So what is there to eat in Tapah?
December 22, 2014 | 8,270 viewsThis article was first published in the Malay Mail. Click HERE to read the original article.
Steamed “Sang Yue” (snakehead fish/ikan haruan) with “Choy Pou” (preserved radish) is one dish you cannot miss if you visit Khiong Kee Restaurant in Tapah in Perak
Breathe in. Hold it. Now breathe out.
If you find yourself stuck in the middle of a Christmas-shopping crowd and desperately gasping for a breath of fresh air, then you are not alone.
I sometimes suffer from this never-ending, vicious cycle as well when the festive season draws near and all I can think of is… which shopping mall to raid next. As the novelty wears thin (more like the wallet running dry), don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, break free and embark on a road trip.
Nowadays, the notion of travelling almost always conjures images of flying (after all, everyone can fly now, to steal a quote from a local budget airline), a privilege back in the old days but more common now with a few clicks on the web, a credit card for payment and a passport. However, flying may not always be the best option. Some people are just not born to handle the stress of commuting to and from the airport, the packing and the check-in process.
And thus, let’s come to my story for the day – road trips.
What we Malaysians are blessed with is good sunny weather all year round (save for some heavier downpour on certain months, but still within sanity range), relatively good expressways and roads to drive on, and the most irresistible element of all?
Exceptional food from street peddlers, food courts, a few established restaurants and everything else in between.
I once wrote about Choy Kee in Sungkai, a restaurant that I grew up eating at whenever we gathered for family reunions and festivals in the small town wedged between Bidor and Slim River to the south of Ipoh. But Sungkai is not the only stopover that you can consider while travelling along the North South Expressway between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.
In fact, throughout the two hours-odd journey, there are similar small towns like Kampar, Bidor, Tapah, Slim River, Kuala Kubu Baru and Tanjung Malim, with notable eateries here and there.
One of the more under-rated towns in terms of food is Tapah, located slightly more than 50 kilometres to the south of Ipoh and accessible from the PLUS expressway. Read the rest of this entry »