Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

For an overview of the entire trip, refer to Hong Kong & Macau 2013 Food & Travel Guide

Not something that you would casually expect from a Motormouth’s food and travel post; but Nan Lian Garden & Chi Lin Nunnery (adjacent, almost seamless transition to one another) at Diamond Hill, Hong Kong are definitely worth a detour.

Before I proceed with today’s feed of Hong Kong shots, Happy Monday and Happy December dear readers. You are not seeing things, this is still Motormouth From Ipoh; the food and travel blog that you have grown to love (or detest). Currently on a traveling spree (more like catching up on the crazy load of backlogs for travel stories for the full year), I will write several chapters on Hong Kong and Macau, which ironically was the latest journey that I made last month.

Memories not good mah …. better start the other way round …. 🙂

Anyway, aside from repeated onslaughts of food, we also did make effort in walking them off. Or at least that calmed our minds a little … But anyhow, Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery should definitely be on your list if you have done all the tourist hotspots. More after the jump.  Read the rest of this entry »

“Bak Kut Teh noodles, Mushroom Pizza, Crispy Mantis Prawns and Yong Tau Foo.” Only difference is; these were all mock meat.

Should have sent out warning signals of deteriorating quality of reviews. And the incremental frequency of gaps between posts. June and July have been indeed; very trying months. Beyond my wildest imagination really.

This being the last lap of the manic race (I can only pray that it is), counting down to two more days before the fiasco dies down. The late nights, the sore eyes and throbbing headaches, and worst of all; the flagging spirit to keep the blog alive has set an alarming tone to what’s to beckon in the coming months …

Shall I stop writing?

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“Lou Mei” – Sounding a tad too vulgar to be a vegetarian dish, this platter of mixed braised ingredients (dominantly soybean-based products with a flour-y finish) appears only ONCE a year. During the Nine Emperor Gods’ Festival (9 Wong Yeh Dan).

From the title alone, I guess you might have a very rough idea on where this is going.

Yup, another one of those infamous Motormouthing sessions. On a sunny Friday peppered with rainfall in certain areas in the Klang Valley. And me here hibernating at home with an almighty MC to approve of this additional/unofficial rest day.

Since started working almost half a century’s ago (hehe, felt like that … really), I have NEVER taken an MC from a private practitioner. Nope, seriously. Zero, zilch, nil.

Not bragging, since I’d rather used up a day of EL (emergency leave), than searching frantically for a clinic in the neighbourhood (and since moving to KL, my directions have all been haywire), register myself at the premise then wait obediently with a mild sickness while observing my surrounding populated by …. equally sick people.

Or worse, terribly sick ones.

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Long Gone Childhood Memories? Vivid memories of delicious dishes piled up on the plates, when I was barely tall enough to sit comfortably on those stools. Then a bowl of refreshing “Bee Tai Bak” to finish the meal off.

For some awkward reason, I have the tendency to indulge senselessly lately. Probably stress from work. Maybe the fickle weather; burning a hole in my brain. Or possibly the recent lack of proper indulging (ahem, comparatively speaking of course) got me bursting with cravings left and rights. I downed a cup of Maltesers milkshake right before dinner last weekend. And I almost could not contain my urge to order seconds minutes after I got my first.

Sin Meng Kee used to be THE vegetarian restaurant to be. They used to serve an amazing spread of dishes for lunch; ala economy rice style.

For another session of good old Motormouth style story-telling (more like rambling), read on ….. Read the rest of this entry »

A full bowl of chunky peanut sauce with a light sprinkle of sesame seeds on top; but if this was vegetarian … then are you game for the Satay?

Like a recurring nightmare, this would be the official third post in a row centering around wholesome, healthier foods. Talk about a change will do you good huh?

This was incidental. Wait, could be accidental, since without my GPS, we got lost somewhere in Bandar Puteri Puchong. Or wherever this place was. Initially wanted to do Super Kitchen Chili Pan Mee all over again for dinner, with the sick intention of burning the roof of the mouth and sweating buckets before calling it a day.

Then the ever reliance on modern device took a drastic stab at reality. Without the device, I could not make heads or tails of the whole area. Ended up further away than desired, and this vegetarian restaurant was the only place that was brimming with life. Seriously.

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Of all things healthy and wise; Jeram’s Lui Cha Rice has a following everywhere, and I wonder if this small town near to Kampar in Perak was the first to ‘patent’ this creation gone viral …

This bowl of rice, usually vegetarian (just ask them to omit the dried shrimps and onions and you’re good to go) in nature, is a good example of a hate-it-or-love-it Hakka dish. Many used to lament about the extremely ‘green’ taste (a somewhat pungent, and slightly unpleasant fresh taste from the chlorophyll-laden greens, especially those blended into the accompanying soup), while others stay away from the protein-shy ensemble.

But to imagine munching on crunchy bits of roasted peanuts, sweet; almost caramelized onions, bits of soft beancurd strips, sometimes julienned omelette, and an eye-popping plethora of finely-chopped vegetables; paired with white rice (sometimes cooked with onions and garlic to perfume the rice) then paired with an awkwardly light green concoction resembling an ogre’s snot.

Okay, not that gross, but if you’ve ever bought the thick, undiluted lui cha soup from the Jeram morning market, you’ll notice why I was making such a comparison. Read on to find out more about this healthy dish; from the famous Jeram market ….. Read the rest of this entry »

A “vegetarian” sushi roll?! Golden Dragon @ Fu Tien Restaurant in Medan Ipoh Bistari.

Enough Already with the Mindless Bingeing!!! Stuffing oneself with countless greasy cheeseburgers, handful of fries, lemang + rendang + serunding daging (geez … saying that makes my mouth waters), Char Koay Teow and meaty feast of dim sum had me reconsider my eating habits (albeit for a very brief stint). Stopped me dead on tracks, and I developed a sudden crave for a wholesome vegetarian meal.

I should be whipped for the dearth of posts on vegetarian cuisine in Ipoh. Aside from the famous Yishen (Yat Sum) and Min Sin Yie which I wrote way back in ’08, I have never wrote another piece on vegetarian food in Ipoh. I bow my head in shame …….

So here’s a post on Fu Tien; one of the BEST place in Ipoh for modernized vegetarian fares. We are talking about maki-sushi rolls, topped with slices of fresh and nectar-ish sweet mangoes, crunchy juicy cucumbers, fritters for that added crunch and even cheese (wait, dairy products are considered vegetarian?) !!! Read on to find out why this place is perpetually packed during lunch hours …… Read the rest of this entry »