Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Nasi Kandar Rahman (as this stall is fondly called) – Array of curries, meats, vegetables and sambal boiled eggs. Not the most extensive of choices, but if you see the crowd in the afternoons …. you’d be amazed!

Flurry of posts huh? Pardon me, folks, for I have been writing at breakneck speed lately, for fear of not able to get connected once relocating to KL (shock! horror! … thankful?!) I assume I’d be eating and not writing in the early stages. Then picking up steam as life goes on …. Or I may just jump in the fray and pick up where I have left off in Ipoh; writing stories on good street food in and around the Klang Valley.

You know, the resilient spirit is hard to beat.

Any better description than packed-like-sardines?

Gerai Rahamath (fondly referred to as Rahman) in old town of Ipoh can easily be mistaken for just another random ‘warung’ (stall) selling nasi kandar/nasi berlauk for lunch.

The difference? The horde of people swarming the pitiful excuse of a restaurant (or rather, ‘gerai’ as in stall) painted in a lovely shades of yellow and green. The place fits the Ipoh’s old town theme to a tee. To imagine a stand alone shack, located behind the state mosque in old town; an almost non-descriptive eatery that is usually best left to demolition works than granted a chance at seeing the light of day.

BUT dear, Gerai Rahamath has done JUST THAT. And for many decades now. So popular is this Halal Indian-Muslim rice stall during lunch hour, that I could not resist giving in to the scorching weather this afternoon. Of course, I could not bear the thought of being alone in my endeavours. Hence Mr Z was my esteemed assistant. Read on to find out why people keep coming back for more, although they serve the same dishes every single day …. Read the rest of this entry »

If this meal cost less than RM20/USD6.50, would you have rubbed your eyes in disbelief?

Let’s talk about good Malay food for a second. Or, seemingly, the lack of it here in Ipoh? Pardon the ignorance, but save for a few worthy choices (the tried and tested outlets, as well as some highly-acclaimed stalls like the famous Nasi RM2 over at Stadium Ipoh), it has never occurred to me to do a complete Halal food run here in Ipoh.

Don’t get me wrong, for I love nasi padang, nasi kerabu, nasi dagang and of course, nasi lemak just as much as I like Char Kuey Teow, Popiah, banana leaf curry rice and Roti Canai. For me, there are way too many lacklustre Malay warung (food stalls) out there in Ipoh; serving the ever-so-generic Malay-Thai style Tom Yam, nasi daging merah, telur dadar and such.

So here we arrive at this stall parked within a small, inconspicuously-quaint kopitiam on Clare Street (Jalan Mustapha al Bakri), masquerading itself as just another coffee shop from the pre-colonial days, yet promising so much more during lunch hour. Hai How‘s the name of the shop, and this stall selling Nasi Berlauk (Malay curry rice with dishes, almost like Nasi Padang) commits itself to serving authentic Malay cuisine to the lunch crowd ….. Read the rest of this entry »

And we heaved a sigh of relief? (Okay, maybe just me, since the rest were just virgins to the roti telur experience at Goodshed)

Okay, so it was WMW back then who posted a review on her favourite roti telur (roti means bread, in this case refers to the Indian flatbread, a staple breakfast for many in Malaysia) stall in Ipoh; by the name of Goodshed Restaurant.

Good WHAT?! Yeah … that was exactly how I reacted initially. Then slowly realizing that this shack of a Indian-Muslim (popularly known as ‘mamak’) eatery is directly opposite the cargo terminal of Ipoh.

And then I started to fall for the roti telur here. Fluffy serving of golden egg omelette wrapped inside a thin and crisp layer of dough (or the roti canai), with chopped bits of caramelized onions for added fragrance, texture and sweetness.

After a hiatus of 6 months, they finally reopened almost immediately after Hari Raya earlier this month

Lo and behold, as they say; good things don’t last. And for the past half year or so, Goodshed was out of business!!!! I was devastated, knowing that I lost a very good place for a leisure breakfast. Usually this place was my top pick when I had to eat alone in the morning before settling my business at the terminal opposite of this shack.

But thankfully, someone from the All About Ipoh page commented that they were closed only temporarily, and should reopen before the end of the year. And yes, almost immediately after Raya, Goodshed reopened their doors for business. And darn it’s about time ……

Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh produce @ Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah – The sisterhood of Kota Bharu, Kelantan doing their thang!!

Now wait a minute there, Motormouth. Didn’t this visit to the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia take place back in June of (wait for it) … 2009?!!!! 🙂

Yeah, a little later than usual; I knew I just had to put into words this amazing escape to Kelantan; that happened slightly more than a year ago. Before this poor old man’s memory fails him, allow me to share some of the shots taken in and around Kota Bharu; the capital of the state Kelantan.

After the jump, be mesmerized by the sheer vibrancy and burst of colours streaking the iconic market of Kelantan; Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah, as well as the availability of various sweet snacks sold at the market …… Read the rest of this entry »

Talk about Satay, those sticks of timeless grilled marinated and skewered meats (epitome of Malaysian Street Food?) and almost instantaneously the term Kajang Satay pops up in the conversation. It’s inevitable. You can argue about how famous your favourite ‘warung sate‘ (satay stall) in your neighbourhood might be, crowded from day ’til night or round the clock, but the appeal of Kajang Satay has never waned amidst the many emulators, imitators and wannabes.

The many varieties of Satay served on a plate, @ Nyok Lan Kajang Satay in Restoran Malaysia, Kajang.

First up, where in the world is Kajang you are wondering? (If let’s say, you’re not a local or plain ignorant or simply detested Geography lessons back in your school days) Kajang is a city in the eastern part of Selangor, about 20km or so from the capital of Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur. And unabashedly, I have to admit that this was my FIRST excursion down to this city slightly away from the tourist trail. Nearby towns include Semenyih and Bangi. If those sound even more foreign to you, I don’t blame you.

Anyway, Haji Samuri is THE undisputed brand of Kajang Satay; with close to 20 outlets all over Malaysia now. The number is constantly on the rise, with new chains opening up in the other states.

My experience with Sate Kajang Haji Samuri ranged from absolutely delicious (the R&R Kinrara outlet back in 2006 or so) to downright abysmal (the one in Bukit Tinggi, Klang). Commercialization breeds success and fame, but when the quality of the satay is compromised in a way that affects a customer’s satisfaction, it’s hard to restore my faith in their food again.

So why oh why am I still raving, salivating and recommending Kajang Satay again? For I believe, this outlet named Nyok Lan Kajang Satay @ Restoran Malaysia is definitely worth a try; no matter you’re a satay lover or not. Read on to find out why ….. Read the rest of this entry »

In search of the BEST Nasi Lemak in Ipoh (bear with me people, for I am rather slow in getting to them all!), I started the ball running with a visit to Allongs Restaurant in Ipoh Garden, within walking distance to Woolley Food City and directly behind of Medan Aneka Selera (aptly named Tung Koo Thing aka Mushroom Stand?).

And no, this is NOT a piece of chicken feet, or a duck’s webbed feet. But instead, a chewy and utterly addictive piece of dried cuttlefish cooked in a spicy chili paste, aka Sambal Sotong Kering.

Allongs Restaurant is famous for their Nasi Lemak, hands down THE epitome of great Malaysian breakfast. You can opt to have your coconut milk-laden fragrant rice to be served with any of the condiments, or side dishes available at the counter, or just trust them on their best bet; aka their signature – Nasi Lemak Sotong Kering.

Aside from Nasi Lemak, the crowd goes for Allongs’ equally delicious Lontong, which is a typical Malay dish consisting of boiled compressed rice (ala ‘ketupat‘), served in a watery yet decadent broth that tasted redolent of ‘santan’ (coconut milk), turmeric, chili paste and various spices.

So does Allongs’ Nasi Lemak deserves to be in the Best Nasi Lemak in Ipoh list? Read on to find out …. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have been driving around Ipoh city lately, you must have noticed the many buntings hanging from the lamp posts along the road promoting a certain “Pondok Padang” restaurant situated at the new business centre named 1Casuarina beside Impiana Hotel on Jalan Gopeng (Jalan Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah).

Sate Ayam (10 skewers at RM9.00/USD2.70) – Notice the difference between these and the usual Satay? No side serving of peanut gravy, but instead the black “Special” sauce was drizzled over the grilled meat on skewers.

Pondok Padang is new to the Ipoh’s food and beverage scene, being the second high-profile “Hidangan Nasi Padang” restaurant after the booming Restoran Simpang Tiga over in Greentown.They claim to serve the most authentic form of “Hidangan Padang“, or “masakan Minangkabau“, originating from our neighbouring country, Indonesia.

A genuinely rustic, ‘kampung’ ambience was relived in the decor of the restaurant. Aside from utilizing the skillful hands of Indonesian chefs, Pondok Padang also imported the handmade bamboo furnitures! Talk about committed to the true essence of enjoying a Minangkabau feast.

The restaurant operates 24 hours, supposedly. But as of now, they’re only opened from 10am until 3am (yes, more than 12 straight hours!) to test the waters, so to speak. So, wondering how did Pondok Padang fare against Simpang Tiga? Read on to find out ….. Read the rest of this entry »