Ipoh | Singapore Travel Photo Blog @ travelerfolio.com

makan ur heart out

Continued from our trip from Penang to Ipoh in Malaysia…

The Chinese have “ang bao” (red packet) and the Malay have “green bao” too! “Green-bao” literally means green packet that is used to contain money and is given out to kids (only?) during Hari Raya Puasa. It’s quite amusing to see green packets with design like Ringgit dollar notes printed on them. Are you generous enough to buy those packets printed with RM100 design and really insert a RM100 note into the “green bao” for giveaway? I would be elated to receive one!

Located at Persiaran Bijeh Timah in Ipoh old town, Nam Heong coffee shop is the famous one among the locals and tourists. It’s very hard to get a seat in this coffee shop which is always crowded even on weekdays. In fact, it was the first time we got a seat there! Previously, when we went to Nam Heong, the coffee was already sold out at 3pm+!

The aroma and taste of the foamy white coffee is good. You can order hot or iced white coffee, and I prefer it hot. In fact, Nam Heong is the distributor of “3-in-1 Ipoh Oldtown White Coffee” popularly sold in supermarkets. However, you can never compare the 3-in-1 pack with the white coffee serves in Nam Heong. To be frank, you can also find good white coffee in many other coffee shops in Ipoh. Just opposite Nam Heong is another one called Sin Yoon Loong coffee shop selling good white coffee and nice custards too.

At Nam Heong, try the delectable dim sum, especially the egg tarts! The fried koay teow is quite good too.

I thought we escaped the rain in Penang but the weather wasn’t good in Ipoh on the first day of our stay. We were always dashing in the rain.

As a rule of thumb, be very patient if you want to try out the good food in Ipoh. I bet you definitely heard of Nga Choy Kai (芽菜鸡 | bean sprouts + steam chicken) if you are a foodie in Malaysia and Singapore. I guess most tourists will go to “Lou Wong” (老黄芽菜鸡) or “Ong Kee” that’s opposite “Lou Wong”. But the locals strongly recommend me to try these local delicacies at Kedai Kopi Kam Hor (literally means “Kam Hor” coffee shop) which is located just next to Woolley Food Centre at Jalan Canning Estate, 31400 Ipoh Garden.

The stall is manned by an elderly couple and they start business in the evening and may be off on every Tuesday. Be prepared to wait for at least half an hour to 45-min for all the food to be served on your table if there are only a few patrons around. As more tables were taken up, I overheard a man telling his friend that they would need to wait for an hour!

Sometimes, being patient does pay off. The smooth steam chicken and juicy bean sprouts are lip-smacking good and less oily than those serve in “Lou Wong” restaurant. It’s a nice dinner that only cost RM17+ for a plate of bean sprouts, three plates of dried noodles, a plate of steam chicken portioned for two persons and a bowl of fishballs.

At Kedai Kopi Kam Hor, what I like most as compared to other Nga Choy Kai (aka Ayam Tauge) that I tried before in Ipoh is the dried Hor Fun (flat rice noodles) that is soaked in broth. The dish may look simple but the flavour and texture of the Hor Fun mixed with rice vermicelli and garnished with fried shallots and spring onion is just so right!

Want to taste some mouth-watering buns in Ipoh? Grab some from the stall named “Pau Langkap” at Golden Point Food Court at Lot 106885, Persiaran Bercham Selatan 20, Taman Bercham Jaya in Ipoh. They are famous for char siew (BBQ pork) buns and also offer a great variety of steam buns, of which many I’ve not tasted before. Like what? Some special ones like the fermented beancurd buns, er… I dunno how to translate from Cantonese to English anymore… LOL

A typical scene of Ipoh surrounded with a range of limestone hills. You can read all my previous posts about Ipoh that cover on what to eat and see in Ipoh.

Next, a trip to Genting Highlands.

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Random Pix

The size and magnificence of this white building tells how important it must be at the time when it was built. To the locals, the Railway Station is the “Taj Mahal of Ipoh”.

In the early 20th century, many British tin-mining companies were set up in the city and Ipoh gained prominence. However, with the collapse of tin prices and the closure of the tin mines in the late 1970s, Ipoh’s growth had stagnated and resulted in the migration of many young talents to greener pastures.

The landscaped garden in front of the Railway Station accentuates its sense of grandeur.

A damsel trying to take a picture with her cellphone camera in a “non-mainstream” way…

In the garden, you will find “Ipoh tree” (Upas tree) which the city is named after.

Indigenous groups use the latex of Upas tree (Ipoh tree) to make poisonous darts for their blowpipes.

The Malaysian Railways – KTM.

The British colonial building on the opposite side of the road facing Ipoh Railway Station is the beautiful Ipoh Town Hall.

Just some pictures here taken during Chinese New Year at a shopping mall in Ipoh.

When East meets West, you get tangerines on Christmas tree during Chinese New Year!

Apparently, this sad-looking Singapore car must have been hit from behind while driving up the North-South expressway from Singapore to Ipoh. Well, that’s just my guess, ‘cos around Chinese New Year, there are many accidents on N-S expressway every year. Drive safely. We got hit before too!

Heard loud chirping noise from a room in the house and saw many birds perching on the window grilles when it was raining.

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Good times, Old memories

When you’re in Ipoh-Malaysia, try some white coffee at Persiaran Bijeh Timah at the old town. You will not regret it! This traditional coffee shop is called “Sin Yoon Loong”.

Order their famous pudding custard with caramel syrup. It’s awesome! The bread toast is crisp and filled with kaya (coconut egg jam).

Opposite “Sin Yoon Loong” coffee shop is a more popular hangout – Nam Heong Old Town White Cafe. When we were there in the late afternoon, hot coffee was already sold out!

Ice white coffee, ice teh (milk tea), and hot white coffee to die for… !

Been to Ipoh many times, but it was only recently that I finally got the chance to try the famous Lou Wong “Nga Choy Gai” (老黄芽菜鸡). Usually there are many patrons and it’s hard to find seats. but this time, we went there around 4plus in the afternoon and had no problem getting a table.

The famous Lou Wong steam chicken. Frankly speaking, the chicken is too oily and unhealthy! Look at the plate of oil! After having this set of chicken meal, our lips were very glossy! LOL!

Ipoh’s famous dish – “Nga Choy Gai” in Cantonese literally means beansprout chicken. This beansprout dish has too much pepper on it, so I didn’t really like it too. The “kuetiau” (flat rice noodle) is good. However, our Singapore Hainanese chicken rice is still the best! Delicious and healthier! kekeke Anyway, this set of Nga Choy Gai costs RM20+.

Some say Ong Kee (Tauge Ayam or beansprout + chicken) is better than Lou Wong. I think I tried Ong Kee many years ago when I first visited Ipoh. I didn’t really like the tough texture of the chicken. Perhaps I prefer Singapore’s version of steam chicken that is more meaty and tender. What do you think?

Update (13-Sep-09): I found better Nga Choy Gai (or Nga Choi Kai?) at Kedai Kopi Kam Hor at Ipoh Garden.

After the oily meal, we walked to a little stall selling bean curd. This “Funny Mountain” stall has been around for decades!

By the time we were there in the evening, the bean curd was almost sold out. The man at the stall told us many people took photos of the wooden barrel that contains the tasty bean curd. Well, I did see some newspaper clippings hanging on the wall at their stall! I wonder how much they make a day by selling bean curd. It’s worth eating.

Sizzling steamboat? Rows of sticks with meat/veg are arranged nicely for you to pick and choose. Then dip the meat (they called it “lok lok”) into the boiling soup and cook it yourself. Your food is never cold this way. However, we didn’t try any lok lok from this mobile stall so no comment on their food.

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Ipoh Street Food

Hype about Ipoh? Food! Again, time for some nourishment!

Try some Malaysia local food at Ipoh stadium food centre. I like Seng Kee’s Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun (steamed rice roll). They make the rice roll on the spot when you order it. You can choose to wrap meats like prawns or char siew (BBQ shredded pork) in the steamed rice roll.

Freshly steamed chee cheong fun with soft and silky texture; it melts in your mouth! Prawns are wrapped in this steamed rice roll sprinkled with sesame seeds.

ABC (abbrev. of a Malay name for it) or Ice Kacang is a popular dessert of finely crushed ice topped with sweet corns, grass jelly, chendol, grounded nuts and added with syrups and evaporated milk.

What else? Warm egg tarts. I am always crazy over them.

This dish is mee Jawa or Jawa mee (or Java mee?). It looks like mee Rebus but is less spicy… How to continue blogging when I am hungry now after looking at all these yummies that I once savoured?

This rojak is next to the stall selling Mee Jawa (which is next to Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun). It’s very tasty!

This food centre is near Jusco shopping mall.

Ipoh Wan tan Hor (滑蛋河) is my all time favourite! As mentioned earlier, Ipoh rice noodles melt in your mouth! ^^

I think most of the food stalls at the stadium close by evening. Any recommendation for lip-smacking food in Ipoh or anywhere in Malaysia?

Read Hype about Ipoh> Food | Ipoh yummies in Perak, Malaysia.

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Hype about Ipoh > FOOD!

You like curry mee? This coffee shop called Xin Quan Fang (新泉芳) sells Ipoh famous curry mee (noodles). It’s located in 174 Jln Sultan Iskandar Shah, Ipoh. Business hour: 7am to 2pm.

Just like any popular eateries in Ipoh, you need to wait patiently for good food. So, you see why I was aiming at myself…

The little stall that serves the famous curry mee to every patron, some from countries as far as Singapore. ^^

A bowl of roasted pork, prawns and chicken slices, with curry sauce for dipping. The curry mee are soaked in curry that I think has no coconut milk in it, so I find it less fattening. It’s really good! Read More »

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Malaysia: Journey to Ipoh, Perak

We went Ipoh-Perak, Malaysia last week, by coach from Singapore. It usually takes around 7 hours to reach Ipoh. But this time, it took us more than 8 hours to reach there. I am going to rant about Transtar (transport company located at Lavender MRT station).

First, the designated coach was scheduled to pick us at 9pm, but the coach was half an hour late.

Then half way along the route in Malaysia, the air-con suddenly stopped working. The air got warmer and stuffy. It was only when Jacky informed the driver then he knew about it.

After a while, when we were all sleeping soundly, he woke everyone up again and asked those going Ipoh to leave the coach and board another coach. No reason given. We had to stumble with our heavy baggages in the dark along a muddy path near the forest to the other coach. When we got up to that coach, I had to crawl into my seat as the passengers in front had reclined their seats while sleeping.

Bad experience with Transtar. No star for them this time. -_- Read More »

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