A Timeless Dim Sum Affair @ Ying Fa Restaurant, Ipoh Old Town
September 2, 2010 | 16,078 views
The “Hor Yip Fan” that we missed on the first visit to Ying Fa Restaurant, but sheer determination saw us calling a day in advance and reserve TWO bundles/packets of their famed glutinous rice.
Perseverance pays off handsomely. And that was exactly how we went back to Ying Fa for a second time in two successive weeks, this time bringing both grandmas along for the feast. One of them still clings to fond memories of eating dim sum there with my late grandfather way back in the 70’s-80’s, while the other suffers from amnesiac attacks much like how yours truly experience on most days. 🙂
A not-so-hidden pair of scissors underneath some metal plates of piping hot, freshly steamed dim sum.
To avoid disappointment again (refer to the first page for the full story), we arrived much earlier (okay … in OUR books at least. Slightly past 9am for the others is peanuts) so that we can sample more of their dim sum without risking the thought of being told “mai sai jor lah …..” (all finished already).
For RM3.20/USD1.00 per portion, the Lotus Leaf Rice at Ying Fa deserves to be recognized as one of the best in Ipoh. Seriously.
We were glad we booked our ‘Hor Yip Fan’ prior to our arrival. A day in advance, to be exact. Unless you’re willing to wake up at an unGodly hour of 5-6am, then that’s fine.
By the time we were there, only TWO packets of the rice were all that was left. Yes, and we proceeded to eat one there and then, while taking away the other. After being reheated on the spot, we were treated to the faintly aromatic fragrance of the lotus leaf-wrapped glutinous rice with dried shrimps, bits of ‘char siew’ (barbecued pork), dried shiitake mushrooms, waxed sausage (lap cheong) slices, and cuts of chicken meat.
Almost passing off as a close relative of the famed Lor Mai Gai, the Lotus Leaf Rice tasted subtly bland in comparison, but in a positive vibe. Not as ‘heavy’ nor greasy as its peer, the portion is sufficient to be shared among two eaters.
Seaweed Fish Cake Rolls with Surimi (crabstick/filament stick) – Came highly recommended by the aunty, hence we took the plate with slight reluctance. But tasty nonetheless, served with a side dipping sauce of mayonnaise.
This colourful creation of prawn dumpling (Har Mai, I think) was a succulent and juicy morsel, offering some crunchy bites. Awkwardly, this was better than their Har Gau or Siew Mai.
Pick from your favourite piece of stuffed fish paste (yong tau foo), or go for a plate of their delicious Sweet & Sour Rolls. Never got enough of those piquant pork rolls wrapped with a thin layer of beancurd sheet.
Pleasant platter of stuffed bitter gourd, brinjals and red chillies with their own paste of pork+fish.
Can’t deny the fact that the stuffed brinjals with the droolsome gravy at Foh San ruled them all. But I can’t forget the subsequent lacklustre experiences at the new outlet, paired with the incessant needs to put up a straight face while hovering over the tables with steely glances. DEFINITELY NOT your favourite Sunday morning activity when you’re bringing the elderly.
Ying Fa, to their credits, did manage to impress both the grandmas with the hefty portion of fish paste stuffed (‘yeong’) into the vegetables. But the gravy did not register a die-die-must-try impression. Maybe I’m a picky Yong Tau Foo eater? Hmm …..
Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun; was told by KYT that you can’t mix and match the Char Siew and Prawn versions, hence you can either order one of each, or give up on the other.
Damn this chili paste was the BOMB! Salty? Yes. Spicy? Yes. But very fragrant and a perfect accompaniment to the Chee Cheong Fun, as well as the Lor Bak Gou in my opinion.
One thing of note though, the Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun might have been another run of the mill version coming from a dim sum restaurant (for the BEST, you must try Kafe Sentosa Ria’s in Ipoh Garden South), but don’t give up on the accompanying plate of chili oil fried with dried shrimps and curry leaves. DAMN good to perk up the fried radish cake (Lor Bak Gou) as well.
And for an additional RM1/IUSD0.30 or so, you can opt to have your Lor Bak Gou (fried radish cake) to be stir-fried with eggs, bean sprouts and scallions.
Since the old Foh San on Osborne Street, I have yet to try a worthy Fried Lor Bak Gou with bean sprouts and egg omelette that deserves to be raved about. But Ying Fa proved their worth in this one; serving up a plate of the dish redolent with ‘wok hei’ (aroma imparted from the heated wok) and loaded with crunchy and plump bean sprouts. Don’t miss this if you love Ipoh’s (Buntong‘s, to be exact) famous bean sprouts.
We did order most of the dim sum we had on the first visit. The Lor Mai Gai (another version of the steamed glutinous rice with chicken), Char Siew Bao (BBQ pork buns), and various dumplings were still good. And once again, try their ‘Sun Juk Quen’ or sweet and sour rolls. Almost on par with Ming Court‘s rendition.
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wow, really have to look beyond just foh san and ming court now since both are commercialized and overpriced! food quality has certainly dropped!
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Not so much for Ming Court, but Foh San I felt have seriously gone down in terms of quality. And let’s not talk about the pathetic service ….
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Oh yes, Ying Fa. Pass by this shop everytime we’re on the way home from town but ironically, we never been there, not even once.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Yeah, I passed by often too when going towards Menglembu from my work place. But you know what? Before this I have always thought this was just another coffee shop selling economy rice, or ‘chu char’ dishes.
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The lotus leave rice must be enticing…so enticing that you guys ate up the rice and simply dumped the leaves. :p
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Duh … tekkaus; we DID NOT lah. Read between the lines okay? 🙂
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are u sure har gau got sliver of lard?? thats something new, despite my friend tellin me b4 that it is actually two ingredients; prawns with arrowshoot (or something like that)
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
I just read from a Hong Kong food blog yesterday. Not sure if that’s supposed to be the REAL Har Gau, but I know they no longer do that here.
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Just for info – The new generations of Kok Kee Restaurant had opened their Dim Sum Restaurant in Bercham Ipoh and it is known as Sun Kok Kee. It is behind the SRK (Cina) Bercham Ipoh. The food quality is there and the price very reasonable.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:59 am
Yeah, I have heard of the Sun Kok Kee, but did not know they’re one of the same.
Here’s a page on them : http://superpages.com.my/restaurant-and-dining/chinese-food/sun-kok-kee-126989.html
in case anyone’s interested to know where they are.
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agree with jimmy, kok kee ‘s dim sum is quite good
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 8:02 am
Thanks SImple Girl, that’s reassuring enough.
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Oh… I always love to have the Traditional egg tarts with a buttery cookie pastry. I don’t like the more common flaky version… haha
i should visit this restaurant when I am going to ipoh again next time….
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 8:10 am
Yeah, depends loh, I have friends who like the buttery cookie version (you can find them at John King’s egg tarts kiosks in Klang Valley and Penang). But personally I do not mind having the flaky pastry ones in dim sum outlets.
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Ah!!! Nostalgia!!
Another present day Dim Sum is Hill City.
BTW have you tried the Over-the bridge-mai-sin in Taman Mas Falim ?
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Hill City Hotel you mean? Never knew they serve dim sum there. Any good?
Tower Regency serves pork-free (maybe halal?) dim sum too.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Bushido; yes I have tried the Over-The-Bridge Noodles. But not to our liking, rather bland without the thick chili paste.
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I’m going up to Cameron Highland this Sat, is this dim sum place convenient for me to stop by?
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Hi mimi. If coming from the south, I don’t think so. But you can detour to old town, then back to Simpang Pulai. About 10-15 minutes of drive only from Simpang Pulai exit to old town of Ipoh.
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This is definitely a good find for dim sum! No more jostling and waiting for tables.. I’d much rather have a long and relaxing dim sum session without people staring at me eating! *LOL*
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Same here! We ended our meal, then sip on Chinese tea and chatted with the aunty there. Very relaxing, no rush and perfect start to the off-day.
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Kok Kee… wow! That is a name I almost forgot… Yin Fa… Have been a long time since I went there.. Use to go there a lot with my parents during weekend..and very early.. This is before Ming Court..
Thanks for reminding me about this long lost place..
Good one bro!
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Brought back memories right? This was my first visit to Ying Fa though, and fond memories of eating at Kok Kee for dinner-supper came flooding by ….. That was exactly why I used to like eating at the old Foh San back then. Very nostalgic, very rich in legacy.
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Oh yes, I remember Kok Kee – fave place to go for dim sum at night! Those good old days…sigh.
This Ying Fa place – must check it out soon… very “old world” and serving authentic fresh dimsum – that’s a winner in my books!
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Yeah! Back then when we were still kids, a dinner at Kok Kee would mean a most delicious dim sum affair; including my personal fav egg tarts and har gau.
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Wow, i am so surprised that you dont know Hilllcity serve dim sum for so many years and brim with peoples too everyday. Nothing special and the taste so-so only, maybe serve more local people from gunung rapat and soon choon housing area…….
Personally, the best char siew pao in ipoh is from yoke fok moon!
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Really? Thanks nick. I seldom go to restaurants in hotels for food, hence the ignorance.
Last time used to take the dim sum from Tai Thong, but after they have moved to the current Royal China, I have not visited.
Yes, the best bao from Yoke Fook Moon, that’s for sure.
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[…] A Timeless Dim Sum Affair @ Ying Fa Restaurant, Ipoh Old Town […]
OMG! We like dim sum very much here =] Stomach already drooling when seeing all these dim sum.. We have never try this before, the steamed rice rolls wrapped around minced pork patty… I don’t think it is available here at KL isn’t it?
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Ahh.. Ying fa is finally in your review… me and my family visit this place most of the time when we need dim sum fix.. why? 1st..not as crowded as the famous foh san and ming court… 2nd..overall, the dim sum is good and 3rd the most important.. portion is big and price is reasonable. You should try the pork ribs..the gravy is damn good
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Oh …. I don’t think they had pork ribs that day. But I can’t be sure. We tried most of the stuff, and had to take away some as there were only three of us.
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I went there this morning, for taste wise I still prefer Ming Court and Yoke Fook Moon.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
I see …. just that this is tempting in the sense that sometimes, after one too many Foh San or Ming Court sessions, the traffic and the people might get to you. And you just wish for a place like Ying Fa, or Sun Kim Aik.
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Wow, you brought back old memories 🙂 My family used to go there a few times a week like more than 10 years ago…
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 12th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Haha … yeah, the place is still there. And still you can see a crowd there on most mornings. Though mostly the locals, and the aged generation.
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HI all
Can I ask if the Tai Thong which have moved from Heritage to the place near Casuarina is any good? I was told that their banquet halls are quite nicely designed and all…
Food wise, how’s the dinner or even yum cha there? If anyone can some shed light, that will be much appreciated!
Thanks again…
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Hi Foreigner liao … (haha),
Personally, I have not been to Royal China (the name of the restaurant) though I have heard of mixed reactions with regards to their food.
The ambience is lovely, especially the Tropicana Banquet Hall. Royal China serves dim sum as well, and you can find some reviews on the net if you Google for them.
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Foreigner liao.... Reply:
September 14th, 2010 at 6:52 am
Hi J2Kfm
Yeah..I have been scouring the net and as you said, there are mixed reviews. It’s good you mentioned the Tropicana Banquet Hall as I was just trying to look for a gallery or some pics, but no luck. 😐
Aparently, their dinner is good, the locals; well my parents and their friends, seems to think that they are up there with the best in Ipoh. My only concern is on the chef’s management side in handling 3 banquets on the same day for a combined capacity of 100 tables?
That’s why I was snooping around for information if anyone has frequented Royal China during a wedding..
Anyhow…thanks for the feeback! Much appreciated!
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interesting place to be….. seeing the crowd to be locals and elderly people. Food wise, some hits and misses. The Har cau has thick skin – not nice. Lotus leave rice – sold out! Loh Mai fan – a tad too oily. fried prawn rolls – this is good. Need to try other stuffs as well. parking is quite a breeze (on a Raya morning)
Royal China – nice food but….. very expensive (small portions)..there’s always a price to pay….
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Yeah, I can understand that. To imagine a restaurant like Royal China serving RM2.80 per plate of dim sum, how are they going to survive right?
But if the taste and quality justify the price paid, I don’t mind paying RM5 or more for each portion of dim sum. The environment alone is a plus factor to some.
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I went there yesterday (1st May 2014) and the place was closed…..the name “YING FA” has been replaced with “TO LET”…..does anyone know what has happened to this legendary dim-sum restaurant?
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The place is confirmed closed.
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So sad to know it has closed down. :'(
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