Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Follow me on Instagram (@ipohmotormouth) for continuous updates
  • rss
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Ipoh Food
  • Perak Food
  • KL/Selangor Food
  • Penang Food
  • Travelogue
  • Featured
  • Links
    • Malaysian Food Blogs
    • Inspirational Food Blogs
    • Random Blogs
  • Contact Me

Perlis – Hai Thien Seafood, Gua Kelam, and Shopping @ Padang Besar

May 7, 2009 | 14,545 views
My first visit to Perlis, the northern-most state in peninsular Malaysia, happened late last year. Click HERE for my post on Kuala Perlis Medan Ikan Bakar. Yeah, living in Malaysia for a good many years and yet to visit Perlis until last year. Shameful? Not quite. Here’s another one : I have yet to step on the soils of the East Coast as well.
The journey took a good 5 hours from Ipoh to Perlis.
If only Ipoh’s airport is put to good use. If only we can choose to fly everywhere, to all the states in Malaysia, at least. Rather than having to endure a taxing 5 hours’ ride (longer than usual, as the vehicle needs periodic rest, else you’ll be seeing flames!) from Ipoh to Perlis.
See the positive side of things ; Least the scenery of the rural areas made up for the lethargy courtesy of the long ride

Putra Palace Hotel @ 135 Persiaran Jubli Emas, 01000
Kangar, Perlis, Malaysia Read the rest of this entry »

Share
Comments
42 Comments »
Categories
Perlis 2009
Tags
Gua Kelam, Hai Thien Seafood, Padang Besar, Perlis, Seafood, Travel
Comments rss Comments rss
Trackback Trackback

Kuala Perlis Medan Ikan Bakar

October 20, 2008 | 5,935 views
I’ll skip Padang Besar post for time being, as I’m awaiting KYT’s photos from his camera. I had to resort to plagiarism once in a while. =P
The endless rows of stalls at Medan Ikan Bakar, Kuala Perlis ; Selling (almost) the same stuff rendered decision-making a tougher choice than it already was ….
Since my previous post on Perlis skimped on FOOD (click HERE for my simple introduction to Perlis), I’d fast-forward a little, and skip to dinner instead. Previous night’s experience at Medan Ikan Bakar (if that’s even the place’s name?) screamed T-R-A-G-E-D-Y (you can almost imagined the Bee Gees’ quirky, screechy voice in that one).
But we were relentless. Or rather, the Malays were. We ain’t a bunch of people who would surrender to bad food, and left Perlis with a sour taste in the mouth. So, we pushed our luck AGAIN, and proceeded to Kuala Perlis (a 20 mins ride from Kangar) for a taste of their famed Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish).

Batter-fried Squids with Sweet Chilli Sauce – Every table had at least one serving. Really!

It started to drizzle as soon as we arrived, thus sorry for no photos of the place. But it’s very near to the Kuala Perlis jetty, which in turn is the pier for ferries departing to Pulau Langkawi. The area resembles a Medan Selera/Food Court style, with at least 10 stalls selling grilled fish, seafood, satay, and the typical Malay fare ie. Nasi Goreng, Nasi Daging Merah, Nasi Paprik etc.

Yes, if you’re at lost on where to choose to park your derriere, go for the ones with the most customers. Can’t go wrong. Or walk over to the stall and see for yourself the array of seafood on display in glass boxes, gauging their freshness and sizes.

Stir-fried Greens, Steamed Clams (La-la) with Ginger, Boiled Cockles, and Fried Egg with Chillies and Onions (Telur Dadar)

For some unavoidable reason, I had to coerce the others to find the nearest stall possible, before risking humiliation (=P). Therefore we picked Stall No 2, named Wanis Makanan Laut, with sizeable support from the masses.

We arrived in a group of 9, thus every order was duplicated to avoid untoward incidents, (FCOE tearing KYT’s hair, for example). As this was our un-officially FIRST real meal throughout our stay, and potentially our LAST, we went all out when ordering.

Tom Yam Soup with Mixed Seafood and Chicken

The wait for our food was daunting. A good half an hour, if I’m not mistaken. What’s worse was that, the weather was terrible that evening. It rained cats and dogs, splashing rainwater on every patron under the roof, and the icing on the cake had to be the leaking zinc roof. One table of customers was unlucky enough to be ‘showered’ by ‘waterfalls‘, no thanks to the roof that gave way. Guess they had porridge instead of white rice. LOL.

We were fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of mere drippings and minor splashing. Nothing that could break our spirits. And then arrived the deep fried squids. Not as crispy as I’d hoped for, and lacking in taste, but somehow the fresh and bouncy squids managed to win us over (or maybe the hungry souls in us were thankful for anything to fill our stomach) when paired with the sweet chilli sauce. No complaints. And serving them in the rattan basket was an authentic touch.

Grilled “Jenahak” (Sea Bass?) @ Rm3.50/100g

Their specialty of course, is their grilled fish. Pick from their selection of marine species, from fish to crabs and prawns to shellfish. We chose two large Jenahak (sea bass, or is that it?) to be grilled. The fish was fleshy, and bony as well, and the freshness pulled through, without any hint of unfavourable fishy taste/smell. However, the marinade was somehow lacklustre, rubbed on one half of the surface only. And the thickness of the fish was a challenge for the griller, and we were dismayed to find the other half of the fish slightly undercooked. A big no-no, as this is not sashimi we’re talking bout here.

The other dish that was captivating include the Tom Yam Soup, with lots of squid and chicken meat, with heavy Thai influence. Slightly sweetish, but a very fiery undertone, you’ll sweat buckets if you down gulps of them at one shot. The steamed clams with ginger was passable, not the biggest clams you could find, but thankfully fresh enough. And no, the manner of steaming is far from being on par with the Chinese’s way of steaming with wine and superior stock.

Sambal Petai with Prawns

The crunchy and rather L-sized petai (stink beans) had me in stitches, as not even the Malays are fans of this dish. But me being a petai-fanatic since I was small, polished off more than the others combined. But KYT and Ms U were great assistants in this unenviable task. =)

The rest of the dishes were forgettable. Nothing that I’ve not tasted better versions in other Malay restaurants. Fortunately, the rain has stopped by the time we demolished everything in sight. Yes, EVEN the plate of raw greens with sambal (Ulam).

Total for 9 including white rice = RM168. Reasonable, but if there’s ever a next visit, I’ll probably choose another Ikan Bakar stall, OR a Chinese seafood restaurant.

And so we successfully controlled our guts on the way back …. Flatulence after the stinky (petai) culprits spells DISASTER in the form of POISONOUS GAS to the others !!!

Share
Comments
13 Comments »
Categories
Perlis 2008
Tags
Grilled Fish, Ikan Bakar, Kuala Perlis, Perlis, Travel
Comments rss Comments rss
Trackback Trackback

Perlis Indera Kayangan (Pt 1)

October 19, 2008 | 1,915 views
Seriously; who would’ve thought of holiday-ing in Perlis? Of ALL places?! I for one, never imagined I’d visit Perlis before the East Coast (yup, I’m pathetic. Never been to Kelantan/T’ganu … Pahang even). But as luck would have it, we were there for the last few days, for work, and then play. Or the other way round’s more like it. =)

PERLIS – The smallest state in Malaysia

Borderless evergreen paddy fields providing an impressive backdrop for wedding photos …. (Eelektra : Take note. =P)

Paddy farms – The aftermath

From Ipoh to Perlis, the journey took us 4 whole hours. That may not be a lot for one who’s accustomed to long distance travelling, but I’ve abstained from long and winding journeys since before the fasting month. Needless to say, I was restless.

Malaysian’s favourite poisons … re-mixed aka “The Spice Crunch” version

Lunch was at the rest stop in Gurun, Kedah. The meagre fare at the stalls was not inviting, thus KFC’s our choice. The Ramadan special Spice Crunch Fried Chickens are nothing but Hot & Spicy, albeit with added chilli powder and spices. But sprinkled on top only. The salty/spicy combination may be detrimental to one’s throat, especially in such blistering hot weather. But we threw caution to the wind.

Sri Garden Hotel in Kangar, Perlis

We arrived in Kangar, which is Perlis’s capital. It was certainly an eye-opener, as I was expecting much more “kampung” (read : backwater) environment than this. Far from being a small town, but of course we’re not comparing Kangar to other state’s capitals.

Clean, simple and sufficient

We were put up at Sri Garden Hotel @ 96, Persiaran Jubli Emas, 01000 Kangar, Perlis. Yup, PUT UP, as it was not our choice. But the hotel is one of the larger ones in town, and stood out amongst others. At merely RM94.50 for a regular double room+breakfast, what more could we asked for? (And everyone’s staying solo, one to a room, to avoid bathroom fights)

Kangar – The state capital of Perlis

More paddy fields in rural areas of Perlis

Scenic stagnant ponds of water … fertile land for the grains to grow

Kedah’s always been well-known to be the “Rice Bowl” of Malaysia, being the main rice producer in the country. But Perlis has its fair share of contribution as well, with paddy plantations lining the outskirts of town.

The vast lands of greeneries, against the hills and mountains, and watching the locals farming under the hot sun, with buffaloes and storks (bangau) basking in tandem, instilled a sense of serenity, and a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Sheer bliss.

Chuping Sugar cane plantation

Perlis is also famous for producing sugar to the community, hence deemed guilty for the rapidly-increasing diabetes prevalence among Malaysians. LOL.

Nasi Lemak for breakfast …. courtesy of Sri Garden Hotel

Food-wise, we were appalled by the lacklustre fare on the first night. Absolutely horrendous experience at Kuala Perlis, that rendered me dumb-founded and couldn’t be bothered to whip out my trusty phone for a shot or two. Even the drinks at that stall (it’s the furthest stall at the Medan Selera at Kuala Perlis, if you’re coming from Kangar direction) were sweet nothings. Remember DO NOT abandon Food Hunt Rule 101 : Trust the power of the people. If there’s not much business at a stall compared to the brisk ones at others, DO NOT push your luck!

P/S : But the next night’s seafood dinner was a saving grace, a timely redemption.

Sungai Perlis

to be continued …. (Motormouth’s down, and out)

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Share
Comments
15 Comments »
Categories
Perlis 2008
Tags
Perlis, Travel
Comments rss Comments rss
Trackback Trackback

Page 1 of 11
Load More...
Follow me on Instagram

Why not start from here?

Motormouth's Ultimate List of Ipoh Food Motormouth EATS in the Klang Valley!!! Travel Stories from All Over the World Motormouth's eating up Perak!

Recent Stories

  • Hungry? Head your way to Merindy Restaurant in Kampung Simee
  • Not a Houdini’s Act, but almost … in this blanket of haze
  • Keep calm and take a break: Three cafes to do just that in Ipoh
  • Guangdong cuisine at its best from this unassuming Hong Kong eatery
  • Have An “Oddies” Saturday!
  • The Coffee Academics @ Wan Chai, Hong Kong
  • Grab a quiet breakfast of curry mee and yong tau foo at Foo Kwai, Bercham
  • Motormouth’s Life in Hong Kong
  • Heart still beating, but the energy fizzled out …
  • Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry Rice – More than a Mess

Archives

Discover All About Ipoh on Facebook

All About Ipoh on Facebook

Most Viewed Posts

  • Ultimate Ipoh Food List by J2Kfm - 1,489,090 views
  • KL/Selangor Food - 244,532 views
  • Best of 2012 – Motormouth’s Top 12 Ipoh Food Finds - 168,044 views
  • Perak Food - 116,922 views
  • Ipoh Famous Yong Tau Foo @ Pasir Pinji Big Tree Foot (Dai Shu Geok) - 110,093 views
  • Bentong @ Pahang – Small Town, Big Heart, Even Bigger Appetite! - 108,605 views
  • Penang Food - 107,092 views
  • A Closing Chapter in Life @ Felda Residence Hot Springs, Sungai Klah - 106,158 views
  • Medan Muara Ikan Bakar @ Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang - 90,977 views
  • Sitiawan Food For Dummies – Half A Day’s Worth of Food Hunt - 87,031 views
  • Ready for A Culinary Safari in Taiping? - 86,888 views
  • Teluk Intan in A Whirlwind – Of Street Food, Leaning Tower & BIG Cinemas - 84,280 views
  • Motormouth’s Travel Ideas – Eating Up Sitiawan! - 81,434 views
  • Village Park @ Damansara Uptown – Is This The BEST Nasi Lemak in Klang Valley? - 72,165 views
  • It’s Perfectly Alright for Girls to “Burp” & Guys to “Giggle” … - 71,375 views
  • Bukit Tinggi – Eat. Shoot. Breathe. Bliss. - 66,641 views
  • Perak Food Guide by J2Kfm - 65,118 views
  • All About Ipoh’s Dim Sum Restaurants – 10 of the Best - 64,165 views
  • All About Ipoh’s Curry Noodles – 15 of the Best - 62,422 views
  • Secret Garden @ Ipoh – A Respite for the Jaded Soul - 61,619 views

Categories

Stats

Admin

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org
rss Comments rss