Sitiawan Food For Dummies – Half A Day’s Worth of Food Hunt
May 27, 2009 | 12,004 views
Kon Lou Mee – Dry soy sauce-tossed Foo Chow kampua noodle (RM2.40)
The famous stall at Kampung Koh wet market doing brisk business from morning til noon, selling the famous Foo Chow (Hock Chew) specialty, Loh Mee
Loh Mee @ RM2.40
Of Horsie, Happy Children, and Funky Balloons @ Teluk Batik.
The Loh Mee stall is opened from breakfast until lunch, hence don’t go at night. You’ll be better off visiting Happy Restaurant for their homecooked Hock Chew dishes, or seafood & toddy at Kampung Cina’s AMU or Villa.
Say, if you’re thinking; ‘How to spend some time, before the next meal?’ You can either :
a) Take a nap in your car, or
b) Go shopping at Giant, Billion, or The Store, or
c) Catch a movie at Lotus, or even
d) Burn some calories off at the beach of Teluk Batik.
A Chinese-Muslim uncle gleefully attending to the queries from the crowd, all the while prying open those mussel-like shells (kepah, is it?)
Not ANOTHER Teluk Batik post!!! I hear you lamenting. No fret, as this time I spare you the beach shots (hehe).
Sitiawan Cheong Cia Gong Pian
With Char Siew, and onions fillings @ only RM1.00
Yee Si @ Kampung Koh, next to Maybank
The multi-layered Crushed Peanut + Sugar Pau @ RM0.90 per piece
Just ask for the peanut pau with layers, or the sliced ones. The dough resembles ‘fatt koh’, those (normally) pink-coloured steamed rice cakes commonly used as offerings placed at the altars for praying. Slightly sour (again, we suspected Foo Chow folks really like their food sour/sweet), the pau is not your average peanut ones, or any other you’ve grown accustomed to, for that matter.
Sang Yuk Pau @ RM1.10
The Sang Yuk Pau (pork bun with a quarter of a boiled egg) fared much better in my opinion, even eaten after a day! Flavouful, with good dough (those that does not stick to the teeth & not an inch thick!), and ample fillings, the buns were in fact, not our orders. The guy sent the whole plate to our table, drawing blank stares, & question marks atop our heads. But could it be a blessing in disguise?
Location : Yee Si Restaurant @ Kampung Koh, next to Maybank. Refer to previous map and directions on the Loh Mee @ Kampung Koh wet market.
That famous Sitiawan’s James Cendol in front of the Indian temple, next to The Store @ Sitiawan
And to cap off a hastily-planned food hunt, we had something sweet, refreshing and cooling. Please pardon my laziness, and refer to my older post on James cendol HERE, for directions, price, and taste. Here’s a MAP, in case you’re feeling even lazier than me. =P Just go straight at the KFC traffic lights in Sitiawan, from Ipoh/Ayer Tawar’s directions, towards Seri Manjung. You’ll see The Store on your right, and the Indian temple within a short distance.
With that, I rest my case. Now, WHO WANTS TO HIRE ME NEXT? =P
# Food hunt in collaboration with The 3G’s, with an additional new member, as well as an ex-member in tow. #
I think I’m still not used to Foo Chow’s taste la, very sour, especially the Loh Mee. Hehe, actually after that bowl of Loh Mee, I started to have phobia to it already…don’t dare to try again.
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sour not my tastebud ler.. but however the multilayer peanut kuih looks good to me..
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i want to try them all! kon lou mee, the paus, the gong pia, the chendol!
*noteto oneself – trip to Setiawan…*
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Have been looking out for this place for some time now…everything looks good. Sure would want to pay a visit after reading about it in your post.
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Half day can eat so many things??
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now i feel like taking a rail road trip to every other part of perak too!
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the loh mee looks good…this is not a popular thing in ipoh…maybe is hokkien dish thats y..
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hahahah I want to hire you! can argh? lol!
truely amazing the food in sitaiwan so appealing by itself!
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All my favourite places!! I always get my gong pian from that shop… =D
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So fren! manage to dine at Restaurant 777?
For many who wish to try out the Gong Pian, a much much better version is available at Kpg Koh, which is few shops away from Happy Restaurant. But u got to place orders 1st. Its comptetitor is further away & is so much better then the S'wan version is just nearby to the market area where the bro has his loh mee. All locals will agree with me.
the S'wan version is mainly for the outstation tourist & is near the wisma Ganda or Courts.
BTW…loh mee version in Kpg Koh is different from the Sitiawan. the one in Kpg Koh has lots of bamboo shoots & sourish..not my taste.
But then the one in Sitiwan taste better to non hockchiew fans.
But no matter what noodle serve, one MUST add/eat with the famous Kpg Koh Chili or the Chili paste. Me..I'll blen both & the taste is XtraOrdinatry.
Any one here from Sitiawan/Kpg Koh or Lumut?
the food serve in S'wan slightly differ with the version from kpg Koh.
Hockchiew luvs spicy/sweet & sourish.
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wow… lots of food leh…
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a great weekend food hunt-gong pian looks so crispy!
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The multilayer peanut pau is all HEART!! Swooon…. and the pork bun sounds like a real winner! The gems that lay within the backroads and the narrow alleys of rural Malaysia… thanks for bringing us there!
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The peanut bao doesn’t look like bao at all, it’s more like bread o.O
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Min : the sour taste was a surprise, as i expected different taste.
allie : the kuih was sour as well, but was quite a good snack to go with a hot cup of milk tea.
thenomadGourmand : tempted leh?
ck lam : do think about it. it’s only an hour from Ipoh, and the road’s easy to travel on.
Little Inbox : hahaha … motormouth(s) ma …
kampungboycitygal : there are so many undiscovered gems. i’m still in the learning curve.
SimpleGirl : Loh mee’s popular in KL as well, but hard to find here, or even in Pg.
BBO : can ah! how much are the bakers paying? =P
BangsarBabe : true, easily accessible, and taste best fresh from the oven.
Hulk : I didnt manage to reach 777 for dinner lah. went back to Ipoh instead. The gong pian you mentioned is Sin Lay, am I right?
the other day I bought 2, one with chopped char siew, another plain. but they were already rather cold in the display rack, and very chewy.
the bamboo shoots are nice addition, offering some crunch, as well as the dried cuttlefish.
NKOTB : yeah, wait til you see more of them.
foodbin : must eat when hot though.
550ml jar of faith : you’re welcomed. the only thing that keeps me going, so to speak.
mimid3vils : true also. but taste more like fatt koh.
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I enjoy looking the pictures
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The pau and the gong piah was one of the better ones for that trip. I cannot imagine how hard will the gong piah be whn it’s cold!…
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I think if given chance, I would like to try the kon lou since I am a ‘noodle’ person.
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Oooh, char siew and onion fillings in the gong piah while it’s hot sounds my kinda heaven right about now, hehe…
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tried that Kampung Koh wet market Loh Mee before. Not my cup of tea though.
should look for tuak there…good tuak i mean. hehehe
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kit Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 10:51 pm
hi~~~do u mean the ‘TUAK’ from sarawak here?where did u get it from~~could you pls tell the place to get it~~~i’m looking for it …..thx
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hahahahha J2KFM, what is your rates?
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Selba : thanks. i enjoyed snapping them too!
mboy : you shouldve tapau some, then leave overnight. then you’ll see …
cariso : i like my noodles kon lou anyway. even maggi/indomie.
Life For Beginners: oooh .. you cant imagine the fragrance while chompin on them, and the stinky onion aftertaste!
gill gill : tuak? toddy ah?
BBO : haha, not very mahal lah. can bargain one.
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Such incredible food in those little coastal towns! I love the look of that gong piah with chasiew + onions and that layered peanut pau! Time to hit the coastal roads again…this time better-armed with yr helpful info & tips here!
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I love fatt koh! Whats more ths one has peanut..? And multilayered… Wow;) a very thorough account of sitiawan.. Nice one j2kfm
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Ooo, cendol, my favourite! I like cendol with fragrant and fresh coconut milk, very nice:p
Can’t find one in ipoh currently, any recommendations?
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Wow! All those food makes me drool! Except the loh mee – I don’t think I like it.
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Wei motormouth, how many times u go sitiawan ord?
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Pureglutton : yeah, more to come in later posts …
Cumi & Ciki : thanks. gotta eat my way around, else work's mundane.
kevin : seriously, NO. i dunno where to search for good cendol in Ipoh. near Kamdar got 2 i think.
Mr Z : last month? 3 times. ONLY ma …
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There's one good chendol at Bercham sold by an Indian Lady. But she came late lunch time & is just back of 7-11 outlet.
The other one at Iph Gdn East is now run by a young chap originate from KL. Moderate taste.
U can also get a good bowl but slight pricey at Tesco Extra.
I luv Greenies remember.
I never fail to visit this chendol stall in S'wan. The boss know me since young & he used to operate just near the pathway outside AmbBank. You see the load for the day…its heavy man. Back then the price of chendol is only RM0.50.
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oh thanks Hulk for the recommendations. i actually quite like the popiah at the Bercham 7-11 there, noon til evening. nice uncle, very accomodating. the James has moved to another spot it seems? now his wife manning the stall.
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No…James run the stall at Sri Manjung, next to Kamdar, while the wife runs the one in S'wan. After 2pm, right opposite S'wan chendol a, malay lady will start frying karipap & malay delacies. Try out the nice warm small potato curry pap. Fulamak…nice & additive since is small size.
For u info, tradegy strike at James, where his son who cross the road while pushing the cart to Kamdar, got knock over by speeding vehicle. Died on spot. His only son & is 2 years back.
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thanks Hulk for the clarification. and what a tragic story.
i think i know which karipap stall you mentioning.
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Oh yeah, haha. Difficult to find good cendol in ipoh.
i miss the famous one in penang, its coconut milk is nice and fresh :p
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damn this place is one place i gotta try if i ever make a trip up north!!!
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james Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 1:12 am
I lived in Ayer Tawar for 19 years. I sincerely invite you to try our food. Even nasi lemak in Ayer Tawer is the best I’ve tried so far. If you ever have a chance to go to Ayer Tawar, ask anybody around about nasi lemak at Taman Dindings. They will point you the direction. The owner (& his family) serves very early in the morning, and one piece of advice, be there before 8:30 am. Otherwise, it’s all gone by then. I normally make my stop no later than 7:45 am. Although the nasi lemak owner also serves teh darik, but there’s also a very good teh darik store next to it, along with roti chennai. I’m mouth watering already.
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Thanks james. I am in desperate need for a guide when it comes to food in Ayer Tawar. Did not have much luck with the food on the main road itself.
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You should’ve tried the Lor Mee+Laksa!!! The taste’s totally fantastico!!
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[...] is broiled with coconut shells in a large urn (much like how they make the Indian naan bread and Sitiawan folks make their Gong Pia) that lends a roasted, smoky aroma to the crust and with a sticky, caramel filling of molasses, [...]
[...] an exterior pastry made up of chewy dough, this reminded me of Sitiawan’s “gong piah” with a sweeter and dense [...]
[...] reviews of the places mentioned in this post with locations and contacts in the following posts : *James Cendol – Branch in KL @ Old Klang Road, next to Lee Chong Wei’s Sports Arena. GPS Coordinates [...]
[...] Sitiawan town which is located 55km west from Teluk Intan. Thanks to another excellent write up by Motormouth from Ipoh, I came across this famous Gong Pian (Dry Biscuit) coffee shop situated just behind Wisma Ganda. [...]
budget hotel in sitiawan CT hotel. http://ct-hotel.com
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try Sitiawan chicken rice @ Wah Lee and Tucky… i love them~~
try bak kut teh too~ its best eaten with fish~
the loh mee is not soury…
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J2Kfm Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
How different is Sitiawan chicken rice with the others in Ipoh, KL or Penang?
Pray tell. It takes a whole lot of effort now to go back to Sitiawan, compared to last time.
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Should try the “Kon Lou Mee” at Earth Cafe Kg Dato Sri Kamaruddin, Seri Manjung
So delicious, must try…………
open from: 6.30am till finish
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 31st, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Earth Cafe? Is this a new one? Thanks for the hint though.
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[...] Villa Seafood Restaurant @ Kampung Cina & Second Visit Sitiawan – James Cendol & the Revisit Sitiawan – Kampung Koh’s Famous “Mou Mou” Peanut Pau @ Yee Si Sitiawan [...]
[...] The mere mention of Sitiawan evokes memories of fresh seafood @ Kampung Cina, Foo Chow-style cooking at Bei King or Lido, the insanely popular James cendol in front of the Indian temple, the Chinese-style of bagels named ‘gong pia’ & even Teochew style Bak Kut Teh coupled with steamed fish head. (Read a portion of it on Sitiawan – Half A Day’s Worth of Food Hunt) [...]