Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

*Update Nov 2011 – Kizuna One is now CLOSED. The restaurant has been taken over by another, serving Japanese and Thai cuisine.

#1 – Cucumber Maki (RM12/USD3.60) – Delicately rolled prawns and unagi with fritters and topped with a dollop of spicy mayo, and roes.

Kizuna One Japanese Restaurant is located at the revamped Royal Perak Golf Club (RPGC) on Tiger Lane (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah); and has been proudly serving authentic Japanese cuisine for about a year now. Many locals are still confused whether this restaurant is opened to the public, or catering only to the members of the club.

Much like the misunderstanding that reigned when I first posted on The Fairway (that other dining establishment in RPGC), let me clear the mystifying air of confusion for you readers.

BOTH OF THESE RESTAURANTS ARE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC. Just that, if you’re a member of RPGC, you will get discount from your total bill. There, that’s settled! Happy? 🙂

#2 – The majestically-splendour ambience of Kizuna One (K1) @ Royal Perak Golf Club

With that out of the way, let’s concentrate on the review of the day. Kizuna One is NOT a branch of the other Kizuna in Medan Ipoh Bistari, albeit the almost similar sounding names. Yes, there WERE some connections back then, and established relationships with Akamomiji and to some extent … even A Lai I. But everything dates back to the days of Moritomo; that fantastic Japanese restaurant in Jusco Kinta City back in the late 90’s, and still famous during their stint in the early noughties.

Among the many Japanese restaurants in Ipoh today; Kizuna One triumphs indefinitely in the elegance, exclusivity and ambience departments. Read on to find out how exactly the feast turned out to be one of the BEST dining experiences we have had in a long time ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Hainanese Chicken Chop – At RM7.50/USD2.30 per portion; this is a throwback to the glory days; the colonial times when our ancestors were great cooks, whipping up lip-smacking dishes in the kitchens in the British residences.

Sin Kok Thye, or New Cathay could possibly pass off as another run-of-the-mill coffee shop in a part of Klang town that has obviously seen better days. Port Klang on a Sunday is deserted; you don’t even see the ‘foreign army‘ scrambling around, making ends meet at the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Just before you reach the port, you will bear witness to rows of slightly dilapidated shophouses; in no way a haven for food hunters.

But wait, then there’s the almost century old Sin Kok Thye on Jalan Kem in Port Klang. A corner lot at the end of a row of double-storey shops facing a flyover (still operational?); a pork-free establishment reminiscence of the other Hainanese coffee shops like Yut Sun of Taiping and Yut Loy of Kuala Kangsar. Read on to find out more about the Hainanese cuisine served at this charming coffee shop ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Panfried Cod Fillet Mango (RM24/USD7.30) – A slab of thick, succulent and sweet cod fillet served atop the bed of irresistibly yummy mashed potatoes, garden vegetables and a refreshingly fruity coulis of mango.

The premise previously occupied by Rendezvous Cafe at the corner of Brewster Road (Jalan Sultan Idris Shah) and Cockman Street (Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar) has been given a new shot of life recently. Eastern’s Brasserie is owned by the same management team of Eastern Hotel (soon to be opened in November 2010 tentatively; a projected spanking new boutique hotel as opposed to the previously disdain, dilapidated outlook).

A relaxed, spacious and classy ambience defines Eastern’s Brasserie; with a surprisingly satisfactory level of customer service.

I came to know about Eastern’s Brasserie from the All About Ipoh Facebook page, whereby one of the admin posted the pictures of aesthetically pleasant dishes resembling European cuisine, and subsequently generated a positive vibe circulating around this new addition to the upmarket dining scene in Ipoh. Read on for the insights into the dishes, prices and location …. Read the rest of this entry »

Almost categorized into “Beer Food”, the crispy ‘salted fish’ (RM10/USD3) at Yishen got us hooked, after a squeeze of lime onto the morsels cleverly disguised as “ham yue”, yet made from overlapping layers of beancurd sheet only. This IS a vegetarian restaurant, after all.

Before you go and lay the smackdown on poor Motormouth here for being biased towards the carnivorous fares, and completely ignoring the pleas, desires and lust gluttony of a vegetarian’s, be aware that occasionally, I DO go for vegetarian food. Once in a blue moon might befits the phrase I’m searching for, but I have no qualms about going vegetarian for a full day, or even a whole week.

IF … I’m not expected to adhere to the stringent rules of being a pure vegan (no meat, no dairy products, and even no onion/garlic for some! See the different categories of vegetarianism here)

Curry “Mutton” for a spicy change from the mundane greens and beancurd?

Yishen Vegetarian Restaurant started in Kampar, and then Ipoh since back in the late 80’s. The outlet in Ipoh was opened in the late 90’s, or early part of the millennium,  if I’m not mistaken.

They even branched out to two slightly upmarket branches named Yishensu – A Vegetarian Connoisseur in One Utama shopping centre and another in Bandar Bukit Tinggi in Klang.

Since an occasion called for a vegetarian feast earlier this month, I was at lost on where to choose. Of course, Ipoh has quite a few vegetarian restaurants spaced out everywhere in town and the outskirts. From the famous Sin Meng Kee and Chuk Lum to the newer Shi Fang Zai, Fu Tien and Min Sin Yie. But one restaurant stands above the rest, in terms of legacy, standing history and being more commercialized than the rest; Yishen (Yat Sum in Cantonese) in Medan Ipoh Baru … Read the rest of this entry »

Hot Jack Cafe – A hard to missed corner lot with a catchy signboard facing Jalan Pasir Puteh, before one reaches Shatin Court on the right.

Finally … Thanks to recommendations from a few readers, I came to know about Hot Jack Cafe; a barely half a year old cafe situated on Jalan Pasir Puteh of Ipoh. Though it took me a considerably long, loooonnnggg period of procrastination before making my way over for lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

The cafe serves an array of Western and Asian delights; and thankfully far from the generic, washed-up choices like Chicken Chop, Lamb (or Lamp … :)) Chop, and Fish & Chips.

Instead you get ambitious fusions such as Mediterranean Pizza Chicken Chop, Cajun Spice Chicken/Fish, Turf & Surf (funny it’s not listed as Surf & Turf …. but, oh well), and even Almond Crumbed Fish with Butter and Raspberry Sauce.

Everything on the menu appeared to be reasonably-priced, with nothing beyond RM20/USD6 each. With 12 varieties of chicken chops, 8 methods to serve their fish, and 3 types each of steak and lamb, you know you’re in a fix if you’re one of those indecisive species ……. Read the rest of this entry »