Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Grilled Stingray with Signature Sambal Sauce & Grilled Squid with Mixed Vegetables

I went back to Ipoh for a grand total of THREE times last October. All of them for work, nonetheless. The glaringly-obvious observation was that; new eateries are opening up left and right. Yet, at a slower rate compared to last year. Maybe restaurateurs realized that fusion cafes/kopitiams do not work as charmingly as street food vendors.

Or the undeniable fact that Ipohans DO have very picky tastebuds. Read : Damn hard to please. With expectations set sky high for promising new restaurants, the stake is no doubt equally as high for the owners. New ventures cashing in only on the festive crowd (come CNY, and you’ll see why) usually do not last for more than half a year. Good examples? De Garden‘s F&B ventures.

At the end of the day, the sturdy old-timers still survive the intensive scramble for food lovers in Ipoh. Case in point? The hawker stalls at Gourmet Square (now known as Kam Wan Restaurant). Read on for insights on what to eat at this oldest food court in Ipoh. Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t miss the first chapter – Filipino Market, Grand Borneo Hotel, Imperial Boutec Hotel & Restoran Getaran Jiwa ….

Roti Kahwin – Literally translated to ‘Marriage Bread’; this is the classic combination of slices of bread sandwiching butter and kaya (egg + coconut jam), either toasted or without. A holy matrimony indeed; and this one at Fook Yuen far surpasses my expectation (or lack thereof)

Ask any tourist to Sabah on what not to be missed, and darn sure they would proclaim SEAFOOD! Lots and lots of seafood; coming in at cheap and not-so-cheap categories nowadays. Gone were the times when we used to feast on fresh seawater fishes couriered over by my uncle who worked in Labuan. The Seven Star Grouper, Tiger Grouper, Mouse Grouper (all direct translations from their Chinese names) and even fresh cod arrived in abundance; timely for the reunion dinner come Chinese New Year. Imagine the relatives had run out of idea on how to cook the fishes aside from steaming them; and we ended up having curry cod instead. 🙂

But wait, how come I was eating breads and buns instead, yet came back not regretting the decision one bit? Read on to find out why ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Strands of springy fresh noodles dunked in the flavoursome broth brewed from chicken and various nuts, served with ample portion of chopped fresh ‘negi’ (Japanese leek), slices of perfectly browned ‘cha shu’ (roast pork belly), and an egg that’s wonderful.

I was never a fan of soupy noodles. To me, the sheer thought of slurping Penang koay teow th’ng, Ipoh famous Kai See Hor Fun, or even Maggi noodle soup can evoke a sense of malaise. Yes, so much so that I only go for these when:

a) No dry options available (Eg. dry curry mee, dry ‘Kai See Hor Fun’, Mee Sedap),
b) I fall sick and wish to down copious amount of soup with my food, OR
c) The soupy option is too good to resist.

At Marutama Ramen; this famous chain of ramen specialist from Singapore, I stumbled upon a gem. Almost a nirvana.

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Burst of colours filling every nook and corner of Umami Cafe. The bean bags, the plush couches, the knee level tables, the ornaments and paintings adorning the bright walls, and the free WiFi service. Almost too cozy to be of commercial value.

Kepong’s a territory uncharted. At least to this clueless soul writing his thoughts down now. I was having this impression that Kepong’s somewhere near to Puchong (probably because they rhyme?). Yeah, that’s not very clever of me, I know.

I once visited Kepong; or rather, blindly trudged along the streets of Kepong when work took me to Taman Bukit Maluri. And I ended up at Tuck Kee.

Pan Fried Gyoza; dumplings freshly wrapped with fillings of minced pork and julienned vegetables. (RM7.90/USD2.60 for 5 pieces)

Fast forward almost 3 years later, and a return to this stranger of a town was imminent. Umami Cafe‘s a relatively spanking new cafe in the heart of Kepong town; in Bandar Menjalara to be exact. I did not expect such a structure of architectural brilliance (comparatively speaking, when you’re accustomed to the older structures around Kepong) to be built surrounded by not one, not two, but THREE petrol stations. K Gallery’s the name of the commercial unit, and Umami Cafe’s situated on the first floor above Old Town White Coffee, Moe de Cafe (an anime-themed fancy cafe with waitresses dressed in the most absurd pieces) and this German watering hole named Deustche Gasthaus.

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