Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

In the spirit of writing stuff as soon as I remember to, I am penning this article down for the benefit of claypot chicken rice lovers here in Ipoh. Now if that sounds noble enough … then good. For I am not exactly a fan of the aforementioned classic Chinese rice dish where the rice would be cooked in a claypot (usually with enough layers of hardened crust left on purpose – for the charred aroma, of course) over charcoal-fuelled fire fanned by persistent cooks. Then the necessary ingredients like marinated chicken, waxed sausages and bits of salted fish to be added just before the cooking process is complete.

This ‘SMALL’ portion for only RM5.50/USD1.70. No, never a typo. And you’re not hallucinating either.

I do admit that GOOD claypot chicken rice is hard to come by nowadays. More often than not we get either mediocre quality of marinated (or lack thereof) chicken, the omission of salted fish, or worst of all ….. the rice being cooked to the wrong consistency. Nobody likes mushy/overcooked rice, or hardened uncooked grains fit for pecking by a bird or ironically in this case; a chicken.

So where exactly did K10; possibly Ipoh’s most famous brand of claypot chicken rice gone wrong?

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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 …… CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

A flavoursome platter of Stir-Fried Eel with Dried Chillies, Onions and Spring Onion (RM12/USD3.60)

For more than two decades of rich legacy behind  their resume, Sun Poh Poh Restaurant in Pasir Pinji of Ipoh has been constantly raved upon by the locals, especially residents staying around Pasir Pinji & Pasir Puteh. I for one, was born and raised in Pasir Puteh. Hence the familiarity when it comes to revisiting old classics like Sek Lau Zhi (Ais Sagu), Poh Lee Fried Chicken, and the other famous Fried Yong Tau Foo (Yong Liew) under some BIG trees (now renovated into a proper coffee shop).

Okay, for those who still wanna lament/gripe/cry injustice over the omission of Pasir Pinji’s legendary Lorong 5′s Chee Cheong Fun ….. I apologize, sincerely. The erratic business hours (1.30pm onwards on Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri only, notwithstanding sudden closure, public holidays or school holidays) and damn long queue for a plate of CCF is rather deterring. Someday, people …. someday.

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I have to admit I was never a fan of dining in Chinese restaurants. Wait, let me rephrase that. I was never a fan of the higher-end restaurants usually utilized for wedding banquets and celebrations.

So far, I have written only about Mun Choong Restaurant when we had a gathering there last year, and a simple lunch at Tung Hoi (East Ocean) Restaurant in Chemor. Of course, there was the recent wedding dinner at Hee Lai Ton, but that’s a different story altogether. The other BIG names like Kok Thai, Sun Lee How Fook and Tai Thong (now changed to Royal China) were not reviewed because either the meal was not satisfactory or the occasion was another banquet whereby I felt funny snapping the food while everyone’s salivating uncontrollably (you know Chinese wedding dinners and punctuality NEVER go together!).

Fantastic, melt-in-mouth Char Siew (caramelized, barbecued pork) with crispy roasted suckling pig (RM30/USD9)

That is, until I read about Oversea Restaurant‘s (www) fantastic Char Siew and “Ham Yue Fah Lam Pou” (Claypot Braised Pork Belly with Salted Fish); a to-die-for dish if you’re a lover of anything pungent and savoury, and goes perfectly with copious portion of white rice to lap up the juices. No thanks to the many hungry foodies over at the Facebook page …..

Oversea Restaurant (also known as Haewaytian) has TWO outlets in Ipoh now, the spanking new branch over at Jalan Datoh near to Srimaju bus station in town, a short distance away from the famous See See Heng Hor Hee stall. Read on to find out what other dishes we ordered at the original Oversea Restaurant facing Excelsior Hotel …. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

A hefty portion of Red Wine Mee Suah for RM7.00/USD2.10; with plentiful of chicken, stalks of spring onions and slices of ginger.

Since I have not been writing much about food from outside of Ipoh, allow me to insert one short post here. Yesterday work took us to Ayer Tawar (wondering where’s Ayer Tawar? Read from Wikipedia HERE) to the west of Perak. If you’re on your way to Sitiawan, Seri Manjung, Lumut or Pangkor Island, you will be sure to pass by the town of Ayer Tawar.

Much like Sitiawan, Ayer Tawar is a predominantly Chinese town with a sizeable Foo Chow/Fuzhou population. Thus you know you can find great Foo Chow cuisine in even the simplest of coffee shops or restaurants.

Usually we have our lunch in Sitiawan, for the wide array of good food (from cheap and fresh seafood to Teochew style of Bak Kut Teh to authentic Hock Chew food) never failed to tantalize our tastebuds. But after awhile, eating at the same restaurants got a little repetitive, hence we decided to push our luck and seek for food in Ayer Tawar instead.

Ended up at Red Ruby Restaurant, an air-conditioned Chinese restaurant on the main road that is opened for lunch and dinner. How did Red Ruby fare in comparison to the more famous Bei King and Lido of Sitiawan? Read on to find out.

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Sin Hup Kee Restaurant @ Jalan Leong Sin Nam in Ipoh – A favourite with MANY Ipohans, and even the out-of-towners. Just read worldwindows’ review to have a hang of things.

Okay, so this may be the most famous Chinese restaurant in Ipoh that I have missed doing a proper review, after all these years of blogging. Aside from renowned names such as Wong Koh Kee, Mun Choong, Sun Marpoh, Soon Fatt, Peng Tau and Hoong Tho, Sin Hup Kee is probably one of the better hidden gems in Ipoh; a hit amongst the local diners yet not as mainstream nor lapped up by the hungry wolves of the media.

That being said, Sin Hup Kee (SHK) opened a branch in Puchong back in April of 2010. I retract my statement earlier. So they HAVE gone mainstream now?

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