Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

Sashimi Moriawase Hanzo (RM56.00/USD17) – An enticing platter of fresh and thick cuts of raw fishes and boiled shrimps presented on a bed of shaved ice, with a cube of grated wasabi

I have to confess. The sudden onslaught of new eateries sprouting up in Ipoh surprised me, and my apologies for the delayed reviews of such places. For a variety of reasons (excuses?) of course.

One being the bane of spanking new outlets; pathetic level of service & mediocre/inconsistent quality of food. Not to mention the unacceptably long waiting time for your food to be presented on your table.

Another reason being of course; the procrastinating factor. Dear readers; I am but a mere mortal without a designated gang of ‘makan kaki’ (wanna sign up?) ….. and I do not own a gold mine, or one blessed with a silver gold platinum spoon in my (motor) mouth. All the food reviews on this blog are paid for with cold hard cash dripping with blood, sweat and tears.

Oh Sushi - A very pleasant dining environment amidst the team of affable staff, soft hums of classic Japanese tunes emitting from the speakers, and endless colourful plates of fresh sushi on the kaiten belt.

Cut the crap and let’s move on to the review of the day. One for the weekend, so to speak.

Oh Sushi Japanese Restaurant launched their maiden outlet in Ipoh recently, at De Garden; a hub of retail outlets largely populated with chain eateries (you can read my reviews of Pappa Rich, Ayam Penyet, Wong Kok Char Chan Teng, Tutti Frutti Frozen Yoghurt and TOS Coffee Bistro by clicking THIS LINK) situated next to Jusco Kinta City.

The name sounds familiar? Because this is the SAME Oh Sushi @ Midvalley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, another pet project of the Kubota Japanese Restaurant group. Read on to find out how Oh Sushi stacked up against their adversaries; the other independent and chain Japanese restaurants in Ipoh …… CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Fresh Oyster baked in Cheese - RM13.80/USD4.20

Now let me share my current favourite Japanese restaurant in Ipoh with you readers. Previously I was an ardent fan of Akamomiji‘s, until the last few visits that revealed some rather poorly executed cooked dishes, and mediocre service. Waraku became our favourite then, with their cheap RM15 lunch sets available on weekdays, with close to 20 choices. And they STILL grill some of the best kushi yaki in town (grilled meats and vegetables on skewers, like our satay without accompanying dipping sauce), bar none.

Of course there’s the Kizuna which I have neglected since the first review, A Lai I that cooks up a variety of mean teppan yaki dishes, and Sushi East that well, best left unsaid.

Still remains a mystery as to why I have not written about Kampai yet, possibly the first and definitely longest running Japanese restaurant in Ipoh. Kampai serves what could be the most value-for-money set lunch (around RM15 each) with sizeable portions, and lots of varieties.

Resembling an “Izakaya” (a type of Japanese drinking establishment) more than a full-fledged restaurant, Tengood serves a myriad of light snacks, finger foods aside from salads, sushi and sashimi, and they serve PORK as well.

And so there we were on a fine evening, seeking for a bite (or slurp?) of supposedly fresh and plump oysters. (*Pardon the incompetence, I failed to inquire about on which days they got their freshest supplies of seafood, but give them a ring and the lady will be glad to inform you). I visited Tengood a few times before this, for lunch usually since the place is located right smack in the midst of a bustling Greentown Business Centre which is close to my previous working place.

Wanna know why this particular Japanese restaurant impressed me so much that evening? Read on to find out ….. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Saba Steak Potato Salad Set

I have visited Waraku Japanese Restaurant in Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh (the area near to Jusco Kinta City and Tesco if you’re scratching your head there) many times before. Yet I have not written about this place, run by a Japanese lady who’s pleasant and affable. Waraku has been gracing the Japanese cuisine scene in Ipoh for at least 3 or so years, occupying the lot previously named Jyu Restaurant.

Waraku takes great pride in their extensive array of Kushiyaki, or grilled meats and vegetables on sticks.

Previously it was either the photos turned out pretty bad (from a friend’s camera, and some from my old, trustworthy Nokia 5610) due to the dim lighting inside of the restaurant, or I was neglecting the backlogs and completely forgot about Waraku.

Until we visited Waraku again and again, for the reasonable RM15 Set Lunch Promotion. I am not sure whether this promotion is still going on, but the last we went, about two months or so ago, the sets were still priced as such.

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Friday lunches are the BEST I tell you. I am not going to gloat or anything, but how does a two and a half hour lunch period sounds to you? Music to your ears? Or got your blood boiling yet?

Not to say this is an ideal situation. More like a catch-22 variant, when it’s not always possible to spend our lunch hours wailing away in the restaurant. To be seated for more than two hours during a simple meal sounds rather absurd, especially when it’s fast food we’re having. Not to mention the dagger stares from other patrons in those perpetually-packed eateries. (Foh San comes to mind again, naturally).

Freshly made cream soup, and a choice of iced lemon tea/Coke for the lunch sets @ Folie-Folie Cafe & Grill

After missing a slew of Friday lunches (since before Chinese New Year, I believe), today was the first time we had to struggle and brainstorm for another place for lunch. Ended up at Folie-Folie Cafe & Grill in town, opposite of UOB Bank near Greentown. If you’re one party animal (or maybe not), then you’d probably have heard of Summer Paradise, which opened its doors sometime back in last year. Do correct me if I’m wrong.

Anyway, Folie-Folie Cafe & Grill started operations about half a year ago, situated directly adjacent to the funky bungalow, serving a mix of Eastern and Western fares, from Lamb Chops, Grilled Chicken Chops and Fish & Chips to Katsudon, Japanese Curry, Fried Rice and pastas.

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Some of you might be wondering about the reason(s) behind the serious lack of Ipoh’s Japanese food posts on my blog. Last I wrote something of such trait was way back when I discovered A Lai I for the first time, after that same Japanese restaurant has been running for a good 3-4 years prior to my virginal visit.

Pathetic huh? In reality, I actually love Japanese food to bits, especially those promising the freshest of ingredients, the most authentic of dishes (aside from the usual California rolls, bento sets and xxx-Dons, which by the way, are exactly what Sushi King is heavily promoting now), and preferably, a reasonably-priced feast.

But of course, Japanese food don’t come cheap, nor do they come in abundance. The good ones, at least. I have visited almost all of the Japanese restaurants in Ipoh, save for Kizuna One at Royal Perak Golf Club, for they charge exorbitantly more, for the same fares one can get at Kizuna, the new Wasabi Japanese Buffet at 1Casuarina which is WAY over-rated for the price one pays, and some random ones sprouting all over Greentown, or Ipoh Garden East.

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How’s the CNY preparation going? Reached your boiling point yet?Or you’re still playing cool cucumber, and neglecting the chores, the cooking, the cleaning and … the shopping.

Whatever it is, DO NOT forget the eating. Hahaha … coz that’s what people do during the festive seasons, and live to regret the binge right after the celebrations. Oh well … a continuous spiral of gluttony, then crash diet, then foodhunting again …….

Cafe Takahashi @ Jusco Kinta City, Ipoh

Sometime ago, I wrote about this new Japanese fusion cafe in Jusco Kinta City, when it first opened its door back in the middle of 2009. Combining elements of traditional Japanese cuisine and modernized ‘kissaten’ (Japanese cafe) concept, Cafe Takahashi has seen its following building up as time goes by, and even has a Facebook fan page of their own now.

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