Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

Domino’s Pizza’s Opening take away offer – Buy One regular pizza and get a second one at only RM0.10. Valid until 31st October 2010.

Can you say “Finally”? After a good 13 years of arriving at our shores, the first Domino’s Pizza outlet in Perak opened its doors in Ipoh recently

The title notwithstanding, I am actually glad that Ipoh’s currently on a roll; experiencing rapid growth in the food & beverage department with new chain eateries launching left and right. Oh Sushi, Purple Cane Tea House and Strawberry Moment Dessert Cafe started charming their way into the hearts of the foodies in Ipoh at the beginning of the second half of this year.

And then Domino’s Pizza arrived at the scene, launching without much fanfare (if not for the readers, I wouldn’t have known) at a very strategic location in Medan Ipoh Bistari; facing the main road of Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah Utara.

I know, I know. Domino’s Pizza for real??!!! Aww … come on lah. Many of you may be wondering why on earth would I be wasting a post by writing about a fast food that has been around in the Klang Valley since the late 90′s?!

Read on to find out why, and what’s up with the “… Got Lost in Ipoh?” tag in the title of this post ……. Read the rest of this entry »

Lou Shu Fun/Law Shi Fen (Rat’s Tail Noodles aka Silver Needle Noodles) with their signature tantalizing topping of minced meat in a delicious gravy, and of course, the crunchy bean sprouts of Ipoh!!!

Call the short, stubby, glistening and smooth rice noodles in whichever manner you want. Rat’s tail noodles. Silver needle noodles. Mee Tai Bak. Laksa noodles (this is wrong though, for in laksa we use ‘lai fun’ instead). Rice noodles. Or just plain …. “Lou Shu Fun“.

One thing for sure, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of DRY (“kon lou” in Cantonese) version of Lou Shu Fun topped with generous ladles of the delectably-moreish minced meat in gravy. And where’s the best place for this simple hawker fare? Kampar of course.

An array of “Yong Liew” (better known as Yong Tau Foo elsewhere) for your picking.

But of course, Kampar being a good 40 kilometres away from Ipoh, and the famous Kampar market only opens in the morning, it’s not an acceptable idea to travel all the way and back for breakfast alone. And what happens when the craving comes at night?!

No worries. Motormouth to the rescue!!! Not that I can cook you a bowl or something(duh), but I shall point you to the right direction; Restoran Law Shi Fun in Bercham of Ipoh, a short distance away from the Ipoh Selatan highway exit; and near to the Tesco Extra hypermarket on Jalan Bercham.

Read more about this cheap, no frills Lou Shu Fun feast (RM26.50/USD8.30 fed six mouths!) that has been around for 7 years now …… Read the rest of this entry »

And yes, we DO have an airport here in Ipoh. Surprise, surprise!!!! Much like how the old Subang airport has (had?) their famous Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant (read Precious Pea’s review here), Sultan Azlan Shah airport of Ipoh is commonly referred to as the landmark when one is trying to seek for Li Garden Restaurant; a Chinese seafood restaurant (‘dai chow’) on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah Selatan.

* On a side note, read about how they are toying with the idea of moving the airport to Seri Iskandar in the future, instead of expanding the current one.

Claypot Tilapia Fish (Kam Foong Yue) @ RM27/USD8.50 – You can also choose to have the “Pak Sook Gung” (a type of catfish) to be cooked this way instead

I read about Li Garden a few months ago from Ipoh Echo. Previously, I barely knew about this restaurant near to the airport in Pasir Puteh from my father who travels along the route on a daily basis. But of course, being a little out of the way, I have never thought much about having dinner here. (They’re only opened from evening until midnight).

But of course, resistance is futile. Especially when one’s clouded by the thought of having lamb/beef briskets, curry chicken in bread, and claypot tilapia fish …….

Read the rest of this entry »

This page is dedicated to Food Recommendations from the readers.
Yes, that’s YOU!!!

I am but a One Man Team; running this blog on my own, hence it’s near impossible for me to write about every single eatery in Ipoh, around Perak, or even food from the other states in Malaysia.

And that’s where YOU come into play. Drop me a comment on THIS page, or on the respective post that you feel compelled to comment about, and I will be glad to transfer over your recommendations to this page. (I shall also be seeking for recommendations from the All About Ipoh page on Facebook, to share with the other readers who are not fans of the page. Yet.)

Let’s help each other in this Food-Hunting Fiesta okay?

-SUGGESTED FOOD IN IPOH-

BAK KUT TEH

- Tung Lok Hin Bak Kut Teh (off Jalan Bendahara)
- Sun Tong Chew Bak Kut Teh (behind Tow Boo Keong temple and off Jalan Kampar, near to Honda showroom)
- Soon Lee Bak Kut Teh (Pasir Puteh, near to Kek Look Seah temple)
- Yum Yum Bak Kut Teh (Tmn Boon Bak in Pasir Puteh after Shell petrol station)

BEEF NOODLES

- “Gou Lou” beef noodles @ Jalan Hussein, next to Tadika Methodist
- Canning Garden (a shop facing Canning Garden market)
- Buntong Beef Noodles @ Kedai Makanan & Minuman Sri Maju
- Hong Keong @ opposite of the old Rex Cinema

DIM SUM

- Chef Fatt Dim Sum @ Cowan Street (next to Kafe Central)
- Sun Kim Aik Dim Sum @ Jalan Lahat
- Hillcity Hotel on Jalan Gopeng
- Royal China Restaurant @ Coliseum Square (next to Impiana Hotel on Jln Gopeng)

CHEE CHEONG FUN

- Pasir Pinji’s House No 1456, Jalan Pasir Pinji 5 – Steamed freshly. Opens on Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri only. From 1.30pm onwards, but take your number early. Closes randomly on public holidays, school holidays and ‘when they feel like it ...’
- Simee Market – behind Choy Kee egg tarts stall
- Kafe Central on Cowan Street – Canning Garden CCF
- Pasir Puteh, should be a stall opposite of Tai Kung Steamed Cuisine after Tow Boo Keong temple
- Waller Court flats (morning only)

CHICKEN RICE

- Hin Loong Hainan Chicken Rice @ Jalan Ali Pitchay
- Ipoh Hainan Chicken Rice @ Anderson Road (HALAL)
- Pak Gong @ Jalan Theatre (near to Kamdar, Aun Kheng Lim salted Chicken)
- Rasa Sayang @ Jalan Theatre (next to Pak Gong)
- Cheong Kee Chicken Rice @ Bandar Baru Bercham (Good!)

CURRY MEE

- Twin Sister Curry Mee – Jalan Ali Pitchay
- Nam Kew Coffee Shop on Anderson Road (mornings only)
- Merdeka Garden Curry Mee stall (night only)
- Fatty Curry Mee @ Kafe New Weng Fatt in Ipoh Garden South (mornings only)
- Food Court opposite of Hotel Excelsior

LAKSA

- Falim Laksa on Jalan Lahat (Sunday afternoons only)
- Wah Pan Laksa stall (Jalan Leong Sin Nam, opposite of Hua Nam coffee shop)
- Gunung Rapat Laksa (a pushcart stall somewhere …. NOT Kee Poh Laksa opposite Gunung Rapat market)
- Kong Heng Laksa (the famous Kong Heng of old town)
- Laksa from a puishcart stall on Jalan Pasir Puteh (near Taman Boon Bak)

MALAY FOOD

- Sri WIdihana Tom Yam & Malay Cuisine @ the other end of Li Garden Restaurant, near to airport

NGA CHOY KAI, TAUGE AYAM. BEAN SPROUTS CHICKEN

- Onn Kee (opposite of Lou Wong) on Jalan Yau Tet Shin
- 818 Tauge Ayam in Bercham
- Kafe Macy – morning-lunch Kai See Hor Fun (Chicken Kuey Teow Soup)
- Jalan Pasir Puteh (A shop named 118 or something?)

PAN MEE

- Pan Mee (am) & the infamous 45 minutes Wat Tan Hor (pm) @ Sun Seng Fatt, Jalan Leong Sin Nam
- Station 18 @ Pengkalan – Chili Pan Mee
- Ipoh Jaya Pan Mee @ Chong Hua coffee shop (1 hour wait?)

SEAFOOD & ‘DAI CHOW/CHU CHAR’ DISHES

- Sun Wen Cau @ Menglembu – Crab dishes
- Wan Chai Kok @ off Anderson Road, near to Tmn Merdeka

STEAMBOAT

- MP Steamboat + BBQ
- Good Times Steamboat @ Greenhill & 1st Curve, Falim
- Farmhouse Porridge Steamboat @ Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah (same row with Li Garden)
- Two Plus One Steamboat + BBQ @ Jalan Bercham, opposite of Tesco Extra
- K-Kai Corner Steamboat + BBQ @ Jalan Lahat

VARIOUS STREET FOOD

- Lai Kee Pork Chop Rice @ Super Kinta’s Food Court above the market, and branch on Jalan Kuala Kangsar
- Wonderful Fried Chicken & Honey Chicken stall in Menglembu
- Fish ball noodles/yong tau foo @ the shop next to Hin Loong Chicken Rice, on Jalan Ali Pitchay

VEGETARIAN CUISINE

- Chuk Lum on Jalan Kampar (near to Fairmont Hotel)
- Shi Fang @ Falim (next to Sri Taman Mas roast duck)
- Tao Yuan @ 1st Curve, Falim
- Guiling @ Jalan Dato Tahwil Azhar, parallel to Yang Kalsom road

JAPANESE FOOD/KOREAN FOOD

- Takeyama (Medan Ipoh Baru)
- Kampai – One of the pioneers in Japanese food in Ipoh
- Wasabe @ 1Casuarina – Japanese buffet, ala carte

CAKES/DESSERTS

- Deli Garden @ Persiaran Greenhill
- Gold Vision @ Persiaran Greenhill & Greentown Business Centre
- Bercham Woong Kee Tau Fu Fah (Bercham in front of 7-11 at night only)
- Pasir Pinji market Tau Fu Fah (night only)

Read the rest of this entry »

I anticipated with glee, on the potentially mind-blowing Pan Mee varieties from this supposedly “Pan Mee Specialist” named Peking Pan Mee Noodles Shop in Medan Ipoh Bistari; a relatively new eatery (about 3 months’ old) on the same row as Akamomiji Japanese Restaurant, and directly opposite of Kafe Tim coffee shop.

The Pumpkin-flavoured Pan Mee noodles done the ‘dry’ style with crunchy anchovies, wood ear fungus (mook yee), sweet leaves (Sayur manis) and strips of shiitake mushrooms.

But the breakfast experience fell short off the mark; leaving us in doubt whether the crowd were there solely for the varieties of pan mee on their menu, for the convenience of the distance away from tourists-packed areas, or maybe from sheer word-of-mouth, publicity in the Chinese dailies, etc?

Read on to discover the MANY varieties of Pan Mee available at Peking Pan Mee, and why the concept holds promise yet executed somewhat poorly …… Read the rest of this entry »

A “vegetarian” sushi roll?! Golden Dragon @ Fu Tien Restaurant in Medan Ipoh Bistari.

Enough Already with the Mindless Bingeing!!! Stuffing oneself with countless greasy cheeseburgers, handful of fries, lemang + rendang + serunding daging (geez … saying that makes my mouth waters), Char Koay Teow and meaty feast of dim sum had me reconsider my eating habits (albeit for a very brief stint). Stopped me dead on tracks, and I developed a sudden crave for a wholesome vegetarian meal.

I should be whipped for the dearth of posts on vegetarian cuisine in Ipoh. Aside from the famous Yishen (Yat Sum) and Min Sin Yie which I wrote way back in ’08, I have never wrote another piece on vegetarian food in Ipoh. I bow my head in shame …….

So here’s a post on Fu Tien; one of the BEST place in Ipoh for modernized vegetarian fares. We are talking about maki-sushi rolls, topped with slices of fresh and nectar-ish sweet mangoes, crunchy juicy cucumbers, fritters for that added crunch and even cheese (wait, dairy products are considered vegetarian?) !!! Read on to find out why this place is perpetually packed during lunch hours …… Read the rest of this entry »

There is this bistro-cafe-pub-lounge like place in Greentown Business Centre that has been earning stripes in both positive and negative aspects. Cocooon Cafe (no spelling error, it’s spelled with that many O’s) started business sometime in the beginning of this year (can’t be sure, for I seldom venture out to that jammed area for lunch anymore these days).

Set Lunch – Dory Fish Fillets cooked in a light garlic and butter sauce, served with a side of herbs rice and potato wedges. RM14.90/USD4.60 for a set with a soup, a dessert and a drink.

Okay, I do admit that the ambience plays a pertinent role in ensuring a most pleasurable dining experience. To which I have to give credits to the management of Cocooon Cafe, for the interior of the premise looks resplendent yet comfortable with soft hues of natural light streaming from the sidewalks.

Cocooon Cafe - A relatively new dining sensation in the heart of the city; Greentown Business Centre of Ipoh.

Painted with an eye-catching purple shade on the outside, the cafe appears more like a pub or bistro than a fine dining settlement. Which, in this case works wonders as the casual environment befits a simple and quick lunch for the blue-collar workers around the vicinity. And Cocooon serves various affordable sets for lunch and dinner, but here comes the major lament ….

Read on to find out what they offer in the sets, and the daunting wait for our food …… Read the rest of this entry »