Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Weng Kee Gopeng Mee has a branch now outside of Ipoh old town and that is opened until dinner hours

After a lengthy period of hiatus between visits to Thum’s Western Food stall, the sweet memories of munching on their freshly deep-fried, crispy onion rings and chewing on chunky cuts of pork cutlets marinated with a dash of pepper, worchestershire sauce and probably a pinch of ‘passion’ came washing over me.

If you ask me where to go for classic, no-frills, locally-interpreted and somehow modified Western fares, then Ipoh Garden South should be your playground.

I previously wrote about Thum’s, Alan’s and Scotch Pub’s; all three stalls in the same league of cheap Western cuisine situated within walking distance from one another.

And hence on a rainy Saturday evening, when the entire family was not in the mood for adventurous food excursions (read: lazy to venture far), we settled for Sun Weng Fatt; the corner shop housing Thum’s in Ipoh Garden South.

But then again, you need to remember that Thum’s does NOT start operating until well after 7pm. 6.45pm if you’re lucky or they feel like it. And we arrived early about 6pm.

But this kopitiam is more than mere one trick pony. We shall see what Motormouth had despite the initial disappointment of not able to satisfy his insatiable appetite for sweet onion rings.
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Grilled Stingray with Signature Sambal Sauce & Grilled Squid with Mixed Vegetables

I went back to Ipoh for a grand total of THREE times last October. All of them for work, nonetheless. The glaringly-obvious observation was that; new eateries are opening up left and right. Yet, at a slower rate compared to last year. Maybe restaurateurs realized that fusion cafes/kopitiams do not work as charmingly as street food vendors.

Or the undeniable fact that Ipohans DO have very picky tastebuds. Read : Damn hard to please. With expectations set sky high for promising new restaurants, the stake is no doubt equally as high for the owners. New ventures cashing in only on the festive crowd (come CNY, and you’ll see why) usually do not last for more than half a year. Good examples? De Garden‘s F&B ventures.

At the end of the day, the sturdy old-timers still survive the intensive scramble for food lovers in Ipoh. Case in point? The hawker stalls at Gourmet Square (now known as Kam Wan Restaurant). Read on for insights on what to eat at this oldest food court in Ipoh. Read the rest of this entry »

Satay Dataran – An unmistakably Malaysian delight of marinated chicken and lamb skewered and grilled over charcoal fire, served with raw onions, cucumber and ‘ketupat’ (boiled packed rice dumplings), and a slurry of thick, spicy peanut sauce (RM1.00 for chicken, RM1.20 for lamb)

A decade ago, had you told me that hawker food (or street food) is supposed to be eaten in an air-conditioned environment, with free Wifi and tagged on with 6% government tax and 10% service charge, I would have gladly gotten you a doctor. Or a shrink.

Lil Ipoh – Occupying half of the old premise of Antap Cafe (the other part is still a stronghold of Citrus Wine & Dine‘s); this restaurant was crowded during dinner on a Saturday.

But then again, time has changed. It is not unusual to see people paying close to RM10 (USD3+) for a plate of Char Kuey Teow or Nasi Lemak in kopitiams (Old Town and Pappa Rich being good examples), close to what we were paying for in hotels a decade ago.

The convenience factor comes into play, coupled with the fact that the younger generation nowadays simply can’t fathom the thought of crouching by roadside or back alley while digging into a piping hot bowl of noodles, or having to endure the heat of dining in a coffee shop cooled by creaking antique fans.

So, what’s that got to do with this new place aptly named Lil Ipoh in Ipoh Garden East? Read the rest of this entry »

The undisputed Malaysian Street Food – Chunks of grilled marinated chicken and beef on skewers, served with the conventional sides of cucumber and ‘nasi himpit’ as well as their signature grilled thick, white bread.

Continuing the Kelantan 2009 saga (read the first chapter on Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah & various Kelantanese kuih-muih), let’s see what we had for dinner on one of the nights spent in Kota Bharu; the capital of Kelantan.

We were initially gunning for some other cuisine (I think it was supposed to be a killer tom yam restaurant, somewhere near to KB Mall; the famous shopping complex of Kota Bharu), but the lack of proper directions led us to a half shack-half dilapidated eatery. Not as alluring as we initially have expected, we adjourned to a backup plan ….. Satay Malaysia Restaurant on Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, a distance away from town centre.

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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 »

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 »

I was sour. I felt disappointed. But yet I concurred and paid a visit to Ipoh famous “Tong Sui Kai” aka Dessert Street (Pusat Makanan Rainbow City yesterday night (anyone bumped into me there?), for the inaugural Ipoh Hawkers’ Fest/Karnival Penjaja Ipoh, lasting from 25th-27th December 2009.

I can’t hide the fact that I felt short-changed when first laying my eyes on that piece of flyer distributed prior to the launching of the event yesterday. But Christmas SHOULD be a time for forgiveness, joy and a resounding cheers, instead of jeers.

So, just sit back, embrace the long weekend, and enjoy the shots of the event mentioned ……

Menteri Besar of Perak – Dato` Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir making his rounds, buying some HEONG PENG?!!!

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