Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

French Duck Confit (MYR 28) @ STG Boutique Café, Ipoh Old Town

It stemmed from utter devastation and desperation no thanks to the closure of most Chinese hawker stalls in old town during the recent Chinese New Year season, that led us to STG Boutique Café. Crude as this might have sounded, this was not initially on my radar of “to-try places” despite the almost too strategic location on the outskirts of Ipoh old town. I should have known better, as this was a stone’s throw away from our old office (we could have literally rolled to the entrance of STG from our old office) in Ipoh old town, near to the Maybank building.

The interior of STG reeks of opulence and an almost too idyllic setting for a casual lunch (the business lunch crowd can be overwhelming with all the banks, lawyer firms and all), but STG manages to tone down the exclusivity with large glass panels letting the natural rays of sun in, and the diners not oblivious to the passing traffic and vice versa. 

If the name sounded familiar to you, then you are right. STG Tea House Café started sometime in 2013 (read my review) within the serene neighbourhood of Chateau Garden and has since taken off well with an all-day dining concept amidst the mansion setting with a large compound to boot. STG Boutique Café meanwhile is the group’s second venture in Ipoh (and a third to come in northern Perak really soon) catering to mostly the working crowd of old town because let’s admit this …. if you are not working around here, or coming to do your banking, why on earth would you get yourself stuck in jam and going around in circles trying to find a parking space?

But, and that’s a big BUT …. since STG opens until 11 pm daily, this may seem like a good choice for dinner or supper as well, especially when you have run out of idea on where to dine with ample parking spaces (come sun down, the area is deserted).

And so, what attracted me to a second visit within a few days apart? Read the rest of this entry »

Jamon Iberico (Spanish cured ham made from the prized black Iberico pig – read more here) with Rock Melon and Salad (MYR48) – Morsel Eatery could be the first place in Ipoh to daringly include iberico into their special menu

Happy Chinese New Year to all dear readers and followers of Motormouth from Ipoh and All About Ipoh!

Another year, another season to binge without guilt (okay, less guilt) and another period of get-together, planning for the meetings, catching up over lost time between family and friends,watching nonsensical Chinese movies in the cineplexes (and remember to visit GSC @ Ipoh Parade Mall for their entirely new movie halls; now numbering 11 and rivaling some of the best in Klang Valley), and of course …. prepare yourself for the slaughterhourse, ie: dining out can be a nightmare with restaurateurs doubling/tripling their prices through special “CNY menus”.

We completed our prayers and it was almost lunch hour. Thanks to a hint from a friend of mine, I steered the batalion of hungry souls over to the Greenhill area around Tower Regency Hotel and found myself parked right across the road from Morsel Eatery.

This looked exactly like another clone of Jose & Deli, Josephine or Myth @ M Boutique Hotel. At least, the outlook, colour tones and general vibes gave me that impression. But …. look beyond the misleading physical stereotype and be wowed by the passion in their cooking …   Read the rest of this entry »

Braised Lamb Shank (MYR 36 / USD 12) @ Scenic Cafe Garden served on a bed of mashed potatoes, sides of grilled vegetables and brown sauce

Before we decided to give another new cafe in Ipoh a try, we actually hesitated for a while. I guess this was understandable, given the sudden surge of cafe culture in Ipoh and the generally lacklustre experience with some of them. If you are one jolly cafe-hopper, then you should be able to relate to my claims.

Here’s the bucket list: Overpriced ‘gourmet’ coffee and tea (bags), generic outsourced desserts (cheesecakes priced at close to MYR20 per slice anyone?), lazy pastas, salads and sandwiches selection, and to no one’s surprise …. exceptional attention/investment focused on creating an ‘idyllic, artsy’ ambience targeted at the new generation of foodies – feed the camera/smartphone before the stomach.

So when Dad suddenly hatched this idea of a dinner outing at Scenic Cafe Garden at the junction of Tambun Road and Tiger Lane (interesting names, huh?), supposedly another boutique cafe housed in a refurbished bungalow (which we found out later that it was more than a generic bungalow!), I scrambled for alternatives in my to-eat list.

To cut a long story short, the chilly weather, dark skies and post-Cameron Highlands blues (more on that later) placed me in a half-hibernation mode, thus I went with the flow. At least, I could be rewarded with a potential gem for photography, should the food failed me. But read on to find out the full story on Scenic Cafe Garden; cheesy name yes, yet a spectacular place to entertain guests.  Read the rest of this entry »

For only RM13/USD4 per portion, don’t expect perfectly grilled Angus steaks. At Bad Boy Cooks; the theme is real food, fresh from the kitchen, no frills. 

I first visited Oasis Square a year or so ago, having lunch at a place called Crave Cafe. The food was nonetheless .. forgettable for as much as I can recall. The reason we walked in was because the crowd was relatively thinner compared to Mr & Ms Cafe that does better all day breakfasts, desserts and well, gimmicky props for camwhoring/selfie sessions.

If you have not even heard of Oasis Square, and the name sounded as far-fetched as one in the middle of a desert, then you obviously don’t pay enough attention to this up and coming business district at Oasis Ara Damansara. Situated off Subang airport road near to Citta Mall, the entire area has been livened up significantly with big names like Royal Flush Restaurant, Kumar’s Curry Fish Head, Rakuzen and Crazy Crabs.

A bit wary of falling into the same overpriced, mediocre food trap, we set our eyes on Bad Boy Cooks; an American diner style that’s a made in Malaysia brand. And meals costing less than RM20/USD7 per pax including drinks? Game on.

Read the rest of this entry »

Aussie style of roast chicken with a generous portion of blanched greens and baked potatoes; hearty yet not to the point of burning a hole in your pocket.

Weekend! Yay! Before Motormouth ventures off to a back to back getaway (one for travel, another for work), allow me to clear some backlog off my erm, back.

Oz Restaurant has been running full steam almost half a year ago now (or it could be a good 3 months, for all I know, restaurants in Ipoh have been sprouting up like nobody’s business lately), situated a few doors away from Spices of Penang; and down the same road as Hokkaido Japanese Restaurant.

Aussie Outback Roast Chicken (RM17.90/USD6) with a choice of gravy – in this case we picked the Herbs bread sauce instead of mushroom sauce, garlic mayo, outback BBQ or onion sauce. You can also choose 3 sides from a selection of 8. 

Initially skeptical (many Western/fusion restaurants failed to impress during the first visit; a pattern so routine it bothers me a lot), I was thrown off my guard after chancing upon good to rave reviews on my Facebook wall; and hearsay from fellow foodies. Read on to find out my thoughts.

Read the rest of this entry »

 Sunset to Dusk; the Twilight Hours when Everything Seems Serene & Surreal (view from the windows on the first floor of STG Tea House Cafe)

Lately there has been a cafe resurgence around Malaysia. Initially the craze started (and still infecting the young minds) with boutique guesthouses & quaint cafes that can barely sit a dozen of customers in Penang, then the addiction spreads southbound towards the other states. Ipoh was not spared when Burps & Giggles, Jose & Deli and B.E.D.  joined the fray of an ‘ancient’ industry dominated by old timers like First Coffee House, Rendezvous and Miner’s Arms. (By the way, only 1 out of the 3 mentioned is still “alive”)

 Refurbished colonial bungalow into an elegant mansion that fits the Tea House bill perfectly. Can you imagine coming here on a breezy, lazy Sunday afternoon with a book in hand and a cup of tea in the other? 

Latest to jump on the bandwagon is STG (acronym for Sabah Tea Garden) Tea House Cafe occupying a double storey bungalow off Gopeng Road in Chateau Garden in Ipoh. Let’s see how this fares against the likes of Indulgence and Secret Garden.

Read the rest of this entry »

Uncle Albert’s Battered Halibut (RM39/USD13) on a bed of rocket leaves served with Homemade Chips, Mushy Peas and Homemade Tartar Sauce

How’s the weekend been to you, dear fellow foodies? Have you made that once-a-year commitment/formality of a saunter towards the nearest Ramadan bazaar; packing an insane amount of food to be savoured and felt the guilt thereafter?

I have not, actually. As much as I had wanted to, the mere thought of jostling with the crowd eager to ‘buka puasa’ with families on time, and driving/jamming my way to some of the most popular Ramadan bazaars in the Klang Valley just did not take off as desired.

To which I kept my cravings suppressed and reminders to self to at least hop over to one as soon as I can. And gosh …. it’s amazing how time flies. ‘Hari Raya’ is coming in 3 days!

So let’s respect the festival and focus on something pork-free this Monday evening. A one-month old traditional fish & chips shop originating from Ireland; from the same owner of Healy Mac’s …  Read the rest of this entry »