Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

This article was first published on Malay Mail Online’s Eat/Drink section HERE.

Unlike other stalls, their golden brown apam balik are dainty and fluffy with a distinct taste of coconut milk and gula Melaka

It took us several wrong turns thanks to a series of epic navigational failures peppered with flaring tempers and a healthy dose of curses before we managed to reach Dapur Cho Cho along the main road of Batu Berendam. This being a modest single storey house hidden in a most inconspicuous manner adjacent to a TNB powerhouse made things so much tougher, not to mention the confusion between the old name; Jalan Taman Merdeka which is perpendicular to the main road now renamed to Jalan Mohd Zin Dsh where Dapur Cho Cho is located.

Habuk sagu and pulut kaya (back) are some of the varieties made at Dapur Cho Cho

And in case you’re wondering, they do NOT have a signboard indicating where Dapur Cho Cho is; but if you look hard enough you can see the number of the lot written in black paint across the verandah — house number 84-3. Subtle clue, no less. And challenging to locate if you’re not familiar with the territory like us.

Dapur Cho Cho is the pride of the family now being succeeded by the fourth generation; both Juliet and her brother passionately running the business from the comfort of their home. Specializing in very authentic Nyonya kuih crafted to perfection (literally), this has been a flourishing business conceptualised by the mother who has been the back bone of the culinary business for over 30 years now.  Read the rest of this entry »

Nothing short of a typhoon, earthquake, Armageddon or political meltdown (hehe) will stop me dead in my tracks when I set my mind to it. I’m talking about a food hunt of course; in particular this trial & tribulations of covering a small, almost non-descriptive shop in Pasir Pinji of Ipoh selling Nyonya kuih for more than two decades.

Yes, Khoo Eng Chee‘s the brand that has since been categorized as one of the stalwarts of Ipoh’s Nyonya kuih scene, though even many of the locals are not aware of its existence. Can’t put the blame on you, really. Since apparently, their main source of business comes from wholesale of their sweet creations to various kuih stalls around Ipoh.

Ready for the lowdown? (And can you say FINALLY?!!)

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A’han Nyonya Kuih @ Seapark, Petaling Jaya – Colourful variety of Nyonya kuih made freshly everyday at the premise itself

Always a delight to have closure to every chapter in life. Here’s a follow up to the Seapark fried chicken rice story last two days. Since it can prove to be somewhat a challenge to park within the internal perimeter of the Seapark wet market area, we inched our way further and parked near to A’Han Nyonya Kuih shop; facing a row of terrace houses. And yeah, that famous burger lab is situated directly adjacent to this. But the ‘lab’ only opens in the evening. And A’Han should be closed by late afternoon (if I am not mistaken).

Tough luck huh? 😉

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Disclaimer (Sept 2012) – Apparently, Restoran Jack Fah belongs to the owner who runs the Teochew porridge stall next door, and this Nyonya kueh + lok-lok stall should not be in any way, affiliated with Jack Fah. Hence, short of renaming this post, take note that this stall in Restoran Jack Fah does NOT belong to the owner of the restaurant. Hope this clears things up.

Just look at the well-preserved facade. And no, this was NOT taken by my late grandfather … in case you’re curious to know. The shot was snapped two nights ago, albeit treated with a layer of old school filter.

It’s scary sometimes, whenever I return for an eating spree in Ipoh and noticed that one by one; the newer cafes/bistros/restaurants had closed down. And more so when the thought of having to update the relevant post(s) with the appropriate tag;

“Closed”. “Relocated”. “Temporary renovation”. “Long vacation” (?!).

Very charming layout of various colourful “Nyonya kuih” laid out on the pieces of banana leaves in the glass display cabinet, tempting one into a frenzy of making choices.

Though all hope’s not lost. Not with good old Ipoh; burning spirit of the hawker souls still lighting up the light at the end of the tunnel. Those true blue classics from decades ago; some over half a century’s old (!) yet still drawing hordes of people on a daily basis.

Case in hand; Jack Fah Restaurant off Anderson Road; near to the roundabout where Sri Maju Express Bus Company is and the famous Embassy’s Hor Hee stall still operates until late night.  Read the rest of this entry »

*For the first half of this series, jump to THIS post.

And he means business. Continuously dishing out plate after plate of his signature Mee Kahwin (literally translated to “Marriage Noodles”); a combination at times also known as ‘Mee Rojak’ elsewhere.

The onslaught of eating throughout the previous day got us reeling from the after effect; bloated, tired yet satiated. And brushed with not the slightest hint of regret. But of course, the post-holiday effects got me staying away from sinful stuff for days.

We could have gone for Chung Wah chicken rice balls, since we were up pretty early (okay, it was already about 10am, but still good enough for a Sunday brunch) and the tremendously famous shop on Jonker Street was still pretty vacant.

Instead, defying all odds … or rather, expectations, we ventured over to this almost non-descriptive coffee shop named Ming Huat on Jalan Ujong Pasir; directly opposite of Portuguese Settlement’s entrance. Interested to know where else we went on the second day? Read on ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Motormouth’s disclaimer : Wherever you are, Whatever you’re doing; STOP FOR A MOMENT and embrace this series. You really should view this series with an empty stomach. 🙂

One. Chapter. At. A. Time.

For it has been ages since I have done anything vaguely similar to this in nature; a food hunt series in a not-so-familiar setting (unlike the routine Ipoh Food Hunt); this time taking precedence on the island that rivals Ipoh when it comes to cheap, varied and delicious hawker food; PENANG.

Gone within minutes, you have to be fast and on time to witness the dainty pieces of “Nyonya kuih” being snapped up in a frenzy @ Kheng Batu Lanchang Nyonya Kuih stall No 29

Batu Lanchang Food Complex is a good place to start for a variety of cheap and good hawker fares in Penang. Biased view? Okay, maybe slightly. Since I visited this food centre the most amongst all the others, back when we were still students on the island.

But I can’t forget the sheer satisfaction from ordering plates after plates of the famed Chinese “pasembor” (or rojak, or a type of mixed salad in a spicy and starchy potato-based gravy), fiery Char Koay Teow, seafood Char Koay Kak, Nasi Tomato and chicken rice, then washing them all down with a refreshing and freshly grated sugar cane juice. That’s the end? Nah …. not forgetting to ‘ta pau’ (taking away) an array of Nyonya kuih for consumption later in the day. Burp?

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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 … 🙂 )  Read the rest of this entry »