Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Majie Dry Curry Noodles (RM4/USD1.30) – Slivers of poached chicken, sliced barbecued pork and bean sprouts with Ipoh’s signature ‘sar hor fun’ (flat rice noodles); in an orange-coloured, tongue-numbingly-fiery curry paste.

Before I start, I do apologize for the possibly incoherent thoughts, random choice of words and jumpy demeanour. After an entire week of traveling (for work, and partly play over the long weekend), this frazzled brain and battered body developed a resistance towards external stimuli.

Just touched down from Kota Bharu; the capital of Kelantan that has never ceased to amaze me ever since my first visit to the state. The stunning array of Kelantanese food, splendid architectures of old buildings, mosques and temples, the palaces & the beach, as well as the sheer camaraderie shared between people from all walks of life; all come together to infuse life into the “1Malaysia” concept.

For today, grab a piece of napkin (or your sleeve) and let me bring you back in time … for a curry mee stall that has since stood the test of time in Ipoh.

Read the rest of this entry »

Pun Chun’s signature Duck Drumstick Mee (dry/soup) @ RM7.30/USD2.40 for Small, RM8.30/USD2.80 for Big – With the tender flesh almost falling off the bones; the duck drumstick was infused with an aromatic herbal scent from the soup; and served in the similar traditional manner of an aluminium container

Not AGAIN?! This my friend, is not the first time I am writing about Pun Chun; the name behind the ridiculously iconic drum drumstick noodles originating from the town of Bidor to the south of Perak.

However, the old Pun Chun has taken the liberty to expand beyond the silver state; first with an acid test of a Pun Chun Noodle House outlet in Kota Kemuning in 2008, then this second one in Ara Damansara, followed closely by a third in Bandar Puteri Puchong.

Read the rest of this entry »

Satay Dataran – An unmistakably Malaysian delight of marinated chicken and lamb skewered and grilled over charcoal fire, served with raw onions, cucumber and ‘ketupat’ (boiled packed rice dumplings), and a slurry of thick, spicy peanut sauce (RM1.00 for chicken, RM1.20 for lamb)

A decade ago, had you told me that hawker food (or street food) is supposed to be eaten in an air-conditioned environment, with free Wifi and tagged on with 6% government tax and 10% service charge, I would have gladly gotten you a doctor. Or a shrink.

Lil Ipoh – Occupying half of the old premise of Antap Cafe (the other part is still a stronghold of Citrus Wine & Dine‘s); this restaurant was crowded during dinner on a Saturday.

But then again, time has changed. It is not unusual to see people paying close to RM10 (USD3+) for a plate of Char Kuey Teow or Nasi Lemak in kopitiams (Old Town and Pappa Rich being good examples), close to what we were paying for in hotels a decade ago.

The convenience factor comes into play, coupled with the fact that the younger generation nowadays simply can’t fathom the thought of crouching by roadside or back alley while digging into a piping hot bowl of noodles, or having to endure the heat of dining in a coffee shop cooled by creaking antique fans.

So, what’s that got to do with this new place aptly named Lil Ipoh in Ipoh Garden East? Read the rest of this entry »

Life’s a freaking carnival @ AEON Station 18, Pasir Puteh, Ipoh; the new and easily largest shopping mall in all of Perak. (And no, the Golden Retriever does not come with the experience)

A few posts back, I was actually very keen to explore this brand new shopping mall in Ipoh; a new Jusco (now a blanket rebranding to AEON across all outlets). I still vaguely remember how back in 1997 the first Jusco opened its doors in Ipoh, effectively burying the ghost of Super Kinta’s past. Although one might say that the Jusco Kinta City has seen better days, yet the shopping mall is rarely empty even on weekdays. Try to visit on weekends or public holidays, or worse … the festive season (CNY especially!) and you’ll be wondering what the fuss was about over this two-floors departmental store.

Then, AEON Station 18 arrived on the scene. A good 15 years later, and I guess folks staying around Ipoh Barat must have been overjoyed at this development. Rather than bracing an astounding 10km drive (don’t laugh, here in Ipoh every km feels like miles …) to Ipoh Garden East, they can literally hop over to Station 18 instead.

And I know a post without any food will sound dry and bland. So here’s a menu featuring 20 types of noodles (!) to tie you over @ The Mia Eating House; within a short drive away from AEON Station 18.

As usual, if you’re ready for the insanity, jump on the bandwagon ….. Read the rest of this entry »

“Ngap Kiok Pau” (Duck Feet Wrap) – An aged uncle comes equipped with sharp retaliation and witty remarks; plus those menacing eye brows are enough to send shivers down one’s spine. And what has he got up his sleeve; that has withstood almost a century (!) of legacy?

You must have noticed the discouragingly apparent hiatus between posts. Yup, folks …. I am back to work, after being ridiculously pampered with repeated long weekends and the festive season weighing down on this already crazed mind. I mean, what can a glutton do in Ipoh, aside from eating and subsequently sleeping the sluggishness off? 🙂

Before I proceed with elaborately tedious grandfather stories (ad nauseam), allow me to draft this very mindless indulgence of mine; one jaunty street food post for the weekend. Read on, please.

Read the rest of this entry »

“Enough with the posts with crazy-loads of photos already!!!!”

Are you tearing your hair out, wondering what’s gotten into Motormouth lately, with consecutive travelling posts, food and sights from my hometown of Ipoh, and leaving no stones unturned with every writeup (Read : DAMN long-breath aka ‘cheong hei’ aka non-stop ramblings)?

Yeah, blame it on the procrastination. The haphazard drafting of posts without a proper chronological archiving or geographical border. But then again …. that’s part of the charm when anticipating random ‘garbage’ from this glutton anyway, right? 🙂

The future in the making; a small ‘tauke’ (boss) learning the ropes, and the bloggers in action. And no, this was not an invited review.

Read the rest of this entry »

Craving for NON-Halal Satay? – Succulent bites of marinated pork and flavourful mutton on skewers (those sticks named ‘lidi’), served with sliced cucumber and pungent raw onions. Not forgetting, the spicier than average chunky peanut gravy.

And here comes Monday. The very last one for September. Time flies, it’s been a good 10 months since I moved to KL, and the urge to hunt for good (street) food has dwindled slightly.

Could be the weather, the traffic, the workload, or the sheer incoherence of them all. But one thing’s for sure, I’ll be damned if I decide to shut this blog up before reaching its prime.

Wait, or has it? ….

Anyway, here’s a short post on this very old school food court in PJ old town serving a delightful myriad of hawker food; a startling resemblance to Ipoh’s stadium food court, or Medan Selera Dato Sagor in old town. Read the rest of this entry »