Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

The undisputed Malaysian Street Food – Chunks of grilled marinated chicken and beef on skewers, served with the conventional sides of cucumber and ‘nasi himpit’ as well as their signature grilled thick, white bread.

Continuing the Kelantan 2009 saga (read the first chapter on Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah & various Kelantanese kuih-muih), let’s see what we had for dinner on one of the nights spent in Kota Bharu; the capital of Kelantan.

We were initially gunning for some other cuisine (I think it was supposed to be a killer tom yam restaurant, somewhere near to KB Mall; the famous shopping complex of Kota Bharu), but the lack of proper directions led us to a half shack-half dilapidated eatery. Not as alluring as we initially have expected, we adjourned to a backup plan ….. Satay Malaysia Restaurant on Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, a distance away from town centre.

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Talk about Satay, those sticks of timeless grilled marinated and skewered meats (epitome of Malaysian Street Food?) and almost instantaneously the term Kajang Satay pops up in the conversation. It’s inevitable. You can argue about how famous your favourite ‘warung sate‘ (satay stall) in your neighbourhood might be, crowded from day ’til night or round the clock, but the appeal of Kajang Satay has never waned amidst the many emulators, imitators and wannabes.

The many varieties of Satay served on a plate, @ Nyok Lan Kajang Satay in Restoran Malaysia, Kajang.

First up, where in the world is Kajang you are wondering? (If let’s say, you’re not a local or plain ignorant or simply detested Geography lessons back in your school days) Kajang is a city in the eastern part of Selangor, about 20km or so from the capital of Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur. And unabashedly, I have to admit that this was my FIRST excursion down to this city slightly away from the tourist trail. Nearby towns include Semenyih and Bangi. If those sound even more foreign to you, I don’t blame you.

Anyway, Haji Samuri is THE undisputed brand of Kajang Satay; with close to 20 outlets all over Malaysia now. The number is constantly on the rise, with new chains opening up in the other states.

My experience with Sate Kajang Haji Samuri ranged from absolutely delicious (the R&R Kinrara outlet back in 2006 or so) to downright abysmal (the one in Bukit Tinggi, Klang). Commercialization breeds success and fame, but when the quality of the satay is compromised in a way that affects a customer’s satisfaction, it’s hard to restore my faith in their food again.

So why oh why am I still raving, salivating and recommending Kajang Satay again? For I believe, this outlet named Nyok Lan Kajang Satay @ Restoran Malaysia is definitely worth a try; no matter you’re a satay lover or not. Read on to find out why ….. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Panfried Cod Fillet Mango (RM24/USD7.30) – A slab of thick, succulent and sweet cod fillet served atop the bed of irresistibly yummy mashed potatoes, garden vegetables and a refreshingly fruity coulis of mango.

The premise previously occupied by Rendezvous Cafe at the corner of Brewster Road (Jalan Sultan Idris Shah) and Cockman Street (Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar) has been given a new shot of life recently. Eastern’s Brasserie is owned by the same management team of Eastern Hotel (soon to be opened in November 2010 tentatively; a projected spanking new boutique hotel as opposed to the previously disdain, dilapidated outlook).

A relaxed, spacious and classy ambience defines Eastern’s Brasserie; with a surprisingly satisfactory level of customer service.

I came to know about Eastern’s Brasserie from the All About Ipoh Facebook page, whereby one of the admin posted the pictures of aesthetically pleasant dishes resembling European cuisine, and subsequently generated a positive vibe circulating around this new addition to the upmarket dining scene in Ipoh. Read on for the insights into the dishes, prices and location …. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Sambal Petai with Squids – If you ain’t drooling yet, then you’re cold. Stone cold, emotionless without a healthy appetite.

I always have friends and readers asking for more Halal food recommendations in Ipoh. I plead guilty. I concur that I ranted excessively/uncontrollably on NON-halal fares more often that not, no thanks to the inner cravings for anything porky …… (blame it on the upbringing? Or an early acquaintance to Gu Lou Yuk?)

But I can’t deny the fact that the average Thai-Malay ‘warung’ (food stalls) do not appeal to me much. Aside from Waritha on Gopeng Road which I had an unforgettable experience late last year (in a not so positive manner), I have never written about the many “Ikan Bakar-Thai Tom Yam-Nasi Berlauk” outlets in Ipoh.

Curry Assam Fish Head – A favourite across the racial horizons; Chinese cook it the Nyonya way, Indians with a more pungent and robust curry flavour, and Malays have their Salim outlets.

But then again, do you know that there are WAY more halal (and for most outlets; pork-free) solutions than the generic fares from the many ‘warung’? How about C U Village nyonya food (Halal), Koh Samui Thai food (Halal), Laksamana Cheng Ho (Muslim-Chinese food – Halal), Pakeeza North Indian Cuisine, Yum Yum, Kim Bali, 1919 Restaurant & Gallery (Pork-free), and many more.

But one restaurant that stood the test of time; with two outlets in Ipoh now – Assam House Restaurant has to be the most well-known name amongst the Malay community for an eatery operated by a Chinese proprietor …… CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

For more than 30 years, this Indian uncle (K.Idrus) has been selling his brand of traditional Cendol with manually-shaved ice on Jalan Bunga Raya in Pasir Pinji in Ipoh ….

I have a confession to make. I seldom go for roadside cendol in Ipoh due to several reasons. One being my ignorance as to which stall in Ipoh serves the BEST or most renowned Cendol, and secondly the compromised hygiene issue.

Yup, as much as a Motormouth that I claim to be, sometimes the sight of blatant disregard to hygiene matters when a peddler is manning his stall is plain repulsive. We are not only talking about stained utensils, sloppily rinsed chopsticks, or greasy table tops here. But let’s not neglect the raging issue of personal hygiene (stained aprons, dandruff on shirts, long and grimy finger nails etc), and general up-keeping of one’s stall.

Anyway, when I was Googling about for other blogposts on this particular stall; aptly named Cendol Pasir Pinji near to Padang Kilat on Jalan Bunga Raya in Ipoh, I found this post. Then only I realized that the nails embedded into the underside of the wooden block used to shave the blocks of ice might have been rusted after all!

A bowl of refreshing Cendol with plentiful of red beans, and crunchy shaved ice chips.

Oh well, after a lip-smacking noodle fest at Ang Ang Mee Hailam Parit in Pasir Puteh, we adjourned to this stall for a palate cleanser in the form of Cendol; a perennial favourite when it comes to desserts in Malaysia. The other obvious contender being Ais Kacang (ABC) of course, but seldom do we find roadside ABC here in Ipoh.

That, or I could be living under a huge-a$$ rock all this while. Enlighten me, people …… CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

In search of the BEST Nasi Lemak in Ipoh (bear with me people, for I am rather slow in getting to them all!), I started the ball running with a visit to Allongs Restaurant in Ipoh Garden, within walking distance to Woolley Food City and directly behind of Medan Aneka Selera (aptly named Tung Koo Thing aka Mushroom Stand?).

And no, this is NOT a piece of chicken feet, or a duck’s webbed feet. But instead, a chewy and utterly addictive piece of dried cuttlefish cooked in a spicy chili paste, aka Sambal Sotong Kering.

Allongs Restaurant is famous for their Nasi Lemak, hands down THE epitome of great Malaysian breakfast. You can opt to have your coconut milk-laden fragrant rice to be served with any of the condiments, or side dishes available at the counter, or just trust them on their best bet; aka their signature – Nasi Lemak Sotong Kering.

Aside from Nasi Lemak, the crowd goes for Allongs’ equally delicious Lontong, which is a typical Malay dish consisting of boiled compressed rice (ala ‘ketupat‘), served in a watery yet decadent broth that tasted redolent of ‘santan’ (coconut milk), turmeric, chili paste and various spices.

So does Allongs’ Nasi Lemak deserves to be in the Best Nasi Lemak in Ipoh list? Read on to find out …. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »