Let’s Rock the House Down! (Tai Kar Rock Yeong Liew @ Greentown, Ipoh)
February 17, 2010 | 7,175 viewsWith a name as FUNKY as Let’s Rock, you’d be hard-pressed NOT to be tickled pink when discovering this most famous eatery in Ipoh is in fact, a HAWKER STALL (though not anymore) specializing in Yeong Liew (or Yong Tau Foo/Stuffed Fish Paste) and noodles.
Die-Hard Fans/Aficionados/Purveyors of good old Yeong Liew in Ipoh would be torn for choice, as the extensive alternatives to the almost world famous Fried Yeong Liew under a most legendary tree, simply named “BIG TREE FOOT” in Ipoh is delectably mind-boggling. Okay, some prefer to call these combination of noodles with stuffed fish paste as Fishball Noodles (aka Yue Dan Fun), but I’ll skip the noodles on most occasions, be it in Big Tree Foot (Dai Shu Geok), Gunung Rapat’s Kwong Hong, Tai Kar Rock (which coincidentally, is the place where I place more emphasize on the noodles more than the liew themselves) etc etc….
Of course, this is NOT the first Tai Kar Rock outlet in Ipoh. For all I know, there’s one on Jalan Pasir Puteh (before you reach Shatin Court Food Centre if coming from town’s direction), another at Greentown Corner coffee shop, and this one which has moved from its previous location of situated next to OSK Investment Bank on Jalan Seenivasagam in Greentown (or is this Greenhill?) in Ipoh.
Choose your noodles, then your style of serving them, followed by of course, the SUPERSTARS themselves !!! At merely RM0.50-RM1.00 per piece, you’d be tempted to pick up more than you can chew ……
This spanking new (not entirely, but less than half a year’s old, definitely) outlet named Tai Kar Rock is situated a few doors away from possibly Ipoh’s only Vietnamese restaurant, Vnam Kitchen. Tai Kar Rock still serves the same, tried-and-tested stuff such as various Yeong Liew, from the Ipoh’s signature Sar Kok Liew (stuffed turnip/yambean), to a satisfying Hakka-style of stuffed beancurd. Pick up a pair of thong (hehe, not the ones you can wear) and go crazy with your order. If you’re afraid of over-indulging, skip the noodles. But Tai Kar Rock does serve better noodles (with a generally tastier broth, and even for the dry (Kon Lou) version, owing probably to the addition of flavour enhancer?) compared to Big Tree Foot, which I never bothered to order a bowl in the first place. Not even their Laksa, for I would not want to waste precious stomach space for the luscious, almost decadent Fried Liew.
And finish off your meal with some white coffee, but with a twist. Well, probably not so new now, for combination of cincau (grass jelly) and beverages ain’t exactly the newest idea in town. Still, they offer some freshly home-brewed herbal tea to wash away the grease.
So where’s YOUR favourite Yeong Liew stall in Ipoh? Or anywhere at all, for that matter?
Tai Kar Rock Homemade Fishball & Yong Tau Foo @ 24, Jalan Seenivasagam, 30450 Ipoh, Perak.
Opens daily for breakfast until lunch. Here’s a GOOGLE MAP for guidance.
Directions : Same road with Overseas Restaurant opposite of Hotel Excelsior. Go down the road, and you’ll see Soon Fatt Restaurant, and VNam Kitchen on your left. Tai Kar Rock is on the same row.
hi James.. i like the one in Greentown Corner coffeeshop.. the fu pei esp and the prawn balls.. i seldom go to the big tree, pasir pinji.. too crowded…
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Crowded… yeah. But now that beside the old shack there’s a branch, with more spacious seating area, and a generally cleaner outlook, I don’t see a problem in dining in nowadays. Even on weekends.
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A damn funny name alright. 🙂 War…can choose noodle then my style of serving…how cool is that?
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I always like their yong liew… 🙂
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i thnk the one in greentown corner is a much nicer Tai Kar Rock compared to other branches… my fav “yong liew” stall, the dry noodles is superb as well!
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Probably because I had them too many times, back when I was working somewhere nearby Greentown … I felt that the Tai Kar Rock YTF there to be so so only. I still like the Dai SHu Geok. 🙂
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What a catchy name! I’m definitely the one for kon lou noodles with yeong liew.. perfect combination!
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wow I am happy to find your blog. Ipoh Mali! hahahaha me too!!!
Gong Xi Fa Chai to you!!! Looking forward to be back in Ipoh in May to eat to my heart’s content!!!! Yong tao Foo here I come!!! LOL
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Hi Billy ….. You’re an Ipoh mali in Aust now? How cool …….
Happy New Year. You did not come back for the festival?
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This used to be at Pasir Putih? Everyone now want a piece of action in Greentown area. Their Yong Liew is very good. Happy and Prosperous CNY to you.
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
The Pasir Putih outlet is still there. This used to be opposite of where it is now.
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[…] Let’s Rock (Tai Kar Rock) Fishball Noodles @ Greentown […]
I frequent the Pasir Puteh outlet which is now located near the famous Loh She Fun shop. Their yeong liew is always fresh and there’s a wide variety. My favourites are the silky (fish paste) stuffed white taufu & red capsicum but they also have not-so-ordinary ones like stuffed brocolli and stuffed siew pak choy! Most of the liew are only RM0.50 each while the taufu is RM0.60. Their hor fun is super smooth and a regular serving of noodles is only RM1.20. They’re also well known for the curry fish head which is served with generous amounts of long beans and taufu pok.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
TLS; strange enough I rarely saw the Let’s Rock shop opened on the days I went to Pasir Puteh. Do they only open in the mornings?
Though for the MOST creative and varied choices, you can’t beat Gunung Rapat’s Kwong Hong !!!
http://www.j2kfm.com/gunung-rapat-food-ipoh-meet-the-floggers-chapter-3/
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TLS Reply:
September 14th, 2010 at 9:58 am
They’re open for breakfast and dinner. I’m not sure what time they start serving breakfast as I’m usually there to ta-pau for dinner. In the evenings, they’re open from 4.30pm onwards. “Officially” they are closed on Wednesdays, but I’ve encountered closed shutters on other days as well! Have you tried the Loh She Fun at the famous shop I’ve mentioned? Let me know what you think.
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I love this place and go there very often. My favourite is their “sar kot” (fried turnip). We started frequenting the original stall, which was operated by the father and his brothers, way back in the early 1980s (when I was still a little girl). Then they moved and opened branches. Have always been a fan!!!
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