Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Finding inspirations for a meal here in Ipoh holds nary a challenge; unless you’re talking about the odd hours. I can effortlessly ramble off a long list of recommendations for breakfast, lunch and dinner (could be either the same or different choices), as well as viable alternatives for brunch and supper. Provided that you’re all game for hawker fares, of course.

But lo and behold, I routinely found myself dumbstruck when forced to recommend a good spot for tea time/hi-tea. This could very well be related to the fact that Ipoh’s forte has always been the incredible plethora of street food, while quality high-tea sessions in hotels or all-day cafes/bistros are harder to come by.

So you can imagine the spark of interest in me when the all-day cafe Burps & Giggles came on board; with non-stop business hours from 8am – 8pm.  What a quirky name, you wonder? More than just the name, be prepared for the visual feast that follows.

*Don’t say I did not warn you …*

Chicken In A Basket (RM9.90/USD3.30)

17 years. If you were born in 1995 and can appreciate the perilous journey you went through childhood and adolescence, then you’d have a much better gauge of Beacon Point’s equally arduous yet admirable tenure as one of the longest-standing cafe in the town of Ipoh.

This is not the first time I am penning my thoughts on Beacon Point. You can read my previous review HERE.

After countless mishaps in the forms of new bistros, cafes, fusion wannabes and everything in between, still, the tried-and-tested establishments always work wonders to the tastebud, and satiating expectations.

FMS has since closed for renovations for a good 5 years now. Rendezvous has given way to an endless ‘onslaught’ of so-so cafes (though I have to admit that Eastern’s Brasserie was pretty good), while Miner’s Arms is no longer the ‘fine diner it used to be; when they used to serve an exemplary oxtail soup in the 80’s.

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Tiger Prawns Aglio-Olio (RM38/USD13) featuring four gargantuan tiger prawns pan-fried to an irresistible crunch; served on top of a bed of pretty sloppy serving of pasta cooked in either carbonara, aglio-olio or tomato concasse (if I am not mistaken) sauce. 

The weather’s burning hot. And we’re still supposed to do 10,000 steps a day. I can’t imagine how our counterparts over in the other countries could manage 20k on a daily basis. That, or they could be plain cheating.

No, not a sore loser … just growing green with envy. I guess we might be able draft a foolproof gameplan of reaching those kind of mileage IF we are not tasked to sit through ordeals of endless meetings all day.

And it doesn’t help that the notebook’s running at an incredibly slow rate today; possibly already in its terminal stage of critical illness; after a good 6 years (!) of surviving the relentless assault. Especially the past 4 years when this foodie/blogger with a penchant for eating on a reckless/continuous basis kept on tapping nonchalantly on the keyboard on an everyday basis.

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Organic Pork Spare Ribs (RM36/USD12) @ Healy Mac’s, Greentown Ipoh – A stack of tender spare ribs falling off the bones; lightly basked in a sweetish marinade infused with the goodness of … Guinness.

Barely two weeks in operation, and rumour has it that Healy Mac’s in Greentown has taken over Berlin’s Bier Houz as THE watering hole of choice within the vicinity; possibly only second to the equally new Overtime on Brewster Road. If you’re getting a faint inkling of ‘just-another-fad’, I don’t blame you though. I had the same thought; what more with Airport @ De Garden closing down late last year, and pubs in Ipoh Garden East closing and new ones opening like how cineplexes rotate their movies.

But wait a minute. The name Healy Mac’s may sound unfamiliar, but the Irish bar and restaurant can boast of the legacy traced back to their roots in Ireland (story here); setting foot in Kuala Lumpur back in 2009 and now with outlets in Klang Valley, Penang and Perak. Read the rest of this entry »

What does Christmas mean to you? Is this a season for gift-exchange? A time to shop and let there be forgiveness if you overspent, for the desire to shop-til-you-drop is ingrained into the X’mas spirit of celebrations anyway?

Or are you already salivating at the thought of fresh roasted meats from the spit; a gigantic fowl in the form of a turkey stuffed with a plethora of ingredients served with a side of tarty cranberry sauce, or even fruit cakes with chunks of fruits and nuts soaked in an intoxicating brew of brandy (which I just had yesterday)?

Whatever the reason is, you might be looking for a reason to splurge come this jolly season. And the year end bonus, school holidays, extended weekends, year-end sales and Christmas buffets make things seem so much more lavish yet affordable to the mind.

Here’s …. a reason to Indulge in Ipoh. Read the rest of this entry »

Still reeling from the shocking revelation yesterday, woke up craving instead for something much more substantial; a chunky-loaded pizza with an overflow of ingredients like salami, Italian sausages, olives and an overkill of cheese would be ideal.

This Chicago-style pizza is a remnant of the original version aptly named Deep Dish Pizza, and looking at the shots featured in this article on Wikipedia, it’s hard to ignore why.

Michelangelo’s Pizzeria strives to rework this concept, bringing this gargantuan of a sinful creation to Ipoh with a slight adaptation; they do away with the deep dish concept; of a bowl-like structure ‘stuffed’ with ingredients.

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Home-Made Salt Beef Sandwich (RM23.90/USD8) – A warm, tummy-filling fare that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your weary face. TGIF in a few hours already … persevere, dear gluttons.

“Ben’s KLCC was launched April 15^th 2011 and is modelled after a Manhattan townhouse. The menu concentrates on international cuisine, ranging from refreshing appetisers and yummy salads to hearty East and West main courses, delicious snacks and luscious desserts.”

(Excerpt from http://www.suriaklcc.com.my/dining/restaurants/bens/)

Ben’s; the flagship cafe under the BIG group (responsible for various popular outlets, ie: Plan B, Ben’s General Food Store, T Forty Two, etc) reminded me of Delicious by Ms Read the most. From the warm lighting, rustic setting with plush sofas, the cakes counter that’s bound to break a diet or two, and the overall marriage of Eastern and Western influences in the dishes offered.

“It is a place that entices people to visit with their friends and families, sharing good food and precious moments; building rituals.” (from their official website)

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