Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

An eclectic fusion of colours @ My Elephant in Happy Mansion, Section 17, PJ

Didn’t I drop a hint sometime ago, on how this soldiering passion to uncover all the good gems (and some mediocrity thrown in for balance) around Section 17 will not be extinguished that easily?

Yes, and I am still much on track. My Elephant‘s the name of this not-so-hidden gem located at the ground floor of Happy Mansion; a chirpy, optimistic moniker for dilapidated blocks of flats in Section 17. They claim to serve quality Thai food with a healthy twist, and the chef hails from Chiang Rai in northern Thailand.

And thus, was this Thai feast experience suffice to nurture this perpetually craving soul?

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I have heard and read much about this roast duck stall in Canning Garden of Ipoh, so much so that I got a little confused over this stall, and the (almost) similar restaurant serving (almost) the same fares named Hong Kong Oil Chicken & Roast Duck Restaurant in Tasek of Ipoh.

Yeah, and this stall in Canning Garden is parked within a restaurant named Hong Kong as well. Uncanny resemblance?

Hong Kong Restaurant @ Canning Garden, Ipoh - The same mosaic-tiled floor, mirrors and paintings on the walls, and a relaxing airy ambience with all windows and doors opened to the maximum.

And so, reading Alexandra’s article AGAIN two Saturdays ago got me all worked up for a visit to this stall soon. Plus I received an encouraging e-mail from a reader named Steve sometime back in May, pushing  me on to give this particular crispy roast duck (“chui pei ngap”) a try.

Crispy Skin Roast Duck – Half a portion for RM19/USD5.80, the glistening and crackly skin stayed crispy throughout the meal, and the juicy, tender meat was devoid of any gamey taste.

And from the looks of it, the roast duck at Hong Kong Restaurant in Canning Garden sure deserves a chance to be amongst the stars in the top tiers of “Famous Roast Ducks in Ipoh” ………. Read the rest of this entry »

De Garden is projected to be the next hip place to hangout, be it for the retail outlets, or for the admirable number of eateries destined to open very soon. The row of shops (about 60 outlets in all) are all painted in whites, punctuated with funky elements of reds and blacks. I’m never that appreciative nor descriptive of designs and ambience, hence pardon the amateur-ish comments. But to sum it all up, De Garden really does lend a touch of class to the generic/lacklustre designs of the other retail outlets in Ipoh.

The FIRST F&B outlet to open for business @ De Garden – T.O.S (Taste Of South) Coffee Bistro

If the name De Garden somewhat reminds you of another shopping centre (or lifestyle mall, or whatever they fancy the good old shopping complex to be now), that’s probably because the concept vaguely resembles The Gardens @ Midvalley, Kuala Lumpur. The barren whites for the design, the simple layout which screams elegance, and some tall palm trees at the compound fronting the main road of Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah. Some extra foliage would have been a welcoming touch though.

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Wait, what’s up with J2Kfm and his obsession with Banana Leaf Rice meals all of a sudden?!!!! Influences from his peers? Or the awakening of the Indian blood in him? (Sounds kind of wrong though, whoops. Twilight 3 in the making?).

First there was Sri Asoka Corner @ Ipoh Stadium and Samy’s @ Chemor. Then came along NS Curry House, and Old Andersonian Cafeteria near to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (that’s Ipoh General Hospital, for the uninitiated). Last month we even went down to Kuala Lumpur in search of good restaurants serving banana leaf curry rice, and ended up at Kanna’s Curry House in Section 17, Petaling Jaya.

Backtrack a little, and let me introduce one of my better banana leaf meals experience recently. Not in Ipoh, not around Perak, nor even in the Klang Valley. But on the good old, quaint and charming Penang island.

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I have a confession to make. I’m addicted, wait … obsessed would be a better term here, with the southern Indian specialty, banana leaf rice. Those fluffy white grains drenched with the reddish/orange-coloured elixir that promises a spicy, pungent yet most-revered kick, paired with unlimited supplies of pickles, curried vegetables, and crispy papadom crackers. Served on an over-sized cut of banana leaf which is believed to impart whiffs of fragrance to the overall ensemble, one is even required to adhere to the several customs/guidelines, ie : To fold the banana leaf towards oneself after the satisfactory meal (or fold it up away from you if the food’s darn horrendous), and to eat with your hands whenever possible, to fully savour the delicious combination of curries, meats, assortment of vegetables and rice.

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