Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Trays of freshly baked, flaky golden brown puffs filled with delightful ‘kaya’ (sweet coconut jam) from Sin Eng Heong on Clare Street (Jalan Mustapha al-Bakri) in Ipoh.

In a matter of days, Sin Eng Heong would be celebrating its 50 years in business. Yup, you’re not dreaming. It’s not 5, 10, 15 or 30 years anniversary. Half a century on, and the brand’s stronger than ever.

Not only that, they’re even expanding to the adjacent shoplot. If you’ve been there before, joining the snaking queue come weekends/public holidays (sometimes only to be turned away regrettably because the not-so-selfless one in front of you bought the last 50 pieces!), and survived to tell the tale, then you would have borne witness to their unparalleled popularity.

Modern technology? What technology?

Read on for more revealing shots of the stripped-down-to-its-finest-core manner of manufacturing/baking, and a revelation of this Ipoh’s legacy in the making.

Read the rest of this entry »

A Meat Floss Puff now? Something different from Sin Eng Heong for a change, in case of the legendary “Kaya Kok” (Kaya puff; a type of pastry filled with a smooth, creamy and sweet coconut and egg jam)

To imagine I started this post way early this morning, waking up early and more refreshed than the projected complete devastation of Motormouth’s spirit and soul after a weekend in the Klang Valley.

Today’s a public holiday in Selangor too, hence the whole day of rest. Can’t say I am pleased and fully adapted to the traffic in KL, and the general speedier pace of life.

For someone hailing from good old Ipoh, this is a very, very jarring difference …..

And yup, you read that right. This post took me a good 16 hours to complete. Not that I wrote a whale of a masterpiece. In fact, that is so far from the truth. Do read on for more incoherent nonsense from Motormouth, and the new creation from Sin Eng Heong; hands down one of the top confectionery in all of Ipoh. Frankly, how often do you see Yee Hup, or even Ching Han Guan crowded to the sidewalks?! Read the rest of this entry »

Heo Pia or Heong Peah, or Heong Peng in Cantonese is literally translated to ‘Fragrant Biscuits’; a type of confectionery believed to have originated from Teluk Intan of Perak, but there are detractors who claim that Gunung Rapat in Ipoh was the place that started baking this biscuit.

So where does Taiping come in the picture? Seriously, I do not care much about the origin of Heong Peah, for you can’t get the same generic taste in Ipoh, Teluk Intan or even Taiping.

I have written about Seng Kee; the coconut shell-broiled in large urns heong peah in Gunung Rapat of Ipoh and how the fantastically crispy and flaky pastry won me over …. not to mention the sheer delight in knowing that they STILL bake the biscuits in the most traditional manner.In Teluk Intan, you can find various confectioneries selling Heong Peah, from the famous Tiger Head brand named Sin Joo Heang to Ta Sin Guan Tin and Sin Guan Hoe.

For this post, let me bring you up north … to the serene town of Taiping where we ventured to seek for this legendary Heo Pia (‘legendary’ for the famed biscuits, as well as the notoriously hidden location) in Aulong; a small township to the west of Taiping town.

Read the rest of this entry »

Gorgeously Golden; the buttery and fragrant Cempedak Cake from Hoong Tho in old town of Ipoh

If you’re an avid fan of Secret Recipe’s, JJ Cakes or Gold Vision, then you’re probably cursing under your breath now, or soon to be loading your ammunition and warming up your artillery in anticipation of bumping into Motormouth on the streets.

For what you’re about to read in this post won’t fit exactly into the mould, YOUR mould to be exact. We have a possible candidate for the one and only “Cempedak Cake” in Ipoh, a sweet Teochew biscuit named “Lar Pia” (or literally translated into WAX biscuit!) and a fluffy kaya puff that has already reached legendary status amongst the locals and tourists to Ipoh. Read on to find out …. Read the rest of this entry »

Flaky, crumbly pastry encasing the wobbly, velvety smooth and rich egg custard within – Best Egg Tart in Ipoh?

Fridays are supposed to be fun. So here’s a short post on something light, and delectably irresistible. To me at least.

Choy Kee Confectioneries has always been my favourite brand of egg tarts in Ipoh. (Read the previous post here). They operate every morning from a humble stall at the Simee wet market in Ipoh. If you’re thinking why-oh-why should you wake up at such inhumane hour to visit a wet market together with the housewives, aunties, uncles and peddlers selling everything from giant bullfrogs to pots and pans, and of course; durians (seasonal, of course).

Other than egg tarts, Choy Kee also bakes up a whole medley of sumptuous breads, and pastries. Read on to find out about the other treats you can expect from Simee market, and the location of the market itself …. Read the rest of this entry »

Our pride and joy? Menara Condong (Leaning Tower) of Teluk Intan (Diamond Bay) in Perak

After the lunch at Kam Ling Restaurant in Kampar, we proceeded to Teluk Intan in a most leisurely fashion. Usually rushing for time (due to the nature of our job) owing to the hectic/chaotic daily routines, this time around the journey to Teluk Intan was smooth as silk. Travelling on a Saturday afternoon has its pros, due to the lack of traffic congestion and lorries plying the trunk roads.

The calm before the storm – Liew Kee’s unbelievably famous Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun ONLY operates at night.

Thankfully the weather was not too bad that afternoon; None of the dreadful sweltering heat & scorching sun, yet without a drop of rain. Well, until much later in the evening anyway. This almost-impromptu trip rendered us somewhat incapacitated from meticulous planning and proper time management. Hence, we squeezed in every possible opportunity to eat all of most of Teluk Intan’s signature street food, ranging from the famous Ah Chai Rojak to drinking fresh soy bean milk from a stall that has been operating since the 50’s, and not forgetting taking away a few packets of Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun back home for dinner-supper.

Read the rest of this entry »