Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

A bountiful serving of Surprise Me Regular Salad with simple green + 8 choice toppings + 2 premium toppings (cashew nut was one of them) for MYR15.00

It could be our culture or how we were brought up believing that salads are appetizers and can never be a proper replacement for a satisfying, protein and carb-laden feast. Hence, we found ourselves at the constant mercy of nasi lemak mak cik’s, nasi kandar sellers and occasionally, succumbing to temptation (and to some extent, convenience) of fast food outlets whenever we want a quick lunch within walking distance from the office.

Salad bars were almost unheard of in the Klang Valley, let alone in Ipoh. But few years back, I was introduced to The Salad Bar in Damansara Uptown, a daring plea to change the way the corporate lunch crowd think and do something about healthy eating.

It was going in the right direction, where the place was not only packed during lunch, but still see a healthy (pardon the pun) dinner crowd on weekdays. Although there’s a change in the management team behind the brand (the previous owners sold the business off, in pursuing different goals in life possibly … but they did make an impression with TSB, no less), traffic was still healthy the last I checked.

With more than 40 items available at the salad counter, it will be good to name the ingredients to speed up the process

Now, let’s move closer to Ipoh. Although salads have been featured as starters in almost all of the Western eateries (rarely beyond the Caesar or Nicoise varieties), there has not been a dedicated salad bar until recently. Basileou Salad is located in Greentown Business Centre, pretty strategic and easy to find (same row as Astro service centre), focusing on healthy eating and sustainable lifestyle, with fair trade coffee offered in the mix. Read the rest of this entry »

Salted Egg Lotus Root (RM8/USD2.70) – Coated with a batter that’s rich with salted egg yolk, and curry leaves for that distinct, aromatic touch; the plate of humble lotus root (ling ngau) was transformed into something decadent worth ordering again and again ….

Remember Steamhouse in Bercham? That restaurant specializing in healthy, steam cuisine has already expanded to a second branch in Ipoh. How wrong was I to grow a certain skepticism on the prospects of a restaurant preaching about nutritious food in Ipoh!

I mean, traditionally, GOOD food and HEALTHY cuisine do NOT go along fine in the same sentence. Right?

And then, Zhi Yin Yang Yan (ZYYY) came along late last year. Or maybe middle of last year for all I care, but I failed to see the future of another restaurant hailing the coming of an era of healthy eating and endless range of double-boiled soups.

Boy … was I WRONG. Read on, and see why. Read the rest of this entry »

*Read the original article in its printed form published in the March edition of the lifestyle magazine; I.M. – Only RM3.50 at your favourite bookstore. Go grab a copy now, for punchy articles like no other. Seriously.

If you’re screaming and running away in agony from the sight of fresh, healthy greens, then SHAME on you!

The dust has settled, after some serious bouts of bingeing. First it was Christmas, then the New Year beckoned with more merry-making, then Chinese New Year came and left a trail of devastation …. piling on the unsightly pounds where the sun doesn’t shine. No thanks to the endless supplies of new year cookies, rounds of ‘Lou Sang’ and then there would be the senseless nights of mahjong + groundnuts + beer.

Intoxicating ensemble of sins and gluttony.

Spicy Salad – Look at the abundance of sunflower seeds!

But then again, salvation comes at the right moment. Salad Bar in Damansara Uptown has actually been around for one year; almost exactly. This charming, no-frills outlet prides on their creation of colourful and tasty salads without compromising on the flavours and of course, nutrition. So much so that we found our way back again and again after the initial visit ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Purple Cane Tea House @ Ipoh – Their maiden branch in Ipoh; a solely Tea House concept unlike the other Purple Cane restaurants that emphasize on tea-infused dishes instead.

So you might have heard about what that legendary premise on Osborne Street (Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar) previously occupied by Foh San Dim Sum has been renovated, and transformed into. If you have not, then it’s fine time you revisit that charming, beloved structure now with a fresh coat of white paint, yet nary a demolishing thought put into action; maintaining the iconic facade we have all grown up with.

The people at Purple Cane must be commended for putting deep thoughts into turning this Tea House into something fresh and chic yet retaining that old school charm of the beautiful interior.

The publicity has been minimal until now, with no brochures reaching my hands, nor large advertisements splashed out in the papers. (Maybe there WERE, but I don’t read the Chinese dailies) Heck, if not for the photos posted by fans of the All About Ipoh page, a post from Simple Girl, and a mail from a reader, I would not have known about this quaint gem (ironically, this term was used sparingly by a restaurant down south).

Read on to find out about the cuisine they serve, the products they sell (the tea house is adjacent to a retail area), their location and business hours, as well as how you can get a membership card by dining at the eatery …… Read the rest of this entry »