Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

The Bistro @ Impiana Hotel Ipoh – The all-day dining alternative to The Coffee House; currently running an Italian cuisine promotion

Impiana Hotel Ipoh (formerly known as Casuarina Hotel; the unmistakable landmark hotel of Ipoh back in its heydays) has successfully undergone transformation; coupling refurbishment and renovation works to its rooms and F&B establishments.

Still, the only four-star hotel in Ipoh that actually feels like one, the Impiana group has injected life back to the decades old premise; and still drawing in tourists from all walks of life; including the royal families and ministers.

Fresh breads from the kitchen of The Bistro to perk up the appetite

Throughout the years, I have only grown accustomed to The Coffee House; the designated Halal dining option of the hotel serving daily buffets and various local and international delights. That being said, Impiana has added another feather (or two) to its cap by resurrecting the flagging interest (of yours truly, at least) of dining in hotels in Ipoh; with the welcome of two new outlets; The Bistro & The Deli.

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Peking Roast Duck @ Toh Yuen, PJ Hilton – In its most glorious, pre-dissected stage. Almost of perfectly unreal aesthetics, the glistening crisp and caramelized skin was first basted and glazed in a secret concoction (duh), before being roasted in the open fire oven.

Talk about Peking Duck, and the first thing that sprang to mind was that unforgettable feast back in Beijing. But that was a good 6 years ago. Or maybe more. So much so that I have absolutely no recollection of the experience whatsoever, other than the routine carving of a very large fowl (Peking duck in its original form should be at least 3kg or more!) by the side of our table. And then there is the prerequisite of mastery in carvery; slicing up the crisp skin (almost devoid of fat now; thanks to the immense heat from the roaster) with a sliver of meat intact for texture.

Followed by scrambling of warm flour pancakes (almost like fluffy tortilla bread), open up on palms, then generously picking up the julienned characters; cucumber and spring onion, but not before spreading a good spoonful of ‘hoi sin’ sauce on the base. Then gingerly picking up a piece (or two) of the real deal of crispy duck skin then placing it on the bed of greens; and finally rolling up the whole ensemble and popping a mouthful (usually small enough to be downed in one-two mouthfuls) and the rest was  BLISSFUL history.

Storytime’s over? Now let’s fast forward to 2011; and here’s the first Peking Duck Feast I have had in YEARS. Read the rest of this entry »

Epitome of a Perfect Family Feast – It does not matter whether you’re a child of 3.5 years old, an adult deep in the tribulations of life, the parents with hopes beaming and on the brink of retirement, or a great grandmother satiated and enriched with almost 9 decades of life experiences. This annual “Lou Sang” tradition never gets old.

Last year’s reunion dinner was half a disaster. Since we should be forgiving and forgetting the past mistakes, hiccups and trivial issues, let’s not look back.

In fact, we have been dining out every year without fail, since cooking at home has become too much of a hassle. Plus, the surge in prices of fresh ingredients from the market during the days leading to the festivity. Over the years, we have dined at KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken, in case you’re curious as to why there is a Chinese restaurant named as such), Secret Recipe, Kenny Roger’s, Pizza Hut, Kok Thai, Han City, Mun Choong, East Ocean, etc etc.

But none of those managed to impress us as much as this year’s pick; the perennial favourite of many, a down to earth eatery named Tuck Kee Restaurant in Pasir Pinji of Ipoh. Read on to discover why …… Read the rest of this entry »

The very basic/standard/generic/traditional Yee Sang – But we were not complaining though. After all, this Chinese version of a prosperity-laden salad is supposed to be tossed for the notion of it, rather than for its gastronomic value. Unless of course, you’re taking into consideration the many varieties of modern Yee Sang with abalone and such.

After two gastronomic feasts at Shanghai @ JW Marriott and Zing @ Grand Millennium, it’s probably time to set the mood back into place; and toss some Yee Sang the traditional way. This Chinese restaurant situated in Paramount Garden holds probably decades of legacy, judging from the outlook and the fact that the moment we entered and were seated at our reserved table; a warm, deja vu sensation washed over me. A kick back to the old school type of eateries; laid back, no fuss, no frills Chinese diner which was possibly once THE place to organize a banquet dinner, but has since relented to the fad (or maybe not?) of lavish celebrations at 5 star hotels instead.

Comparing Gold Dragon City to Mun Choong, Oversea or even Tuck Kee (yeah, a post to come after our Reunion dinner next week!) would be more fitting, and definitely in the same league since those Ipoh restaurants mentioned above are nothing but serial old players STILL attracting a constant stream of customers.

Initially, this lunch with colleagues was planned for dinner; but given the time constraints and logistic matters, we rescheduled to lunch hour instead. Saves time actually, since our office is located merely minutes away from this restaurant at Paramount Garden; opposite of Giant hypermarket. Read the rest of this entry »

Meticulously arranged cutlery to please the senses, well before the feast was laid out in front of your eyes. Sometimes in life, when you’ve lost the zest, go for some Zing instead!

This here being the SECOND restaurant to be featured from the list of 8, Zing @ Grand Millennium Hotel situated next to Pavilion Shopping Centre in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur offers 8 dishes for 8 pax per table, at RM888+ for the same period of time (20th January 2011 – 17th February 2011). Read the post on Shanghai @ JW Marriott Hotel for a better idea on how this offer works.

Elegant. Majestic. Opulent. Stylish. Classic and Contemporary. Pampered.

I was a klutz. I never noticed that this hotel next to Pavilion, opposite of Fahrenheit 88 is named Grand Millennium, albeit the many times I have walked past and choked on the smogs from the traffic. The omnipresent barrage of vehicles zooming along Jalan Bukit Bintang; and though I was not stuck in the traffic prior to the dinner, I was caught up in the congestion AFTER the meal. So be warned.

Anyway, the Standard Chartered Extravagant 8 Menu extends to all Standard Chartered Bank’s credit card holders; a rather irresistible offer of approximately RM111+ per pax since the 8 restaurants featured are by no means pushovers; but amongst the BEST dining establishments in KL.

Let’s see what Zing has to offer, and should this be on your list for a wondrous “Lou Hei” session come Chinese New Year …… Read the rest of this entry »

A Meticulously-Sloppy Massacre – Can’t blame Chef Tim for the vengeful act of dissection. After all, one of the owners (Ernest) is supposed to be a very, very discerning diner (read : picky eater) and Tim has to replicate that particular taste Ernest desires …. 🙂

And we got Hoofed. There were five of us, on an utter devastation of the porcine family. Thankfully, the meal was balanced with meagre doses of fish and fowls, yet nothing came close to rivalling the porky affairs that evening.

Don’t count the bricks, you’ll go dizzy before the first sip of your Sangria. And Colin (the other co-owner of Hoofed) modestly (hehe) staked his claims on the marvelous architecture works and design. And yeah, he was up there (on the ceilings lah …) doing all the renovation works too.

Hoofed is your neighbourhood watering hole-cum-dining extravaganza. Since Tom, Dick & Harry’s Pub & Grub downstairs is also owned by the same bunch of people, it’s a slightly different venture altogether when it comes to Hoofed; being a proper dining establishment complete with fine wines, cocktails (an inhouse mixologist by the Shawn), elaborate menu peppered with porky delights, and even lighter bites for the later (dire?) hours.

Do read on to find out why I was still on a porky high the morning after …… Read the rest of this entry »

*Update Nov 2011 – Kizuna One is now CLOSED. The restaurant has been taken over by another, serving Japanese and Thai cuisine.

#1 – Cucumber Maki (RM12/USD3.60) – Delicately rolled prawns and unagi with fritters and topped with a dollop of spicy mayo, and roes.

Kizuna One Japanese Restaurant is located at the revamped Royal Perak Golf Club (RPGC) on Tiger Lane (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah); and has been proudly serving authentic Japanese cuisine for about a year now. Many locals are still confused whether this restaurant is opened to the public, or catering only to the members of the club.

Much like the misunderstanding that reigned when I first posted on The Fairway (that other dining establishment in RPGC), let me clear the mystifying air of confusion for you readers.

BOTH OF THESE RESTAURANTS ARE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC. Just that, if you’re a member of RPGC, you will get discount from your total bill. There, that’s settled! Happy? 🙂

#2 – The majestically-splendour ambience of Kizuna One (K1) @ Royal Perak Golf Club

With that out of the way, let’s concentrate on the review of the day. Kizuna One is NOT a branch of the other Kizuna in Medan Ipoh Bistari, albeit the almost similar sounding names. Yes, there WERE some connections back then, and established relationships with Akamomiji and to some extent … even A Lai I. But everything dates back to the days of Moritomo; that fantastic Japanese restaurant in Jusco Kinta City back in the late 90’s, and still famous during their stint in the early noughties.

Among the many Japanese restaurants in Ipoh today; Kizuna One triumphs indefinitely in the elegance, exclusivity and ambience departments. Read on to find out how exactly the feast turned out to be one of the BEST dining experiences we have had in a long time ….. Read the rest of this entry »