Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Majie Dry Curry Noodles (RM4/USD1.30) – Slivers of poached chicken, sliced barbecued pork and bean sprouts with Ipoh’s signature ‘sar hor fun’ (flat rice noodles); in an orange-coloured, tongue-numbingly-fiery curry paste.

Before I start, I do apologize for the possibly incoherent thoughts, random choice of words and jumpy demeanour. After an entire week of traveling (for work, and partly play over the long weekend), this frazzled brain and battered body developed a resistance towards external stimuli.

Just touched down from Kota Bharu; the capital of Kelantan that has never ceased to amaze me ever since my first visit to the state. The stunning array of Kelantanese food, splendid architectures of old buildings, mosques and temples, the palaces & the beach, as well as the sheer camaraderie shared between people from all walks of life; all come together to infuse life into the “1Malaysia” concept.

For today, grab a piece of napkin (or your sleeve) and let me bring you back in time … for a curry mee stall that has since stood the test of time in Ipoh.

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The Johor Famous Three-Storey (San Low) Fragrant Fried Beehoon @ San Low Seafood

Seriously, tell me that Johor Bahru (JB, for short … and no, this post’s nothing to do with Bieber) is famous for a dish this simple; a plate of fried beehoon (thin strands of rice vermicelli noodles), and I would have definitely chuckled and took your words with a pinch of salt.

But then again …. when this Malaccan colleague of mine took me to not one, but TWO places back to back (for dinner on consecutive nights) serving the SAME dish, my skepticism ran low. And curiosity piqued to the extent of actually …. taking his words for it.

Yes, folks. Another Travel Blitz chapter. This time we move from the East to the Southern region of Johor; the state that shares border with our neighbour; Singapore.

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Charcoal-toasted Bread with Butter and Kaya (RM1.60) – A faint hint of smokiness from the grill, with a distinct fluffiness preserved in between the toasted surfaces.

And finally, after a month or two of tease, I made my way to Lim Ko Pi in old town of Ipoh. This relatively new coffee joint has been in the limelight almost immediately after business has commenced. This concept of refurbishing old buildings into a quaint coffee shop/cafe is not new in Malaysia. But in Ipoh, this has to be the pioneer. So kudos.

Unless of course, this aged mind plays trick on me again. (If there’s any other rejuvenation of heritage premises into a commercial trade without compromising on the beautiful facade, please correct me)

I spy with my little eye …. the fusion of the old and new elements. An iPhone and a ‘gold-painted’ stand fan for the artificial breeze.

You might have the impression that Lim Ko Pi is but another run-of-the-mill kopitiam in the league of the many others, eg: Old Town White Coffee, Pappa Rich, Hailam Kopitiam, etc.

I had the same doubts too. Only to realize that this was anything BUT another mirror image of the mighty Old Town. Read on and see why …..

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SET 6 : Salmon with Baked Bean and Hash Brown + Coffee @ RM10.90/USD3.60

Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning (or in this case, a Monday post-Labour day celebration! Gotta love how Malaysia’s celebrating all of the major and minor festivals, and then some ….), for breakfast/brunch or even a late lunch, Austin Chase Coffee (3 outlets now, I believe – The Gardens Midvalley, Pavilion and Sunway Giza) offers EGG-CELLENT all day breakfast deals from RM6.90 – RM10.90 per set that comes with a regular black coffee.

Whereas you would have expected the coffee to come in mugs befitting the fingers of a tiny dwarf’s, we were pleasantly surprised (not to mention the impending caffeine high …) with the HUGE-a$$ mug of coffee that I found myself struggling to finish the last few sips. Maybe because I chose to upgrade to a latte (+RM3/USD1), and the heavier than usual breakfast hit all the right spots, plus supplementing this caffeine addict with sufficient dose.

Read more to find out about the 6 sets on their list; and how the 15 minutes or so of wait was made worthy in the end ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Continued from the first chapter in the series ….

Penang Street Food Series (1/5) – Batu Lanchang Market Food Complex

Toast & Tea – On those mornings when you crave for nothing more than a light yet ample and delicious breakfast. Hop over to Eng Loh Coffee Shop at a corner of Church Street in Penang

Thanks to this post from CK Lam, I found myself a ‘new’ favourite spot for breakfast in Georgetown in Penang. Eng Loh Cafeteria & Hotel (a loosely-used term here, no doubt) at the junction of Lebuh Gereja (Church Street) and Lebuh Penang (Penang Street) is a beautiful structure painted with a light green shade; a three-floors coffee shop-cum-motel that blends in well with the heritage surroundings.

Read on to discover what Eng Loh has to offer that sets the quaint coffee shop a notch above the rest, and will make you return for subsequent session(s) of breakfast ….. Read the rest of this entry »

The traditional no-frills Char Kuey Teow (also better known as simply Chau Fun in Ipoh) with loads of wriggly bean sprouts, gorgeously-golden eggs, and plump prawns seated atop.

So here’s a post that is exactly one year overdue. More than a year actually, for I read Jason‘s account of the same breakfast; which was posted in July of 2009! That was even before I got infected with this dotcom mania. Imagine the might of procrastination. 😉

Anyway, Menglembu is one of the main township in Ipoh of Perak, that is also widely-acknowledged as the birthplace of crunchy, tasty groundnuts with shells intact, but yet with a roasted, smoky flavour. The term “Menglembu groundnuts” it seems, originated from the fact that a local resident named Mr Lee discovered this technique of processing the groundnuts way back in the 1940’s, and the name has been used since to describe this particular method of production; not necessarily indicating that Menglembu has a groundnut plantation or even houses the production companies. Here’s a brief history from PAGODA brand and the particularly interesting method of producing the tasty snacks.

Two most prominent brands of Menglembu groundnuts are Pagoda and Ngan Yin, also known as “Kacang Cap Tangan” with the signature thumb’s up logo.

Read on to find out more about our breakfast at the morning market, and the famous (for a variety of reasons) Wantan Mee at the “Wai Sek Kai” (Glutton Street) at night ….. Read the rest of this entry »

Campbell Street – The most beautiful street of Georgetown, personally. Take a stroll, and immerse yourself in the unbeatable heritage quality and charm.

Why Penang food all of a sudden?! No reason in particular. But this Sunday brought back memories from last year, when I intended to have my breakfast at Toh Soon Cafe on a beautiful Sunday morning, but the place was closed, ironically.

Toh Soon Cafe looks more like a rundown shack; pardon the lack of a proper description, as the eatery looks more like a stall sandwiched between the colonial structures of Campbell Street.

Not the most savoury of sight, to be eating your breakfast at a congested backlane next to the drain? You’re so wrong. Just look at the crowd ……

A famous breakfast haunt amongst the locals, tourists and shutterbugs alike; Toh Soon prides on their charcoal-toasted bread with own-produced kaya (creamy egg jam with a whiff of coconut milk), half-boiled eggs served in a transparent plastic cup, and a cup of coffee or tea to complete the experience. What sets them apart from the other toast-and-eggs coffee shop is how they literally “get down to business” and painstakingly watch over the bread over charcoal fire …… Read the rest of this entry »