Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

Guess the rarity of reviews on “Halal food” in Ipoh got some people all worked up. Or worse; disappointed, fuming mad, furious, fingers-a-pointing, mouth-a-cursing and even kerosene+lighter in hand. But I digressed. Seriously, I ain’t a hater of Malay food, or any other halal version of Western, or even Chinese food for that matter. I love my satays, nasi lemak, nasi kandar, and tempoyak all the same. Really, if you’re one who knows me personally, you’d appreciate the fact that I put almost all types of edible (and to some extent …. some INedible!) food into my mouth.

Which makes things so much easier eh? Especially when my working environment constantly calls for halal meals in and out of the office.

Possibly one of the most famous Malay restaurant (or Thai-Malay?) in Ipoh – Restoran Waritha opens only for dinner

But why the dearth in blogposts about Malay food in Ipoh? For one, I am at lost on where to search for GOOD Malay food, and not the average ‘Warung Nasi Berlauk‘ (though Restoran Tasek Raban opposite of Medan Seleran Stadium Ipoh is a fine choice for lunch, with their astonishing array of Malay style dishes, ‘ikan bakar’ and fantastic condiments – even TEMPOYAK, yeah!).

Piping hot, yet without the pleasant ’sting’ of its fiery counterpart in southern Thailand ….

If you’re wondering where to go for FINE-DINING Malay food in Ipoh, I have absolutely NO idea. Laksamana Cheng Ho (both the original corner lot behind of Yeolde English in Greentown Business centre AND the bungalow lot located a stone’s throw away from MP Steamboat and Restaurant) is a definitely NO-NO for me, for I’ve eaten at the more posh establishment (the bungalow one) twice, and came out disappointed on both occasions.

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A compilation of some of the new eateries in Ipoh, a special feature for those jaded palates (Read : those who had grown bored of the same old … same old … offerings).

RESTORAN AYAM PENYET – AP @ DE GARDEN MALL (HALAL)

The only time I have tried Ayam Penyet in Malaysia was my Waroeng Penyet experience at The Curve sometime ago. Ayam Penyet literally translate to ‘Flattened Chicken’, and no, before you go all smart-alec thinking ’bout that bad joke on why the chicken crossed the road (ahem), this is actually a traditional, Indonesian delight whereby the piece of chicken (a thigh, in this case) is marinated, then smashed with a wooden hammer-like apparatus, before deep-frying. Of course, one can argue about more efficient tenderizing method, for the chicken may turn out drier anyway, exposed to the rigorous process of deep-frying.

But the authenticity lies in its preparation process, more than the ingredients themselves. Marinated lightly, with some herbs and spices, the piece of chicken did remind us of the average Ayam Goreng served at most Malay ‘warung’, topped with some crispy fritters and served with a dollop of spicy sambal on the side, with blanched kangkung (water convolvulus), fried beancurd (tofu) and and piece of ‘tempe‘ (a fermented soybean cake) to round up the set.

No rice was served with this set, which is a clever business ploy, as I highly doubt you will eat the chicken on its own. A serving of rice is priced at RM1.50/USD0.40, while the Ayam Penyet set is priced at RM7.50/USD2.10.

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Continuation from the previous post of Chalet Air Panas @ Pengkalan Hulu ….

In case you’re wondering, what else to do in Pengkalan Hulu, en route to your most sinful destination of Betong in Thailand (over the border, about 7km away from the custom checkpoint – for more information hop over to our 3 days/2 nights Betong experience last year), you can consider appeasing that hungry beast deep within you, with some simple Chinese food or Hainanese fare. Yup, read that right. Hainanese food in Pengkalan Hulu, courtesy of Gong An Restaurant. With a solid 30+ years of history, and opens from 11.30am until 9.30pm everyday, this restaurant is but a mere handful of Chinese restaurants in the small town, and possibly the only one that’s pork free. (Do correct me if I’m wrong)

Hainanese Style Fish & Chips (RM10.00)

A little underwhelmed by the spread served in Chalet Air Panas, we took a most delightful detour to town in search for some food. REAL food. Our eyes spied on a few Chinese restaurants believed to serve ‘Dai Chow’ type of cuisine (Rice with Dishes, and Noodles), one being 126 Seafood Restaurant, another named Huang Chau which I’ll get to later in this post, and of course, Gong An Hainan Restaurant which also acts as a guesthouse, All three restaurants are situated on the main road of Pengkalan Hulu named Jalan Iskandar, hence locating them requires no complicated directions whatsoever.

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Udang Goreng Tepung (Fried Prawns with Batter)

A break from the Bali travel posts (to avoid this blog from transforming to a Bali Food Blog, instead of a Malaysian one), and allow me to bring you over to the west coast of Perak, to a place posh-ly named the Venice of Perak. Where?!!! Hop over the Dromoz for a satellite view of the aforementioned, prime location, within kilometres away from the port town of Lumut in Perak.

Seafood Tom Yum – And the floating impending threats to the senses!

I do realize that I doseldom post reviews on Malay food, with the last post being the rather newly-opened Nasi Padang Simpang Tiga in Greentown of Ipoh. To make amends with regard to that fact, I’ll write about a rather recent outing to Restoran Tomyam Hasnah (thanks to Suzy for the recommendation, and for footing the bill …. =P) in Desa Manjung Raya in Lumut, Perak. This restaurant is situated along the main road of Lumut coastal highway, en route to the town of Lumut, Perak. Point of interest nearby would be the Taman Paya Bakau (Mangrove forest park), which is opened to public for free.

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Restoran Simpang Tiga is a famous chain of Nasi Padang restaurants originating from Indonesia, with five branches operating over in our neighbouring country. Nasi Padang resembles our very own Malay rice with dishes, or “Nasi Berlauk”, albeit with a little tweaks here and there. The Nasi Padang moniker actually pays tribute to the origin of the food;, whereby Padang is in fact a city in West Sumatra of Indonesia.

Clean & spacious ambience, with decor reminiscing of Minangkabau influences. Even most of the staff are from Indonesia. The Bergedil is a potato patty with minced meat, while Tempe Kacang is an addictive side dish, yet supposedly pose healthy benefits

Nasi Padang is the epitome of Minangkabau cuisine, but most of the dishes have already been incorporated into the array of Malay dishes commonly found in rice stalls all over Malaysia. The spread of dishes at Simpang Tiga was mind-boggling to an extent, with not less than 20 dishes being offered on the afternoon we patronized the outlet.

The huge space occupied by the restaurant (at least 4 shoplots in Greentown Square of Ipoh – a new business centre in the heart of the city) allows a large seating capacity, perfect for functions, or dinners to be held at the premise. The design of the restaurant exudes a traditional, rustic charm, with two main seating areas being Indoor (with air-conditioning) and Outdoor (al fresco style).

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