Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Ipoh famous Hakka-style yong tau foo (also fondly referred to as ‘yong liew’ aka stuffed ingredients), served with hakka mee, curry noodles or even laksa @ Wok With Kim (Yee Tan Kow Fishball Noodles)

You know, it’s funny. When you think about it, there’s no other place that serves ‘liew fun’ (loosely recognized as fishball noodles; though essentially the ensemble comprises of more than just fishballs) just like the version in Ipoh.

You may think that the combination is a no-brainer; noodles with various ingredients (usually vegetables) stuffed fish and/or pork paste as sides, taken usually at the earliest hours of the day.

But then again, I could not find one of similar nature in Penang. Okay, so up north they do have yong tau foo (YTF), but usually served with rice, or yam rice. Initially, I was stunned to find that they don’t have curry mee, ‘kon low lou shu fun’ (silver needle noodles/rat’s tail noodles tossed in a dark, savoury soy sauce-based gravy with minced meat), or even laksa to go along with the boiled/deep-fried pieces of YTF.

In KL, we do have a few good YTF places (Puchong’s being one of my favourite, while the one on Lorong Peel has this very authentic aura to its core), yet nothing that resembles Ipoh’s ‘liew fun’ combination.

Thus for today, let’s drool over this famous outlet on Yang Kalsom Road, that has been there for as long as I can remember …..   Read the rest of this entry »

Not the traditional Hakka Mee @ Hong Hin in Ipoh’s old town; without the unmistakably lardy taste and minced meat gravy.

I figure that since I started the ball rolling on Hakka food, might as well continue the flow with this almost unheard of (if you’re not a local), yet tremendously famous Hakka mee stall in old town of Ipoh.

How popular is this? Let’s put it this way; come for a late breakfast (about 11am) and you risk having to eat whatever leftovers they still have. We were there on a Saturday morning, and the Hakka mee ran out at 8.45am!!

WHO WAKES UP AT 8AM ON A SATURDAY?!!!!!

But of course, you can still choose to have the yellow mee, rice vermicelli noodles (bee hoon) etc. But doesn’t that just defeat the purpose of going 100% Hakka?

Read the full review, then see if this place holds any special place in your heart; being there for a good many years now …. Read the rest of this entry »

“Sar Kok Liew” aka Stuffed Yambean/Jicama is but one of many Ipoh’s signature street fares. Diced, or cubed yambean with beancurd sheet deep fried to a crispy finish, but most importantly; the moisture within must be retained for that juicy crunch.

If you had taken Motormouth’s words for it, you would have remembered how I had paltry affairs with both the K10 claypot chicken rice outlets in Ipoh. First the one in Ipoh Garden East, and the original one in Bercham.

And you wonder why was this post is named as such? (ie : Redemption) And what’s a claypot chicken rice specialist doing serving “Sar Kok Liew”?!! Read on for the revelation.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lou Shu Fun/Law Shi Fen (Rat’s Tail Noodles aka Silver Needle Noodles) with their signature tantalizing topping of minced meat in a delicious gravy, and of course, the crunchy bean sprouts of Ipoh!!!

Call the short, stubby, glistening and smooth rice noodles in whichever manner you want. Rat’s tail noodles. Silver needle noodles. Mee Tai Bak. Laksa noodles (this is wrong though, for in laksa we use ‘lai fun’ instead). Rice noodles. Or just plain …. “Lou Shu Fun“.

One thing for sure, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of DRY (“kon lou” in Cantonese) version of Lou Shu Fun topped with generous ladles of the delectably-moreish minced meat in gravy. And where’s the best place for this simple hawker fare? Kampar of course.

An array of “Yong Liew” (better known as Yong Tau Foo elsewhere) for your picking.

But of course, Kampar being a good 40 kilometres away from Ipoh, and the famous Kampar market only opens in the morning, it’s not an acceptable idea to travel all the way and back for breakfast alone. And what happens when the craving comes at night?!

No worries. Motormouth to the rescue!!! Not that I can cook you a bowl or something(duh), but I shall point you to the right direction; Restoran Law Shi Fun in Bercham of Ipoh, a short distance away from the Ipoh Selatan highway exit; and near to the Tesco Extra hypermarket on Jalan Bercham.

Read more about this cheap, no frills Lou Shu Fun feast (RM26.50/USD8.30 fed six mouths!) that has been around for 7 years now …… Read the rest of this entry »

Is this the famous Buntong Beef Noodles? Bright orange signboard fronting the one-lot shop at Desa Rishah, situated within the vicinity of Buntong, Falim and Menglembu.

So far, I am still puzzled by the existence of several eateries proclaiming to be serving “Buntong’s Famous Beef Noodles“. First and foremost, of course there’s the supposedly original Buntong beef noodle stall at a house in Buntong. Then there’s the other more prominent outlet in town, named Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Sri Maju on Jalan Theatre (another highly acclaimed original Buntong beef noodles, for the proprietor moved from Buntong to this shop sometime back in 2004) which has garnered most of the media attention in comparison to the others.

Another branch popped up not long ago at Kafe New Weng Fatt in Ipoh Garden South, that is only opened for breakfast-lunch.

And guess what? Only yesterday I was brought to this shop in Desa Rishah, that has been around for close to 10 years, and … you-guessed-it; BUNTONG BEEF NOODLES again !!! 🙂

Fresh from the Wok; “Sar Kok Liew” (deep-fried stuffed yambean/turnip/jicama) for RM0.50/USD0.15 per piece @ Kedai Makanan Dan Minuman Desa Rishah

With question marks still clouding my head, we ventured over for lunch on a Friday and I was pleasantly surprised at the crowded shop; a sign of good things to come? ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Big Tree Foot @ Pasir Pinji, Ipoh – Plateful of deliciously succulent and bouncy deep fried fish paste stuffed in various manners.

The Famous BIG TREE FOOT …. years of cultivation led to a most fruitful shade?

A popular spot for quick, cheap and satisfying lunch among the locals, tourists and even the blue collars, this stall coined as “Dai Shu Geok” literally translated as Big Tree Foot, is located behind Tuck Kee Restaurant in Pasir Pinji of Ipoh.

Not to be confused with THE other stall (now a shop) on Jalan Prince (click HERE for my previous take on those yummy fried goodies), this stall has a great following of its own, normally crowded during lunch hour, although the hygiene factor of dining under this shack is slightly compromised. But for a taste of good food, you can throw caution to the wind for once …. Read the rest of this entry »