Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Waraku; one of the most tenacious Japanese restaurants in Ipoh so far.

Since eating at Chinese restaurants might entail the gory need to mortgage an arm or a leg this season, we thought why not go Japanese for a change. After all, the subsequent days would be filled with Yee Sang, pork, chicken, prawns, fish, mushrooms etc …. to a point when you’d wish that Reunion feasts can include burgers for a change.

Waraku is one of those restaurants that you usually fail to notice its existence, tenacity and dare I say … brilliance. Drowned by the (over) hyped Japanese diners around the vicinity (try scanning through THIS LIST and you’ll see why), Waraku is that humbler cousin of the larger-than-life restaurants with sushi bars, private rooms and blares of insincere “irrashaimase” through the halls …..

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#1 – Sushi as part of the SET. Kampai offers various lunch and dinner sets, at extremely affordable prices. And they do not skimp on the portions either.

“THANK YOU.”

This blog hits another milestone today. 3 million hits, and counting. Thank you dear readers, for staying sane and still having faith in this motormouth of a glutton-cum-writer. Time flies indeed, and soon enough Motormouth From Ipoh will hit its 4th year on the web.

I feel old. And the recent amnesiac attacks came in a slurry of unfortunate incidents; from leaving my diary in another meeting room, to paying at parking machines and completely forgetting to retrieve the paid ticket. Lucky me, good Samaritans all around with angelic halos hovering above their heads ….. I was saved from the hassle,shame and ultimately, penalty ($$) of having to pay for the lost ticket.

Here’s a very simple yet heartwarming piece on Kampai; one of the pioneers of Japanese cuisine in Ipoh.

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Feast from the East – Spread of Japanese dishes at Sushi Tei; an array of old and new creations

Sushi King, Genki Sushi (defunct?), Sakae Sushi, Yo! Sushi (gone with the wind …), Sushi Groove, Sushi Zanmai and Sushi Tei. Sushi outlets; or rather, Japanese eateries with a fast food concept – the wondrous invention of kaiten belt sushi, have been blooming all over Malaysia these past few years. About a decade or so ago, Sushi King was THE place to be.

Reasonably-priced Japanese fares, pork-free, easily accessible, and plates of sushi from RM2/USD0.70 onwards sounded like music to the ears. Until, the many contenders came to the scene. And comparison breeds discontent, as many have been disappointed by Sushi King’s lacklustre servings of Japanese cuisine, or whatever’s left of it.

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Fresh oysters on the Rocks – Go crazy on these and guaranteed satisfaction. In every sense of the word.

I once stayed at Holiday Villa Subang, sometime back in 2008 or 2009. Good experience though, still remember how spacious the room was, and the easy access to everywhere around PJ and Subang. That experience (back when I was still with the civil service) was definitely one of the better ones throughout my tenure in the service. If you’ve been following this blog since 2008, you would have realized that travelling’s part of the job. (To some extent … eating as well)

Anyway, fast forward a couple of years and here I am, stranded relocated to the almighty madhouse that is Kuala Lumpur. But good to know that I am in good company, surrounded by foodies with a deep passion and penchant for everything and anything edible. 🙂

From the look of it, this poor baby ain’t gonna miss his Mama too long …..

Holiday Villa Hotel & Resort Suites Subang (that’s the full name, btw) recently held a tasting session for the media; launching their inaugural New Year’s EveCarnival – BBQ Poolside Buffet. As far as Christmas and New Year buffets go, every year we’ll see tough competition amongst the F&B players and no doubt the thousand-and-one hotels in the Klang Valley.

Routinely, to set each other apart from the competition, the hotel would go to the extent of organizing a feast surrounding a particular theme. A gimmick or a timeless business strategy, it all depends on the execution of the tactics.

For this year, the management of Holiday Villa Subang has decided to embrace a carnival-like theme; and judging from the camaraderie of wacky costumed personnel, fancy decorations and the experience of eating beside their Olympic-sized swimming pool; caressed by the warm breeze of the night ….. Read the rest of this entry »

A “vegetarian” sushi roll?! Golden Dragon @ Fu Tien Restaurant in Medan Ipoh Bistari.

Enough Already with the Mindless Bingeing!!! Stuffing oneself with countless greasy cheeseburgers, handful of fries, lemang + rendang + serunding daging (geez … saying that makes my mouth waters), Char Koay Teow and meaty feast of dim sum had me reconsider my eating habits (albeit for a very brief stint). Stopped me dead on tracks, and I developed a sudden crave for a wholesome vegetarian meal.

I should be whipped for the dearth of posts on vegetarian cuisine in Ipoh. Aside from the famous Yishen (Yat Sum) and Min Sin Yie which I wrote way back in ’08, I have never wrote another piece on vegetarian food in Ipoh. I bow my head in shame …….

So here’s a post on Fu Tien; one of the BEST place in Ipoh for modernized vegetarian fares. We are talking about maki-sushi rolls, topped with slices of fresh and nectar-ish sweet mangoes, crunchy juicy cucumbers, fritters for that added crunch and even cheese (wait, dairy products are considered vegetarian?) !!! Read on to find out why this place is perpetually packed during lunch hours …… Read the rest of this entry »

*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 »

Sashimi Moriawase Hanzo (RM56.00/USD17) – An enticing platter of fresh and thick cuts of raw fishes and boiled shrimps presented on a bed of shaved ice, with a cube of grated wasabi

I have to confess. The sudden onslaught of new eateries sprouting up in Ipoh surprised me, and my apologies for the delayed reviews of such places. For a variety of reasons (excuses?) of course.

One being the bane of spanking new outlets; pathetic level of service & mediocre/inconsistent quality of food. Not to mention the unacceptably long waiting time for your food to be presented on your table.

Another reason being of course; the procrastinating factor. Dear readers; I am but a mere mortal without a designated gang of ‘makan kaki’ (wanna sign up?) ….. and I do not own a gold mine, or one blessed with a silver gold platinum spoon in my (motor) mouth. All the food reviews on this blog are paid for with cold hard cash dripping with blood, sweat and tears.

Oh Sushi – A very pleasant dining environment amidst the team of affable staff, soft hums of classic Japanese tunes emitting from the speakers, and endless colourful plates of fresh sushi on the kaiten belt.

Cut the crap and let’s move on to the review of the day. One for the weekend, so to speak.

Oh Sushi Japanese Restaurant launched their maiden outlet in Ipoh recently, at De Garden; a hub of retail outlets largely populated with chain eateries (you can read my reviews of Pappa Rich, Ayam Penyet, Wong Kok Char Chan Teng, Tutti Frutti Frozen Yoghurt and TOS Coffee Bistro by clicking THIS LINK) situated next to Jusco Kinta City.

The name sounds familiar? Because this is the SAME Oh Sushi @ Midvalley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, another pet project of the Kubota Japanese Restaurant group. Read on to find out how Oh Sushi stacked up against their adversaries; the other independent and chain Japanese restaurants in Ipoh …… Read the rest of this entry »