Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Traditional Hakka Yong Tau Foo from Chong Chew Coffee Shop @ Kanthan Baru, Chemor – 600 pieces per day ain’t a walk in the park, that’s for sure. Sometimes up to 2000 (!) pieces.

Why is it that good eateries are usually not found in the most strategic of places? For instance, you have Ipoh’s best chee cheong fun served in the compound of someone’s house, secluded from public view and without a signboard to boot.

Then this resilient uncle peddles his way to a back alley (of all places) and sets up his stall to sell popiah only on weekends. Or how about having delicious fresh-from-the-wok yong tau foo while being seated under the shades of BIG trees?

Had a whale of a time sweating it out while watching in pure astonishment how the “heong peng” specialists bake their most esteemed biscuits from Gunung Rapat; in a huge clay oven? Or fancy a touch of magic from the hands of this kacang puteh maker for a good two decades now?

It all depends on how adamant you are in seeking for these gems in the most secluded of corners around Ipoh. For one, I would not have imagined going to extremes back then before I developed this penchant for writing. But oh my … how things have changed since.

The 3rd generation deep in the heart of the action. Pays to have the children interested to continue the legacy.

I was brought to attention of this coffee shop in Kanthan Baru; a new village (not literally, but as in ‘kampung baru’ that was established in 1992) in Chemor about 20km away from Ipoh. First they appeared on Taste With Jason (Axian) show on AEC, when he was doing a very informative coverage on yong tau foo (Stuffed fish paste) in Malaysia.

Read the rest of this entry »

Of all things healthy and wise; Jeram’s Lui Cha Rice has a following everywhere, and I wonder if this small town near to Kampar in Perak was the first to ‘patent’ this creation gone viral …

This bowl of rice, usually vegetarian (just ask them to omit the dried shrimps and onions and you’re good to go) in nature, is a good example of a hate-it-or-love-it Hakka dish. Many used to lament about the extremely ‘green’ taste (a somewhat pungent, and slightly unpleasant fresh taste from the chlorophyll-laden greens, especially those blended into the accompanying soup), while others stay away from the protein-shy ensemble.

But to imagine munching on crunchy bits of roasted peanuts, sweet; almost caramelized onions, bits of soft beancurd strips, sometimes julienned omelette, and an eye-popping plethora of finely-chopped vegetables; paired with white rice (sometimes cooked with onions and garlic to perfume the rice) then paired with an awkwardly light green concoction resembling an ogre’s snot.

Okay, not that gross, but if you’ve ever bought the thick, undiluted lui cha soup from the Jeram morning market, you’ll notice why I was making such a comparison. Read on to find out more about this healthy dish; from the famous Jeram market ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Something Special Cafe @ Hugh Low Street – Painted with a stark contrast of sunshine yellow and sky blue, it’s tough to NOT notice this wacky little outlet stuck in between the famous Xin Quan Fang curry mee (police station curry mee), and Paris Restaurant’s famous Hakka Mee (formerly Yin Yau Kui from the opposite side)

Huh. I lost half a Saturday today. No thanks to a well-planned, well-prepared, but ill-selected choice of starting time. Waking up at an un-Godly hour of 5am just to scramble my way over to Teluk Intan does not sound exactly like one’s idea of a perfect weekend now ….. does it?

Anyway, there’s a “Special” place (pun intended) I wanted to introduce to you readers since months ago. But somehow, the prospect of getting oneself stuck in the congestion on Hugh Low Street (Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah) during lunch hour did not appeal at all. Hence the hesitation, and then come procrastination. 🙂

“Thunder Tea” Rice, or Lui Cha Fan is a type of famous Hakka one-dish meal, consisting of an assortment of chopped greens and roasted peanuts on white rice, served with a side serving of the ‘lui cha’ – a Green broth made from various greens and herbs.

Something Special Cafe (in Chinese, it’s known as “Gu Ling Jing Gwai”) has not been on the scene for that long, but in the past couple of years, this cafe has remained a permanent favourite of the lunch crowd.

Why not? When a lunch set, consisting of a main dish (rice, noodles, or fish/chicken steak), an apple tart, and a glass of their homemade sweet potato juice is priced from RM5-RM7 (USD1.50-USD2.10) only !!   Read the rest of this entry »