Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

This article was first published in the Eat/Drink section on Malay Mail Online, and in the print edition on Sunday.

Tuck Kee serves the best smoked duck breast in Ipoh, beating even the likes of their Western counterparts but you may need to reserve a day in advance

There are a handful of old-timers in Ipoh — those Chinese restaurants with a glorious past — which are still celebrated and patronised by both the young and old after decades.

If you are not from Ipoh, yet familiar with names like Mun Choong or Pusing Public, Hoong Tho, Sun Lee How Fook, Oversea or even Tuck Kee, then give yourself a pat on the back.

These stalwarts have been around since the time when Ipoh was still this tranquil little town set against a magnificent backdrop of limestone hills, when a thirst for white coffee meant you needed to make your way to Ipoh Old Town and wait for a table at either Sin Yoon Loong or the adjacent shops, when Gunung Rapat heong peng was the authentic, coconut husk-broiled variety freshly baked from the home compound of Yee Hup, and when Foh San still was the undisputed dim sum king in Ipoh, serving freshly-steamed or fried morsels within the nostalgic setting of their old premises at the corner of Osborne Street.

But for today, let us focus on Tuck Kee Restaurant. Read the rest of this entry »

Always a pleasure to be dining with your loved ones, ain’t it? The Year of the Dragon comes a-beckoning, promising another 12 months of potential growth, hardships, tribulations, happiness and everything in between. Whichever year that you were born in, I am sure you would have an inkling of what’s possibly crossing your path this year, from the various almanacs, feng shui masters’ predictions, etc.

This is the fourth Chinese New Year greetings from Motormouth From Ipoh; and if you’re already going “Wah!!! So ancient already ah this blog?!!” Yeah …. did not see this coming myself, for at best I thought this passion would fizzle out by the 2nd or 3rd year.

Surprise, surprise. Read the rest of this entry »

Epitome of a Perfect Family Feast – It does not matter whether you’re a child of 3.5 years old, an adult deep in the tribulations of life, the parents with hopes beaming and on the brink of retirement, or a great grandmother satiated and enriched with almost 9 decades of life experiences. This annual “Lou Sang” tradition never gets old.

Last year’s reunion dinner was half a disaster. Since we should be forgiving and forgetting the past mistakes, hiccups and trivial issues, let’s not look back.

In fact, we have been dining out every year without fail, since cooking at home has become too much of a hassle. Plus, the surge in prices of fresh ingredients from the market during the days leading to the festivity. Over the years, we have dined at KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken, in case you’re curious as to why there is a Chinese restaurant named as such), Secret Recipe, Kenny Roger’s, Pizza Hut, Kok Thai, Han City, Mun Choong, East Ocean, etc etc.

But none of those managed to impress us as much as this year’s pick; the perennial favourite of many, a down to earth eatery named Tuck Kee Restaurant in Pasir Pinji of Ipoh. Read on to discover why …… Read the rest of this entry »