Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

This article was originally published on The Malay Mail Online. Read it HERE.

Order a mixed portion of roasted chicken and poached chicken to go along with the yellow-tinged rice

There are at least a dozen or so famous names constantly being bandied about when speaking about chicken rice in Ipoh. Being a hotspot for bean sprouts chicken (nga choy gai) in the country, the chicken which is usually poached to retain that smooth texture of the meat, and the accompanying nga choy aka bean sprouts grown from the supply of hard water from the limestone hills in Ipoh are parallel to none.

However, with so many names to pick from (Lou Wong, Onn Kee, Cowan Street and Buntong just to name a few), where does one start to draw the line between good chicken rice and excellent chicken rice?

The more renowned bean sprouts chicken stalls listed above are hot picks amongst the tourists — and locals to some extent; more so for their repertoire of poached chicken, bean sprouts and kuey teow (flat rice noodles; also known as sar hor fun to the locals) but not so for their version of chicken rice.

Read the rest of this entry »

 Nasi Ayam Pasar Bulat from Restoran Fuziah is an established brand since 1980; when they were still operating at the old “Pasar Bulat” (Yau Tet Shin Market) along Cowan Street.

It’s the fifth day of Raya, and most of us are already back to work. Some with a limp, others with a whimper and probably somewhere out there are a handful of extraordinary souls eagerly lapping up the delayed tasks and pumped up with adrenaline rush upon seeing the heaps of unfinished assignments.

Me? I extended my long break (Raya ma … kita kan “1Malaysia”? So let me wallow in my sorrow okay?) to another day. And it gradually dawned on me … that I have not written much about Halal restaurants in the past few months.

I do believe that Ipoh has limited choices of renowed/delicious Malay cuisine (correct me please if my assumption is wrong here!), but there are still quite a number of famed establishments deserving of the spotlight.

Restoran Fuziah Nasi Ayam or better known as Nasi Ayam Pasar Bulat for example, escaped my radar for a good period of time. Not anymore. Here’s today’s fix of chicken rice story to get you through the Monday blues …  Read the rest of this entry »

Ain’t no KFC …. but Hoe Fong’s Crispy Fried Chicken tastes good; sans the batter. Just like how grandma used to fry the chicken with minimal marinade; soy sauce, five spice powder, sugar and possibly a dash of sesame oil.

Let’s take a break from the Saigon stories. The endless strings of chapters and ramblings will probably last you from Raya to Merdeka to Malaysia Day and then some. For today, let’s visit one of our frequent haunt for lunch in Seapark, PJ; Hoe Fong Chicken Rice.

Blame it on the strenuous nature of the current job. I lost track of how many wonderful stories that I wanted to share with you guys. Like today’s for instance. This brunch took place at least more than a month or two ago. And I vaguely remember how I capped off the rainy day’s feast with a banter with the owner of the place; whom took over from his uncle who started this establishment back then in the 80’s.  Read the rest of this entry »

“Kai See Hor Fun” with Wanton @ RM6.50/USD2.20

If you’re cursing under your breath, I can understand that. If you’re sick of looking at chickens (real one okay … edible fowls), I buy that too. After the almost relentless onslaught of posts on chicken rice (Loke Yun Ampang and Kee Kee Bentong Chicken Rice), I would have balked at the sight of another. And another. AND another …..

Yet, I can’t help but pursue this medley of torment; if you insist on calling these ‘delicious’ posts that. Kar Heong Restaurant was started back in 2004 in Subang Jaya, then subsequently opened a branch at Kota Damansara in 2008.

If you go …. oh well, just another Nam Heong, New Ipoh Restaurant Chicken Rice or worse …. a Chicken Rice Shop-wannabe, think again. The “Kai See Hor Fun” (shredded chicken rice noodle soup) here can rival even some of the best in Ipoh. No joke.  Read the rest of this entry »

Kee Kee Bentong Chicken Rice @ Yat Yeh Hing Restaurant – Corn fed chickens from Bentong, Pahang, crispy roasted chicken fresh from the oil bath, the crunchy bean sprouts sourced from IPOH (!), and fragrant oiled rice perfumed with the aroma of ginger, garlic and shallot. Oh, and that plate of chili sauce + grated ginger was magnificent.

Barely a few weeks after the last post on chicken rice from Loke Yun Ampang, here’s another onslaught on all senses. And regardless of whether you’re a fan of chicken rice or not, the omnipresence of this quintessentially Hainanese creation cannot be denied.

Let’s not argue over the origin of Hainanese chicken rice. Bear in mind that this combination is based loosely on the famous Wenchang chicken dish from Hainan, China. The Chinese uses free-range chickens fed with coconut and peanut bran; resulting in a slightly more prominent yellow hues on the skin.

Wenchang chicken is usually served without the oiled rice, and with a condiment of chopped ginger and salt. Unlike the Hainanese chicken rice commonly served in Malaysia and Singapore; whereby we prefer chili sauce with a piquant touch from the mashed/grated ginger.

Fat, yellow-skin chicks hanging from the hooks. You can roughly guess which version of their chickens is the more popular choice.

If you’re in PJ, and don’t fancy going to Ampang, or even Solaris Dutamas for Loke Yun’s famous chicken rice, try Kee Kee Bentong Chicken Rice at Yat Yeh Hing Restaurant in SS4; immediately before the Kelana Jaya exit on LDP. Read the rest of this entry »

Notice the more saturated tones of yellow on the chicken skin? Compared to the ones with a lighter shade of yellow, the “choy yin gai” (farm chicken) possess a definite advantage in terms of flavour, texture and yeah … monetary values, of course.

Just came back earlier this afternoon from a self-declared heaven on earth.

Yeah it was indeed a very timely excursion to one of the most obscure places in Malaysia, yet brimming with potential, exuding characters unparalleled and just plain screamed for attention, albeit in a subtle manner. Wait for the post in another few days.

For now, let’s talk CHICKEN RICE.

Half a chicken (option of the usual chicken or “choy yin gai”) poached to a marvelous extent; retaining the natural juiciness of the flesh with a toothsome bite (we picked the “choy yin gai” at more than RM30 for half a chicken), garnished with bits of fried shallot and coriander but not before being drizzled lightly in the usual soy sauce-based concoction.

Satellite Chicken Rice and the countless New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice outlets were none too impressive, but Hong Seng in Section 17 was a clear winner when it comes to roasted chicken.

And then here’s the supposedly champion of all champions; Loke Yun Ampang Chicken Rice. But …. seriously? Read the rest of this entry »

A mouth-watering portion of caramelized ‘Char Siew’ and roast pork seated atop the pile of fragrant oil rice @ Hong Seng in Section 17, PJ. “Mum, I found a good one!!“

There was a time when I had very high hopes for Satellite Chicken Rice; voted as the BEST chicken rice in Klang Valley according to a poll. But my dream was shattered; hope crumbled like a piece of worthless paper. Aside from the traditional set up; set against the neighbouring juggernaut of a New Ipoh Restaurant Chicken Rice outlet, Satellite did not manage to wow me.

And my esteemed impression of chicken rice in KL/PJ was reduced to dust.

Then, like how a fallen warrior rises up to his feet, Hong Seng came knocking with a plea to reinstate my faith in chicken rice in Klang Valley. So I was brought here for lunch one fine afternoon by a good Samaritan; promising an experience worthy of an accolade in this Motormouth’s good books.

Okay ….. we shall see. Read the rest of this entry »