Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Read the original article published in The Malay Mail Online HERE.

Still the same Hoong Tho that we grew up with in the 80’s …

There are but a few eateries left in Ipoh that I personally feel are still able to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia upon setting foot into their premises and tasting the same old flavours from yesteryear. I highlighted a sterling example last week on Wong Koh Kee restaurant situated along Concubine Lane in Old Town with more than eight decades of legacy. That was a really classic example of “lau zhi hau” (literally translated to old trademark brand) — signature dishes unchanged since decades back, maintaining the no-menu policy, ageing staff staying with the establishment through thick and thin and a no-frills, subdued set up featuring round marble top tables, rickety wooden chairs, steel stools and mosaic-tiled flooring.

Now, Koh Kee is not the only restaurant in Old Town with such a rich history and fan base spanning a few generations. Hoong Tho, located along the same road of Jalan Bandar Timah (Leech Street) but on the other side (note that coming from Hugh Low Street, the junction branches to opposite ways of Jalan Bandar Timah; the right side leads to Wong Koh Kee, Kong Heng kopitiam and Nam Chau curry noodles, while the left turn will take you to the stretch of white coffee stalwarts; Sin Yoon Loong and Nam Heong, as well as Hoong Tho which is located a few doors away from Nam Heong.)

This plate of intense wok-hei laden fried rice was utterly delicious and whipped up with such flair by the cooks at Hoong Tho in old town

I remember eating at Hoong Tho with my late grandfather and a bunch of older relatives, whereby this was also one of the famous places in Ipoh back in those days for wedding banquets. The menu has stayed relatively flat throughout the years, which may not be a bad thing at all. You see, most of these popular establishments are known for their trademark items — dishes that they do particularly well and embedded in the minds of followers who come back repeatedly for the same, comforting familiar taste. Read the rest of this entry »