Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Could this be the epitome of good breakfasts in Hong Kong? The perennial classic named Polo Bun with a slab of cold butter wedged in-between (also named Bo Lo Yau in Cantonese). Crisp on the outside; moist, fluffy and warm on the inside, this was an instant win the very first moment we sank our teeth into one at Kam Wah back in 2008.

Almost there in completing the 2013 Hong Kong/Macau chapters, today we revisit some of the classic breakfast and snacking spots around Mong Kok; a whirlwind of street eats experience in the heart of Hong Kong. Mong Kok is of course, famed for the many shopping streets; namely Women’s Street, Sneakers Street, Gold Fish Street, etc. But then again, for really good shopping, Sogo Departmental Stores or the few selected outlet stores (Tsim Sha Tsui’s China Hong Kong City and Tung Chung’s Citygate Outlets being fine examples) are your better bets.

Nonetheless, Merry Christmas dear readers and pardon for the lapse in reviews. The holiday season has definitely eaten into Motormouth’s schedule (eating, shopping, traveling, working), but more Ipoh food posts to come this weekend.

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I remember vividly how that first experience changed my perception. I was one staunch believer that selling a cup of Old Town white coffee at double the price will only lead to eventual demise of the ambitious pioneer of this ‘kopitiam’ concept.

“What? You mean they’re selling a cup of Old Town white coffee at around RM2.50 when you can have a cup of the real deal at slightly more than RM1 in old town itself?! Who are they kidding?!”

And so, Mum could not help but being cynical herself. Aside from the comfort the place offered, there was basically nothing much revolving around this ‘trendier’ cafe masquerading as a platform to bridge the gap between the premiums (Starbucks … or maybe Coffee Bean since I am not sure which year did Starbucks come to Ipoh Parade), and the authentics (the Ipoh old town favourites).

Fast forward 7 or 8 years later, and this Old Town White Coffee chain has exploded all over the country. Expansion has been so rapid, I could not help but sniggered when I saw one in Parit Buntar, a town to the north of Perak. Then it dawned on me.

The franchising fee multiplied by a few folds since then. It stands at about half a million Ringgit Malaysia to start one now (last I remembered … it could be more though).

But … aren’t you curious as to where this all began? Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t miss the first chapter – Filipino Market, Grand Borneo Hotel, Imperial Boutec Hotel & Restoran Getaran Jiwa ….

Roti Kahwin – Literally translated to ‘Marriage Bread’; this is the classic combination of slices of bread sandwiching butter and kaya (egg + coconut jam), either toasted or without. A holy matrimony indeed; and this one at Fook Yuen far surpasses my expectation (or lack thereof)

Ask any tourist to Sabah on what not to be missed, and darn sure they would proclaim SEAFOOD! Lots and lots of seafood; coming in at cheap and not-so-cheap categories nowadays. Gone were the times when we used to feast on fresh seawater fishes couriered over by my uncle who worked in Labuan. The Seven Star Grouper, Tiger Grouper, Mouse Grouper (all direct translations from their Chinese names) and even fresh cod arrived in abundance; timely for the reunion dinner come Chinese New Year. Imagine the relatives had run out of idea on how to cook the fishes aside from steaming them; and we ended up having curry cod instead. 🙂

But wait, how come I was eating breads and buns instead, yet came back not regretting the decision one bit? Read on to find out why ….. Read the rest of this entry »

This post is but one part of the whole Hong Kong/Macau 2011 series …

Petite, almost-gone-in-two-bites egg tarts @ Kam Fung Cafe in Wan Chai. This cafe is famous for their egg tarts, chicken pies and milk tea. Slightly out of the way, in the Wan Chai district on the Hong Kong island.

And thus, this sudden idea was hatched from a haphazardly planned Repulse Bay-Stanley excursion. (More on that in a future post). We were on board a bus going towards Central from Repulse Bay, then while travelling on Queen’s Road East; we passed by Wan Chai District.

Now if you ask any of the local folks about Kam Fung Cafe, and chances are they will tell you that either the milk tea here is so much better than Lan Fong Yuen (the other milk tea champ) and the other one in Yuen Long, or the detractors will shake their heads in disagreement.

So how did we find the highly sought-after ‘nai cha’ (Cantonese for milk tea) here?

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For the full series (and do get ready some napkins and coffee to keep those eye lids open); hop over to : Motormouth in Hong Kong/Macau 2011.

Honolulu Coffee Shop serves a commendable range of pastries and beverages to perk up your day, no matter if it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch or best of all … tea time. And there we were for a good cup of Hong Kong style milk tea (fresh milk instead of the Malaysian style of teh tarik with condensed milk), paired with irresistible egg tarts and more.

Hong Kong’s ‘char chaan teng’ (typical cafes spanning every nook and corner of the city on steroids) never ceases to amaze me. Though you can mentally prepare for what’s on the menu (polo bao, milk tea, egg tarts, macaroni in soup, Nissin noodle soup, etc), yet every outlet serves a signature creation that’s no doubt the crowd puller that keeps the hungry gluttons back again and again.

In this case? Honolulu Coffee Shop (Openrice’s page) takes pride in their flaky egg tarts (as opposed to Tai Cheong‘s buttery short pastry version; the new review to come in a later post), and various buns/breads to cater to the smaller appetites. Read on to gather my thoughts on this cafe with a branch in Wan Chai and this on Stanley Street in the heart of Central, Hong Kong ….

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Today’s a Saturday gone wrong. Somewhat. The incessant travelling and crazy weather started to take its toll on me. Not to mention this viral bug roaming around the office. So let’s do a pictorial, shorter post (finally?) on one of the BEST ‘char chaan teng’ (Hong Kong style of cafe) in Mong Kok in Hong Kong.

Polo Bao (Pineapple Bun; literally) contains NO pineapple, but the resemblance comes from the sugar-crusted top with a significant crunch. At Kam Wah Cafe; they do them BEST.

Since I wrote extensively about them in my 2008 post; from not one but TWO breakfast sessions at the buzzing, quintessentially-Hong Kong, yet friendly cafe on Bute Street in Mong Kok, I guess I don’t have to go all out and sing praises for their famous Polo Bao.

But read on for the various types of Polo Bao they offer, and how the staff here are generally more pleasant, attentive and minus the usual attitude anticipated in busy eateries in Hong Kong …..

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The (in)famous one-of-a-kind Buntong’s Cantonese style Wat Tan Hor from Sun Seng Fatt; notorious for the 45 minutes ++ waiting time back then!!!! (RM8.50/USD2.80 per portion with pork and shrimps)

Remember this post on good pan mee in Ipoh? Yeah, Sun Seng Fatt on Leong Sin Nam Road is not only famous for the relatively new pan mee stall; but come night time; after 9pm until late night, you’ll be treated to an unbelievably tiresome waiting period for a serving of Buntong famous Wat Tan Hor.

So much so that we have heard of people waiting for more than 2 hours (!!) for their food, and some even ordered the moment the uncle set foot upon his stall, and returned an hour or so later after shopping at Ipoh Parade.

Talk about patience, and the lengths one would go for GOOD food in Ipoh. Or are we that obsessed with our hawker fares that we don’t mind the time spent idling around and watching helplessly at how they perform their nightly routine in slow-mo (almost)?!

Creme Brulee (RM6/USD2) – Yes, a remixed version of the classic dessert; this one using caramel egg custard (like the ones from Thean Chun/Hall of Mirrors in old town), with a layer of burnt sugar on top. And of course, to justify the almost triple in pricing; a strawberry sliced into quarters for aesthetic purposes.

But if you’re thinking all is lost …. since your patience runs thin (like yours truly here), and waiting for food for any period longer than 15 minutes will render you incapable of rational thoughts and making a fuss at the scene is your norm, then you’re in luck.

More or less. Read about where this legendary stall has moved to …. and how we got our Wat Tan Hor in record time – mere minutes !!!  Read the rest of this entry »