Yes! Malaysians travel for food... πŸ˜‹

in Worldmappin β€’ 3 years ago (edited)

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Not food as in starving for sustenance... But, travel to enjoy (read 'indulge' in) certain select foods!

Ohhhh, where do I begin.... Breakfast? Lunch?? Dinner??? By the days... - Day 1, Day 2...? Or most outstanding meal? Hmmmm, or should I say, a lip-smacking mmmmmmm....!! And yes, it's a well-known fact that Malaysians love their food, and will travel practically anywhere for food!Β 

Hence, when the family planned a short trip up to Ipoh, a town North of the capital Kuala Lumpur (KL), it's not surprising friends asked, "Ohhhh, for the food, right?" Lol.... I just thought of Ipoh as a destination as I haven't actually toured the place - we usually only pass through Ipoh while on the way to the more popular Penang island. So, this was to be a discover-Ipoh-as-a-holiday-destination-type trip. Which I must admit did turn into a food-seeking trip in the end! One can't deny destiny...

Bear with me - if I can't squeeze everything into this one post, there will be a part 2... Without further ado...

Meal 1: Chicken Rice

Steamed or/and roasted chicken served with (imagine this) the most aromatic rice cooked in the juices of a broiled chicken! (If my cooking terms are spot on...) In Ipoh everyone loves the beansprouts as it seems from the nearby limestone hills flow the exact right quality of spring water that feeds and produces the crunchiest, healthiest sprouts of beans (see the white veggie thingys; I'll provide close-ups in awhile...) Ipoh locals boast nowhere else will you get any beansprouts of the same quality. Lettuce topped with a generous sprinkling of fried garlic and its oil, sesame oil and light soy sauce.

Steamed, drenched with the right mix of sauces.... or....
Steamed, drenched with the right mix of sauces.... or....

...roasted, one can’t go wrong as both types of chicken are juicy and tender morsels, never dry
...roasted, one can't go wrong as both types of chicken are juicy and tender morsels, never dry

Ipoh’s very own beansprouts! Fat, short, crunchy and juicy...
Ipoh's very own beansprouts! Fat, short, crunchy and juicy...

Lettuce lightly blanched and dressed with light soy sauce, sesame oil and topped with delicately fried garlic
Lettuce lightly blanched and dressed with light soy sauce, sesame oil and topped with delicately fried garlic

You will definitely ask for extras of the rice - cooked with chicken juices and ginger, and I’m guessing some garlic maybe... absolutely to die for! It’s good enough to just eat it on its own
You will definitely ask for extras of the rice - cooked with chicken juices and ginger, and I'm guessing some garlic maybe... absolutely to die for! It's good enough to just eat it on its own

We ordered fish balls (errr, I missed getting shots of it! You can see it in the topmost photo) and pork balls - these were firm, with a solid bite to them!
We ordered fish balls (errr, I missed getting shots of it! You can see it in the topmost photo) and pork balls - these were firm, with a solid bite to them!

How good was it? The four of us had to add another two more portions of chicken and rice, before we sat back and declared, we couldn't eat another bite! And we made another trip on the last day for lunch before we returned home. That's how good it was!

Where?

The sign reads: Lou Wong Beansprouts (tauge) Chicken (ayam) Restaurant
The sign reads: Lou Wong Beansprouts (tauge) Chicken (ayam) Restaurant

Note: Both KL (the capital city where we're from) and Ipoh, are now in Phase 4 of the covid restrictions which is pretty relaxed; inter-state travel is permitted, however we got to wear face masks when not dining, social distancing is still practised. Outdoor and indoor dining is allowed, so we chose to dine al fresco. It was a nice cool evening, with light breezes.

Supper!

We had to go check out what else was around the corner (short drive away) since we had early dinner; not that we were hungry, but just 'curious'.... πŸ˜…

Google told us there was a dessert lane nearby... Alas, most were gone when we arrived, and they were closing soon. We managed to order these two to share, and a dessert later...

Char Koay Teow - flat noodles fried in extra hot fire (the secret to great fried noodles or rice, they say...) with beansprouts (there it is again... Ipoh loves its beansprouts!) chives, lots of garlic, chili, egg, and cockles, shrimp, chicken or pork is optional.
Char Koay Teow - flat noodles fried in extra hot fire (the secret to great fried noodles or rice, they say...) with beansprouts (there it is again... Ipoh loves its beansprouts!) chives, lots of garlic, chili, egg, and cockles, shrimp, chicken or pork is optional.Β 

Claypot Yee Mee - yee mee being the brown (pre-fried) noodles cooked in veggie broth with an egg dropped in to be beaten into the soup (Tip: do that before the broth cools)
Claypot Yee Mee - yee mee being the brown (pre-fried) noodles cooked in veggie broth with an egg dropped in to be beaten into the soup (Tip: do that before the broth cools)

And Ice Kacang for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream! That’s shaved ice topped with black jelly, cendol (that green stuff which is rice flour strips + pandanus flavour & natural colouring), peanuts, cream corn and kidney beans, drizzled with red syrup, palm sugar, condensed and evaporated milk.... and there might be more ingredients even!
And Ice Kacang for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream! That's shaved ice topped with black jelly, cendol (that green stuff which is rice flour strips + pandanus flavour & natural colouring), peanuts, cream corn and kidney beans, drizzled with red syrup, palm sugar, condensed and evaporated milk.... and there might be more ingredients even!

Where?

Literally, Dessert Lane or Tong Sui (sweet water) Kai (lane/road)Β - I missed getting a shot of the place which was actually a lane of stalls, asΒ it started drizzling when we finished, and the second time we went, it was raining cats and dogs! Yeah, poor excuse, but the truth! πŸ˜‰

Kopitiam Culture

Literally meaning 'coffee shop' in Hokkien (a Chinese dialect) Everything you could possibly want! Basically it is a shop with as many as three to 10 stalls, depending on the size of the shop. Some might even be double shop lots, hence the number of stalls under that one roof increases. Noodles, rice, fried, soups, specialty, regular menus, desserts, drinks, and what-have-yous.Β 

Koay Teow Soup or Hor Fun; flat noodles in soup (top left) - another Ipoh speciality, supposedly that spring water (again) makes the smoothest, slurpiest (if there is such a word.... you know what I mean...) most slippery (a good thing) flat noodles in the whole country - Ipoh dares make that claim! No one had better challenge them on that! Here, you see some yong tau foo pieces (soy skin filled with fish paste, fish balls, meat balls/patties)
Koay Teow Soup or Hor Fun; flat noodles in soup (top left) - another Ipoh speciality, supposedly that spring water (again) makes the smoothest, slurpiest (if there is such a word.... you know what I mean...) most slippery (a good thing) flat noodles in the whole country - Ipoh dares make that claim! No one had better challenge them on that! Here, you see some yong tau foo pieces (soy skin filled with fish paste, fish balls, meat balls/patties)

Smooth... slurpy.... slippery hor fun!
Smooth... slurpy.... slippery hor fun!

You can't have kopi (coffee) tiam (shop), without coffee, right?!Β  Most kopitiams will have their own brand and blend of local coffee, roasted to their own specific perfection, then brewed, mixed, poured in their own individual style.Β 

’Kaw’ (strong, thick) white local coffee, worthy of a kopitiam!
'Kaw' (strong, thick) white local coffee, worthy of a kopitiam!

Prawn mee (shrimp noodles in spicy soup) - sliced pork, beansprouts and shrimps, of course!
Prawn mee (shrimp noodles in spicy soup) - sliced pork, beansprouts and shrimps, of course!

Some dim sum - siu mai (left), har gow (top, centre) and fried wan tan on long rectangular tray, centre... And loh mai kai - the three saucers of glutinuous rice topped with chicken pieces and Chinese mushroom
Some dim sum - siu mai (left), har gow (top, centre) and fried wan tan on long rectangular tray, centre... And loh mai kai - the three saucers of glutinuous rice topped with chicken pieces and Chinese mushroomΒ 

Many of you might already know Dim Sum or Tim Sum. Minced prawn/pork/chicken or a happy mix, in little tasty morsels or parcels, steamed or deep fried.Β  Siu mai, fried wan tan, har gow (shrimp dumplings) are some of the more popular types as seen here, and little saucers of loh mai kai, or glutinuous rice with chicken. All very yummy!

Roti (bread) goyang (shake/shaking; shaking bread, haha...)
Roti (bread) goyang (shake/shaking; shaking bread, haha...)

And if all the above isn't enough, then you must make some space for aΒ Roti Goyang, literally means shaking bread... haha, that's the poached eggs that shake or jiggle on the toast! And there's no better place than a kopitiam to prepare the best 'roti goyang' money can buy! Toast with poached or half boiled eggs over it - you smash the egg up all over the toast, add pepper, a pinch of salt and eat it! πŸ˜„Β 

Seeee.... like this... πŸ‘‡

And to end it all on a sweet note, how about an egg custard tart... Fresh from the oven, baked in the shop. Right in front of your eyes...Β 

Wanna a tart?
Wanna a tart?

You know you wanna... See how pretty it is. Pastry light as air, crumbles in your mouth, custard fragrant and smooth as silk! πŸ˜‹πŸ€©
You know you wanna... See how pretty it is. Pastry light as air, crumbles in your mouth, custard fragrant and smooth as silk! πŸ˜‹πŸ€©

Where?

Kedai Kopi Nam Heong (Nam Heong coffee shop or kopitiam) - that’s the queue outside when we finished! Good thing when we arrived for early lunch, it wasn’t as bad, we only had to wait for a table of four
Kedai Kopi Nam Heong (Nam Heong coffee shop or kopitiam) - that's the queue outside when we finished! Good thing when we arrived for early lunch, it wasn't as bad, we only had to wait for a table of four

If you think that's all, noooooo... you're sadly mistaken. You've underestimated Malaysians... πŸ˜„ I find I can't squeeze all the food we ate in this one post - errr, I might bore you or worse, have everyone upset with me for making you all hungry! Until the next post.... part 2 should take care of the rest of the food we sampled!

Have a great day, enjoy your breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper! πŸ‘πŸ˜Š


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Β 3 years agoΒ (edited)Β 

It looks like malay cuisine, looks delicious... πŸ€©πŸ‘

And we Indonesians also often use doge, even on Acehnese noodles . .

Ahaaa.... I have some Malay food in part 2.... :)

I'll be waiting for it πŸ₯°

And it looks like you have to try Aceh noodles...
I have a photo collection of Aceh crab noodles in my gallery, do you want to see it ☺

Ohhh we love Indonesian food!!! πŸ€©πŸ˜†

Β 3 years agoΒ (edited)Β 

These are some photos in my gallery, after looking at the details, and it turns out these photos are files in 2017 😁πŸ₯°

img_0.3126117181462341.jpg

img_0.04154400162554536.jpg

img_0.4560426446426925.jpg

img_0.6214922325653778.jpg

Ooohhhh, mouth-watering stuff!

πŸ€—πŸ€—πŸ€—

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looks yum yum n yum 😝😜 @ackhoo every item looks delicious, as 'm big foodie it make me drooling 🀀 so many different type of dish in one Malaysia restaurant, 'm crazy now to visit Malaysia soon lolz 🀣

Haha... you should whenever possible! Malaysians are crazy about their food.... :D

I am hanging on to these because I might be going to Ipoh on Thursday... maybe.

Well after Lonely Planet placed Ipoh as one of the top destinations in Asia, Penang has a challenger hehe.

All the food looks so good and I hope to get some on my next trip.
Now off to wipe the drool off my face ;p

Oohhhh that will make me step up on part 2.... I've got some touristy bits for another post too. But mostly stuff you can get online anyway. I didn't actually take Ipoh being a foodie place seriously at first (all along actually - don't hit me, Ipoh-lites!) Now I see what people are all excited about... :D Let me know if you want any extra info, whatever I can contribute, if you do confirm going... And have a foodie-good time!!! :D :D

Nothing like hearing it from someone you kinda know :D

Yes, it has become a place for foodies and those Hipster Cafes get mentions too :D

Ohhhh yesss! Hipster cafes galore, kinda.... :) Ipoh after 8 or 9pm is quiet, a sprinkling of traditional shops remain open, but the youngsters' hip cafes are the ones still 'happening' at the late hours. Konda Kondi is one (love the name! if you know the old-time game...) - we were searching for a late night place one evening and dropped by.... They close about 11-ish, and have their menu on app - interesting; nephew found it irritating though.... lol.Β 

These are delicious and tantalizing meals. I hope you send my over here😊

πŸ˜€πŸ‘

Oh man Char Koay Teow is one of my favorites... I literally just ate and this post made me hungry again haha. I was born in Miri, Sarawak, but have practically been raised and live in the United States. I plan on going back though, but more so considering Phillipines.

The food/night markets are one of my favorite places to visit as I see all sorts of food everywhere and food heaven. Those in the states or a place with a chinese restaurant should try Char Koay Teow it is normally listed as flat rice noodles on the menu or you can just take a picture of it on your phone and show to your host if the menu isn't in english haha.

It is a really flavorful noodle dish and by far one my my favorite dishes overall. I'm eating as much !PIZZA and beef as I can before I go back as once back I probably won't want to spend that amount of money for a small sized pizza.

Haha, street food must be eaten from the streets, no hotel promotion or upper class restaurant can top them! Char Koay Teow definitely belongs in that category.... Hope you get to return soon, and have some long-awaited char koay teow!

So true
Somehow it loses the taste once you try to fancy it up haha
I hope so too, I love CKT and always on the lookout for a good one even here in KL :D

Β 3 years agoΒ (edited)Β 

Noo, nooooo, no fancying up for street food! You need that open fire with sparks flying in all directions, the heat from that enormous fired up stove roaring in the background, the sweaty CKT man clanging on his wok (working with both hands); it's a marvel just watching him at work - huge round ladle scooping copious amounts of garlic, soy sauce, etc then clang clang clang again.... Tell me what delicate hotel or restaurant chef can offer that?! πŸ˜πŸ˜„ That said, another element to it all is searching kopitiam by kopitiam for a good CKT, best-suited to your taste! 😬

LOL
You described it perfect ;D

I'd travel to eat any of that. The food all looks amazing and tasty!!! Good food is always worth travelling for. We have a place in a town an hour away from us that we love and occasionally have to make the journey to satisfy that craving.

Yeah, I can totally understand travelling for good food... Fortunately most of the good stuff is close by for me! :)

You shared a feast with us today. I just had dinner and this made me hungry. Everything looks so good and that chicken looks very juicy.

Hahaha, that was good chicken.... lol

Teaser... πŸ˜’

πŸ˜„πŸ˜

all the food on the table looks very delicious, and all the ingredients are made from very healthy vegetables. it is a restaurant that is very crowded with tourists it seems?

Thank you, @iq-bal! Yeah local tourists, some from other states, no international tourists allowed in yet... Seems this is one of the restaurants on some online list or viral on travel sites!

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Always a great encouragement and support with your acknowledgement!
Thank you, @smeralda!! Thank you, @travelfeed! πŸ™πŸ˜Š

I also love to travel to enjoy food. Experiencing new flavors and new recipes is a happy thing for me. All the dishes you share look so delicious πŸ™‚

I think tasting all local delights is one of the best perks of travelling... πŸ˜‹ I wonder at some who refuse to try local foods and instead stick to "regular" (bland/boring) hotel food...

I agree with you. Local dishes have a very distinct flavor, which is specific to the culture of that place. Not as popular as the dishes in restaurants and hotels. If given a choice, I'd still love to explore local cuisine.

The egg tart is similar to the Indonesian tart! I can't wait traveling there again whenever the traveling restriction is lifted and is easier to move around without quarantine.

We love travelling in Indonesia too! Haven't come across the Indonesian egg tart though... Same here - we look forward to when we can travel freely again! Thank you for dropping by... :)

Always a pleasure, it was a good read and I feel like I was down a memory lane when I travel there cause that time, I ate a lot of good food 😁 I still wish to go back very soon. ~ cheers.

Have you ever tried Bak kut teh? I love it!

Ooohhhh I missed this! (I'm terrible at keeping up with notifications - so sorry!)

Oh yessss! Bak kut teh is like a national institution (for the Chinese and Indians here) - I just love the yau char kwai (Chinese-version crullers) dropped into the herbal soup, and soaked! :D

In in Ipoh right now and the food is incredible!!!! Loved the chicken the sprouts side-dish.

😻