TRAP Hot Spring Park is located near Bidor (美罗 | Metro, near Ipoh), a small town in Perak for travellers to stop-by for a break before continuing their journey.
At the town centre, there seems to be only one main street where shops are lined along both sides of the street. There you will see the famous Pun Chun restaurant with its distinctive yellow facade situated on the main street.
Pun Chun restaurant (品珍酒楼) is famous for its duck-thigh noodles and of course, the chicken biscuits (鸡仔饼). However, I didn’t buy any as I don’t like the taste of this type of chicken biscuit, regardless of any brand. But for those who love chicken biscuits, I think, will like Pun Chun chicken biscuits.
The Petai beans (aka twisted cluster beans) hang like a bunch of twisted ribbons. They have to be peeled before cooking. The green seed pods of Petai look like broad beans and are usually cooked in sambal (dried shrimp, chilli, garlic) in Malaysia. Its nickname is “stink bean” as it has a strange smell and you can get stinky farts if you eat the petai beans.
Some great tips contributed by a local named William Yaw on what to eat in Bidor!
At the pasar (market), if you are able to wake up in the early morning like 4.30am, go for the butcher stalls and you will see them carrying freshly roasted steamy pork. Need I say further? Try some! Fyi, roasted pork in Perak (Bidor is in Perak) is marinated as compared to other states.
Go Kampung Cina (“Sen Chun” in Cantonese) around 5pm-6pm for their glutinous rice which has a pale colour as compared to those sold in cities which are usually dark brown. Also, you can try their crispy beancurd and other food stuffs. Try pouring some curry or kaya onto the beancurd, they taste really good.
Also, you must really try the petai beans and durians in Bidor as they are grown from high altitude; thus, due to the differences in climate of mountains, they taste better. The durians are smaller and better than D24 and they are “chemical-free”!
I didn’t know got such place when i was in Ipoh.
Muz go there and check it out next time =)
CHICKEN BISCUITS ???! Lol.. Am hearing such a thing for the first time in my life !! 🙂 Anyway , when you gonna blog abt Penang ??! Am waitin for it ! 🙂
@JeremeFo: Bidor is about 30mins drive from Ipoh. Er.. nothing much there, only a main street with some shops selling chicken biscuits, fruits and some coffee shops only. I think it’s a stop-over for most travellers.
@KC: Really? U heard of Nabisco Flavor Originals Chicken in a Biskit? Anyway, that is different from this Chinese chicken biscuits in my post. XD
Will blog about Penang. Let me do it slowly ok! If not I run out of topic to blog how? =P
i like your blog. nice comment on bidor. there also got a nice herbal duck noodle shop a few doors away from the biscuits shop. as for the TRAP hot spring… I wouldn’t want to dip inside anymore. Imagine eggs also cooked. I dont want that to happen to me. btw… do you eat the eggs? not healthy leh cause got a lot of sulfur in hot springs.
nice blog…
@Benjamin: Thanks for sharing! Don’t worry! There are different temperatures for different hot spring pools! Regarding the hot spring for cooking eggs, that is not for dipping yourself! It’s just a small amount of water enough for boiling eggs only.
Ha! Yes we all ate the eggs. =) We can take a little bit of sulphur as it’s beneficial for our health. Anyway, we can’t soak in hot springs for too long.
We should be going to TRAP again soon =)
hehe….
i love the chicken biscuit very much
but dont like petai….>_<
蕾蕾~
@Forever HL: Ha! I can take petai but don’t like the chicken biscuits! XD
Looks like everytime I passed through this area, the petai seller is there. Yummy petai.
@peteformation: Ha! You often go Bidor? I must say these sellers are excellent sales people! They are really hardworking sellers, and my aunties bought a lot from them! =D
I do enjoy reading your posts. It’s like tagging along with you on your trips.(Lol!) Thanks for sharing Malaysia!
http://ailecgee.i.ph
http://beng-gee.blogspot.com
@Tita: Haha! Next I will treat you with some Penang good food. XD
Eunice, Thank for sharing your info about my Hometown.. My sweet sweet Home.. Hahaha.. T.R.A.P is not very far from Bidor. Infact would like to update you something. Bidor actual very famous for foods. It not only along the main road where Pun Chun Restaurant is around. Infact inside of you may find plenty of good stuff but i got to say u must know the time to eat what. Haha It have to follow period to look for certain foods as some they only sell in one particular period. In Pasar if you are able to wake up in the early morning like 4.30am where the butcler stall are located, you will see they carry the(Just Ready) Roasted pork.. you can still see the smoke out!!! Ever try before…I got to tell you it is taste so different plus i have to highlight here roasted pork in perak is marinated compare to other states..(very seldom they marinate).. Glutinous rice is in white colour compare to city glutinous rice always is dark brown. Is sell only at 5pm-6pm located in Kampung Cina(Sen Chun-Cantonese) there’s accompanies with Crispy beancurd and others stuff, u may try pour some curry onto it, or a KAYA.. yes the jam KAYA.. i bet u never try before.Plus of the petai u may post on is actually is a different petai. coz this actually pick from top of the mountain.. taste extraordinary.. for those of you love petai u guy will never wanna miss it.haha and the Duiran as well is also from top of the mountain due the climate is diferent the taste actually better than D24. but only it grow smaller compare to normal size u see.At least is good coz u know is natural grow without chemical on it.Okie I stop here.. anything u wanna ask do feel free ya.. Thanks again Eunice..!!
@William Yaw: Wow thanks for your great tips for nice food in Bidor! We are going Ipoh again this Saturday night for Chinese New Year. I wonder if we have time to go Bidor again to find those great food you mentioned here. I will insert your tips into this post. Thank you!
This has got to be one of the finest blogs from Asia. Keep up the great work.
i am from Bidor..that aunty in the counter restaurant..is my grandma’s sister =)
wow that’s cool 🙂
Pun Chun Restaurant has the best Won Ton Noodles anywhere you go.I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA and have eaten all over in China Towns around the US.New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, Canada, Los Angeles. Pun Chun is the best.
Wai Chan
Hello, thanks for this post. Any recommendations on places to stay in Bidor?