Hawker Food @ Taiping – Chee Cheong Fun, Char Kuey Teow, Popiah & Soya Milk
September 5, 2010 | 24,900 views
Taiping Signature Popiah Stall @ Restoran Air Kacang Taiping – Over 40 years of history, and the locals still swear by the fresh popiah he makes.
Since we started on Aulong Heo Pia (flaky and crispy fragrant biscuits) in the last post, let’s see what other delectable hawker fares Taiping has to offer. Taiping for the uninitiated, is a town to the north of Perak (about 70 kilometres away, and accessible using the North-South Expressway) and famous for the Lake Gardens, Taiping Zoo (both daytime, and the Night Safari), Bukit Larut aka Maxwell Hill and the heaviest annual rainfall in Malaysia; hence the Wettest Town in Malaysia moniker.
A roll of fresh popiah at RM1.40/USD0.40; the rolls are comparably smaller, but wetter than Ipoh’s version.
Being the second biggest town in Perak, Taiping is populated by good eats lefts and rights. The sizeable Chinese community (conversing in a smattering mix of Mandarin-Hokkien and some Cantonese) and the generally well-preserved quaint environment (pre-colonial buildings still reign supreme, and no skyliners … yet?) make Taiping an ideal place for street food hunt and shutterbugs to gather for some shooting sessions. The tranquil scene at the Lake Gardens for instance, is a sight to behold. Century old rainforest trees hovering over the pristine waters, tipping the surface with their branches and forming a canopy-like foliage of greens. A haven for the joggers, walkers, and tourists.
Read on to discover some of Taiping’s signature hawker fares ……
Bean sprouts, lettuce, taukua (beancurd), yambean and shredded omelette wrapped in a popiah skin brushed with a mixture of chili and sweet sauce.
Lately I have been itching for some good old road trips. Blame it on the mundane working environment, the lack of motivation, or sudden cravings for the local specialties of the other towns in Perak. Compared to last year, or the year before, when we used to spend weekends after weekends in various towns, and even states (the month of June last year topped the “Believe-It-Or-Not Travel-o-meter Chart” when I woke up in four different states for four consecutive weekends!), this year was rather slow ………
The glass of soybean milk from Restoran Air Kacang Taiping on Jalan Panggong Wayang
Anyway, thankfully things started to pick up steam these past few weeks. I stomp on Taiping’s ground for more than a few occasions, the latest being the Aulong Heo Pia ‘treasure hunt’ and earlier this week when we had the Taiping Chee Cheong Fun for the first time (though technically speaking, I had a plate at Larut Matang Food Court way back in 2008).
This famous popiah stall is parked at Restoran Air Kacang Taiping, the term ‘air kacang‘ refers to the restaurant’s popular soybean milk drinks and soybean curd (tau fu fah) which they sadly ran out of by 11.30am+. The soybean milk was sadly a little diluted, so highly recommended to have yours without the ice. Or if you’re keen on having a mixture of black and white (or the Michael Jackson, as some witty outlets already picked up this name for the beverage) – adding grass jelly or ‘cincau’ into the soybean milk, then feel free to request.
TWO signboards instead of one. If you blink and miss, or too blind to see them … then tough luck.
I won’t rave and rant about the popiah here though, for I found them to be on the soggy side just like Penang’s version of the popiah. Maybe I have grown accustomed to Ipoh’s version, especially Kong Heng‘s in old town of Ipoh where the popiah is dry but still pack some juicy strips of julienned yambean and bean sprouts. Unlike Kong Heng’s version, the sauce is spread on the inside of the wrapping skin; a soft almost threatening-to-puncture layer of fresh popiah skin made from flour, salt and water.
The shop also houses a chicken rice stall, and a rather bustling economy rice stall with an impressive array of cooked dishes.
(Address and map to come at the end of this post)
A hop and a skip away (okay, maybe a few streets apart … but Taiping town’s not THAT big but rather; easy to get confused by the many crossroads, one-way streets, and almost similar structures) is this Pusat Penjaja Taiping, a food court with many hawker stalls within.
A very recent excursion to Taiping found us going back to town centre for breakfast, but the plethora of choices got us psyched. And ended up at this uncharted territory (for me at least) of Pusat Penjaja Taiping behind of the fire station of Taiping. Okay, so I was here before for lunch at a random Malay stall, but that was not a food hunt nor MY pick in every sense of the word.
Taiping Chee Cheong Fun sounds fabulous for breakfast, hence we decided to stop by for a closer look at what the other stalls were selling and a rather large crowd of locals were having that morning.
The man behind the brand; Taiping Chee Cheong Fun @ Pusat Penjaja Taiping – His stall is sandwiched amidst a row of stalls that do not operate during the earlier hours of the day.
Initially we thought the Chee Cheong Fun stall was closed that morning. No sight of the stall where the crowd were ravishingly lapping up their wantan mee, slurping their coffee and tearing their pieces of roti canai apart. Luckily the aunty from the beverage stall pointed us to the exact opposite direction, over the piece of grassy land in the middle.
Self-service is practised here, for you can’t expect the man who runs his stall alone to hop all over the rectangular-shaped food centre and earn a meagre sum of RM2.00/USD0.60 per plate of CCF. Doused liberally with the sweet sauce (tim cheong), sprinkled with lots of sesame seeds and fried shallots, I had the rolls of steamed rice noodles with chunks of yam cake (wu tau kou) for some interesting clash of texture and flavours.
The perennial favourite of many; Taiping Chee Cheong Fun. Do tell where you think serves the BEST Chee Cheong Fun in Taiping, okay?
A plate of Char Kuey Teow for only RM2.40/USD0.70 – Redolent with wok hei, slightly wetter than the Penang’s version, and no fishballs in this one.
The Wantan Mee Stall (No A14) (same management with the stall serving beverages) seemed to be doing brisk business, with most tables ordering at least one plate of their wriggly egg noodles tossed in a dark sauce, then served with slices of red char siew and a bowl of dumplings (wantan) in clear broth.
But NK chose the designated Kuih Teow Goreng Stall (No A17) and ended up smacking his lips over the slightly spicy fried noodles, with crunchy bean sprouts, chopped chives, eggs, shrimps, etc.
Roti Canai (RM0.90/USD0.30) from the Indian stall that sells various roti’s (Indian breads)
I had the roti canai on the other hand, a fluffy piece of Indian flatbread that was still crisp from the grilling, and thankfully not greasy at all. A little cold, yes. But maybe that was because the roti arrived while I was over the ‘field’ ordering the Chee Cheong Fun.
The food court was continuously packed with the breakfast crowd, taking their sweet time mingling with each other and devouring the many hawker delights from the stalls.
I have tried Kum Loong Dim Sum. I have gone for Chicken Kuey Teow Soup from Kakak, and roti canai from ‘octogenarian’ Bismillah. And I have eaten a variety of hawker fares for breakfast at the Larut Matang Food Court.
What else should I go for, when I am in Taiping or Kamunting for breakfast, people?
RESTORAN AIR KACANG TAIPING (Popiah & Soybean Milk)
2, Jalan Panggong Wayang,
34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.
Opens from 7am until 4pm.
GPS Coordinates : E100 44′ 30.7″ N4 51′ 1.9″
(Popiah stall opens from 11am onwards)
PUSAT PENJAJA TAIPING (Taiping Chee Cheong Fun, Char Kuey Teow, etc)
Junction of Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Tupai.
34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.
GPS Coordinates : E100 44′ 36.9″ N4 51′ 0.1″
(Chee Cheong Fun stall opens from 6.30am – 11am. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
GOOGLE MAP to both Restoran Air Kacang Taiping & Pusat Penjaja Taiping
Taiping is going to develop very soon. 😀
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try to find a mee rebus stall at Pokok Asam that stall only open at evening try to go there about 3 to 4 pm and lots of snacks too
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Thanks Hudson. Pokok Assam mee rebus then. Got location, landmark or better yet, the coordinates?
I seldom go to Taiping after evening, unless I choose to stay over night. Anyway, noted this one down.
Will compile a Readers’ Recommendations List soon.
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Hudson Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Just find the Pokok Assam market and you will find lots of food there in the morning , evening and even at night .
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Hudson Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
the mee rebus i think it only starts selling at the evening about 4 pm till night
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Oh yeah, I think I have a rough idea on where this is ….. thanks Hudson. There’s this restaurant in Pokok Assam that I have been itching to go for their salted chicken and assam fish or something. But I forgot the name.
Hudson Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 12:19 am
Oh I know it . Restoran Aun Loke they serve the Salted Kampung Chicken . Assam fish or curry fish , I forgot .I got its address
Aun Loke Restaurant
Lot 160, Jalan Pokok Assam
34000 Taiping
Perak
Tel: 05-807 9660
Mobile: 016-536 2657
Business Hour: 12noon to 8.30pm
try the curry mee located next door to Hwang-DBS Securities at Station Road.
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KimTee Reply:
September 6th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Ang, the best curry mee is still in Kuala Sepetang. Have you tried?
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Curry mee in Sepetang? Hmmm … heard about this from a reader before. Nyonya style? Or really spicy, reddish curry?
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Jalan Stesen is the one passing by KTM Station right? Never noticed about a Hwang-DBS there. After the hospital or before?
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Andrew Chin Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
This curry mee is one of the best in Taiping.I hope it’s still managed by this man call “Ah Kwan”. When I was working there in the early 80’s, I used to eat his curry mee 2-3 times a week. The prawns and curry is very special..Highly recommended.Must try
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J2Kfm Reply:
December 9th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Okay, Andrew. Will take not of this.
Though I doubt when can I find the time to travel up north again.
I always wanted to go Taiping as I got friend who live at there. Unfortunately, I’m too busy to go there =/
Now I see their food is really delicious I like the Char Kuey Teow with wok hei.. Some ppl fry till like duno wad.. not nice one.. Oh? Is the sweet sauce in ccf sweet? I don’t like sauce that is too sweet.. haha =)
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
A little sweet, with a sour-ish tinge. From the tim cheong. Not too sweet lah …. but you can ask for more chili sauce if you wanna reduce the sweetness and want some kick in your plate of CCF.
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john lee Reply:
May 26th, 2011 at 8:08 am
best char koew toew is in aulong………..
u can find the best wat tan hor and hokkien mee …….
the stall is number 11 inside aulong pasar…..
good luck
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Your photos keep getting BETTER and better … Droooooool!
I want to visit Taiping now
ps – Only problem is … I am in Abu Dhabi!
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
No hassle. Get yourself back to Malaysia during the CNY season, and drive away!
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Oh this brings back such fervent memories of going back for Chinese New Year, and making a beeline for the chee cheong fun. There is nothing like it! It’s practically a Taiping staple, like the Lake Gardens!
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
THIS stall right? You should know better …. and of course, FBB as well since he’s from there.
Throw me more food recommendations, minchow. I need them!
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wow… fav fan of popiah.
You mention it soggy.. what bout tastewise? haha making me craving for popiahs now
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Tastewise, not too shabby. A good combination of vegetables, eggs, and sauces. But I would have preferred my popiah to be on the dry side, so I can munch on the crunchy strips of yambean and cucumber.
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My ultimate comfort food … CCF… i miss the canning garden grumpy uncle’s version.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Haha … yeah, he’s still there. Just don’t get in his way.
http://www.j2kfm.com/ipoh-famous-canning-garden-chee-cheong-fun/
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My preference popiah is at Rexx. The rojak, curry & laksa there are ok. Night CCF at siang-malam is not bad. Then there is the aromatic 369 bakchang. And then the fried KT with duck egg situated near the Pokok Assam industrial area (use the Legend Hotel way). These are just a few. There are so many other good food in Taiping.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Siang Malam opens only in the evenings huh? I passed by few times but did not see much action.
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does this popiah have the chee yau char? i only like the ones with it;) hehe
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Hehe, sorry Ciki. Only Malaccans wrap theirs with lard. As far as I know.
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The ccf looked very very delicious. Very traditional and original. Can’t get the same version here in KL.
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What about “Ah Lan Cheh Kai See Mee” aka Sister Ah Lan chicken kway teow soup at Restoran KaKak..
..forgot the street name. Also serve best stewed chicken feet! And last but not least Taiping famous Cendol !
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Yes, mary. Here’s the review I did sometime ago :
http://www.j2kfm.com/taiping-restoran-kakak-chicken-noodle-soup/
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another suggestion for breakfast in taiping – malay style nasi lemak @ pokok assam (next to the big field). Forgotten the road name, if u’re in pusat penjaja taiping, take d main road leading to pokok assam, u’ll find it on your left side.
Very delicious!…
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Oh …. Pokok Assam, is it Muhibbah? A shack in the middle of a junction right? I have been there before. Very famous yes, but not exactly to my liking. Maybe I did not take their famous dishes?
Thanks anyway.
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[…] Hawker Food @ Taiping – Chee Cheong Fun, Char Kuey Teow, Popiah & Soya Milk […]
That plate of Char Kuey Teow looks really nice! I want to eat now!
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@Hudson – Thank you so much. Aun Loke it is then. Salted chicken and assam fish sound lovely ….
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Hudson Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
You are welcome .
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the Restoran Air Kacang Soya is one of my favourite shop to dine!!
I love the chicken rice and popiah.
There used to have prawn mee but it was closed already..The mee is vey popular, and was in newspaper before..
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
I see …. I thought of ordering the chicken rice, but the economy rice stall was doing brisk business! We were only there for some popiah and soybean milk.
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For breakfast you could try the mee kicap shop in kamunting they dont have any sign board
the shop is located after the crossroad traffic light going to bukit jana
..but it’s always packed for breakfast and it’s cheap too rm2 per plate..
another must visit stall is the wah tan hor stall that open in the evening only..their located just after the store kamunting and before esso petrol station…
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 14th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Mee Kicap sounds like a good bet. The crossroad traffic light is the one at the mosque?
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anba Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Yes..if ur coming from taiping sentral … after the traffic light ..u just go straight ..on your ;eft u’ll see a row of shophouses..the mee kicap shop is directly opposite a stal selling fruits.. if urr using google map the shop is in the same row as khazis kota pharmacy..
and also you should try the wat tan hor stall further up front ur ciming from taiping sentral..it’s really good…
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Thanks anba. I know where the shop is already.
I will note this down and list the recommendation down.
Now you are talking about real food. Have to go back every year to sin myself. Or stuffed myself. lol.
Enjoy my site also man. So recommended food there also. Sure won’t go hungry.
rgds
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Yeah, extreme. I read your blog before, and have gotten recommendations from there.
I can understand how much you love your hometown, and craving for another bite back home.
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So how does the Taiping CCF compare with the Ipoh ones? Who reigns?
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Have you tried ‘Roti Sayur’ from Yut Sun Restaurant? also the “Ang Tao Ka” – Ice Blended Red Bean drink from Raex , located nearby Popular book store.
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ah… hawker delights are the best…. though most would say unhygienic….
but their taste is always remarkable…
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i remembered eating CCF at Pokok Assam’s market when i was young. most of the time will go there to have breakfast when visiting my relatives. can’t remember which stall but it will be sold out very fast in the morning. still i think it’s one of the most authentic CCF with the sweet sauce or just plain soya sauce. it’s been so long since i last stepped into Pokok Assam. wonder how the place have changed…
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ya. the pokok assam ccf used to be in the middle, next to the hamchimpeng stall. nice.
I would say, the rest of the stalls also have their specialties. People there are so lucky. lol.
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U should try d Chee Cheong fun at d stall opposite d taiping KFC, ‘Siang malam’. It’s Chee Cheong fun has lot of sesame seed, fried onion n yam. Really nice n it open in d evening only.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 9th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Yup, heard of that one before. But rarely stayed a night in Taiping, usually did day trips only.
But will certainly welcome another trip to Taiping when the opportunity comes.
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Really makes me longing to come back for another visit!
Too back, I am so far away!
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