Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

Is this a Museum or a Temple, you asked?

Talk about irony. Just a few days after writing about Hakka Rang Restaurant in Kota Damansara; a Chinese restaurant specializing in Hakka cuisine with a formidable line up of backing from media exposure and fan base, here we were again; dining at Hakka Zhan Restaurant. But this time about 150km down south in the historical town of Melaka, within a short distance away from Pak Putra; the Tandoori & Naan specialist.

Four dishes for 2 pax. And yet still left me hankering for more. I am a natural when it comes to auditioning for an ogre character.

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For the other stories in the Travel Blitz series, click HERE

Famous Beef Noodles @ Stall 748, Seremban Wet Market

Since today’s a public holiday and coincidentally, the school holidays ain’t over yet, it does make sense for a short detour if you’re heading south towards Melaka or Johor, or even across the border to Singapore. A mere one hour (or less, depending on the traffic) away from Kuala Lumpur, Seremban town is quite the strategic stop-over for a hearty breakfast of beef noodles, a sip of refreshing cendol to douse the heat, or even buying dozens of Seremban’s signature baked buns with BBQ pork fillings (known as “siew pau”) as gifts to whomever you’re meeting up at the end of your journey.

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TONKATSU by Ma Maison @ Mandarin Gallery – Hire Katsu (160g) (SGD24.80/RM62)- Pork Fillet Cutlet served with a mountain of finely-shredded, juicy cabbage and a small dollop of mustard on the side. 

The sheer thought of a perfect getaway this very moment is darn inviting. One invigorating escapade to an island preferably uninhibited and unsoiled, with a lovely warn breeze to sooth the nerves and calm the calamity of feelings within.

The 5 days spent in Singapore have been pampering, at the very least. And no, nothing that stood out from the norms, as far as the food and travel experience is concerned. Orchard Road is STILL the same old stretch of shopper’s paradise, only expanded to ridiculous horizons. Never noticed a Mandarin Gallery, or a Scott’s Square within the vicinity. Or maybe the similarity between one another complicated differentiation. Or it could just be me.

Hence, let this be a simplified story of my stay in Singapore; with emphasis on 5 food establishments I picked and the hotel where I spent most of my day time in ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Wondering what’s Travel Blitz? Read the first 3 chapters and find out then. Trust me, even if you’re a staunch detractor of travelling to local destinations, there has to be at least ONE small town somewhere out there that will entice you with its charm. 

A Hainanese-style Chicken Chop @ The Cottage Restaurant, Kuantan, Pahang

For tonight, I will not bore/overwhelm/drown you with wordy descriptions and lengthy/elaborate grandfather stories like normal. Although the mind is highly-tempted to do so, the hands and these lethargic pair of eyes started to shut down and the longing to lie flat on the plush, warm bed this rainy Thursday evening just got so much stronger as the minutes go by.

Where am I taking you this time around? Kuantan; the capital of Pahang. Ready? Read the rest of this entry »

Nasi Kerabu, Ayam Percik & Gulai Kawah @ Yati Ayam Percik, Kota Bharu, Kelantan

You know when you’re knee deep in scheduled plus some random out-of-the-blue travelling stints, your mind tends to sway towards a grim shade of blue with sadistic undertone. In short, you’d wish that you’re right back in the comfort of your home than trudging on foreign soils. That is … if it’s for work.

But then again, I have this tendency to see things from a brighter perspective … more often than not. If you have been blindly/loyally following my rants and ramblings throughout the golden years (circa 2008-2009), maybe you would have understood how I endured (more like enjoyed) the consecutive out-of-town excursions …..

I went on eating sprees.

Lady traders abound @ Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah; easily one of the most iconic market in all of Malaysia!

The span of 3 years between my visit to Kota Bharu, Kelantan did not affect me the slightest, when it comes to recognizing landmarks and good food spots in the predominantly-Muslim town.

Ready to see how I ‘survived’ not one, but TWO visits to Kota Bharu within the same month? Read on, but be warned of the LONG post ahead …… Read the rest of this entry »

The Johor Famous Three-Storey (San Low) Fragrant Fried Beehoon @ San Low Seafood

Seriously, tell me that Johor Bahru (JB, for short … and no, this post’s nothing to do with Bieber) is famous for a dish this simple; a plate of fried beehoon (thin strands of rice vermicelli noodles), and I would have definitely chuckled and took your words with a pinch of salt.

But then again …. when this Malaccan colleague of mine took me to not one, but TWO places back to back (for dinner on consecutive nights) serving the SAME dish, my skepticism ran low. And curiosity piqued to the extent of actually …. taking his words for it.

Yes, folks. Another Travel Blitz chapter. This time we move from the East to the Southern region of Johor; the state that shares border with our neighbour; Singapore.

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*Travel Blitz will be a new series of posts on Motormouth From Ipoh; highlighting interesting food and travel bits from all over Malaysia. This coincides with the surge of travelling lately, and serves as a platform to channel Motormouth’s scattered thoughts and ramblings.

#1 – This shot was taken from the Signal Hill Observatory Tower in the centre of Kota Kinabalu; on Jalan Bukit Bendera. Nearby landmarks include Suria Sabah and Gaya Street.

When it’s time to purge the blues away, best way is to dig deep into the archives and scour for one travel post to return one reassuring smile over this jaded face. Although this time around I don’t have to, with backlogs piling up all over the place.

Kota Kinabalu; the capital of Sabah has never failed to fascinate me. This being my third visit to the town, and yet I’m still discovering something share-worthy every time. My last visit to KK was around June last year, and this time around I was introduced to one very famous Italian restaurant in town, a Chinese curry laksa on Jalan Gaya that’s crowded during breakfast hours, and the magnificent sunset painting the skies with a brilliant hue of gold ….. Read the rest of this entry »