Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Updated 13th May 2010 – Burger King is opened for business. Launching ceremony to be on 23rd May 2010.

Crowded on a Saturday afternoon – Burger King @ De Garden of Ipoh

FINALLY …

Yeah, Burger King is FINALLY opening their maiden outlet here in Ipoh. Or Perak for that matter. Timely, for this particular fast food franchise has been one of my personal favourite ever since I sank my teeth into a Whopper back in those days at their outlet in KLCC. I had a hard time forgetting the delicious “whopper” of a beef burger (pun intended), served with crispy fries (almost on par with McD’s and miles better than KFC’s) and refillable soft drinks, albeit the combo sets were (and still are) priced slightly higher than the average fast food outlet.

Notice that back then, Carl’s JR, Wendy’s, Cristang, Nambawan, Daily Grind etc were NOT on our shores yet. Okay, maybe Wendy’s (the old one) was, but I have no recollection whatsoever on the burgers they served. Especially us poor souls in Ipoh, with only McDonald’s, KFC, Grandy’s (fond memories?) and A&W (which had since vanished into thin air ...) to satisfy our cravings.

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The mysterious connection between burger stalls and 7-11. The devil’s pact?

Finally here’s something from KL for a difference. For those uninitiated, I’m still living and working in Ipoh, and the travel posts of late are backlogs from previous excursions either for work, or for play.

Da Man, OM and Da Lady, erm … OMa? =P

“Ahem, pray we dun sneeze … or our cover’s blown!”

Pose with human mannequins and run your itchy fingers all over the “statues”?

Join the crowd (it’s a Monday, mind you!) and queue for sickly sweet indulgences, nightmare for the diabetic souls ….

Or find requiem by tucking yourself in a corner, watching gluttons smearing their faces with sauces and relish, and satiate your hollow stomach, begging for rations … ?

Unlimited relish, dipping sauces, bottomless soft drinks – What more can you ask for?

Walking around in circle in Pavilion, I found myself drawn to various eateries, and even Food Republic. But, luncheon alone is not so acceptable in our country, unless you deviate your attention from the prying eyes, who may be wondering what’s the monster next table’s up to, ordering a meal fit for a crowd, and yet dining alone.

Crisp, freshly fried and hot French fries, showing some “skins” ….

Restaurants in Pavilion are a dime a dozen. From the posh Japanese outlet (Kampachi), Chinese fine dining (Silk Road) and steak house (Angus), to mid-range varieties such as Tony Roma’s, Madam Kwan’s, and Crystal Jade, you’re bound to find something that suits your palate and mood, on any given day.

However, fast food options are lacking, other than Nando’s, KFC, and Carl’s Jr, there’s basically nothing much to feed the junkie souls/teenagers/students. Food Republic may be a viable option, with the amazing array of culinary delights, but I seldom choose food courts, due to endless unfavourable experiences.

(=P) … Even the burger’s sticking out its tongue? Teasing poor, lonely me?

After much deliberation, I decided to park my derriere in Carl’s Jr, my second visit to the outlet here, in Pavilion. (The 1st outing was aeons ago, but I wasnt a blogger yet, therefore no pics, sorry!). Still remember the Chili Cheeseburger was pretty interesting (not necessarily delish, but interesting nevertheless!), while the Guacamole beefburger was forgettable.

In case you didn’t know, the “fast-food” here is a wee different from your usual McD, and Burger King. A full set for one, will set you back at around RM20-RM30/set, depending on your choice. Of course, the basic Cheeseburger set is slightly cheaper. Just slightly.

Western Bacon Cheeseburger – RM20.50 (Medium)

This time around, I opted for the Western Bacon Cheeseburger set, which came with regular fries and a medium-sized empty paper cup. Of course, I made a mistake. A small set costs less, around RM18 (before tax), but I accidentally pointed to the medium set, additional RM1.50 for a few more sticks of fries, and a larger cup. Why I felt stupid was because the drink’s refillable. Why on earth would I need a bigger cup? (Unless you’re a lazybum who can’t be bother to refill your cup, OR you prefer drinking from giant-sized cups, fine … )

Tastewise? The bacons were crispy, and the beef patty was good. Juicy, and flavourful. Unlike the previous visit. And the cheese was oozing out, PLUS there’s a whole fried onion rings sandwiched between the buns. It IS filling, don’t let my picture fools you. The fries on the other hand, were just heavenly. With bits of potato skins intact, and lightly salted, eat them with the salsa relish from the sauces counter. Addictive stuff. (Though it all adds up on the waist). Drinks choices include soft drinks, and iced lemon tea. Drink to your heart’s content … Or til your bladder can’t hold.

Location : Carl’s JR @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, on Lower Ground Floor. Next to KFC, Pizza Hut, and Nando’s. Easy to find, no worries. If you’re lost, go eat sand. I mean, go ask the kind staff at the help desk on ground floor. Or get a directory.

Question : What do you do after a full meal, when your belly’s weighing you down?

Go jump from this height. Kidding.

Watch and savour the camaraderie of people dancing, prancing around, and drums a-beating, feeling the beats from all over the world ….

It so happened on that day, the Malaysian Drum Festival was kicking in full force. Teams from all over the world were performing, ala street style, entertaining the casual shoppers, and curious on-lookers. (Btw, the event ended on Aug 2nd at Stadium Merdeka). Amazing performances, mind you. These guys (and gals) are professionals, beating their drums with such passion and flair, hundreds were watching, clapping, and some foreigners were eagerly dancing along, basking in the sense of festivity.

What a befitting way, to end my solemn, lonely and long-overdue soul-searching that Monday afternoon. Sometimes, walking around aimlessly IS therapeutic after all ….

P/S : I’ll be gone to Cameron Highlands over the weekend, followed by another round of KL visit-cum-work-cum-food tour (!!) until Wednesday. Staying near Jln Universiti, PJ area. Any recommendations for good food? 😉

Tickets? Checked. Hunger pangs? Unappeased, yet. Hmm, gotta grab a quick one, as the show’s on 11.30am. Went to Baker’s Cottage thinking of a quick bite, but hey! No seats la! Impossible to stand around chomping away while waiting for my fren. McD serves breakfast at this outlet in Kinta City, before 11am. Simply picked fillet-o-fish set (RM8 after tax), which came with hash brown and coffee/tea/etc. The coffee supposedly refillable, but the cup is HUGE! And it was VERY hot. Plus I was seated near the glass door, facing the sun. Talk about HOT coffee …

Food wise? Need no review I supposed. This IS McDonald’s after all. Movie? Not bad, considering I half expected the movie to bomb, due to unknown actors (at least to me) and fairytale-like setting. Won’t spoil it too much, but rest assured the young ones would be satisfied. I did. =P