Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Since we are already on a roll here, almost consecutive posts on noodles (Beef Noodles, Siamese Laksa, Laksa Pak Ngah, Mee Hailam & Mee Goreng) throughout the month of June, let’s top them all off with a duel between two of the MOST prominent noodles stalls in all of Penang; situated within a stone’s throw from each other.

BANGKOK LANE MEE GORENG @ SENG LEE COFFEE SHOP

SIN HWA CHAR KOAY TEOW (CKT) – THE FAMOUS CKT OPPOSITE OF PULAU TIKUS POLICE STATION

Yup, both in Penang, and both on Jalan Burmah. Albeit the Bangkok Lane’s Mee Goreng is usually recognized as THE indomitable “Indian Mee Goreng of Bangkok Lane“, for the sole reason that the stall faces the lane (Lorong Bangkok) rather than the main road. And on the opposite side of the road we have Kedai Kopi Sin Hwa that houses a single stall selling Char Koay Teow for breakfast-lunch-tea break (?) and has been on the radar of “CKT-aficionados” who make their annual pilgrimages to Penang for their fix …… Read the rest of this entry »

Our pride and joy? Menara Condong (Leaning Tower) of Teluk Intan (Diamond Bay) in Perak

After the lunch at Kam Ling Restaurant in Kampar, we proceeded to Teluk Intan in a most leisurely fashion. Usually rushing for time (due to the nature of our job) owing to the hectic/chaotic daily routines, this time around the journey to Teluk Intan was smooth as silk. Travelling on a Saturday afternoon has its pros, due to the lack of traffic congestion and lorries plying the trunk roads.

The calm before the storm – Liew Kee’s unbelievably famous Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun ONLY operates at night.

Thankfully the weather was not too bad that afternoon; None of the dreadful sweltering heat & scorching sun, yet without a drop of rain. Well, until much later in the evening anyway. This almost-impromptu trip rendered us somewhat incapacitated from meticulous planning and proper time management. Hence, we squeezed in every possible opportunity to eat all of most of Teluk Intan’s signature street food, ranging from the famous Ah Chai Rojak to drinking fresh soy bean milk from a stall that has been operating since the 50’s, and not forgetting taking away a few packets of Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun back home for dinner-supper.

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Wantan Mee is one of the most famous Chinese hawker food, and especially popular in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. In some places, wantan mee is also known as ‘Tok Tok Mee‘, a fancy moniker given in reference to the knocking sounds of bamboo sticks made by the peddlers from the olden days, to attract the crowd.

For the best Char Siew, choose the corner cuts of the belly; For that smoky, aromatic and crunchy texture all rolled into one singular, orgasmic piece.

I first read about Char Siew Zhai Wantan Mee from several food posts circulating on the net. The name no doubt, sounds intriguing, whereby “Char Siew” refers to the charcoal-roasted marinated pork, while the “Zhai” part is an endearing call for “Son”, in Chinese.

When you put them together, it’s as though Char Siew Zhai refers to the “Barbecued Pork Son” …. Sure gives a whole new meaning to the Chinese phrase : “Better give birth to a piece of Char Siew than you !!!” (A laden-with-sarcasm scolding usually given to an unfilial child by a parent).

Crunchy Sui Kow (dumplings in soup) filled with lots of wood ear fungus, chopped carrots, minced pork and chives

So what makes this place particularly stand out amongst the rest? For sure you’ve read about Petaling Street’s legendary Koon Kee wantan mee, the Sungai Besi famous one, the bamboo noodles at Nippy’s, or even Char Siew from the rivalling FSF and SFS. (Go figure …..)

Read on to find out how they literally TOSS their noodles around !!!

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Nam Fatt Fish Ball Noodle House Restaurant has been gracing the Ipoh’s street food scene for a respectable period of 24 years. Almost a quarter of a century’s old, which has since seen their  transformation from a simple fish ball noodle stall to a fully air-conditioned restaurant, while still maintaining the quality of their food.

But of course, don’t go comparing the prices to the usual hawker fares, most notably the famous Big Tree Foot (Dai Shu Geok)‘s Fried Liew (aka Stuffed fish paste) which is ironically, a stone’s throw away.

“Hello, Hello baby you called I can’t hear a thing …..”

But the extensive menu with clear shots of the food, ranging from noodles and rice with beef stews, claypot beef soup, an astonishing array of Yong Tau Foo, or as we used to call them, Yong Liew, and even curry noodles with roast pork, noodles with grouper slices, and so forth. Trust me, if you’re eating here alone or with just another companion, gluttony and greed might just strike and you’d end up with extra servings to be taken away (‘tapau‘). Really.

For we ourselves fell for their trickery, and ended up with more than we could finished off !!!

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I was brought up believing that Lou Wong and Onn Kee serve the best Bean Sprouts Chicken aka Tauge Ayam aka Nga Choy Kai in Ipoh. If you have doubts, just hop over to Jalan Yau Tet Shin area (they’re situated opposite of each other, somewhat at each other’s neck, if you will) come dinner-supper hours on weekends or public holidays, and I’m sure you’ll be eating your words faster than politicians making empty promises.

Don’t doubt the number of chickens hanging in front of the stall, in all their glistening glories. They poach the chickens on-the-spot once the chickens hanging on the hooks are sold off.

Then people started to argue and fought over the BEST Tauge Ayam (or Ayam Tauge, whichever suits your fancy) in Ipoh. For one knows that holding the crown means a lot, as this is unofficially Ipoh’s most famous food, bar none.

So where does Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau come into the picture?

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I am a sucker for good Yong Tau Foo, or stuffed fish paste, especially those darn-crispy ones (plastic in oil or not, who cares? It’s a myth anyway). Read my post on Ipoh’s famous Big Tree Foot‘s version – my personal top pick for good YTF, or Yeong Liew, as we call them here in Ipoh, for a better idea. Yup, seldom do I opt for the boiled YTF served in soup, unless the variety’s mind-boggling, like Gunung Rapat’s Kwong Hong.

White rice served with fresh, succulent pieces of fish paste stuffed on the spot, and the compulsory duo of chili sauce, and sweet sauce.

Previous experience with Ampang’s most famous (yet over-rated) Yong Tau Foo got me wary of trying another piece of YTF in the Klang Valley ever again. Until, I was brought over to Puchong Yong Tau Fu, tucked hidden in some enclave at the older portion of Puchong. Situated at a junction connecting Jalan Puchong Batu 14 (14th Miles?) and Jalan Tembusu, opposite of a Chinese school named Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Han Ming. (Map to come at the end of the post)

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This was first posted sometime back in 2008, yet still I find myself periodically going back for the same yummy yam rice in Taman Chi Liung in Klang. A corner coffee shop by the name of Restoran Tien Chuan, this outlet has been serving their patented brand of yam rice for more than 20 years.

Of course, one may argue that to travel all the way down to Klang, and NOT having Bak Kut Teh (BKT) for breakfast is pure sin. Yeah, but once again (remember the post on Klang Food Centre’s pau for breakfast?) continuous BKT assaults not only can gain you some spare tyres, but I tend to feel lethargic throughout the day after such a darn heavy breakfast.

Okay okay …. just some silly excuses I know. Yam Rice NOT rice meh?!!!!! 😉

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