After all, the Thai street foods lining up the perimeters of the malls deserve a mention. Surely some of you must remember THIS POST on salt-grilled fish in the evenings?

A challenge for most visitors is the lack of English language signboards; especially the famed street food champions hidden within nooks and crannies; and emblazoned across their signboards are Thai words that you can barely tell them apart.

Luckily, Go Ang Chicken Rice Restaurant across the road from Platinum Fashion Mall has two very distinctive features; the shocking pink shirts donned by the workers; and a heavy crowd during lunch hours.  Read the rest of this entry »

A theme surrounding eco-friendly, sustainability and fresh, real good food, Cafe Bicycle near to BTS Ploenchit serves all day breakfast fares with pretty good beverages to boot

Have you read about The Fat Beagle off Thanon Sukhumvit? If you have the time and your limbs listen to you early in the morning (okay so they open from 11am onwards … but still, the partying can get a wee bit crazy in Bangkok, no?), then by all means make your way there for the exceptional cakes and cookies.

If walking ain’t a popular search in your dictionary, then take the sky train to BTS Ploenchit (between Chit Lom and Nana, really within walking distance to all shopping districts) and upon alighting, you will notice Cafe Bicycle near to Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit.

Since they open from 7am onwards on weekdays, this cafe makes for an ideal stopover for a hearty and homely breakfast before the rat race begins for the day. Read on to find out why Cafe Bicycle (affectionately referred to as ‘cb’ on their website) deserves a try despite jostling for your attention amongst the sea of Bangkok’s famous street food around the area.  Read the rest of this entry »

After a good seven months forward from this original teaser post on Summer in Bangkok July 2013, here I am revisiting the highlights (food wise, of course .. no shady stories on this blog lah, sorry!) of the seven days of bliss in Bangkok, Ayuthaya and Pattaya.

The Fat Beagle Cafe & Bake Shoppe is located on a relatively quiet lane off the main road of Sukhumvit in Bangkok; it takes a bit of effort to reach here from the nearest train station though. But the cakes are well worth the walk .. 

Rather unconventionally, instead of doing the Bangkok Street Eats, let’s take a detour off to Sukhumvit area for a brunch of lovely cakes, cookies and coffee at The Fat Beagle; a barely one-year old establishment.

It’s so common to be greeted by mouthwatering whiffs of freshly grilled meats by the street side, and sights of dark-skinned, friendly hawkers frying up a storm with their rendition of ‘pad thai’ – the ultimate icon of Bangkok’s street food. But to look beyond the stereotyped spicy fares, there is so much more to Bangkok than being a street food haven. The Fat Beagle excels in their freshly baked cakes and cookies; served with a selection of coffee in a tiny space suited for no more than half a dozen of people.  Read the rest of this entry »

For only RM13/USD4 per portion, don’t expect perfectly grilled Angus steaks. At Bad Boy Cooks; the theme is real food, fresh from the kitchen, no frills. 

I first visited Oasis Square a year or so ago, having lunch at a place called Crave Cafe. The food was nonetheless .. forgettable for as much as I can recall. The reason we walked in was because the crowd was relatively thinner compared to Mr & Ms Cafe that does better all day breakfasts, desserts and well, gimmicky props for camwhoring/selfie sessions.

If you have not even heard of Oasis Square, and the name sounded as far-fetched as one in the middle of a desert, then you obviously don’t pay enough attention to this up and coming business district at Oasis Ara Damansara. Situated off Subang airport road near to Citta Mall, the entire area has been livened up significantly with big names like Royal Flush Restaurant, Kumar’s Curry Fish Head, Rakuzen and Crazy Crabs.

A bit wary of falling into the same overpriced, mediocre food trap, we set our eyes on Bad Boy Cooks; an American diner style that’s a made in Malaysia brand. And meals costing less than RM20/USD7 per pax including drinks? Game on.

Read the rest of this entry »