Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Is this the famous Buntong Beef Noodles? Bright orange signboard fronting the one-lot shop at Desa Rishah, situated within the vicinity of Buntong, Falim and Menglembu.

So far, I am still puzzled by the existence of several eateries proclaiming to be serving “Buntong’s Famous Beef Noodles“. First and foremost, of course there’s the supposedly original Buntong beef noodle stall at a house in Buntong. Then there’s the other more prominent outlet in town, named Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Sri Maju on Jalan Theatre (another highly acclaimed original Buntong beef noodles, for the proprietor moved from Buntong to this shop sometime back in 2004) which has garnered most of the media attention in comparison to the others.

Another branch popped up not long ago at Kafe New Weng Fatt in Ipoh Garden South, that is only opened for breakfast-lunch.

And guess what? Only yesterday I was brought to this shop in Desa Rishah, that has been around for close to 10 years, and … you-guessed-it; BUNTONG BEEF NOODLES again !!! 🙂

Fresh from the Wok; “Sar Kok Liew” (deep-fried stuffed yambean/turnip/jicama) for RM0.50/USD0.15 per piece @ Kedai Makanan Dan Minuman Desa Rishah

With question marks still clouding my head, we ventured over for lunch on a Friday and I was pleasantly surprised at the crowded shop; a sign of good things to come? ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Wong Kok Char Chan Teng’s Signature Cheese Baked Rice – Melted, oozing cheese atop on a bamboo basket filled with rice lightly fried with finely-julienned egg omelette, then baked together with the meat of your choice (in this case, a whole slab of pork chop) and your pick of sauce.

Since the opening of Hong Kong Food & Tea in Jusco Kinta City a few years ago, Ipoh has been struck with a dearth of worthy “Char Chan Teng” (Hong Kong cafe-style eateries). So when one was hit by a sudden craving for a serving of cheese baked rice or spaghetti, a milky cup of tea (“nai cha“), Macau style Pork Burger (“Zhu Par Bao“) or even Nissin Noodle Soup with Szechuan sliced pork, there was only Food & Tea Restaurant, the random kopitiams, or you gotta make your own.

A Hong Kong restaurant franchise that started in Malaysia back in 2003 …. Proudly?

I have dined and snacked on a few occasions at Wong Kok Char Chan Teng over in Klang Valley, where they have a grand total of 9 branches as of today; the latest being the branch at the new Sunway Giza mall over at Kota Damansara. And the first outlet in the state of Perak opened recently at De Garden of Ipoh. Wanna know how this outlet fared against the other well-established branches down south? Read on ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Skilfully fried with loads of ingredients thrown in for good measure; Pu Yuan‘s most famous noodle dish – Fried Sweet Potato Flour Noodles

This place named Pu Yuan, off Old Klang Road had me reeling once before. No, it’s nothing related to the saliva-inducing fares they serve (although in their defense, they really cook them to a magnificent degree).

We went rounds, wasting close to 20 minutes circling Old Klang Road (OKR), Jalan Kuchai Lama, then back again. We turned into the small lane right before the Jalan Kuchai Lama traffic lights on OKR, reaching the Chinese school named SJK (C) Choong Wen, but no restaurant in sight.

There was hardly even a soul wandering around the residential area surrounding the aforementioned school in the evening on a weekend. Hence, we gave up the ‘mission’ and ventured off to Nambawan instead.

That’s ALL of the restaurant you see in the picture above. Yes, the place can barely contain a humongous crowd, so be there early or brace the wait standing around or outside of the premise.

Knowing me, being the usual adamant (read : stubborn) self, I searched for information again on the net. And thus, I once again embraced the power of food blogs and directories, this time around we were successful. The small eatery is actually parked to the LEFT on a small lane right after turning into the archway belonging to the school. Detailed directions to come at the end of the post ….. Read the rest of this entry »

I have heard and read much about this roast duck stall in Canning Garden of Ipoh, so much so that I got a little confused over this stall, and the (almost) similar restaurant serving (almost) the same fares named Hong Kong Oil Chicken & Roast Duck Restaurant in Tasek of Ipoh.

Yeah, and this stall in Canning Garden is parked within a restaurant named Hong Kong as well. Uncanny resemblance?

Hong Kong Restaurant @ Canning Garden, Ipoh – The same mosaic-tiled floor, mirrors and paintings on the walls, and a relaxing airy ambience with all windows and doors opened to the maximum.

And so, reading Alexandra’s article AGAIN two Saturdays ago got me all worked up for a visit to this stall soon. Plus I received an encouraging e-mail from a reader named Steve sometime back in May, pushing  me on to give this particular crispy roast duck (“chui pei ngap”) a try.

Crispy Skin Roast Duck – Half a portion for RM19/USD5.80, the glistening and crackly skin stayed crispy throughout the meal, and the juicy, tender meat was devoid of any gamey taste.

And from the looks of it, the roast duck at Hong Kong Restaurant in Canning Garden sure deserves a chance to be amongst the stars in the top tiers of “Famous Roast Ducks in Ipoh” ………. Read the rest of this entry »

Hainanese Chicken Chop (RM6.50/USD2.00) – Gravy-licious serving of a tender chicken chop battered, fried and topped lavishly with the brown sauce with onions, carrots and peas.

I wrote about Yut Sun Restaurant in Taiping before, a famous kopitiam that serves a wide array of Hainanese dishes, including the perennial favourite of many; Hainanese Chicken Chop, as well as the not-so-common Roti Sayur, and they even have an ‘Egg Steak‘ to pique your interest. Best of all, Yut Sun’s PORK-FREE, hence you’ll see people from all races dining together in harmony …..

Corny but true. 🙂

However, this time around, I was aiming for Wan Li Restaurant on Jalan Kota instead. Situated on the same side as Kok Beng Hainan Chicken Rice (amongst the TOP 10 Chicken Rice in Malaysia!!) and opposite of Kum Loong Dim Sum, most people would pass by this place without even batting an eyelid; judging from the disdain and rather rundown outlook of the premise. But DON’T come to conclusion just yet. For more often that not, it’s places like this that holds promise, and dishes out foods that arrest your attention; ensuring perpetual revisits …….   Read the rest of this entry »

Who Needs Fork & Knife? Basted with a finger-licking droolworthy BBQ sauce, the Pork Ribs Special @ Berlin’s Bier Houz just begged to be devoured using hands and all.

A new watering hole opened in Greentown Business Centre recently, named Berlin’s Bier Houz (www). Specializing in imported German beers, and a mish-mash of German-European cuisine, I came to know about this place recently from a colleague, and decided to venture over for lunch.

This place reminded me of Bavarian Bier Haus @ The Curve, with almost the same setting, cuisine, and imported German beers.

The front facade of the restaurant/bistro, located at the new premises in Greentown Business Centre. Berlin’s Bier Houz faces the row of shops housing Movenpeak and Assam House.

The menu covers mostly liquors in all manners, served in half-a-pint sizes, full pints, in bottles, and even cocktails/mocktails. Indeed, a haven for those who appreciate the finer forms of German beers, with names such as Erdinger, Stella Artois, Blackthorn, Tetley’s and Connor’s. Pardon me for being ignorant, for I’m not an avid drinker myself.

So let’s see what type of cuisines Berlin’s Bier Houz has to offer …. Read the rest of this entry »

Tai Woo Hong Kong Dim Sum @ Ipoh Garden South – A dim sum restaurant with a twist.

Tai Woo Hong Kong Dim Sum has been operating since 2008 in Ipoh, but has gone under the radar for much of the duration. Previously they opened for a short 3 months stint in Sunway of Tambun, then proceeded to relocate to the current premise, right smack in the middle of Ipoh Garden South.

Xiao Long Bao aka Shanghai Soup Dumplings (RM4.50/USD1.40)

I previously wrote about the Xiao Long Bao’s from Dragon-i and Din Tai Fung, and a reader recommended this place for XLB (xiao long bao) in Ipoh. Truth be told, not many place serve XLB for dim sum, or Shanghai cuisine here in good old Ipoh. Hence my interest was piqued, and we found ourselves there for breakfast on a Sunday morning …. Read the rest of this entry »