Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

A Meticulously-Sloppy Massacre – Can’t blame Chef Tim for the vengeful act of dissection. After all, one of the owners (Ernest) is supposed to be a very, very discerning diner (read : picky eater) and Tim has to replicate that particular taste Ernest desires …. 🙂

And we got Hoofed. There were five of us, on an utter devastation of the porcine family. Thankfully, the meal was balanced with meagre doses of fish and fowls, yet nothing came close to rivalling the porky affairs that evening.

Don’t count the bricks, you’ll go dizzy before the first sip of your Sangria. And Colin (the other co-owner of Hoofed) modestly (hehe) staked his claims on the marvelous architecture works and design. And yeah, he was up there (on the ceilings lah …) doing all the renovation works too.

Hoofed is your neighbourhood watering hole-cum-dining extravaganza. Since Tom, Dick & Harry’s Pub & Grub downstairs is also owned by the same bunch of people, it’s a slightly different venture altogether when it comes to Hoofed; being a proper dining establishment complete with fine wines, cocktails (an inhouse mixologist by the Shawn), elaborate menu peppered with porky delights, and even lighter bites for the later (dire?) hours.

Do read on to find out why I was still on a porky high the morning after …… Read the rest of this entry »

Got served the RIGHT way? She IS the lady boss of Korean Yea Won Restaurant in Medan Ipoh Bistari; one of the longest running Korean restaurant in Ipoh.

The first time I wrote about Yea Won was way back in 2008, when I first met Citygal and Jason (both Ipohans now in KL; guess I completed the circle now) in Ipoh.

Compared to Onix Jun (fondly referred to as Dae Jang Gum; their name in Chinese), Yea Won concentrates more on Korean style of grilled meats served with a variety of ban chan (side dishes), while the former serves more authentic, homecooked version of Korean dishes and Onix Jun has always been run by a Korean family residing in Ipoh anyway.

Banchan (side dishes) usually come in an eye-popping, jaw-dropping varieties of pickles, light savoury bites and lots of vegetables.

Not that Ipoh’s that famous for Korean cuisine anyway. Aside from these two, Riche Montana in Ipoh Garden South serves Korean style buffet; at a reasonable rate (about RM30/USD10 per pax) yet I have not been enticed enough by their selection of food to hop over for a visit. Soon, maybe. But I have never been a fan of buffets, so … tough luck. 🙂

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Pontian Wanton Mee – Comes in 3 different sizes; the smallest size being the “S” priced at RM4.00/USD1.30 seemed to be enough for a light dinner. Bouncy, egg noodles without the curls.

WHAT?! Wanton Mee again ah? Wait wait, Before you go and throw tantrums over Motormouth’s tiresome ordeal of seeking for dinner every single night, bear in mind that in KL (generally), a few types of street food tend to stand out amongst the crowd.

Of course, let’s not take into consideration the various Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun, Kai See Hor Fun (Chicken Kuey Teow Soup) or Penang Char Kuey Teow. Those imitators/emulators never failed to amaze me. Not so much for the authenticity but more for their tenacity. In other words; thick-skinned. But let’s not digress.

The ambience should be sufficient to calm a child with ADHD down in an instance. Or maybe not.

And can you imagine this was already my third or fourth wantan mee experience in KL? In a matter of 3 weeks, I have already ventured a few places, and ended up with more or less the same stuff.

Mostly noodles, there was one day when I had pan mee TWICE in a day! Silly me for waltzing in a cool manner without realizing that the shop sells only pan mee. Better let the instincts lead the way, rather than the hunger pangs. Anyway for today folks, let’s see what this specific Pontian Wanton Noodles (with 60 years of history, no less!) in SS15 of Subang Jaya managed to dish up …. Read the rest of this entry »

Satellite Restaurant Chicken Rice – As old school as it gets, Satellite has been retaining that alluring charm of mosaic-tiled floors, tables with scratched surfaces, plastic chairs, and a semi-al fresco dining area on the outside complete with coolers.

And according to a poll conducted by Friedchillies, this restaurant at a corner lot on Jalan Gasing was crowned the BEST Chicken Rice in Klang Valley.

That’s saying a lot, as you know how densely populated KL-PJ are with all those chicken rice stalls plying almost every corner in every coffee shop in the neighbourhood. Just mention the chains of Nam Heong or New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice and you get commercialized Hainan chicken rice there.

Not to include the awkwardly positioned Chicken Rice Shop here, for that’s a different story altogether.

Was the accolade justified? You be the judge people … or hear more from the horse’s Motormouth after the jump …..

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Of all things healthy and wise; Jeram’s Lui Cha Rice has a following everywhere, and I wonder if this small town near to Kampar in Perak was the first to ‘patent’ this creation gone viral …

This bowl of rice, usually vegetarian (just ask them to omit the dried shrimps and onions and you’re good to go) in nature, is a good example of a hate-it-or-love-it Hakka dish. Many used to lament about the extremely ‘green’ taste (a somewhat pungent, and slightly unpleasant fresh taste from the chlorophyll-laden greens, especially those blended into the accompanying soup), while others stay away from the protein-shy ensemble.

But to imagine munching on crunchy bits of roasted peanuts, sweet; almost caramelized onions, bits of soft beancurd strips, sometimes julienned omelette, and an eye-popping plethora of finely-chopped vegetables; paired with white rice (sometimes cooked with onions and garlic to perfume the rice) then paired with an awkwardly light green concoction resembling an ogre’s snot.

Okay, not that gross, but if you’ve ever bought the thick, undiluted lui cha soup from the Jeram morning market, you’ll notice why I was making such a comparison. Read on to find out more about this healthy dish; from the famous Jeram market ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh oysters on the Rocks – Go crazy on these and guaranteed satisfaction. In every sense of the word.

I once stayed at Holiday Villa Subang, sometime back in 2008 or 2009. Good experience though, still remember how spacious the room was, and the easy access to everywhere around PJ and Subang. That experience (back when I was still with the civil service) was definitely one of the better ones throughout my tenure in the service. If you’ve been following this blog since 2008, you would have realized that travelling’s part of the job. (To some extent … eating as well)

Anyway, fast forward a couple of years and here I am, stranded relocated to the almighty madhouse that is Kuala Lumpur. But good to know that I am in good company, surrounded by foodies with a deep passion and penchant for everything and anything edible. 🙂

From the look of it, this poor baby ain’t gonna miss his Mama too long …..

Holiday Villa Hotel & Resort Suites Subang (that’s the full name, btw) recently held a tasting session for the media; launching their inaugural New Year’s EveCarnival – BBQ Poolside Buffet. As far as Christmas and New Year buffets go, every year we’ll see tough competition amongst the F&B players and no doubt the thousand-and-one hotels in the Klang Valley.

Routinely, to set each other apart from the competition, the hotel would go to the extent of organizing a feast surrounding a particular theme. A gimmick or a timeless business strategy, it all depends on the execution of the tactics.

For this year, the management of Holiday Villa Subang has decided to embrace a carnival-like theme; and judging from the camaraderie of wacky costumed personnel, fancy decorations and the experience of eating beside their Olympic-sized swimming pool; caressed by the warm breeze of the night ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Where to stay in city centre, with basic amenities; strategically within range of the Golden Triangle of Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, yet won’t break a hole in the pocket? Try Leisure Inn @ Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah, Pudu.

Remember in one of the last few posts; I wrote about Ah Koong Eating House? The fish ball specialist originating from Johor Bahru surprised me with their selection of yong tau foo (stuffed fish paste) and such, was actually our pick for breakfast given the extremely near location to where we stayed for two nights.

Thanks to Rebecca for introducing me to Cherrie, the owner of Leisure Inn in a timely manner. Though Cherrie was out of the country when I was relocating to KL, she made sure that we had a pleasant, fuss free time being put up at her pride that is Leisure Inn; a Preferred Business Lodge.

A room sufficient for one to two pax; most notable for the comfortable, clean and plush beds and pillows. Not as spacious as I had imagined, but for the reasonable rates, that is certainly understandable.

Read on to know more about my experience at Leisure Inn ….. Read the rest of this entry »