Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Jamon Iberico (Spanish cured ham made from the prized black Iberico pig – read more here) with Rock Melon and Salad (MYR48) – Morsel Eatery could be the first place in Ipoh to daringly include iberico into their special menu

Happy Chinese New Year to all dear readers and followers of Motormouth from Ipoh and All About Ipoh!

Another year, another season to binge without guilt (okay, less guilt) and another period of get-together, planning for the meetings, catching up over lost time between family and friends,watching nonsensical Chinese movies in the cineplexes (and remember to visit GSC @ Ipoh Parade Mall for their entirely new movie halls; now numbering 11 and rivaling some of the best in Klang Valley), and of course …. prepare yourself for the slaughterhourse, ie: dining out can be a nightmare with restaurateurs doubling/tripling their prices through special “CNY menus”.

We completed our prayers and it was almost lunch hour. Thanks to a hint from a friend of mine, I steered the batalion of hungry souls over to the Greenhill area around Tower Regency Hotel and found myself parked right across the road from Morsel Eatery.

This looked exactly like another clone of Jose & Deli, Josephine or Myth @ M Boutique Hotel. At least, the outlook, colour tones and general vibes gave me that impression. But …. look beyond the misleading physical stereotype and be wowed by the passion in their cooking …   Read the rest of this entry »

Home-Made Salt Beef Sandwich (RM23.90/USD8) – A warm, tummy-filling fare that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your weary face. TGIF in a few hours already … persevere, dear gluttons.

“Ben’s KLCC was launched April 15^th 2011 and is modelled after a Manhattan townhouse. The menu concentrates on international cuisine, ranging from refreshing appetisers and yummy salads to hearty East and West main courses, delicious snacks and luscious desserts.”

(Excerpt from http://www.suriaklcc.com.my/dining/restaurants/bens/)

Ben’s; the flagship cafe under the BIG group (responsible for various popular outlets, ie: Plan B, Ben’s General Food Store, T Forty Two, etc) reminded me of Delicious by Ms Read the most. From the warm lighting, rustic setting with plush sofas, the cakes counter that’s bound to break a diet or two, and the overall marriage of Eastern and Western influences in the dishes offered.

“It is a place that entices people to visit with their friends and families, sharing good food and precious moments; building rituals.” (from their official website)

Read the rest of this entry »

Turkey Ham Quiche (RM12.90/USD4.30) – One of her signature creations; previously available only on weekends, not on a daily basis as per request. Tammy bakes hers with a heart.

Okay, so greed is but one of the 7 deadly sins known to men. Oh dang, gluttony too. Infused with  unenviable two deadly sins got this Motormouth hesitant at first, to share what could be my current favourite cafe in Ipoh.

Don’t flinch. Yeah yeah … so it’s true that I rarely go back now. Much akin to being branded as someone who turns his back on his hometown. But not too worried. I promise that you will see a post or two every now and then on food from Ipoh, for I have sworn allegiance; to some extent; to cover most, if not ALL of the eateries worthy of the limelight in Ipoh.

Right now? I am barely halfway there.

For today? Let’s see what this 9 months’ old cafe has to offer …. Read the rest of this entry »

A very healthy looking dish, aesthetically-pleasant as well with blanched ‘lai fun’ aka rice noodles, braised in a light stock with bean sprouts, julienned carrot, and basil. The slices of grouper fillet were succulent with no fishy aftertaste, garnished with black sesame seeds on top. (RM12.80/USD4.20)

Pardon the cliched title of the post. But Lite Desire did bring to mind another one of those cafe-cum-kopitiam-cum-bistro that serves nothing but deep fried snacks readily available from supermarkets, nasi lemak without the santan (coconut milk) = Blasphemy, say you?!, various pre-mixed white coffee masquerading as the real brew, and diluted soup from the can.

Goji Longan Chrysanthemum Tea (RM5.80/USD1.90) – The first sip was awkward, as I tasted sweet chrysanthemum tea, but with the aroma and essence of wolfberries, and the sweetness of dried longans. Then it dawned on me that the combination might work wonder for healthy purposes.

But I was wrong. This quaint, homely cafe (still refuse to categorize this as a restaurant given the tight space with a cozy ambience) parked on top of Pappa Rich at De Garden in Ipoh (YES, there IS an eatery on the first floor!) has been around for 9 months now.

And I definitely would not have paid this place a visit had it not been recommended by a few readers, and a friend of my family’s. Read on to find out why this restaurant deserves to be mentioned alongside the other eateries at De Garden, and still hold its head up high …. Read the rest of this entry »

STEAK FACTORY @ Rapid Mall Seri Intan, a relatively new mall in Teluk Intan

Last month we went on a whirlwind eating tour in Teluk Intan, covering the famous Liew Kee Chee Cheong Fun (only opens from 5pm onwards, so don’t park yourself there for lunch), Ah Chai Rojak (not as good as some might say), Jalan Maharani decades-old soya bean milk, Ta Sin Guan Tin‘s confectioneries and Lana Tea House (a charming little place for lunch, dinner, and everything in between).

That took us about 8 hours worth of travelling, bingeing, resting in-between, and naptime in the car. But if you’re thinking that those are all that Teluk Intan has to offer …. you’re wrong, my friend.

Nobody told me that the Root Beer Float comes in a huge-a$$ jug sufficient for two. They should have put some warning/reminder or such. >_<

Anyway, to make a long story short (hehe, yeah right), we were there for work yesterday morning and ended up having our rushed breakfasts at McDonald’s (no pics though, and I made a blunder by trying to order a Weekday Breakfast Special set priced from RM4.00-RM4.50, when it was clearly a SATURDAY!), then subsequently our lunch at Steak Factory; a Western diner with Asian influences that spans two shoplots at Rapid Mall in Teluk Intan. Steak Factory is supposedly ‘Halal‘ (sorry I forgot to confirm the status, but definitely pork-free and they claimed to use Halal ingredients), and offers a range of Western cuisine, with minimal choices from the Asian kitchen sandwiched between. Read on to find out about this place ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Siamese Laksa @ Family Cafe in Ipoh (RM6.80/USD2)

Ever since the ‘demise’ of Sharon’s Laksa recently, I have been receiving comments, queries and mails asking about where to go for Siamese Laksa in Ipoh. Most suggestions point to this place, named Family Cafe situated in Taman Ipoh Permai, off the main road from Jusco Kinta City leading to Tambun of Ipoh.

I have tasted Family Cafe’s Siamese Laksa once (which is only available on weekends), before Sharon’s Laksa even came into the picture. Yes, I do agree that I prefer this type of richer, less sour and spicy, yet equally as satisfying bowl of laksa, than say, its counterpart the Assam Laksa, or Curry Laksa.

So how did this bowl of Siamese Laksa at Family Cafe fare? Read on ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Citrus Wine & Dine – Remains as one of our favourite restaurant in Ipoh for good Western food, or rather “Modern Euro Asia Cuisine”, as printed on their menus

Tomorrow’s the BIG day for all the mothers. Instead of having her cooking/’ta-pau-ing’ (taking away)/paying for the meals, why not be a filial child and bring her out for a decent meal instead?

If your argument borders on the lines of absurdity (NO good restaurants in Ipoh, Fine-dining in Ipoh sounds like I have to mortgage an arm and a leg, Ipoh’s too jam-packed with people, yadda yadda …..), then shame on you. Really. Okay, maybe the last one IS somewhat true, as I bear witness to unbelievable congestion in Ipoh these few days, with no clue as to why.

Braised Lamb Shank with Oriental Bean Sauce (RM35/USD10.95) – A clever burst of flavours from the East and the West. Or in this case, from down under as well?

I wrote about Citrus Wine & Dine before, way back in 2008. The restaurant situated in Ipoh Garden East, facing the main road of Jalan Perajurit en route to Tambun/Sunway City has been around for a good few years now. This huge building, occupying a lot of its own, also houses another eatery named Wan Stop Cafe (previously Sharon’s Laksa), that serves forgettable food ranging from Portuguese-style Grilled Seafood, and the likes.  Read the rest of this entry »