Beef Noodles

Fancy some beef noodles or Ngow Lum (translated in Cantonese) for lunch? I came across a shop in Falim the other day upon recomendation from friends and found it to be very good. Its easy to get there too. At the traffic lights at Falim, take a turn towards the Lumut highway until you come to the second set of traffic lights. Turn right and head towards a row of shops on your left. This is Taman Desa Rishah. The shop is named Restoran Makanan Desa Rishah and it opens from 11.00 am. The lunch crowd usually comes in around noon and it can be tough getting a table to sit at that time.

This shop is a breakaway from their original place in Buntong village and is famous for its beef balls and ngow lam. Their chili sauce with garlic goes very well with the noodles. Another thing I like here is their fried turnip dumpling or Sar Kot liew. Everything is fresh as you will be able to see them frying it just outside their stall. You also have a choice of other things like taufoo, fish balls and an assortment of goodies. For beef lovers, I would highly recommend this place.

Miners Arms

Miners Arms is one of the icons of Ipoh. It is managed by Stanley, an old friend of mine. We go back a long way. I still remember it as it was when I was performing there with Andrew, my guitarist.
My wife and I decided to have lunch at Miners Arms today and to say hello to Stanley whom I have not met for quite a while. We walked in and to our pleasant surprise, everything was just as it was; very English pub setting but this time it included a pool table. We ordered set lunch which was only RM9.90 which is a steal compared to other places and in these days of rising prices. The portions were just right, with a starter soup, the main course and finished off with ice cream and coffee. I was told by Stanley that the original Hainanese cook is still there and the food was superb. Looking through the menu which was still the original big menu book, very well bound, I found that it still had Oxtail Soup which I loved back then. Yummy, I think I will be coming back more often. They have a band playing on Saturday nights so probably I will drop by for a drink or two to enjoy the music. I certainly will recommend this place for its cozy ambiance, food and service.

Good Morning Vietnam

A couple of years back, I flew to Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as it was formerly known. I wanted to see what it was like in a country we have heard so much about. Upon arrival at the airport, I was transfered to my hotel in District I which is a tourist area. My first impression of the city? Wow, they've got more motorcycles than cars there and trying to cross the road was quite an ordeal. However, I got quite used it and took it in our stride as these motorcycles will avoid you as you cross the street. Just don't hesitate.
My stay there was the usual three days, two nights thing so I moved about the city in search of interesting things to see and eat. I visited the Cu Ci Tunnels which were used by the Vietcong during the war and it was quite an experience. Foodwise, I tried their famous Pho Bor (beef noodle soup) which is something like our Ngau Lam soup, their French bagguets which were superb, and also Vietnamese coffee. I could drink it all day. Another plus point is that you can get around using English which makes it much easier for me. I was told that the best time to visit would be around December/January as the weather is cooler. I had a wonderful three days there and am thinking of making another trip there soon for another cuppa.