Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Notice the more saturated tones of yellow on the chicken skin? Compared to the ones with a lighter shade of yellow, the “choy yin gai” (farm chicken) possess a definite advantage in terms of flavour, texture and yeah … monetary values, of course.

Just came back earlier this afternoon from a self-declared heaven on earth.

Yeah it was indeed a very timely excursion to one of the most obscure places in Malaysia, yet brimming with potential, exuding characters unparalleled and just plain screamed for attention, albeit in a subtle manner. Wait for the post in another few days.

For now, let’s talk CHICKEN RICE.

Half a chicken (option of the usual chicken or “choy yin gai”) poached to a marvelous extent; retaining the natural juiciness of the flesh with a toothsome bite (we picked the “choy yin gai” at more than RM30 for half a chicken), garnished with bits of fried shallot and coriander but not before being drizzled lightly in the usual soy sauce-based concoction.

Satellite Chicken Rice and the countless New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice outlets were none too impressive, but Hong Seng in Section 17 was a clear winner when it comes to roasted chicken.

And then here’s the supposedly champion of all champions; Loke Yun Ampang Chicken Rice. But …. seriously? Read the rest of this entry »

Hainanese Roast Chicken Rice (RM5/USD1.60 per portion)

Finally something Halal from Ipoh for a change? Yes I know, I’ve not been an ardent hunter for Halal cuisine in Ipoh for more reasons than one. Firstly, there are only a mere handful of Malay restaurants (read : restaurants; a proper eatery with air-conditioning unit and proper menu) in Ipoh; and I think I might have tried the most premium of all; Laksamana Cheng Ho. And that was not good.

Wait, we went TWICE. And both visits were … blah …..let’s drop that. Hence you never read about the restaurant even after almost 3 years in existence; this Motormouth from Ipoh.

Crunchy bean sprouts blanched to the right degree/texture; lightly seasoned with pepper and dash of soy sauce, then garnished with chopped scallion and red chillies. (about RM4/USD1.30, if I’m not mistaken)

And since Ipoh’s synonymous with “Nga Choy Kai” or Ayam Tauge, also commonly named as Bean Sprouts Chicken (if you’re confused, read through this list of all the ‘Nga Choy Kai’ outlets I have bulldozed my way through ….), it’s only fair that the Muslim counterparts get to taste what this hoo-hah was all about.

Usually the halal version of chicken rice equals margarine cooked yellow (to a scary extent) rice, served with almost dehydrated roasted chicken and a sweet chili sauce, or sweet soy sauce (kicap manis). That, my friend …. is far from the original Hainan chicken rice we’re talking about.

So let’s see what Ipoh Hainan Chicken Rice; this chain (two branches now) outlet with a cleaner and presentable facade offers to the Malay community in Ipoh ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Just like stepping into a time warp. Transported back into the late 70’s?

Had enough of Indulgence? Okay, here’s a short post on Hainan Chicken Rice in Ipoh. As awkward as this may sound, I believe this is my FIRST post on chicken rice in Ipoh. This, albeit the fact that Ipoh’s famous for “Nga Choy Kai” (Bean Sprouts Chicken), and there are actually more than a handful of good and popular chicken rice outlets in Ipoh.

On one hand we have the famous Rasa Sayang and Pak Gong on Jalan Theatre in town, next to the famous Eastern Wine. Then a short hop and skip away, you will find the double shoplots named Hainan Chicken Rice near to the perennial starlet of a stall serving Buntong beef noodles named Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Sri Maju.

So how come I have never heard of Hin Loong Hainan Chicken Rice, until DT mentioned about this place over at the All About Ipoh page? Read the rest of this entry »

From – Crabs for New Year in Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur

Back in our childhood days, we used to fight over petty matters. We would scramble for the last piece of candy, proclaiming war over trivial objects (pencil box fights, anyone?), and proudly claiming ‘patent’ over our very own, erm, creations (crayon-painted landscapes that reminded one of Picasso’s masterpieces?).

And to think that we all matured with time. Bah ….. The current fiasco surrounding the ‘Food Fight’ between two neighbouring countries had me sniggering no less, a strong reminder of our past when quarrels over who-owns-what was prominent.

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Sinful, caramelized goodness on the hangers

Previously operating from another lot, Kok Beng has since relocated to this new outlet on Jalan Kota in Taiping in 2000, and has been doing rather brisk business on a daily basis.

Ong Kok Beng is the proprietor of the chicken rice, a friendly chap probably in his late 30’s, or 40’s. An estimation of course, but given his cheerful demeanour and approachable aura, he could well be in his 50’s without people realising it. 🙂

Read the rest of this entry »