Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

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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