Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

A maddening pace; the bustling scene at Petaling Street’s (in)famous Madras Lane - Imagine a short distance away you’ll be witnessing the gory scenes of squawking chickens slaughtered on the spot and butchers having a whale of a time dissecting parts, and here we were oblivious to the chaotic surroundings; picking on favourite pieces of Yong Tau Foo, and slurping on plates of Chee Cheong Fun.

Dear fellow Malaysians …. here I am blogging live all the way from down under ….. Singapore, not Australia. A bit lethargic from the eating and paying attention in class; attending a workshop for 4 days and good to know that this one adheres strictly to the 8 hours per day maximum rule, and NO homework in the evening! Jump for joy?!

And Orchard Road is within walking distance; this shopping haven that most would be tipping over their toes and falling head over heels at the mere mention of retail therapy. Although for this Motormouth who has been warped from the quaint, renegade town of Ipoh to KL for a good 1.5 years, the sight of towering (menacing) cold, lifeless towers and mega malls spanning floors after floors of temptations (evil … temptations) holds lesser of a charm.

Still, allow me to pen down a few jarring thoughts playing over my head for the last few weeks; and this evergreen story of Petaling Street …..  Read the rest of this entry »

Piping hot and fresh dim sum being carted by the ladies of Yook Woo Hin. Still the same modus operandi over the years, and still exuding that nostalgic charm of old ‘yum cha’ (literally translated to ‘drink tea’ or breakfast) establishments.

The revelation came when I read this piece of news. That a stretch of old shops in Petaling Street and Jalan Sultan will be demolished very soon to pave the way for development. Again.

And much as I was empathizing with the residents and traders along the affected stretch, a significant yet disturbing thought resounded in the back of my mind;

“What if someday the government decides to develop Ipoh into a mass tourism hub, with MRT’s running through the beautiful landscapes and the heritage structures of old town?”

Read the full story ramblings ahead …. Read the rest of this entry »

Would you have trusted this “beef noodles specialist”, if not for the positive reviews?

Let’s talk about beef noodles in the Klang Valley today. I have tried Soong Kee beef noodles, Lai Foong beef noodles, and Yang Kee beef noodles over at Taman OUG. But none that managed to entice me for repeated visits over the years. Except for Shin Kee beef noodles on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, a stone’s throw away from the entrance to Petaling Street … Read the rest of this entry »

Rarely do I venture out to the streets of Kuala Lumpur for my meals, especially with the sheer number of air-conditioned eateries in the malls promising convenience and comfort, paired with the myriad of international cuisines readily available almost everywhere. Moreover, KL’s streets and public transportation systems are NOT the most accessible options, in the first place.

All dishes and condiments (including Hong Ngek‘s signature ‘sambal’ on the lower right of the photo), halfway to being polished off in a flash. I tell you, when gluttons bumped heads, all hell broke loose. Literally.

And worse is, when you’re hunting for grubs in the most congested nightmare that is Petaling Street and its vicinity, you’re probably learning a smattering of new curse words you’ve probably never heard before. And putting them to good use. For the pesky “double-parkers” (me thinks this should be a term coined by Malaysians) lining up by the streets in a parade-like camaraderie will test your patience to no end. Not to mention the incessantly-blaring horns, buses and cabs bellowing smoke sufficient to paint the skies black, and far-from-courteous drivers with a penchant for dagger stares, and flipping fingers.

No, they rarely use the thumbs-up sign, in case you’re being optimistic.

Eat with family members and everyone digs instantly. “If not, it’ll get cold ma ….”
Eat with food bloggers, and everyone’s eating cold dishes. “Lighting, angle, composition ma …”
(Ciki snapping the fried ‘peh koh’, or sliced chewy glutinous rice cakes – Nian Gou)

Thanks to Monkey (of course not his real name lah …), this lunch was made possible on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Hong Ngek came to my attention when I was reading EatingAsia’s brilliant post on Top Ten Eats in KL, then reading Monkey’s comical intepretation a short while later. I am a sucker for all these charmingly nostalgic kopitiams since the colonial days, preserved miraculously until this very moment. Yut Kee on Jalan Dang Wangi comes to mind, if I am to ever compare Hong Ngek to another similar eatery. But the former champions their Hainanese cuisine, while Hong Ngek is essentially a Hokkien food Hing Hwa cuisine (subgroup of the Hokkien clan?) specialist. (Thanks to Tham for the clarification)

Read the rest of this entry »

Ah Weng Koh Hainan Tea @ Bukit Bintang Market

Toasts with Kaya and Butter, and Hainan Milk Tea

Bear with the sun, the crowd, and the shouting staff … and you’ll be duly rewarded …

Fancy some REAL charcoal-toasted bread?

Finger-licking GOOD toasts. Albeit the wait.

Thick, and strong Kluang coffee – HOT ….

or COLD.

Yam Rice + Bouillon Soup (RM6)

Location : One Nite (19) Restaurant @ Jln Pandan Indah 1/22, Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur.
Same row with Steven’s Corner, an exceptionally popular Mamak outlet.

Some freshly-brewed latte with biscotti

Beef rasher, scrambled eggs and toasts

If you’re in no rush, sit back, read a mag or two, and sip on your cup of coffee, while watching the world goes by ….

So, where’s YOUR favourite haunt for breakfast? =)

Raw Fish Porridge (RM5)

The densed “shopping area”, selling various fashionable bags/shoes/clothes are intermittently parked among some pretty good find for interesting food & beverages. If you’re visiting at night, the place is a hive of activities, customers (mostly tourists/foreigners) bargaining at peak volume, and locals hanging around for some food and relaxation.

Hon Kee Porridge Stall @ Jalan Hang Lekir (Nvm the shoes temptation)

But strolling around on a fine morning does not promise boredom either, eventhough most stalls are closed. Hon Kee Porridge Stall is one of the rare finds, though adequately covered in the media, from TV shows, to newspapers and blogs. Their signature porridge include the one with raw fish slices in sesame oil, garnished with julienned ginger, spring onions and coriander.

No, you DO not eat the fish ala sashimi style, but rather dip them or ‘swish‘ them for a while in the hot porridge, and cook them freshly on the spot. Delicious, and this coming from someone who refrains from ordering porridge on most days. =)

Koon Kee Wantan Mee Stall @ Jalan Hang Lekir

Right next to the porridge stall is this wantan mee shop/shack (Koon Kee) that has been in business since forever. This stall has been in the limelight for an enviable amount of times, and most KL-ites would know this place for good wantan mee.

Char Siew Wantan Mee (RM4 for small)

A bit on the pricey end, the serving is quite generous for a small portion. The Char Siew (Barbecued Pork Slices) were passable, definitely not on par with some of the best, but the noodles are good. Very fine, and springy. However the wantan (pork+shrimp dumplings) are forgettable. So much for a WANTAN mee. Hehe ….

Scoop your own pickled green chillies for added kick … not spicy.

Still hungering for more, I jaywalked around and came to this curry puff stall, with sizeable number of patrons, and a few assistants kneading the dough and frying them on the spot! And the sheer number of puffs being freshly made persuaded me to walk over, and embrace the hype.

Old Lim Curry Puff – A contender for Old Chang Kee?!

They sell curry puffs with or without eggs. RM1.30 and RM1.10 respectively, I think. The stall was interviewed by Ho Chak, a local programme on 8TV promoting good food across Malaysia. (Both the porridge and wantan noodles stalls were on the show once, btw).

Hot, spicy, curry puff with potatoes and egg (RM1.30)

Tastewise? Not bad, as I had them while they’re still HOT. Crisp on the outer layer, and savoury fillings. Great with tea, though you can’t really find a spot for teh tarik around the area. On normal days, right beside this stall is the famous lady selling deep-fried sweet potato balls, also a perennial favourite of mine, and the stall was ‘licked’ by the media as well. However, as luck would have it, the lady went for holidays on that very day. Hmm …. *_*

The simple, yet divine stall serving Air Mata Kucing (Longan Drink)

To down them all, hop over to this very famous stall selling a beverage named Air Mata Kucing, or Winter Melon with Longans (RM1.20). Perfect for a hot day, refreshing and sweet. Sooth that battered throat anyday! This simple stall has evolved into a small entrepreneur of some sort, opening a branch in Midvalley. Though the price is scaled accordingly. =)

Regurgitating aliens?

And last but not least, I ended my breakfast crawl with some durian puffs from Kafe Happy Meal, on Jalan Tun HS Lee. Refer my old post HERE for directions and such. But sadly, an unfortunate event happened, that prevented me from raving a second time about these babies. No, not that the price has increased to RM2.80 for 4, as I still find them reasonable.

But rather, by the time I took a bite, a good 5 hours after purchasing and left to bask in the sun, the puffs rebelled and decided to transformed into inedible materials. In short, they were spoiled. >o<

Do take note, if you’re not placing them in fridge, consume within 2 hours or so. The fresh durian cream is indeed, FRESH, and no preservatives added.

Location : The porridge, wantan mee, curry puffs and air mata kucing stalls are all located in the same area, a short walk from each other. Jalan Hang Lekir is a road parallel to Jalan Petaling, and also infested with various stalls. Pretty easy to locate. Coming from the huge entrance arch of Petaling Street, walk into Jalan Petaling until you reach a crossroad. Turn left, and you’ll find the Air Mata Kucing stall on your left, and the porridge/wantan noodles stalls on your right. The curry puffs stall is further down on your left.