Teluk Intan in A Whirlwind – Of Street Food, Leaning Tower & BIG Cinemas
May 3, 2010 | 81,823 views
Our pride and joy? Menara Condong (Leaning Tower) of Teluk Intan (Diamond Bay) in Perak
After the lunch at Kam Ling Restaurant in Kampar, we proceeded to Teluk Intan in a most leisurely fashion. Usually rushing for time (due to the nature of our job) owing to the hectic/chaotic daily routines, this time around the journey to Teluk Intan was smooth as silk. Travelling on a Saturday afternoon has its pros, due to the lack of traffic congestion and lorries plying the trunk roads.
The calm before the storm – Liew Kee’s unbelievably famous Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun ONLY operates at night.
Thankfully the weather was not too bad that afternoon; None of the dreadful sweltering heat & scorching sun, yet without a drop of rain. Well, until much later in the evening anyway. This almost-impromptu trip rendered us somewhat incapacitated from meticulous planning and proper time management. Hence, we squeezed in every possible opportunity to eat all of most of Teluk Intan’s signature street food, ranging from the famous Ah Chai Rojak to drinking fresh soy bean milk from a stall that has been operating since the 50’s, and not forgetting taking away a few packets of Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun back home for dinner-supper.
Pretty witty ladies in their 60’s exchanging banters with the likes of us, without the slightest hint of arrogance. Yes, all this amidst the fact that they have been there for half a century!
The town of Teluk Intan was surprisingly congested with traffic; both contributed from the vehicles on the roads and the people running all over the place. Especially when Saturday night’s scheduled for the weekly ‘pasar malam‘ (night market) in town. To imagine we escaped the jams in Ipoh, but instead got caught up in the labyrinth of one-way streets in Teluk Intan (TI for short).
But it was all good, for the unexpected burst of camaraderie debunked the misconceptions of TI being a lifeless town in southern Perak (which is very far from the truth, even on weekdays).
Passing by Jalan Ah Cheong in town centre, where the road meets Jalan Maharani (I hope I remember all the details correctly here) is the stretch of hawker stalls that open every morning for breakfast. Arriving at about 2pm, the only stall that still breathed life to the “Food Street” was Gerai Soya Bean Maharani; a stall operated by two friendly ladies selling soy milk and soy bean curd (tau fu fah). But the latter was all sold off, hence we quenched our thirst with a glass of soy milk each. RM0.70/USD0.20 for a refreshing serving of soy milk with a choice of the usual sugar syrup (without the gingery aroma), or black syrup (from gula melaka aka palm sugar syrup).
GERAI SOYA BEAN MAHARANI @ intersection of Jalan Maharani-Jalan Ah Cheong
Opens from morning until late afternoon.
Map to come at the end of the post.
Don’t belittle the exterior of this ‘rojak’ specialist of Teluk Intan; the media coverage and swarms of customers from all walks of life will change your perception the instant you walk up to the stall
Rojak Ah Chai – Not sure which generation is handling the business now, but for sure this was around since my mother’s schooling days in Teluk Intan !!!
Since we were in-between meals, the most logical option would be to go for a light snack, instead of a full-blown seafood extravaganza. Which by the way, is what Teluk Intan-Hutan Melintang are famous for, owing to the fresh supplies of seafood daily from Hutan Melintang.
The name of Rojak Ah Chai can’t escape the list of must-eats in any itinerary of a foodie’s excursion to Teluk Intan. Rojak of course, is the ubiquitous Asian salad commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (where they call it ‘Rujak’ instead). Ah Chai’s rojak sauce ain’t the usual extra thick, robust and pungent from the excessive prawn paste added, and liberally tossed with chopped peanuts version, but slightly diluted and tasted suspiciously like the sweet sauce served with Chee Cheong Fun (tim cheong). The bite-sized ingredients thrown into the ensemble include cuttlefish (yau yue), crispy prawn fritters, water convolvulus (kangkung), turnip, cucumber and chopped pineapples. However, I still prefer the conventional Penang/Ipoh’s version of Rojak with a darker sauce, and stronger taste. A serving at RM2.50/USD0.80, unless you ask for extra ingredients or such.
ROJAK AH CHAI
Jalan Woo Saik Hong,
36000 Teluk Intan,
Perak, Malaysia.
Next to the wet market on the same road, opposite of San Min School. MAP to come at the end of the post.
Telephone : 6012-462 1782
Opens : 10.30am – 5.00pm daily. Closed on Wednesday and Thursday fortnightly.
(Information from RasaRasa.net)
Scrambling for the Rojak @ Ah Chai’s still-humble-looking stall on Jalan Woo Saik Hong, Teluk Intan
The BIG Cinemas @ No 6, Jalan Sithamparam Pillay, 36000, Teluk Intan. Tel:05-6227677
And this was followed by a hopeful detour to the only cinema in town; the spanking new BIG cinema (maybe a year’s old, but the warehouse like structure sure looked rather new). Both Iron Man 2 and Ip Man 2 were all sold off, and the next shows were scheduled 3 hours apart. So we had to forgo this idea and ventured to Ta Sin Guan Tin Confectioneries to purchase some biscuits home.
Kedai Biskut Ta Sin Guan Tin – Famous for Tau Sar Pneah, Heong Pneah, and other confectioneries.
There are a few confectioneries in Teluk Intan town, selling almost the same stuff. Most renowned has to be Sin Joo Heong (Tiger Head brand) with branches in Ipoh, and even in the other states. Another famous shop is Sin Guan Hoe, which is located on the same row as Ta Sin Guan Tin on Jalan Pasar of Teluk Intan.
The Tau Sar Pneah is not the usual 50 cents’ size variations commonly found in Penang but a larger, almost akin to a smaller piece of Heong Peng. Tasty nonetheless, a packet of about 15 pieces for RM4.50/USD1.40. The funky-looking Bamboo Charcoal Tambun Biscuits added another viable option to the omnipresent food items incorporating bamboo charcoal for its nutritional/detoxifying properties. Tastewise? Just like any other Tambun biscuits/Tau Sar Pneah. A box of 24 pieces wrapped in fours, for RM11.50/USD3.60.
TA SIN GUAN TIN FOOD INDUSTRIES (www)
No 110, Jalan Pasar,
36000 Teluk Intan,
Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-621 5110, 605-622 9390, 6012-313 6883
Tom Yum Seafood Soup in a Claypot (RM16/USD5) @ Lana Tea House
Still reeling from the heat (the afternoon got much hotter in a flash though), we drove ourselves for a distance away from town centre, to Lana Tea House off Jalan Sultan Abdullah. I have visited this cool cafe a few times before, as we enjoyed the comfortable surroundings, and reasonably-priced food and juices. (Read about my visit HERE)
Thai Seafood Salad (RM9.00/USD2.80) and fresh fruit juices at Lana Tea House.
LANA TEA HOUSE
No 1, Jalan Teratai J 4/8,
Taman Indah Jaya,
36000 Teluk Intan,
Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-621 8996
MAP to come at the end of the post.
You can literally bear witness to the whole process of making Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun, as you’re forced to stand in line and wait for your order to be taken, prepared, and served. Only available for take-away though. Liew Kee @ Jalan Hill.
And to cap off a rather fruitful day of food-hunting in Teluk Intan, we proceeded to Liew Kee Kuih Teow Manufacturer on Jalan Hill for a few packets of Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun (CCF). If you recall somehow, miraculously, I wrote about the CCF from Keng Heng Coffee Shop before, albeit not this ultra-famous version.
Liew Kee Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun is almost legendary, hands down the MOST popular Chinese food in all of Teluk Intan. Yup, if you have not tasted this before, then you had better draft a plan NOW. Strange enough, you can’t eat on the spot (although technically you CAN, if you don’t mind standing around and picking on your rice rolls). Everyone lines up for their orders to be prepared, and be warned that the wait can be relentless on most days. Especially when the people in front of you order 20, 30 or even 40 packets to be taken away!!!
The famous Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun from Liew Kee – RM3.20/USD1.00 for a packet now.
Seriously, how GOOD is this? To justify the miles travelled, hair pulled from getting constantly lost at every corner, and moisture lost from the sweltering heat, as well as time spent on the queue?
First timers might be surprised to see that Teluk Intan’s version of CCF is unlike most out there, closest ‘sibling‘ would be Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun, but this one with only preserved vegetables (cabbage? turnip?) aka the dark brown bits, aromatic shallots, dried shrimps, and served with pickled green chillies. Some may find it a little greasy, but just like any other rice noodles (kuey teow/sar hor fun),without the oil, the noodles would stick together in a lumpy mess.
Personally, I like my food steaming hot, thus I have always tried to eat the CCF while they’re still warm. You can leave the CCF overnight, and eat them the next day but the taste won’t be the same. I find them very addictive though, for I like CCF in every possible manner, be it the Ipoh’s style of Chee Cheong Fun with various gravies, Penang’s CCF with Sticky Prawn Paste, or even Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun with fillings of boiled shrimps and char siew. The pickled green chillies added a piquant kick to the savoury rolls. Delectable, you won’t stop at one packet only …… I know I did not.
LIEW KEE (AH LEK) TELUK INTAN CHEE CHEONG FUN
No 725, Jalan Hill,
36000 Teluk Intan,
Perak, Malaysia
Telephone : 605-621 6884, 6012-508 8812 (from foodbin‘s and Riceballz’s posts)
Opens from 5.30pm until late night/next morning.
Closed on Sunday and Monday nights.
>>> CLICK FOR A MAP TO ALL THE EATERIES IN THIS POST <<<
No idea where Teluk Intan is? Teluk Intan is a town to the south of Perak, in the district named Hilir Perak. If you’re from the south (eg. Kuala Lumpur) exit Bidor from the North-South Expressway, and follow the signboards to reach Teluk Intan in about 30-45 minutes. But if you’re coming from Klang, or Kuala Selangor, you can use the Kuala Selangor-Sekinchan-Sabak Bernam-Bagan Datoh route to reach Hutan Melintang and then Teluk Intan.
If you’re coming from the north (ie. Ipoh, Penang) you can either exit at Tapah toll, then follow the signboards which will lead you to Tapah Road, then all the way to Teluk Intan, OR you can go from Kampar town instead, and take the Mambang Diawan-Ayer Kuning-Kampung Gajah-Teluk Intan route.
Or you can follow the Tapah/Bidor/Langkap signboard instead, and skip Kampung Gajah. Hence you will pass by Langkap town (famous for Langkap pau) before reaching Teluk Intan.
Yikes! The black tausa biscuits are…so gross. :p Why black?
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Black because the pastry made from bamboo charcoal, much like charcoal bread and biscuits. Rest assured they’re safe for consumption! 🙂
And supposedly very good for health too.
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I tried the Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun before during uni time 🙂 Very nice and can’t find in KL le…
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Cheah Song Kang Reply:
May 31st, 2014 at 11:54 am
Yes you can get TI chee cheong fun in KL.
1) At Imbi wet market.The stall is beside the famous Ah Weng’s coffee shop on
the right side.Ask the stall near bye for Onn Soon chee cheong fun.
2) The other place is at Thong Shin road.As you come down from Bukit Bintan road
turn right ( not left )and continue to go to Thong Shin road turn right again.
Go down the one way road until you see a coffee shop on the right with a glass
cage with steaming Tai Pau etc. and a table displaying chee cheong fun.That is
place TI chee cheong fun is on sale [Close on Sundays]
As a TI anag I love it too.So enjoy.
CSK
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teluk intan my hometown
teluk intan best!!
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
🙂
I can sense your pride ….
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Is it really called Menara Condong? Hilarious! 😀
P.S. The rojak looks good!
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lolento Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 11:01 am
ya…you are right….
That building is call Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan or Clock Tower of Teluk Intan…
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Wow! The famous CCF, got people bought 40 packets?! How are they going to finish them huh? Haha:)
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lolento Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Not only 40 packets….some of them buy more than 100 packets to bring back to KL…haha!!!
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
That’s what makes people lining up behind angry and breathing fire!!! 🙂
Hahaha … true?
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lolento Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
u can call them first before u want to go there to buy your CCF….So, u nonit to queue at there 😛
harrycutie Reply:
December 6th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
I went to the famous CCF stall and indeed right in front of me the person was buying 40 packets at least!And kept on adding 5 more packets later on…goodness..
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I would love to be your travelling partner! You certainly know where to go to for a variety of food.
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Haha, thanks Stephanie. I do scout for reviews on the net, word of mouth, and of course ….
instincts? 🙂
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Yup. Usually KL people will buy at least 20 packets and above! – That’s why, back then i don’t really like to go & buy because i need to queue, stand & wait at least 30 minutes just for my 2 packets. – Haha.
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lolento Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 10:47 am
mboy: not only 20 packets, some people will buy 50-100 packets to bring back KL. haha!!! If during CNY that time, got people “da bao” more than 100 packets….
u nonit to queue at there, u can call them first before u want to go there to buy your CCF….
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Got some mistake in this sentences “The BIG Cinemas @ No 6, Jalan Sithamparam Pillay, 36000, Teluk Intan. Tel:04-6227677”. The right telephone number is 05-622 7677.
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Thanks lolento. I copied that phone number from their site. Kind of funny to see a Perak line with 04 instead of 05 though.
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lolento Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
if not mistaken, phone number that start with 04 is penang. Correct me is I am wrong…:-)
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EH is it leaning tower or you took the picture at a senget angle to make it lean? 😛
The CCF is really legendary.. heard so much about it but never tried it before! Maybe I should make a trip there one day, if not for the food then for the tower. 🙂
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Senget ah? Erm, maybe slightly, but the tower’s really slanting to one side.
Hence the Menara CONDONG name.
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i like the idea of tau sar pneah going healthy wid black charcoal hahaha a sign of time 😉
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
True, aside from Penang’s creative array of flavours (durian, coffee and even “heh bee”?!!), this may be the other out-of-the-box variety I have seen.
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Woo that type of chee cheong fun is SUPER yummy!!! Had them before in SS2 (years ago).
You did all this makan in 1 day?
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Yup, in ONE day Che-Cheh. Plus the Kam Ling lunch before that. Of course, if you’re staying for a night, then you can try the fried chicken at Glutton Square, nasi kandar with fried chicken at Gulam Rasul, or even mee rojak at Mastan Ghani.
All equally famous Teluk Intan food.
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lolento Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Ya, the fried chicken at Glutton Square is very nice.
J2Kfm: Do you tried the fast selling lunch time fried chicken of Nasi Kandar Changkat Jong (locally known as Restoran Krishnan or Bawah Pokok) at Jalan Changkat Jong, Teluk Intan before? This is one of the best fried chicken ever that you are going to taste when you want to have a lunch.
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Che-Cheh: honestly you cant find Teluk Intan’s CCF in KL. Even though, there are some stalls do sell it, but sorry to say, ‘it looks like it, but it definitely doesn’t taste like it originally from Teluk Intan’
My mum will usually buy 50 packets too, everytime she goes back TI. This post really make me miss my ex-home town…
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50 packets also?!!! Wow.
Wait I have a question to anyone reading this;
Do you keep them in the fridge or left in room temperature overnight?
And do you reheat them?
Last I remember, when we bought them in dozens, we left them on the table and eat them cold like that the next morning. And the CCF was still edible.
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dragonfly Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Extra packets can be stored in an air-tight container and put it into a fridge. The next day, you may either steam or microwave (medium 2 mins), let it cool down a lil before eating as when it just got heated up, it will be a lil soggy. Another alternative which I like, to slightly pan fry it over a non-stick pan. You may also add an egg. It’s something like “cha kueh kak”. Happy trying…
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Thanks dragonfly, usually we don’t put in fridge, then eat it straight the next morning.
Or sometimes we steam them first.
Though nothing beats having them warm and fresh from the original steamer.
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Danny Reply:
July 21st, 2010 at 2:31 pm
The CCF was wrapped while hot and so probably no contamination and could be left outside to be eaten the next day. It’s good to heat up a bit but not to boiling temp as this would alter the structure and won’t taste good.
james Reply:
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:08 am
You can freeze them (individually) and then microwave them (not too long, just till soft again) when you want to eat. Over here in US, we get our rice noodle (quay teow) frozen.
BTW, thanks for your lovely posts. I miss Malaysian foods, thus browsing through your website.
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hi, i suggest not to put overnite ,otherwise the CCF will become very oily…
but if really need to put overnite, i suggest keep in the fridge n steam it the next day b4 eat..
n the CCF will increase the price every year during CNY..
i guess , next year 1 packet of CCF will cost RM4.. fuh!!!!~
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 6th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Oh no wonder, we wondered whether we were short-changed, cz last I remembered, they were RM2.50 or something.
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lolento Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Now the price per packet is RM 3.20 (inside got two rolls)
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Danny Reply:
July 21st, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Huh! from the huge line ups and buying 50 pkts at one time, no wonder the price keeps going up every year. Locals eat de CCF during normal days and avoid it during festivals and weekends. Outstation ppl can don’t mind paying de extra as they travell from afar, woh!
yaya..tat CCF is very nice and delicious i have try before…almost all the best food in teluk intan u have recomended but if nx time u have chance to teluk intan, u all can try the bak kut teh tat open in morning seasons which near to besides “HAi-O” . The shop name is “WANG KEE BAK KUT TEH” and the most famous food is bak kut teh and the spicy and sour fish fillets..the price also reasonable so all can go to have a try …
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Lionel Reply:
January 24th, 2016 at 7:47 am
Bak Kut Teh alone will make my want to go?
I’ve tried the CCF before and it’s different from your regular wet types but once you get started, you’ll just be addicted to it???
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[…] Teluk Intan Good Food – Liew Kee Chee Cheong Fun, Rojak Ah Chai … […]
I absolutely ADORE anson’s chee cheong fun – one of the best damn thing I’ve ever eaten. i must stop by there to tapow some on my way back from butterworth this saturday! and some of their awesome heong peng also.
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[…] to ‘Fragrant Biscuits’; a type of confectionery believed to have originated from Teluk Intan of Perak, but there are detractors who claim that Gunung Rapat in Ipoh was the place that started […]
[…] week started slow, then picked up halfway through. Yesterday we were down to Kampar, en route to Teluk Intan and subsequently Hutan Melintang. If you knew two out of the three places mentioned above, I […]
[…] TELUK INTAN DAY TRIP – Liew Kee Famous Chee Cheong Fun, Rojak Ah Chai, Gerai Soya Bean Maharan… (NEW!!) […]
1st time going to TI in next 2 days, hope manage to find those places n savour all those foods as advertised. Thanks 4 all the info.
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ya the CCF price will keep increasing. you know why? to make up for the loss the bosses made in gambling. apparently, heard from ppl, the husband and wife managing this business will go to genting every weekend. although it’s very nice but the price increase will make them lose business sooner or later.
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J2Kfm Reply:
December 9th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Hmm, but still, judging from the crowd every evening … I doubt they will go out of business soon.
Maybe the novelty in the idea of lining up and buying back tens of packets of freshly steamed ccf get the crowd going nuts?
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Hey, next time try to buy the heong peah and tau sah peah in Sin Guan Hoe instead of Sin Guan Tin. It taste nicer
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Anonymous Reply:
May 8th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
sure ka….make sure they r not ur uncle
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[…] Intan to savour the famous Soya Bean stall at Jalan Maharani. Based on the excellent write up by Motormouth From Ipoh, it didn’t take me long to track down this unassuming soya bean stall. I parked my car in […]
[…] Sin Guan Hoe @ Jalan Pasir Bedamar. Really good Tau Sar Pneah (the big ones, palm-sized) than Ta Sin Guan Tin which I wrote […]
[…] of Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun from Liew Kee Kueh Teow Manufacturer @ Jalan Hill. Anxious? Read my last year’s post on this (mad)house-cum-factory. Souvenirs. Gluttony. […]
My home town but alway TA Telok Anson alway a St.Anthony boy
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Good intro of my hometown….
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Chee Cheong Fun looks yummy 🙂
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[…] Teluk Intan in A Whirlwind – Of Street Food, Leaning Tower & BIG Cinemas – 39,016 views […]
[…] Teluk Intan in A Whirlwind – Of Street Food, Leaning Tower & BIG Cinemas – 39,022 views […]
Nice to get a lot of info on local delicacies cause i be there for 2 weeks for the by election..and i wont miss trying all the places that hve been mention by u tqvm fot the info?
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Nice to get a lot of info on local delicacies cause i be there for 2 weeks for the by election..and i wont miss trying all the places that hve been mention by u tqvm fot the info?
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Teluk Intan Good Food – Liew Kee Chee Cheong Fun, Rojak Ah Chai, Ta Sin Guan Tin Biscuits, Lana Tea House & Gerai Soya Bean Maharani | Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel
One should try the curry mee in glutton square in Teluk intan
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