Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

If you have been driving around Ipoh city lately, you must have noticed the many buntings hanging from the lamp posts along the road promoting a certain “Pondok Padang” restaurant situated at the new business centre named 1Casuarina beside Impiana Hotel on Jalan Gopeng (Jalan Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah).

Sate Ayam (10 skewers at RM9.00/USD2.70) – Notice the difference between these and the usual Satay? No side serving of peanut gravy, but instead the black “Special” sauce was drizzled over the grilled meat on skewers.

Pondok Padang is new to the Ipoh’s food and beverage scene, being the second high-profile “Hidangan Nasi Padang” restaurant after the booming Restoran Simpang Tiga over in Greentown.They claim to serve the most authentic form of “Hidangan Padang“, or “masakan Minangkabau“, originating from our neighbouring country, Indonesia.

A genuinely rustic, ‘kampung’ ambience was relived in the decor of the restaurant. Aside from utilizing the skillful hands of Indonesian chefs, Pondok Padang also imported the handmade bamboo furnitures! Talk about committed to the true essence of enjoying a Minangkabau feast.

The restaurant operates 24 hours, supposedly. But as of now, they’re only opened from 10am until 3am (yes, more than 12 straight hours!) to test the waters, so to speak. So, wondering how did Pondok Padang fare against Simpang Tiga? Read on to find out ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Restoran Simpang Tiga is a famous chain of Nasi Padang restaurants originating from Indonesia, with five branches operating over in our neighbouring country. Nasi Padang resembles our very own Malay rice with dishes, or “Nasi Berlauk”, albeit with a little tweaks here and there. The Nasi Padang moniker actually pays tribute to the origin of the food;, whereby Padang is in fact a city in West Sumatra of Indonesia.

Clean & spacious ambience, with decor reminiscing of Minangkabau influences. Even most of the staff are from Indonesia. The Bergedil is a potato patty with minced meat, while Tempe Kacang is an addictive side dish, yet supposedly pose healthy benefits

Nasi Padang is the epitome of Minangkabau cuisine, but most of the dishes have already been incorporated into the array of Malay dishes commonly found in rice stalls all over Malaysia. The spread of dishes at Simpang Tiga was mind-boggling to an extent, with not less than 20 dishes being offered on the afternoon we patronized the outlet.

The huge space occupied by the restaurant (at least 4 shoplots in Greentown Square of Ipoh – a new business centre in the heart of the city) allows a large seating capacity, perfect for functions, or dinners to be held at the premise. The design of the restaurant exudes a traditional, rustic charm, with two main seating areas being Indoor (with air-conditioning) and Outdoor (al fresco style).

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