Motormouth From Ipoh – A Malaysian Food Blog

DURIAN - Thorny, pungent, repulsive, sweet, creamy, addictive, impulsive, offensive, formidable …. whichever adjective you choose to brand them, the KING of FRUITS shall not be dethroned anytime soon.

We are in the midst of the durian season (June-August) here in Malaysia, and yet I have NOT touched a single seed until now, and probably won’t be maiming the delectably sweet, ‘fragrant’, creamy and rich flesh anytime soon.

Some lamented that the rainy season destroyed the prospect of getting good harvest this season. Even in areas densely packed with durian trees (they grow in their natural habitat; mostly in orchards or ‘dusun’ in the rural areas, though cultivation of durian is more and more common now), the produce ain’t satisfactory yet. Maybe the durian boom will be a little late this year – I can only cross my fingers.

Are You Salivating yet?! OR … have you fainted from the sight or the imaginary whiff?

All the pictures in this post were taken prior to the 2010 durian season. I scavenged, cracked my head, and dug deep into the archives; all the while drooling incessantly. From a formidable, most mysterious fruit (they’re even banned in hotels and elevators!) with a thorny husk and a pungent aroma, durians have been used extensively in various culinary delights such as beverages, desserts and even savoury dishes. So strap yourself in, and join me for a ride on the journey to commemorate the fruit so-deservedly crowned; The KING Of Fruits ….. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

For two weeks in a row this month, work takes us to the west of Perak. Last week, we were put up at Orient Star Resort (www) in Lumut for 3 days. Lumut is the pier town before one takes the ferry to the more glitzy Pangkor Island. Situated about 10 minutes away from Seri Manjung and Sitiawan, seeking for FOOD and FUN (in whatever way you wish to interpret this) has never been a hassle. (If you’re lost on what to eat, you can refer to my constantly-updated list of Perak Food Guide)

Orient Star @ Lumut - Gorgeous right? You can imagine wailing hours after hours waddling in the pool, underneath the scorching-ly delicious sun. Now if ONLY the trip was not solely for work.

A little resemblance to Eastern & Oriental Hotel on Penang Island? Shades of a pre-colonial residence preserved til this very day?

But of course, if you’ve been an ardent follower of this blog (Hehe, I am so over myself here ….but allow me to, for I’ll tell you why at the end of the post!) you would have known that Motormouth does not go outstation without at least slipping out for a meal or two. And it’s no difference for this short exodus to Lumut. Albeit, for a very short seafood dinner and a movie (Predators, in case you’re curious) in Sitiawan …. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

The Statue of Liberty wept for the likes of us; tourists paying lots of moolah ($$) for pathetic food … who am I kidding? Genting Highlands = Mecca of Good Food ?!!

Okay people, Friday rants again. The week flew by without any fanfare, conflicts, tantrums nor warfare. Good news, coming from someone who works in a volatile working environment; filled with last minute decisions, exams (yes, at this time and age!), pinnacle of bureacracy (can’t complain, given the nature of my job) and unplanned travels.

Speaking of the devils, I still need to work tomorrow on a lovely Saturday morning. Shucks right? Especially when it’s not in IPOH we are talking about, but somewhere down south. Maybe I’ll grab myself a piece of Tau Sar Pneah, or an overfried piece of fried chicken from Gulam Rasul.

Crispy, salty, sweet and very very addictive plate of thinly-sliced ‘fah lam yuk’ (pork belly meat) deep-fried and coated in a caramelized sauce. (RM15.00/USD4.50)

Since I am in no mood to do proper food reviews, let me share my food-hunting experiences (or lack thereof) in Genting Highlands sometime back in May. Word of advice …. do NOT put high hopes in discovering feasts of gastronomic proportions up in the highlands. Yeah, you may be feeling ‘on top of the world‘ or ‘dining with the angels from the sky above‘ … but unless you’re prepared to pay astronomical rates for a culinary indulgence, you’d be better off starving yourself or pray that you win enough chips for an abalone or two, or a meal at The Olive.

Read how we started off with a bang in Gohtong Jaya (the town before you reach the peak), then things started to go downhill from there ….. gastronomically speaking, of course …. CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

And yes, Friday’s here before the spurts of cheers, celebrations & camaraderie really set in. And I bet most would be at home now (or live on the scene) cheering their lungs out for the heroes/darlings of Malaysian sports. (Malaysia is in the semi-finals against China for the coveted Thomas Cup)

Though it was still a five-days working week for me, yet I spent the first half of it cooped up on a secluded ‘island’ somewhere on the west coast of Perak (more on this over the weekend), a Wednesday that saw me almost choked with emotions and fits of rage, no thanks to last minute bureaucracy-red tape matters but culminated in a most devil-licious feast at Assam House Restaurant in Medan Gopeng (a post to come soon enough, I promise) and finally a Thursday that saw me hopping around town in a much frantic pace, wondering if all the extensive/meticulous preparations was well-worth the loot?

No frills, unpretentiously packed with flavours, and screamed for our attention.

I don’t, and never doubted the magnificent pulling power of Gu Lou Yuk, or Sweet and Sour Pork. In case you’re still in the dark, Gu Lou Yuk happens to be one of my favourite Chinese ‘chu char’ dish ever since I learned to utilize my (motor)mouth and started to chew.

Okay, slightly exaggerated maybe. But I still vividly remember the times when we placed orders for Gu Lou Yuk almost every single time we dined in Chinese restaurants. Back then, there was the evergreen Wong Koh Kee on “Concubine Lane” (Lorong Panglima) in Ipoh old town, when I first fell in love with that amazingly crunchy pieces (or rather, chunks) of pork first marinated then deep-fried to perfection, before basking the morsels of meat with a sticky and zesty concoction of sauce.

If you like your Gu Lou Yuk with a crunchy texture without much meat, you will fall in love with Koh Kee’s rendition. But if you’re seeking for a meatier version, bursting with flavours and fragrance from the five spice powder (and whatever else) used to marinate the pork prior to being coated with corn flour and subsequently deep-fried, then Ming Feong whips up a plate of Gu Lou Yuk that might just get you on your knees !!! (Begging for more rice lah, don’t think otherwise … )  CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

Updated 13th May 2010 – Burger King is opened for business. Launching ceremony to be on 23rd May 2010.

Crowded on a Saturday afternoon – Burger King @ De Garden of Ipoh

FINALLY …

Yeah, Burger King is FINALLY opening their maiden outlet here in Ipoh. Or Perak for that matter. Timely, for this particular fast food franchise has been one of my personal favourite ever since I sank my teeth into a Whopper back in those days at their outlet in KLCC. I had a hard time forgetting the delicious “whopper” of a beef burger (pun intended), served with crispy fries (almost on par with McD’s and miles better than KFC’s) and refillable soft drinks, albeit the combo sets were (and still are) priced slightly higher than the average fast food outlet.

Notice that back then, Carl’s JR, Wendy’s, Cristang, Nambawan, Daily Grind etc were NOT on our shores yet. Okay, maybe Wendy’s (the old one) was, but I have no recollection whatsoever on the burgers they served. Especially us poor souls in Ipoh, with only McDonald’s, KFC, Grandy’s (fond memories?) and A&W (which had since vanished into thin air ...) to satisfy our cravings.

CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS ENTRY »

I see you wiping your saliva there …….

If you’re an ardent fan of Motormouth From Ipoh (what? I can’t blow my own trumpet for once meh?) you would have noticed that I have always favoured delicious and cheap street food/hawker food over posh/pretentious/fine dining affairs. After all I was brought up in IPOH, the mecca of hawker food (alongside Penang) in Malaysia!!!

Read my article featured on RasaMalaysia.com at the following link :

Ipoh Street Food (Ipoh Hawker Food)

And now, from the hunger-inducing, to the downright obnoxious. Grab a copy of The Star (a leading English newspaper in Malaysia) today (3rd April 2010) and flip all the way over to the Weekender section. Grab a magnifying glass, and scout through every nook and corner of the pages.

Maybe, JUST maybe, you will be able to see J2Kfm in there.