Thursday 22 May 2014

Restoran Muar, Home-Cooked Cuisine


Last week, we decided to try something 'different' (in Mr. E's words). So, we ventured a little further from the road-that-never-sleeps Changkat Bukit Bintang and the tourist-attracted (and, IMHO, a little too commercialized) Jalan Alor into the quieter adjacent road in search of Restoran Muar.

Petai Squid & Prawn
Salted Egg Chicken
Crispy Fried Egg
This is Restoran Muar's specialty. It tastes ... exactly how you'd expect it to taste, like a fried egg drizzled with soy sauce. BUT what makes it stand out from normal home-cooked fried egg is its crispy edges.  I enjoyed eating this because it did remind me of home-cooked food but with an added twist to it. That said, apparently home-cooked doesn't equal 'healthy', if it weren't for the oil oozing out with every bite of the egg, I'd be eating a whole serving by myself.

Deep Fried Kai Lan
This is also one of their specialty. It is worth trying as it is different from the usual Kai Lan. But I like my Kai Lan to be boiled and drizzled with hot oil and soy sauce for taste.

Cendol
Cendol comes in a small bowl, which I thought was just right as we were all stuffed by the time we finished the main course. I liked that it was not too sweet like other shops, just nice to end our dinner.

Restoran Muar Home-Cooked Cuisine
No. 6G Tengkat Tong Shin
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Business Hours: 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm (closed on Mondays)

Wednesday 14 May 2014

King of Tea, Petaling Street

 

One of my favorite morning past-time is to 'jalan-jalan cari makan' in Petaling Street. Although it's one of the more famous tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur, the breakfast stalls here is quite reasonable. And the feeling of having your breakfast here is not something that can be replicated. 

The 1st stall you see once you enter Petaling Street is 'Cha Wang' (King of Tea).


Unable to make up my mind, or rather wanting the best of both worlds, I usually order the 'Cham' (i.e. 'Mix' in Cantonese) which consists of Coffee and Tea.


You can then order Toasted Bread from the stall next door. The favorite breakfast combination, coffee and toast bread.



Generously filled with egg and luncheon meat.


Or, if toast alone is not enough to satisfy your hunger, feel free to explore the rest of Petaling Street where food stalls can be found everywhere. I went for the 'economy noodle' just a few stalls down from Tea King. Just RM3.30 for the whole packet, satisfying and delicious. 

 

The best part about having your breakfast here is to watch people from all walks of life pass by.  You will see laid back tourists, snapping away with their cameras, students from the neighboring schools heading for class, office employees walking briskly to buy their breakfast to-go before going to work, stall owners cheerfully going about their daily routine etc. 

All this while you slowly sip on your 'Cham'. Bliss. 

Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur
Business Hours: Opens from morning til night 
(Tea King probably opens only in the morning to give way to other stalls in the afternoon)

Saturday 10 May 2014

Restoran Tuck Kee


I just love it when we stumble onto yet another amazing makan place. Although it appears to be one of the famous restaurants in Ipoh, I've never heard about this place until I used Google search. It is located in the same row as the famous Ipoh chicken rice shop.


Firstly, their Famous Wa Tan Hor is a must. Unlike the usual Wa Tan Hor, theirs came in a bowl.

Their Hor Fun is so soft and velvety which stood out compared to the other Wa Tan Hors that I've tried before. Seriously the best Wa Tan Hor I've ever tasted.   


Next, we also ordered their delicious and super velvety Yuet Kwong Hor. Seriously, how did they make their Hor Funs so smooth and velvety??!


Mix the raw egg into the hor fun for the egg-taste. This is the only time we totally ignored Salmonella, but not to worry, the Yuet Kwong Hor usually comes out steaming hot so the heat would've cooked the raw egg instantly.  


Another must-order is their Boiled Octopus. It has a garlic-ky taste and mix it with their chili-mixture thingy, then you're hooked. You won't be able to stop eating then. 

Restoran Tuck Kee
No. 61, Jalan Yau Tet Shin 
30300 Ipoh
Business Hours: Opens from 5 pm daily

Thursday 8 May 2014

Patiserrie BoutiQue




 In Ipoh, cafes appear at the most unlikely places. Picture passing by an old, dilapidated building with its paint peeling off, but look closer and you will see a modern, cozy looking cafe staring back at you.

   
 Patiserrie BoutiQue is one of these hidden treasures, and its like an oasis in the middle of a desert given Ipoh's unusually scorchingly hot weather. 


 Enter Patiserrie BoutiQue and you will immediately see that it is relatively small in size. The interior is simple with black and white murals on the walls. Such a friendly and comfortable atmosphere to have your afternoon tea!

Smoked Salmon Sandwich
Steaming hot chocolate brownie topped with ice-cream on top
Nooo... don't make me go back out there into the scorching sun!!!
Too bad our stomachs are not big enough to try the other food on the menu. They all looked delicious!

Patiserrie BoutiQue
103 Jalan Sultan Yusof
30000 Ipoh, Perak
Business Hours: 11 am to 6 pm (closed on Wednesdays)

Wednesday 7 May 2014

Myth Eatery & Bar



While staying in M Boutique Hotel, Ipoh the other day, we were given the opportunity to try out this grand-looking cafe situated right next to the hotel.

How cool is having your complimentary breakfast here early in the morning? 



The cafe certainly did not hold back in its decorations and designs. We happily took photos after photos for 10 minutes before actually sitting down to look at their menu. 



Old-fashioned chandeliers lined the ceilings, giving a soothing dim orange glow. Most of the light in the room came from natural sunlight.

The counter with all the neatly arranged glasses and coffee
Looks like water droplets


 Can't get enough of their chandelier.



And more chandeliers. The whole setting is just so pleasing to the eye <3



For the complimentary breakfast, not many choices (for now). You will be given 3 sets to choose from. 


And of course coffee or tea.



I opted for the sandwich. It comes with baked beans.



While the other human chose the big breakfast - eggs, potato, ham, garlic bread, and baked beans.


Nice, even if the choice of food is minimal (as opposed to the usual buffet spread), all is forgiven with the breath-taking decorations :) Who can chow down so much food that early in the morning anyway?

 Myth Eatery & Bar
(Next to M Boutique Hotel, Ipoh)
No. 2, Hala Datuk 5
31650, Ipoh
Business Hours: 8 am to 12 am daily

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Restoran Foh San Dim Sum

During our recent roadtrip, the humans, being typical Chinese, decided to try out the dim sum in Ipoh. Now, mention Ipoh and a few mouth-watering food immediately comes to mind e.g. Ipoh hor fun, Ipoh chicken rice, Ipoh white coffee, ... but dim sum was definitely not in the list. Or so the humans thought.  

Equipped with just an iPad where Google told them to look for a place called Foh San, the humans drove to Jalan Leong Sin Nam, which we later discovered to be the 'Dim Sum Street' of Ipoh.

Upon arrival, the humans' expressions were nothing short of (O_O) as they've never seen such a huge place just for dim sum.

 
This is the entrance. The place looked amazing. Since it was very packed on a Sunday, we were lucky to secure a seat upstairs at the 2nd Floor. 
  
Under hot weather, drink something mild and pleasant, like the Chrysanthemum tea.


Delicious beef ramen with juicy and tender meat in tasty broth.

 

There are many choices of dim sum to choose from, all reasonably priced.

 

Instead of the usual trolleys, customers will have to go over to the dim sum stations and choose their dim sum from there.


Mango pudding. This is too sweet for my liking.


Then there's this egg custard thingy which has a hint of ginger in it. Loved it. Seriously, HOW DID THEY MAKE IT SO SMOOTH?!




To (dim) sum it up, yes, we'll definitely come back again. But no, don't come here around noon time or you will be melting while you eat! There's no aircond in this place hence the afternoon heat can be unbearable at times (O_O") It's so hot that if you break an egg on the road, I believe it will cook into a perfect sunny side up.

Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant
51, Jalan Leong Sin Nam 
30300 Ipoh, Perak
Business Hours: 6.30 am to 2.30 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)