Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

“Motormouth takes you on an escapade to a small, beautiful town named Bentong in Pahang.”

Funky Lady & the Bentong Ginger – Grown on the soils of Bukit Tinggi in Bentong district, it is believed that the high price of this much-sought after rhizomes indigenous to the town is because the same plot of land used to cultivate this CANNOT be re-used for the same purpose anymore.

A little weary from the usual getaways to familiar tourist traps haunts (Genting Highlands, Malacca, Penang), I started drafting smaller plans of excursions to the humbler unknowns; Janda Baik, Ipoh (ahem, comparatively speaking, of course) and basically all over smaller towns in Perak.

A particularly interesting “cobweb” of a roundabout on Chui Yin Street; one of the 3 main roads in Bentong town. The other two being Jalan Ah Peng, and Jalan Loke Yew.

To throw everyone off guard, I decided to visit Bentong in Pahang for a 2 days, 1 night stint. Why Bentong of all places? If the thought of traveling to smaller, far-fetched towns like this has never sounded appealing, my advice is; Don’t limit your traveling prowess. Let me show you why ….. Read the rest of this entry »

And we heaved a sigh of relief? (Okay, maybe just me, since the rest were just virgins to the roti telur experience at Goodshed)

Okay, so it was WMW back then who posted a review on her favourite roti telur (roti means bread, in this case refers to the Indian flatbread, a staple breakfast for many in Malaysia) stall in Ipoh; by the name of Goodshed Restaurant.

Good WHAT?! Yeah … that was exactly how I reacted initially. Then slowly realizing that this shack of a Indian-Muslim (popularly known as ‘mamak’) eatery is directly opposite the cargo terminal of Ipoh.

And then I started to fall for the roti telur here. Fluffy serving of golden egg omelette wrapped inside a thin and crisp layer of dough (or the roti canai), with chopped bits of caramelized onions for added fragrance, texture and sweetness.

After a hiatus of 6 months, they finally reopened almost immediately after Hari Raya earlier this month

Lo and behold, as they say; good things don’t last. And for the past half year or so, Goodshed was out of business!!!! I was devastated, knowing that I lost a very good place for a leisure breakfast. Usually this place was my top pick when I had to eat alone in the morning before settling my business at the terminal opposite of this shack.

But thankfully, someone from the All About Ipoh page commented that they were closed only temporarily, and should reopen before the end of the year. And yes, almost immediately after Raya, Goodshed reopened their doors for business. And darn it’s about time ……

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Nasi Briyani Ayam Anarkali – For about a quarter of a century (since 1985), Restoran M. Salim has been serving their famous brand of Nasi Kandar and Nasi Briyani in Ipoh; with 3 branches to date.

I admit that I am a sucker for good Nasi Briyani. Those long-grained, fluffy and fragrant Basmati rice cooked with loads of herbs and spices, sometimes together with your meat of choice (usually chicken or mutton); whereby in this case the rice and meat ensemble might be known as a “pullao” or “pilaf.” But commonly, we have our plates of Nasi Briyani served separately from the curry(s) of your choice.

If you’re a local, you couldn’t have missed this “white and green” restaurant situated at the junction of Jalan Yang Kalsom and Jalan Che Tak in Ipoh.

I heard many positive reviews on A.K. Nasi Kandar, where they’re supposed to serve the BEST Nasi Briyani in Ipoh. Tough luck, for I found A.K.’s version being almost too bland and boring when eaten as it is, without the ‘supporting characters’ of curries and vegetables. Yes, good Briyani should be tasty enough to be eaten plain, sans the extra ingredients, and the whiff of spices and condiments alone can send one to Briyani heaven …. IF, there ever was one.

And so, I ended up at Restoran M. Salim on Jalan Yang Kalsom in Ipoh, to seek for greener pastures. No, I was NOT searching for recruitment opportunities, in case you’re confused. I was merely looking for a worthy plate of Nasi Biryani in Ipoh to be relished on a hot Sunday afternoon.

Curious on how my experience at M.Salim was? Read on to find out …. Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATED 4 April 2010 with new pictures !!!

The signature Murni’s colourful range of juices in jars – Their ribena with lychee and nata de coco is a MUST-TRY!!!!!

Roti Hawaii – Murtabak (Indian pancake) with a twist

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