Indian Food | Motormouth From Ipoh - Asian Food & Travel Blog

Deja Vu? (Banana Leaf Curry Rice @ NS Curry House & Ritter Sport Chocolates from Langkawi)

April 9, 2009 | 10,646 views

Since we’re on a roll here, let’s review another restaurant serving banana leaf curry rice (BLR – sc‘s the one who coined this, not me!) in Ipoh …. but feel free to look away if BLR’s not your thing. But Malaysians being Malaysians, who can say NO (!!) to heaps of white rice on a banana leaf, generously doused with curries, served with a meat of choice, and unlimited servings of vegetables. And a piece of those addictive, crunchy papadom for good measure.

Unlimited gravies, and vegetable side dishes, one can have a VERY heavy lunch and suffer the consequences. The post-lunch syndrome x 10 = Logs @ Work.

Previous experience at Samy’s left us wanting for more, Mr Z & FCOE recommended this outlet on Maxwell Road in Ipoh, simply named NS Curry House, an unassuming choice given the far from city location, as well as the lack of publicity thereof. But wait, since they’re foodies in their own rights (=P), we took their words for it, and ventured to this outlet one fine afternoon. (P/S : See? Mr Z/FCOE ; I’m skipping all backlogs for this post, dedicated to you guys …. hehehe …)

The Elixir of Sin …. Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories: Ipoh Food
Tags: Banana Leaf Rice, Chocolate, Indian, Indian Food, Ipoh, Ipoh Food, Langkawi, Motormouthing
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Banana Leaf Meal @ Samy Restaurant, Chemor & Chocolate Liqueurs from Langkawi

April 6, 2009 | 13,808 views

The sleepy?/bustling? town of Chemor, Perak

Chemor, in case you’re wondering, is a small town in Perak, about 25 km from Ipoh, and near to Sungai Siput, and Kuala Kangsar. Previous entry on Chemor’s food (and the only one, as far as I can recall!) was on Hoong Wan’s Fish Noodles, and that was ages ago.

A name most food enthusiasts in and around Ipoh would be familiar with ….

Samy Restaurant is one of the household name, a force to be reckoned with, so to speak, in this part of Kinta district. Serving delectable Indian banana leaf cuisine, the place is routinely packed with factory workers from the various industrial parks within the vicinity, namely Tasek, Chemor, Kanthan and Sungai Siput. On weekends, even tourists stop by for a finger-licking good meal while on the way to Kuala Kangsar (using the trunk road).

Red, fiery, and tantalising curries in claypots for your choosing

Be there early, before 12pm if possible, to beat the crowd. But the patrons here do not mind sharing their tables, given the fact that the set up mostly consists of long tables (ala canteen style), thus strangers may be sitting next to each other, licking their fingers while seemingly in trance from the addictive curry dishes.

White rice served on a banana leaf, with various vegetable dishes; Pickled cucumber, pineapple and onions, Curry potatoes, carrots and long beans, & The Usual …. Cabbage

First up, march into the shop, all the while stealing glances at the counter up front, picking your dish of preference. From curry chicken to dry mutton curry, as well as crabs, de-shelled prawns curry and squids, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Lest you come here with a few companions (makan kakis?), you’ll be better off picking ONE dish, rather than being ambitious and try one of each!

Drench your rice with the vegetable curry, complemented by a cup of Rasam and a crispy Papadam. To douse the fire (don’t worry, the dishes ain’t spicy), wash it all down with a cool, and sweet glass of Cow’s Milk

Curry Mutton with Potatoes

Curry Chicken with Potatoes

The portion at Samy’s on the larger end, hence hold the rice if you’re not in for a VERY filling meal. We ended up feeling very sleepy after the meal, given the high carbohydrate contents, and the hot-as-hell weather. Ipoh’s BLAZING HOT lately, no joke.

As popular as Samy may be, I still feel the banana leaf fare at Sri Asoka Corner over at Medan Selera Stadium Ipoh scores a notch above in terms of taste. Personal preference aside, I felt that Samy’s curries and side dishes leaned more towards the salty side, especially the cabbage and carrots combo.

People tucking in to their serving of banana leaf goodness, completely ignoring the intrusion of privacy in the form of licking one’s fingers on the side

The meal for two came to RM22, including drinks. Not the cheapest option out there, especially in good old Ipoh, but the portion served somewhat justified the price paid. And banana leaf meals don’t come cheap, do they? 🙂

a sweet ending …. in the form of Laddu (50 cents)

The Laddu is a popular Indian sweet, made from flour, and dipped into sugar syrup, with a hint of spices. Samy’s Laddu is fortunately, not sickeningly sweet unlike most, and finished the spicy/greasy meal rather well, on a sweet note.

Location : Samy Restaurant @ 70, Jalan Besar, 31200 Chemor, Perak. Specifically? From Jalan Kuala Kangsar, go towards the direction of Chemor/Sungai Siput and you’ll reach the town of Chemor with two-storey shoplots lining the road on both sides. Samy’s on your RIGHT, hence you’ll need to make a U-turn further up the road.

On to an even sweeter note ….. ^_^

RM28.90 for 16 mini ‘bottles’ of chocolatey goodness ….. with a twist

Makes REAL perfect ornaments for display eh? Pity they can’t weather the calls of nature …. as in the threat of EXPIRING.

Oozing REAL liquor … from vodka, to cognac and such. Blissful stuff.

Remember my lament in THIS post? That I didn’t expect my first visit to Langkawi to be tailored to a 5 days boot camp style. Now, destiny has its calling, AGAIN, and I’ll be off to the island TOMORROW.

Wow. Now tell me that’s not insane, flying off to Langkawi within a short span of 10 days. But at least this time around, I can be assured of a good night’s sleep, without the looming threats of bugs and monsters, and hopefully, better food, instead of military rations. Hehe ….. =)

Comments: 51 Comments »
Categories: Ipoh Food
Tags: Chemor, Chocolate, Indian Food, Langkawi, Motormouthing
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A Mid-CNY Post – How ’bout some Capati & Mee Rebus Ramli instead?

January 27, 2009 | 2,994 views

This year’s CNY celebration may be slightly on the sombre mood, what’s more with blatant intrusion of human rights (aka killing without mercy) over at the Mid-East & the economic turmoil that’s looming over our helpless heads. But still, there’s always a silver lining somewhere on the horizon, I believe ….

Birch Memorial Clock Tower @ Old Town, Ipoh

For those celebrating the festive season, I highly doubt any has yet to ‘Lou Sang’, or stuffed their faces full with either extravagant (read : exorbitant) Chinese dishes at the restaurants, homecooked fare, or even hawker food (prices a tad inflated, no less).

Fluffy capati and milky teh tarik @ Medan Selera Dato Sagor

What if you’re ‘trapped’ in Ipoh, for a week or more this CNY holidays, and slowly (but surely) starting to get sick of Chinese food? No brickbats, please!!

Still reeling from all the indulging, here’s a short post on simple Indian and Malay food in Ipoh. Which, by the way, was what I ate on the same day, last week.

Medan Selera Dato Sagor is a very famous place for halal food under one roof, housing more than 15 stalls (at least) selling a variety of nasi campur, nasi lemak, every type of mee imaginable, roti and kuih, as well as Indian food. Located in Old Town area of Ipoh, right behind the Ipoh town hall, the food court like diner occupies a rather spacious lot, next to the Birch Memorial Clock Tower. Come join the crowd for breakfast, and treat yourself to a cup of teh tarik, or kopi-o kau, accompanied by either a capati, roti bakar with half-boiled eggs, or nasi lemak.

Location : Medan Selera Dato Sagor @ Jalan Dato Sagor, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. Got MAP!!! (From Ipoh Utara PLUS highway exit, using Jln Kuala Kangsar).

Mee Rebus Ramli @ Jln Kuala Kangsar, Tmn Tasek Jaya, Ipoh

As for lunch, since we were on a roll, we opted for Malay food instead for lunch. The hype surrounding Mee Rebus Ramli was evident, ever since they started business some years ago, now they have 3 branches all over Ipoh (do correct me if I’m wrong, ok?).

With a name like that, surely you don’t need hint as to what’s their signature item is. The safest choice? Mee Rebus.

A satisfying bowl of Mee Rebus at RM3.50.

With those luscious thick gravy that’s slightly spicy, and sweet, accentuated by the tangy lime squeezed DIY, and brimming full with ingredients such as the compulsory potatoes, chopped green chillies, spring onions, yummy fritters, and of course, ONE whole egg sliced into pieces.

All for a mere RM3.50. If you’re thinking … nah, just another Mee Rebus/Mee Jawa clone, you’re half right, half wrong. Yup, it looks like another run-of-the-mill Mee Rebus, albeit served in a bowl, but tastewise, it’s gotta be one of the better ones around. Even the yellow noodles did not contain the annoying/repulsive alkaline taste.

Do ask for the fritters to be served separately, as they tend to get soggy very fast. Or better yet, ask for EXTRAS. They’re good when crunchy and dunked into the gravy. Slurp them up!!!

Btw, their Nasi Ayam is delicious as well, though white rice is served. At RM4.20 per plate, you get a generous chunk of chicken, with their killer chilli sauce and gravy combination. Plus a bowl of soup. Other items include chicken/lamb chops, laksa, etc.

Location : Mee Rebus Ramli @ 767, Taman Tasek Jaya, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, 31400 Ipoh, Perak. Tel No : 605-547 2026. Opens daily from morning til night. Got MAP !!!

Now, let me retract back to my nest and hibernate for the remaining week …… Holidays are no doubt, god-sent. Happy Chinese New Year !!!

Comments: 18 Comments »
Categories: Ipoh Food
Tags: Indian Food, Ipoh Food, Malay Food, Mee Rebus, Old Town
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REAL Addictive Stuff – Nasi Vanggey aka Nasi Ganja

November 18, 2008 | 28,625 views

To imagine a plate of curry rice sooooo addictive to deserve the moniker ; Nasi Ganja, or Marijuana Rice, direct translation.

Vanggey !!! Vanggey !!! (Come !!! Come !!!)

Since 1955, the Nasi Kandar stall at Yong Suan, on Jalan Yang Kalsom, Ipoh has been making waves, ripples, tsunami and all, serving thousands, if not millions of plates of those yummy, spicy, fiery and addictive stuff.

Drool away at the selection of savoury curries and dishes to tingle that tastebuds …

Earlier this year, they’ve since expanded from that small, constricted and God-knows-how-hard-t0-find-a-parking-space area, branching out to a spacious lot in Greentown, previously occupied by a food court. They still retain that old shoplot though, for that evergreen sense of nostalgia dining there.

A plate of white rice, with fried dry curry drumstick, spicy egg omelette, vegetables, papadam, and that KILLER sambal (coconut chutney?)

What makes the curry rice so special from the rest (those dastardly imposters masquerading as nasi kandar proprietors …)? For one, the ‘kuah campur’ or the mixed gravies the guy poured/doused onto the heaps of rice was SPICY. Yet a subtle bitterness aftertaste ensued, for unknown reason. But if you’re not a fan of spicy food, refrain from being macho/adventurous/show-off/sadistic.

The spicy coconut chutney. A perfect accompaniment to the cucumber slices.

Good things do not come cheap. That’s life. RM5.70 for a plate of white rice with a drumstick, vegetables and egg. Oh, the chicken deserves a mention here. Marinated with spices and curry powder, then deep-fried, the taste and juiciness gives your average Mamak’s fried chicken and KFC a run for their mon$y.

Nasi Vanggey Sdn Bhd

Location : Sorry, no address taken. But here’s a roughly estimated map !!! Tel : 605-2546786.

Need directions? Drop a comment here, or mail me.

Comments: 35 Comments »
Categories: Ipoh Food
Tags: Indian Food, Ipoh, Ipoh Food, Nasi Ganja
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Fancy Having Gopeng Mee in Ipoh?

November 3, 2008 | 3,518 views

Here’s a little something from Ipoh’s Old Town, AGAIN …. Yeah yeah … I’m getting predictable, I know. Sue me? =P

METRO Cafe … The exterior’s VERY misleading (sorry, no picture). The shop’s name is not even put up on the outside!

But look for this stall, easily observed from the front … The crowd comes for the Gopeng Mee anyway ….

Gopeng mee – Homemade (handmade?) egg noodles served with soy sauce, choy sum, bean sprouts, and garnished with scallions and fried shallots. Resembling Wanton Mee, right?

This is only our 2nd visit to this shop, ever since working here. Reason to come later. One quick glance and you would be forgiven for thinking this shop’s bordering on closing down, looking at the dilapidated building (common findings among Old Town’s classical structures though), without a proper signboard, and rather tucked away among the seas of banks. As well as dwarfed by the popularity of the other white coffee ‘specialists’ and immensely popular hawker fare. But come lunch hour, and you’ll be amazed by the sheer fame of this place.

Served with chicken and mushroom – Their speciality …

The noodle is their main drawing point, springy/QQ bites of alkaline-(lye water)free egg noodles, served “dry” with soy sauce for taste. The options are simple, either have yours with wanton (dumplings) or with chicken+mushroom gravy combination, or both. And you can upsize your serving to one half, or double portion.

Prices from RM3.00 for single serving of noodles with wantons, to RM5.60 for double servings of noodles with wantons and chicken+mushroom gravy. Certainly not dirt-cheap, but still bearable. The wantons are made from chicken or prawns, I believe. Dunno got pork or not, didn’t bother to ask much.

The itsy-bitsy wanton … A far cry from Hong Kong’s ones, eh? =)

I cannot pass judgment this time, as I’ve only tasted the noodles ONCE, and that was more than half a year ago. Before this blog was born. Imagine that.

So what did I have for lunch instead?

Tell me you’re not salivating …..

THIS. An Indian curry stall, operated by a friendly Indian lady. The dishes finish rather fast, as we were there at 1pm, and most plates were already emptied. Given the highly adaptable nature of me and FCOE, we soldiered on and ordered a half dry/half wet (I’m bad with my curries, I know) curry chicken with strong tomato hints. Mimicking ayam masak merah, but not quite. A bit sourish, and saltish for my liking. Bet the devil curry chicken is good, as the whole pot was polished off before we could sound our protests. Sigh …..

But still delicious, nevertheless. At only RM4.00 for THAT plate above, even cheaper than the noodles from the adjacent stall!

Location : METRO Cafe (chic-sounding name huh?) @ Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. Next to CIMB bank in Old Town, Ipoh. A short walk from Maybank, the towering building in Old Town, facing Padang Ipoh. Need help? I’ll be glad to assist. 🙂

UPDATED August 2010 – * This Indian curry rice stall closes over the weekend. On Mondays and Wednesdays, she will serve mutton curry as well (NOT TO BE MISSED!)*

“Please … please bring me home?”

Bumped into this cute little black puppy by the roadside. Kinda sad, isn’t it? The lack of birth control amongst the wild ones. The dogs, I meant. =)

Comments: 36 Comments »
Categories: Ipoh Food
Tags: Chinese Food, Gopeng Mee, Indian Food, Ipoh, Ipoh Food, Old Town
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We are Rice Pots, after all …

August 25, 2008 | 8,024 views

Rainy day here in Ipoh … After a whole day OUT of office, I’m somewhat glad the journey to Sitiawan/Lumut was worthwhile. A short post tonight, as I’m in no mood for babbling. Or maybe some rants here & there.

Today’s post on Malaysians’ staple food, RICE. Overpriced commodity, causing an uproar recently with prices increasing in folds,whereby our meagre salary had been stagnant, and struggling to cope with the villain-ous inflation, badly hitting the low-middle income bracket of the community. Sigh ….

~~ SRI ASOKA CORNER BANANA LEAF RICE @ STADIUM IPOH ~~

UPDATED : Here’s a link to The Star’s Sunday Metro’s take on my post. (31/8/08)

Stall No 19 – Sri Asoka Corner

Banana leaf curry rice is no doubt, a most popular Malaysian favourite, more so in Klang Valley than any other states. But Ipoh has a few gems here and there, one fine example being Sri Asoka Corner at Stadium Ipoh’s food centre.

Famed for their banana leaf rice, which is essentially white rice with mixed vegetables served on banana leaf, with your choice of curries. The leaves are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing, and believed to impart a fragrant aroma to the rice. Not scientifically-proven though. But who cares? …. Read the rest of this entry »