Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

BBQ Chicken Pau (RM3.60/USD1.20 for two freshly-steamed buns) – Char Siew Bao without the CHAR SIEW?! Atrocious?!!! Ridiculous??!!!!!! Not really.

Friday. I’d better limit my words for this post, else I’ll be getting all the rotten tomatoes splattered over this ogre-like mug. And a stretch of 3-days long, extended weekend for everyone!

Instead of the usual un-Halal, pork-infested reviews on this blog, let me embrace the milder, pork-free side of myself. And if you’re a Muslim reader, or have a bunch of Muslim foodie friends dying to try some Chinese dim sum, then this post is definitely for you.

Wait, even if you are one PORK-adoring fanatic, who can’t stay away from the char siew, gu lou yuk, crispy siew yoke, vinegar pig’s trotters, German pork knuckle …… you might still find this recommendation worthy of a try. I was skeptical, but the first visit proved my doubts were unfounded. Read on, and discover why …. Read the rest of this entry »

Pineapple Fried Rice (RM9.90/USD3.30) – An aesthetically-captivating presentation in a hollowed half of a pineapple. Fluffy grains with a distinctive fragrance, fried with cubed fresh pineapple, chopped long beans, raisins and roasted cashew nuts.

And I proclaim this my current favourite haunt for no-frills, affordable Thai fares in KL/PJ. Not until after the third visit though. Second one did not count since this reckless soul forgot to take note of Phad Thai Restaurant‘s off-day and went home sorely disappointed on a Monday evening.

Actually no, we went off to Daorae which is about 100 metres away, but you get my drift. The sheer lacking in enthusiasm after preparing this glutton of a bowel to a mind-numbing, fiery Thai fest. Only to experience a gastronomic experience on a whole different spectrum; grilled meats over charcoal, kimchi, bulgogi and all.

That being said, this adamant little brat was not about to give up. Still fresh from the first eye-opening experience of a dinner consisting of a reasonably-good rendition of “Pad Thai” (Thai fried rice noodles with shrimp, egg and bean sprouts), and you know it’s fairly impossible to find one that’s just as good as Bangkok’s, we went again.

Read on for the full insight, and delicious shots you’d be forgiven for licking the screen …. Read the rest of this entry »

The signature “Ikan Bakar” (Grilled Fish) section where you can pick your fish from a choice of tilapia, kembung (mackerel) or keli (catfish)

It’s that time of the year again, when smokers don’t smoke, sinners don’t sin, and angels reign supreme. Yup, soon to be the holy month of Ramadan and much akin to how you should never cross Santa prior to Christmas, the fasting season begins. Bear in mind that when Muslims fast, not only do they need to stay away from eating/drinking for >12 hours a day, but their thoughts must be pure, sincere and without the slightest hint of malice in their intentions.

However, most urbanites look forward to the time for breaking fast nowadays ….

Where traditionally, people cook at home in anticipation of ‘buka sahur’ sessions (breaking fast), time, technology and rapid development has evolved the city dwellers especially the working class professionals into different characters all together.

It’s not uncommon to see immense crowd at Ramadan bazaars (Pasar Ramadan) in the evenings buying truckloads (more or less) of food for dinner. And tradition takes a giant backflip when major hotels in the city cash in on the festive season by offering array of mouthwatering temptations in their respective buffet spread.

Time for a family portrait? The mother and son duo of Mak Deli & Irwan dishing up a storm at Melting Pot Cafe @ Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur this coming month of Ramadan.

Whilst most establishments settle for the safer routes of traditional Malay cuisine (lemang, ketupat, satay, rendang, etc) combined with a touch of international influences (sashimi, sushi, Western pies, lasagne etc), the management of Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur took matters into their own hands and diverted the attention back to good old Padang delights from Pariaman; a coastal city to the west of Sumatera.

Read the rest of this entry »

A classic plate of Penang style Char Kuey Teow; with prawns, cockles, bean sprouts and ku chai (Chinese chives). But bear in mind that this is a ‘halal’ (more to pork-free, but this stall’s parked in a HALAL premise), hence no lard, no waxed sausages (lap cheong).

And if you can recall this recent post on Robert’s Char Kuey Teow in Section 17, you would have known that I can be really, really determined when I am on the prowl for good street food. Blame it on the Ipoh genes or the strong attachment to quality hawker fares from Ipoh/Penang maybe?

Especially when expectations are met with disappointment, over-rated eateries taking precedence due to the overwhelming crowd, stories inflated by media coverage, and people jumping on the bandwagon.

Well, not ALL of Ipoh’s hawker food are of exceptional quality, mind you. But owing to more than two decades of life spent in the tranquil town (some say sleepy, but I beg to differ ….), I just knew where to seek for the above average ones.

Unlike current times; when I’m just like a lost sheep in this juggernaut of a metropolitan; sporting eateries of unfamiliar genres and origins. Let’s cut to the chase; and see how Aunty Gemuk’s (literally translated to Fat Aunt, but that’s not too courteous now, are we?) Char Kuey Teow fares against the likes of Robert’s etc …. Read the rest of this entry »

I have to admit that I have never been a fan of ‘halal’ cafes in Ipoh. Not that there are many to start with. Wait, when you think about it, there is probably none. Aside from the overpriced, over-hyped and over-rated Laksamana Cheng Ho, serving a myriad of Thai, Chinese-Muslim and whatnots cuisine in Greentown. If you’re a fan, then pardon this outright criticism.

I have eaten at the outlet in Greentown Business Centre (the corner lot, which I think have since ceased operations) once, and the larger premise painted stark red along the same road just a short distance away from Brewster’s and almost directly facing MP Steamboat. All the visits came out pretty lacklustre, leaving me puzzled as to why we kept going back although the dining experiences were far from stellar.

Seafood Vol-au-vent (RM4.50/USD1.50) – A mini flaky pastry punctured with a hole from the top; then filled with a creamy filling of mixed seafood and mixed vegetables.

Then lo and behold. It dawned on me, a revelation much akin to a dumb blonde finally realizing why she’s branded as such in the first place.

Ipoh’s been suffering from a serious dearth of good ‘halal’ eateries; especially one that serves decent Western cuisine. To cut the story short, your perpetually fruitless search might end here. Today. This instant. Since Dubliners Cafe was more than I initially thought it was, or ever will be. Read the rest of this entry »

Crispy Roast Duck @ Hong Kong Restaurant, Canning Garden – Briefly bathed with boiling oil before being served (by request), this was simply a cut above the other roast duck specialists in Ipoh.

Madam Heng was a persistent lady, oh yeah. Can’t deny that. It has been a year since the initial contact made between herself and her brother-in-law with myself, an acknowledgment and gratitude nods for the post published in June last year. (Read “That Famous Canning Garden Roast Duck”).

As fate would have it, a full 12 months have passed before I managed to seek out the time for a revisit. 12 months of changes; seeing me moving from Ipoh to Selangor, changing my job (almost a 360 degrees paradigm shift, if you get my drift … hey that rhymes!), and settling in comfortably at that. Well, still adapting to the upbeat pace here, in comparison to the so-named (and rightly so) ‘honeymoon years‘.

Read on for the full story on this “Spunky Madam” (to quote someone I know) with a penchant for quality roast ‘halal’ ducks, and making an impact in a stranger’s life …..  Read the rest of this entry »

Nasi Lemak with Sambal Sotong (RM3.50/USD1.20) – From Wak Nasi Lemak, stall no 51 @ Medan Selera Stadium Ipoh

Medan Selera Stadium; that row of stalls beside Stadium Ipoh houses an impressive range of hawker fares; from the fan favourites of wanton mee stalls (one in the morning, and one at night) to freshly steamed rice rolls; aptly named Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun, and a bean sprouts chicken stall that proves to have a stellar following (Michelle Yeoh’s preference, supposedly) as well as the banana leaf rice stall(s) in the afternoon.

Fuad Roti Canai (Stall no 54) has been on my list of to-eat since I was still THE Motormouth in Ipoh. Now I am this immigrant in the lost city of skyscrapers and bumper-to-bumper vehicles.

But what I have missed in the previous reviews are the last row (from the roundabout, towards the public swimming pool’s direction) of gems featuring various Malay food stalls. Most glaring omission? Fuad Roti Canai (Stall No 54) and Wak Nasi Lemak (Stall No 51).

Read the rest of this entry »