Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

 Claypot Bak Kut Teh @ Ah Sang in Sungei Way, PJ; an old neighbourhood with an astounding number of foreign workers residing within; plus a few good finds that you might not have heard of.

 But still … Ah Sang Bak Kut Teh deserves the compliments and respect for doing what they still love and believe in after all these years.

A bunch of my ex-colleagues brought me here two years ago. The first bak kut teh restaurant in KL/PJ that managed to make a lasting impression …. not that I have been to many anyway.

Reservation is almost always a must during lunch hours, but you can expect almost God-like speed in churning out pots after pots of the famed Hokkien-style herbal broth laced with chunks of pork (almost every part imaginable) here at Ah Sang.

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Large chunks of pork. Minimal serving of soup. Slightly oiled rice. A plate of ‘Yau Char Gwai’. And Chinese tea. If this doesn’t scream KLANG, then I don’t know what else will.

When push comes to shove, I guess it’s really passion that drives me through. The tumultuous journey of transition plus a few other tribulations in life sapped my energy like mad. If

Suddenly, it felt like everything’s going in the opposite direction. I almost lost track of things I wanted to share with you guys, the new places in town (okay, maybe not so new but I haven’t been blog-surfing for months now) that I enlisted to try and the travel stories floating inside my cranium (not done with Saigon yet, while Manila was 3 months back!).

Nevertheless, if I am slow in replying your comments, e-mails or messages on Facebook, I apologize. I have to thank good old Maxis for the inefficiency in setting up Internet at my home.

Enough whining … let’s pork out today. Read on and drool. You know this could be a great weekend breakfast plan. Read the rest of this entry »

Good Bak Kut Teh stalls are hard to come by, unless you’re residing within the town of Klang where you can throw a stone from anywhere and 50% probability of hitting someone who’s cooking Bak Kut Teh at their restaurant or home. (read Best of Klang Bak Kut Teh for a dizzying range of BKT specialists in town)

Outside of Klang however, I have countless disappointment with BKT outlets claiming to be the ‘authentic’ Klang bak kut teh, or the BEST bak kut teh, or whatever else they conjured up with. So far, the only ones noteworthy outside of Klang are Yap Chuan in Puchong for their irresistible dry bak kut teh, and Ah Sang Bak Kut Teh in Sungei Way.

And no, I did not enjoy Jalan Ipoh’s Ban Lee or Fatty’s on Old Klang Road.

But now … there might be a piece of good news. A saving grace in the form of Ah Ping Bak Kut Teh in SS14 in Subang Jaya.  Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a breather. In case you felt like as though you’re suffocating from the onslaught of Bangkok posts.

Back in 2009, we stopped by this comparatively spacious ‘shack’ on Old Klang Road; right beside the overhead NPE due to the extremely (no kidding) admirable turnout of a dinner crowd. I daresay; hundreds of them and more standing around waiting like vultures for an empty table. This place is named Ah Wang Bak Kut Teh; but albeit the immense popularity, their signature dish is actually the steamed fish head in three options of sauces. The experience was good, and we returned for another visit two days apart.

And then, I completely dropped the urge to write about it. Complacent, or maybe procrastination. And the fact that they’re already swarmed/overwhelmed by the ridiculous number of hungry patrons, it’s not even funny.

Notice the plump guy in white T-shirt seated and calmly orchestrating the whole ordeal? He’s the BOSS. Presumably, since he’s the one barking orders and coordinating everything from the comfort of his seat. Fatty Bak Kut Teh. Hmm, I see some relevance.

Pardon me as I’m in a rather perplexed state  now. Losing one’s voice isn’t something to be proud of, yet I can’t help but felt the guilt creeping in without going scavenging for food and bringing the already cob-webbed gear (my D7000) along. Here’s a brief piece on Fatty Bak Kut Teh on Old Klang Road ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Dry Bak Kut Teh; a pot of various cuts of pork cooked in a thickened gravy that’s nothing like the conventional bak kut teh perfumed by herbs, but resembling a ‘kung pow’ touch with dried chillies, dried cuttlefish and lots of okra (ladies finger) and topped with chopped coriander.

Now I have been itching to write about (worthy) Bak Kut Teh outlets in Ipoh; albeit well aware of the fact that this essentially Hokkien dish has been jostling for the limelight (and guide books) in this city populated by an array of lip-smacking street foods in a futile manner.

If you ask me to name a few good BKT stalls in Ipoh that’s commendable AND recommendable to the outsiders (aside from Klangites, perhaps), there are 3 major names that I can think of.

Lee Soon (or was it Soon Lee?) near to the secondary school on Jalan Pasir Putih (SMK Jalan Pasir Putih), Sun Tong Chew off Jalan Kampar near to Ave Maria Convent, and this Tung Lok Hin at Medan Bendahara.

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Klang-style of Hokkien claypot Bak Kut Teh – A pot full brimming with pork of all cuts, you can have literally the whole pig in there, save the ears (never heard of, but not impossible) and tail.

Another feather in the cap, please? Not rounding off this best-of series of Klang bak kut teh YET, but this new addition to the list is a hidden gem begging to be shared.

Although I have heard about this BKT (“bak kut teh” for short) place at the very prominent Hokkien Association building in Klang for awhile now, somehow the commercialization effect (re-branded as Yeoh’s Bah Kut Teh, complete with a website – www.bahkutteh.com) got me skeptical and giving this a miss.

You know lah … even when Mo Sang Kor and Pao Xiang expanded beyond their capacity, the QC dropped to impossible lows, and I only visit Mo Sang Kor’s Pandamaran branch, no other.

So how did this fare against the likes of Seng Huat, Mo Sang Kor and Teluk Pulai? Read on for the meaty insight …. Read the rest of this entry »

DRY Bak Kut Teh @ Tan Kee Klang BKT – Chunks of pork cooked in a dark, thick and slightly starchy sauce with dried chillies, bird’s eye chillies (cili padi), lots of garlic and some halved button mushrooms. (A portion for one at RM8.00/USD2.40)

This supposedly “Klang-style Bak Kut Teh” on Gopeng Road (actually Jalan Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, though I seriously doubt one can identify the roads with their new names nowadays) has caught my attention since late last year when I went for a meal at Restoran Waritha. The restaurant was packed; almost overflowing with customers that evening, which surprised me because I never even knew about such a place before that.

Fast forward a good 8 months later (hehe, talk about being a slow poke … ), and we finally embarked on a maiden journey to Tan Kee Klang Bak Kut Teh; which is located a short distance away from the Ipoh’s famous Sam Poh Tong caves. Their specialties? Wet (Soup-based) & Dry Bak Kut Teh, Steamed Fish Head, Vinegar Pork’s Trotter and Thai-style Beancurd. Ready with the napkins? Here we go …… Read the rest of this entry »