Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

This is the final chapter of my 2D/1N Jeram-Teluk Intan-Bidor-Sungkai food run. Find the related stories below :

Jeram’s Famous Pau & Yam Puff @ Kedai Kopi Shin Lock
Teluk Intan – Day One
Teluk Intan – Day Two

This sifu (let’s call him the Bidor’s dollmaster, for the sake of it!) seemed to be deep in thoughts, never skipping a beat albeit within firing range of my camera. Look at the laborious process of manually-shaped moon biscuits before they went into the oven.

While we used the Kuala Selangor way to travel from PJ to Teluk Intan, the shorter (in terms of time, not distance) route has still got to be the Bidor way. Hence, we picked the obvious choice when departing home on the second day.

Bidor is a relatively small town in Perak; south of Ipoh (about 60km away) yet distinctively popular for two things – The fresh fruits stalls and of course, the legendary Pun Chun herbal duck thigh noodles.

Seedless guavas, soursops, durians, ‘jambu air’ (rose apple) and oh yeah … “PETAI” (bitter beans/stink beans) are but some of the famous must-buys in Bidor.

But we did not enter Pun Chun this time. Instead we chose to have our lunch at Sungkai. Let’s cap this fantastic series off, shall we? Read the rest of this entry »

Pardon the hiatus, people. Happy New Year, no matter how belated this greeting may sound. But of course, it’s Happy New YEAR, not Happy 1st of January, so anytime’s fine I assume. I was down to Malacca/Kuala Lumpur for the past week, a much needed and deserved 2 weeks break from the office. Which is still undergoing renovation and smelling like glue+chemicals. But I have to admit …. the combination of stench was rather intoxicating. Wait, I am NOT being myself here …… Let’s do a short post on the Malacca getaway now, okay?

The Journey to the South started on the 30th of December 2009 – A most auspicious day. Don’t ask why.

And thus, we embarked on our road trip down south, preparing for the worst possible jam (remember that dastardly 7 hours jam from Penang to Ipoh back in November last year?) but pleasantly surprised by the smooth traffic all the way til Malacca from Ipoh. We did make a few stops here and there, to cater to those bursting bladders and incessant needs to satisfy the hunger pangs. NOT mine, definitely. For I was still in a state of unrest, bordering on turmoil if you will. That lingering effect of a stale prawn lasted me for TWO years, literally. Few days, spanning from the end of December until the start of the brand new year of 2010.

So you can imagine how my year started off with a BANG! (Not the most pleasant kind, for sure). Unlike 2009’s Tenji experience. Wait …. come to think about it, that was NOT much of a satisfactory start either. Oh well ….. deja vu then.

Pun Chun @ Bidor – Duck Noodles (RM6.60)

We stopped over at Bidor in Perak, at the most famous restaurant in the small town populated with a majority of Chinese eateries. You can read about my previous lacklustre experience back in 2008, when I felt disappointed with the quality of the duck thigh noodles back then. And equally dismayed at the shrinking in size, and increasingly pricey ‘Wu Kok’ (Yam puff).

But this visit proved otherwise, for we felt that the noodles (their own, QQ-texture/springy egg noodles aka wantan mee) tossed lightly in a mix of soy sauce, dark soy sauce and a dash of compulsory sesame oil scored brilliant, brownie points with us. Yup, in comparison to some other ‘over-rated’ versions of the same noodles (no prize for guessing which, you can dig for them in my archive), Pun Chun’s version was really good. My expectations was low, but surpassed indefinitely. And the upper thigh of the duck, cooked in a most wholesome and flavourful herbal concoction (you can slurp them all down without feeling the thirst, a sign of omission of MSG/flavour-enhancer) was tender, fork tender (or in this case, chopstick-tender?) with a slight tinge of gamey taste, exactly how I like my duck.

The yam puff was still …. erm, pathetically small and dry. And it’s RM1.60 per piece now. No idea what’s the fuss about them, as you can get other superior versions in dim sum outlets in Ipoh, and even some random stalls at the market. There’s a FANTASTIC variety sold at the Bercham morning market, though I have no idea which stall specifically.

Address : Pun Chun Restaurant – Duck Noodles, Wantan Mee, Yam Puff
38-40, Jalan Besar,
35500 Bidor, Perak, Malaysia
Telephone : 605-434 1554,605-434 1562

Okay, so what’s next? Off to the south we go ….. for some Seremban Siew Pow by the expressway !!!

Read the rest of this entry »

The interior of Pun Chun Restaurant, situated on the main road of Bidor

Of course, whenever our work takes us to Bidor, the one place that springs to mind when the time is nigh for lunch/brunch/whatever, is Pun Chun Restaurant. Highly acclaimed for their duck noodles, and yam puffs, this restaurant has been in operation since I was a small kid, staying in nearby town of Sungkai for holidays WAY back then.

A variety of locally-produced confectioneries, proudly displayed for sale at the restaurant

On weekends and public holidays, waiting for a table may be relentless, pushing your patience to its limit. And the less-than-friendly staff does not help much either. Remember to read the items available on the board atop the wall, rather than ask for what’s special, what they recommend etc. Else prepare for an onslaught of sour-faces (-.-) and a touch of hostility. LOL.

Something from their economy rice segment (RM4.00)

I’ve digressed. The food should be the main selling point here, not the service. Other than their famed duck noodles, they also serve wantan noodles, various type of rice dishes, as well as economy rice option. The freshly baked/fried yam puffs (Wu Kok) and Siew Pau are viable contenders for snacks, or for sharing, given the shrinking portion of noodles being served lately.

Duck Drumstick Noodles (RM6.60)

Their duck noodles remain as one of the best on my list, though the quality and quantity somehow dwindled over the years. Oh, and the price is escalating no less. You get a whole drumstick that has been sufficiently marinated and roasted/fried, served with egg noodles (wantan mee-type), vegetables and lots of herbs in the soup, providing an aromatic, calming concoction of herbal goodness. Finish the soup with ease of mind, as no MSG is added, supposedly.

Duck Drumstick Noodles – Dry version (RM6.60)

You can opt for the dry version, though the soup version is highly recommended. KYT’s being the rebel that he was on that day, choosing the dry version, not unlike usual wantan mee. =P

The dry version comes with the duck meat dunked in a bowl of the herbal soup

Their appeal transcends generation, and borders, whereby people from as far as KL are common patrons. However, they opened up a branch in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam recently, catering to the KL-ites, and spreading the lurve for duck noodles. =)

Location : 38-40, Jalan Besar, 35500 Bidor, Perak. Very easy to locate, as this restaurant is situated on the main road, a bright yellow-coloured building, spanning two-shoplots. Right outside the restaurant are some peddlers selling local fruits, and PETAI (!!!). Remember to practise your bargaining skills, ya?

Relaxing with a cuppa during working hours …

A short post first, more detailed posts later. We, the original Food Gang (me, KYT, TallGal & FCOE) embarked on a journey down south, covering 4 towns, in hopes of finishing the job within a day’s worth of work. Initially thinking of skipping breakfast due to time constraints, though I was hoping to pay the Kampar morning market food court a visit. =(

When it was Tall Gal and KYT’s turn to do some work, me and FCOE stole some precious time and in a flash, parked our car, and subsequently our butts (hehe) at a mamak restaurant in Tapah, right opposite the bus station, named Restoran Haji.

Roti Telur with Dhal Curry (RM1.80)

The shop covers 2 lots, with a small crowd chatting over breakfast (typical of residents in smaller towns to take things easy and enjoy life as we all should?). I requested for murtabak. None. Capati? None as well, though their menu stated otherwise on the wall. Only roti canai and telur. Oh well … Talk about options. Roti telur dua then.

Wrapped in a thin roti canai, the omelette was good enough, though paled in comparison to Penang’s Argyll Road‘s version. The addition of green chillies added some kick, though not spicy at all. =P Their dhal and curry was good, not of the diluted kind. By the time Tall Gal and KYT came over, we were nearly finished, thus they only managed a glass of Milo each. Muahaha ……..

Location : Restoran Haji opposite Tapah bus station, on a road parallel to Jalan Stesen where we had the Cendol Pulut previously.

This restaurant holds wedding functions way back then …

Then work took us to Bidor, a bigger town some 15km away. This time we did not visit Pun Chun, for every previous visit to Bidor, Pun Chun (famed for duck noodles, yam puffs) would be our spot for lunch. We went to a restaurant on the way to Sungkai, a famous name every Bidoran should recognize. Tien Tien Lai Seafood Restaurant.

Braised Yee Mee (RM4.50)

I practically grew up visiting Sungkai very often, as my late grandpa was from there. Therefore, the old trunk road from Ipoh to Sungkai has become quite a routine route for our family. Back then, whenever there is any wedding ceremony, or grandpa feels like treating the whole family, we would head to this restaurant in Bidor.

They serve economy rice during lunch, in addition to dai-chow style dishes, and individual meals. Still feeling bloated from breakfast in Tapah, we chose to order lightly, hehe, at least I think we did. I picked the yee mee (egg noodles) while all 3 of them chose Ginger and Onion Chicken Rice. Komplot ah?!

Ginger and Onion Chicken with rice (RM5)

The food was acceptable, and the portion was humongous. They do not skimp on the ingredients, that’s for sure. You can choose to sit inside with air-conditioning, OR outside and bask in the sun. The choice, was obvious for us, the spoiled lot. Haha ….

Location : Restoran Makanan Laut Tien Tien Lai @ No 1, Taman Kandiah, Jalan Sungkai, 35500 Bidor, Perak. Tel : 05-4342819

Til then …. wait for my Taiping post later 2nite, ya?