Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Look at those stacked up slices of pre-smoked dried meat @ Seong Kee in Simee, Ipoh; a very RED (‘ong’) sign of things to come this Dragon Year?!

Yay! Live updates streaming on a day to day basis (I hope). Motormouth reached home extremely early this morning (almost uncharacteristically me, some may say), and thankful for that as I was informed that the traffic jam this afternoon on the North-South expressway was REALLY bad … about 20-30km/hour at best. So, if you’re one who’s sunbathing (terribly scorching today!) out there, drive safe. You know you do not want to miss the onslaught of mega-lip-smacking stories throughout the week …..

Imagine having to smoke every single piece manually, at a rate of thousands of pieces everyday! I would have thrown in the towel LONG before the tenth basket!

An air of festivity is definitely in the air, was grinning from ear to ear catching a glimpse of MH Tower (next to the drive-thru McDonald’s near to Jusco/Tesco in Medan Ipoh Bistari. Then the spanking new row of shops fronting Ipoh Hometown Restaurant that looked promising, yet I wonder what else can they open (new coffee shops, Japanese restaurant, fast food chain again?) that’s a cut above the rest.

Now, read on for the impromptu food run @ Simee in Ipoh …… Read the rest of this entry »

1. Dry Curry Noodles @ Nam Chau, Old Town – Despite the unforgiving brickbats from some quarters, I still think this is the BEST in Ipoh, as far as dry curry noodles are concerned. Don’t argue. If you think otherwise, that’s fine. Taste is subjective.

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I remember vividly how that first experience changed my perception. I was one staunch believer that selling a cup of Old Town white coffee at double the price will only lead to eventual demise of the ambitious pioneer of this ‘kopitiam’ concept.

“What? You mean they’re selling a cup of Old Town white coffee at around RM2.50 when you can have a cup of the real deal at slightly more than RM1 in old town itself?! Who are they kidding?!”

And so, Mum could not help but being cynical herself. Aside from the comfort the place offered, there was basically nothing much revolving around this ‘trendier’ cafe masquerading as a platform to bridge the gap between the premiums (Starbucks … or maybe Coffee Bean since I am not sure which year did Starbucks come to Ipoh Parade), and the authentics (the Ipoh old town favourites).

Fast forward 7 or 8 years later, and this Old Town White Coffee chain has exploded all over the country. Expansion has been so rapid, I could not help but sniggered when I saw one in Parit Buntar, a town to the north of Perak. Then it dawned on me.

The franchising fee multiplied by a few folds since then. It stands at about half a million Ringgit Malaysia to start one now (last I remembered … it could be more though).

But … aren’t you curious as to where this all began? Read the rest of this entry »

Noodles (Ipoh’s sar hor fun/kuey teow)? Check. Char Siew? Check. Siew Yoke? Check. Cockles? Check. Bean sprouts? Check. Tau Fu Pok? Check. Long beans? Check.

And how can we not call this plate of noodles (my choice for the dry version of the sinfully rich spicy gravy) a ‘kiasu’ ensemble of EVERYTHING?

if you’re new here, welcome. And if you have not been infected by my addiction for Ipoh-style of dry curry noodles, please, by all means …. go through this LIST.

Now that list is not all encompassing. Not a universal, ultimate list of everything under the Ipoh’s sky. Hence, there will be periodic addition(s) to the list. Today, allow me to introduce this stall in Simee of Ipoh …. Read the rest of this entry »

Charcoal-toasted Bread with Butter and Kaya (RM1.60) – A faint hint of smokiness from the grill, with a distinct fluffiness preserved in between the toasted surfaces.

And finally, after a month or two of tease, I made my way to Lim Ko Pi in old town of Ipoh. This relatively new coffee joint has been in the limelight almost immediately after business has commenced. This concept of refurbishing old buildings into a quaint coffee shop/cafe is not new in Malaysia. But in Ipoh, this has to be the pioneer. So kudos.

Unless of course, this aged mind plays trick on me again. (If there’s any other rejuvenation of heritage premises into a commercial trade without compromising on the beautiful facade, please correct me)

I spy with my little eye …. the fusion of the old and new elements. An iPhone and a ‘gold-painted’ stand fan for the artificial breeze.

You might have the impression that Lim Ko Pi is but another run-of-the-mill kopitiam in the league of the many others, eg: Old Town White Coffee, Pappa Rich, Hailam Kopitiam, etc.

I had the same doubts too. Only to realize that this was anything BUT another mirror image of the mighty Old Town. Read on and see why …..

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Ipoh’s white coffee. And you must be wondering why the ‘white’ moniker attached, when the coffee essentially looks just like any other brew.

“The generic term “Ipoh White Coffee” in Chinese is ‘bak ko pi’ (baai kah feh); the “white” term has nothing to do with the colour in this instance, but is rather a reference to the way how the coffee is roasted. In Chinese, Bái also means ‘without, or unadulterated, nothing has been added to the coffee during the roasting process.” (sourced from Wikipedia)

Naturally, to complete the All About Ipoh series (bean sprout chicken, dim sum & curry mee), white coffee has to be mentioned along the same breath. Since this has been recognized as one of the official drink of Malaysia at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, this significant brew might just be Ipoh’s biggest contribution to the country!

Let’s see where you can sip on the finest white coffee in Ipoh ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Runny golden yolk flowing from the beautifully done half-boiled eggs on crispy buttered toast @ Ah Chow coffee shop in old town of Ipoh. Simple yet magnificent creation that’s suited for breakfast.

Sin Yoon Loong started this white coffee craze way back then; probably more than half a century now? Nam Heong took things to a whole different level; capitalizing on the potential of white coffee and the concept of old school kopitiams in general; rebranding the franchise into something so BIG nobody thought the idea would work, initially.

Until Old Town White Coffee grew from strength to strength; now more than 100 outlets all over Malaysia. And still counting.

So what makes a good cup of white coffee? And bear in mind that the colour of the brew is NOT white to start with.

Nam Chau, Sin Lean Lee, Chang Jiang, Sun Yuan Loong and Xin Xiang Er Nong soldiered on with their respective valiant effort in taking things into their own hands; cashing in on the popularity of white coffee usually complemented by equally delicious hawker fares; like curry noodles, chee cheong fun, chicken kuey teow soup and most importantly …. the breads.

Oh holy luscious toasts sandwiching a glorious proportion of butter (or margarine) and rich swirls of kaya (egg and coconut jam).

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