Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

Thai Style Fried Rice (RM7/USD2.30 for small portion) – With prawns, squid, eggs, onions and stalks of mustard greens; served with a piquant and slightly tangy condiment of chopped garlic and bird’s eye chillies in a sweet-spicy chili sauce.

Thai cuisine has almost always never failed me. Especially in times of dire cravings and turbulent climates. You know what I mean.

This inconspicuous restaurant in Puchong came into the radar not too long ago, when we dropped by Mek-T for some good old Terengganu classics. The former Mek-T, I might add. They have since ceased operations under further notice. What a waste.

Chiang Rai Style Restaurant. Guess the signboard cleared things up explicitly; a northern Thai cuisine specialist within a neighbourhood dominated by Chinese restaurants (Leong Ya Indah, Kajang Sup Pedas and various ‘dai chow’ outlets)? Right on. Read the rest of this entry »

Sambal Paku Pakis, Tom Yam Campur, Telur Bistik & Ayam Masak Merah @ Vicchuda Tomyam & Seafood Restaurant, Damansara Uptown

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Pineapple Fried Rice (RM9.90/USD3.30) – An aesthetically-captivating presentation in a hollowed half of a pineapple. Fluffy grains with a distinctive fragrance, fried with cubed fresh pineapple, chopped long beans, raisins and roasted cashew nuts.

And I proclaim this my current favourite haunt for no-frills, affordable Thai fares in KL/PJ. Not until after the third visit though. Second one did not count since this reckless soul forgot to take note of Phad Thai Restaurant‘s off-day and went home sorely disappointed on a Monday evening.

Actually no, we went off to Daorae which is about 100 metres away, but you get my drift. The sheer lacking in enthusiasm after preparing this glutton of a bowel to a mind-numbing, fiery Thai fest. Only to experience a gastronomic experience on a whole different spectrum; grilled meats over charcoal, kimchi, bulgogi and all.

That being said, this adamant little brat was not about to give up. Still fresh from the first eye-opening experience of a dinner consisting of a reasonably-good rendition of “Pad Thai” (Thai fried rice noodles with shrimp, egg and bean sprouts), and you know it’s fairly impossible to find one that’s just as good as Bangkok’s, we went again.

Read on for the full insight, and delicious shots you’d be forgiven for licking the screen …. Read the rest of this entry »

An eclectic fusion of colours @ My Elephant in Happy Mansion, Section 17, PJ

Didn’t I drop a hint sometime ago, on how this soldiering passion to uncover all the good gems (and some mediocrity thrown in for balance) around Section 17 will not be extinguished that easily?

Yes, and I am still much on track. My Elephant‘s the name of this not-so-hidden gem located at the ground floor of Happy Mansion; a chirpy, optimistic moniker for dilapidated blocks of flats in Section 17. They claim to serve quality Thai food with a healthy twist, and the chef hails from Chiang Rai in northern Thailand.

And thus, was this Thai feast experience suffice to nurture this perpetually craving soul?

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A classic plate of Penang style Char Kuey Teow; with prawns, cockles, bean sprouts and ku chai (Chinese chives). But bear in mind that this is a ‘halal’ (more to pork-free, but this stall’s parked in a HALAL premise), hence no lard, no waxed sausages (lap cheong).

And if you can recall this recent post on Robert’s Char Kuey Teow in Section 17, you would have known that I can be really, really determined when I am on the prowl for good street food. Blame it on the Ipoh genes or the strong attachment to quality hawker fares from Ipoh/Penang maybe?

Especially when expectations are met with disappointment, over-rated eateries taking precedence due to the overwhelming crowd, stories inflated by media coverage, and people jumping on the bandwagon.

Well, not ALL of Ipoh’s hawker food are of exceptional quality, mind you. But owing to more than two decades of life spent in the tranquil town (some say sleepy, but I beg to differ ….), I just knew where to seek for the above average ones.

Unlike current times; when I’m just like a lost sheep in this juggernaut of a metropolitan; sporting eateries of unfamiliar genres and origins. Let’s cut to the chase; and see how Aunty Gemuk’s (literally translated to Fat Aunt, but that’s not too courteous now, are we?) Char Kuey Teow fares against the likes of Robert’s etc …. Read the rest of this entry »

* This article was originally posted on FoodStreet, and this review was an extended invitation courtesy of FoodStreet.

Pad Pong Kary ( Yellow Curry Boneless Chicken )

We Malaysians are blessed with a myriad of good food; from street fares plying the sidewalks and backlanes, to cafes and bistros catering to the younger generations, as well as restaurants catering to gatherings, reunions and family dinners. Not only that, the fusion of flavours easily available around the corner; from Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines, to Japanese, Western and of course, Thai food.

A resplendent ambience befitting the Royal Thai fare that awaits ….

Nowadays, you can find restaurants specializing in Thai cuisine almost a dime a dozen. Back then, Thai food used to be so niche, you could only go back to the same old outlet for your fix of Tom Yum Gung, Pineapple Fried Rice or Pandan Chicken.

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I never hide my slightly biased preference towards foods with an inherent kick; robust flavours playing over this jaded tastebud, laden with strong spices and infused with fragrance from a mix of herbs; possibly indigenous to a certain God-knows-where village.

Hence you won’t usually read about plain soupy noodles or porridge that much on this blog, in comparison to Indian cuisine or even Thai cuisine.

#1 – Thick, almost to a creamy extent Tom Yum with a tapered down spiciness; possibly to suit the local palates. Not the BEST out there, but definitely one of the better ones around. Unless you like your Tom Yum to be not as ‘murky’ and with a killer fiery kick.

And thus, almost immediately after the long CNY break, we ventured to Section 5 of PJ for this hidden gem of a authentic Thai restaurant. Or so I was informed.

The name Khunthai did ring a bell, and a glance over the menu justified my suspicion. This Khunthai and the one in Butterworth (read the post HERE) are one of the same; and they also have another branch in Kepong. So let’s see how this sweaty (we chose to be seated in the non-air conditioned seating area because one of us was too busy contributing to air pollution ….) experience worked out against the more established (and definitely  comes with a better ambience) Khunthai in Butterworth, Penang ….. Read the rest of this entry »