Old Tricycle BBQ Yong Tau Foo

I absolutely loved this place. Full stop. End of blog.

Just kidding. I need to elaborate further and explain why you need to travel all the way to Taman Desa just to eat Chee Cheong Fun and Yong Tau Foo. 

For starters, this is not just 'another Yong Tau Foo stall'. Much effort has been put in to create a 50's (or 60's?) ambiance which is bound to delight the customers, as well as their Instagram followers: old tin mugs, classic Chinese songs playing in the background, the plates. 

The main attraction would be the Yong Tau Foo, which you have to BBQ yourself.

Make sure you order the beancurd skin (or 'fuchuk' in Chinese). You would be amazed at its super crispy taste after BBQ-ing it, and you will definitely go for seconds.

Here's the top view of the BBQ pit.

And here's the side view. Yup, they use charcoal for the BBQ, which makes the Yong Tau Foo taste better, I was told.

I would recommend anyone to come to this place. It's the perfect place to catch up with friends. Plus, the BBQ Yong Tau Foo is bound to be a convenient ice-breaker, since this is the first time someone actually thought about BBQ-ing Yong Tau Foos.

Old Tricycle Charcoal Barbecue Yong Tau Foo

Faber Plaza, Jalan Desa Jaya, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur

Business Hours: 6 pm - midnight (closed on Tuesdays)

Lima Blas @ Mesui

A mini-retreat from the fierce corporate world, Lima Blas is one of my favorite to-go restaurants after a long (and usually painful) day at work. Situated just behind my office and within walking distance of Changkat, Lima Blas is a stark contrast to its surrounding neighbors. 

 Who wouldn't love this place? You will either feel like (i) you've magically transported yourself into the 1950's or (ii) you're back in your grandma's place. The interior decoration of Lima Blas is Instagram heaven, with old paintings hanging over uneven brick walls and my-grandma-has-those vintage furniture strategically placed in the restaurant.   

People are so used to my shutterbug disorder that they usually play along. If you can't beat them, join them, they said.

Not from this part of the world, I must say that I was only properly introduced to Nyonya food after I visited Lima Blas. The alleged Nyonya food that I had tried previously in other places that boasts Nyonya food was all a vicious lieeeee!

Cheers!

The 1st Must Order is their appetizer, Pai Tee. It's served hot with fresh-out-of-the-wok crispy cup-like skin. 

The 2nd Must Order is their Sambal Petai Prawn.

Then the 3rd Must Order is their fluffy Telur (Egg) Cincaluk. Then the other dishes that you order are just to supplement the 1st to 3rd Must Orders above.

Lady's finger dish for a balanced meal with vege.

Their Nyonya Curry Chicken for white meat. Tastes not bad, but I like their Ayam Pongteh more, it has the my-mom-used-to-cook-that feeling .  

The only complaint that I have about this place is its lack of aircond. Very stuffy especially when you are wolfing down steaming hot food. That's why I'd prefer to visit this place after dark when the sun is no longer terrorizing the people on the streets. 

But, the heat can always be compensated by ordering a bowl of Cendol :9

LimaBlas @ Mesui

15, Jalan Mesui 

Off Jalan Nagasari, Kuala Lumpur

Business Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. (closed on Sundays)

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)

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)

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

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)

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