Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Sea of Magnificent Red Lanterns @ Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur

You see, life sometimes has its remarkable way of telling you when to start and when to stop. My eating spree took a screeching halt the last few days no thanks to a disastrous meal at one of the cafe in Jaya 33 nearby my work place; ended up dehydrated from the continuous purging spell.

Yes, even at this very moment … I still feel the cramps and weakness down to my wobbly knees owing to the midnight curse; of almost falling asleep on the ‘throne’. You know what I mean.

Anyhow, since the last Ipoh Cafe Series has ended (almost prematurely though, for there are countless others deserving a write up, yet deep down inside there’s just no comparing the cafes to what Ipoh is best known for; the quintessential street food galore), I came back recharged; and continued the ‘makan’ fest. First was Oriental Pavilion’s dim sum brunch with lou sang (which was excellent btw), then a dinner at Duck King for a delish Beijing Duck yet everything else fell apart, and a few other meals here and there that were forgettable.

Today’s the last day of the Chinese New Year 15 day celebration; also named Chap Goh Meh – the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Coincidentally, Valentine’s Day actually falls on this day (Feb 14); thus this being a once in 19 years occurrence; don’t you want to bring that special someone to somewhere memorable?

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Here’s a breather. In case you felt like as though you’re suffocating from the onslaught of Bangkok posts.

Back in 2009, we stopped by this comparatively spacious ‘shack’ on Old Klang Road; right beside the overhead NPE due to the extremely (no kidding) admirable turnout of a dinner crowd. I daresay; hundreds of them and more standing around waiting like vultures for an empty table. This place is named Ah Wang Bak Kut Teh; but albeit the immense popularity, their signature dish is actually the steamed fish head in three options of sauces. The experience was good, and we returned for another visit two days apart.

And then, I completely dropped the urge to write about it. Complacent, or maybe procrastination. And the fact that they’re already swarmed/overwhelmed by the ridiculous number of hungry patrons, it’s not even funny.

Notice the plump guy in white T-shirt seated and calmly orchestrating the whole ordeal? He’s the BOSS. Presumably, since he’s the one barking orders and coordinating everything from the comfort of his seat. Fatty Bak Kut Teh. Hmm, I see some relevance.

Pardon me as I’m in a rather perplexed state  now. Losing one’s voice isn’t something to be proud of, yet I can’t help but felt the guilt creeping in without going scavenging for food and bringing the already cob-webbed gear (my D7000) along. Here’s a brief piece on Fatty Bak Kut Teh on Old Klang Road ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Skilfully fried with loads of ingredients thrown in for good measure; Pu Yuan‘s most famous noodle dish – Fried Sweet Potato Flour Noodles

This place named Pu Yuan, off Old Klang Road had me reeling once before. No, it’s nothing related to the saliva-inducing fares they serve (although in their defense, they really cook them to a magnificent degree).

We went rounds, wasting close to 20 minutes circling Old Klang Road (OKR), Jalan Kuchai Lama, then back again. We turned into the small lane right before the Jalan Kuchai Lama traffic lights on OKR, reaching the Chinese school named SJK (C) Choong Wen, but no restaurant in sight.

There was hardly even a soul wandering around the residential area surrounding the aforementioned school in the evening on a weekend. Hence, we gave up the ‘mission’ and ventured off to Nambawan instead.

That’s ALL of the restaurant you see in the picture above. Yes, the place can barely contain a humongous crowd, so be there early or brace the wait standing around or outside of the premise.

Knowing me, being the usual adamant (read : stubborn) self, I searched for information again on the net. And thus, I once again embraced the power of food blogs and directories, this time around we were successful. The small eatery is actually parked to the LEFT on a small lane right after turning into the archway belonging to the school. Detailed directions to come at the end of the post ….. Read the rest of this entry »

The Porky Face-off Separated Miles Apart – Nambawan @ Taman Sri Manja, Old Klang Road VS BellyGood @ Sunway Mentari, PJ

First day of work this week (cool huh?) and I had already stuffed myself crazy with the astonishing array of Yong Tau Foo (Yong Liew) over at Gunung Rapat’s Kedai Kopi Kwong Hong. Seriously, if you’ve never tried their thousand and one creations, you do not know what you’re missing! And the range of beverages there, from the ultra thick Umbra juice to a bowl of sinfully refreshing Cincau (grass jelly), I swear you’d be delighted from a brunch/lunch here. We went twice in two weeks, and we’re not even working around the vicinity.

By the way, we are working in Ipoh’s ultimate treasure trove of food; Ipoh’s Old Town. So excursions to eateries elsewhere in Ipoh is a very rare phenomenon, in case you’re wondering.

The 100% Home Made Pork Burger @ RM6.90/USD2. Top that, anyone?

But enough about my lunch. Burp. Let’s talk some other highly prized delights, not as universal (in Malaysia at least) and definitely something which can’t be found that easily here in Ipoh, shall we? I’m talking about PORKY GOODNESS. Yup, last week I was rambling on Klang’s Famous Bak Kut Teh and this week we divert westward (cuisine-wise) to seek for grilled pork belly and pork burgers.

Nambawan Restaurant & Cafe was brought to light after repeated doses of poisons (read : blog entries) from the food Gods over in the Klang Valley. Bellygood, on the other hand, is also known as the “Pork Lover’s Paradise” (as in their tagline), situated at Sunway Mentari, opposite of Sunway Pyramid. The charming little bistro was previously known as Wendy’s Bistro, for those who have not been visiting for quite some time.

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