Good ol' Cendol

Today, being a hot day and since I was in the area, I decided to stop over at the wet market in Section 17, PJ to have cendol. This stall is actually a mobile van parked just opposite the market under the shade of some trees. You can always see a big crowd there especially around lunch.

Cendol is made from rice flour and green food colouring which is usually pandan, a fragrant leaf and cooked in a pot of coconut milk (santan). It is served with shaved ice and gula melaka.

Beautiful green cendol in santan and gula mel

Cendol was originally served with the green rice flour jelly but now they tend to add other ingredients such as red beans, shredded black jelly (leong fun) or even jagung (sweet corn). I prefer the original thing and I will tell the guy to leave out the rest of the stuff.

If you are in the Section 17 area, head over to this stall for some good cendol. I'm sure you'll like it.

Sui Kow Noodles

On my recent trip back to my hometown Ipoh, I had this longing to savour some Sui Kow noodles and as my stomach walls were flapping just around lunchtime, I headed to this favourite stall of mine located at a coffeeshop just at the junction of Anderson Road/Yau Tet Shin Street. This stall was previously located at another coffeeshop opposite the old Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant but has since moved over to this new place called Restoran Wo Heng. The stall is run by a very pleasant lady who whips up really good wantan noodles which she adds a dash of lard. Upon seeing me standing at her stall, she immediately knew what I wanted and served me my favourite noodles in just a few minutes. There it was, a plate of Kon Loh (Dry version) noodles with a bowl of Sui Kow and wantan. I always request for a small saucer of mustard and sweet sauce (theem cheong) to go with the sui kow. This combination goes real well with the sui kow. I can't seem to get this at any other place.

If you're in the mood for some wantan/sui kow when you are in Ipoh, head over to this place and I'm sure you will love it. Besides, the Funny Mountain soyabean stall and my other favourite soyabean stall called Lai Kee is just round the corner and you can just hop over there to enjoy Ipoh's favourite drink.

Everything Steamed

I came across a shop recently that serves everything steamed, nothing fried which offers something different from the 'Tai Chow' places. After getting directions from my nephew who also goes in search for good food, I headed for Jalan Tokong, Ipoh to give try out the food there. For those who want to give this place a try, it is situated just behind the Jln. Tokong Temple. Turn left at the side road between the temple and Kee Heng Electric and you will find this corner coffeeshop.

We had Steamed Chicken thigh in herbal sauce, Chicken Soup with herbs (York Choy Thong), Yam with Pork (Khow Yoke), Minced pork with Toong Choy, Vegetable of the day. Everything tasted delicious and prices were very reasonable too. There were other dishes available such as steamed fish and chicken feet and many more. We opted for the first few as there were only three of us. We arrived there at about 6.00pm and the shop was already packed with diners. I was told that some people would pre-order the dishes before going there because everything will be sold out very quickly. So if you are planning to try this place, make sure you arrive early to have an early dinner.

Gopeng Mee in Ipoh

I have not been posting on my blog for quite a while now but recently I dropped in at my friend's stall in Jln. Tun Sambanthan, Ipoh (Formerly Hale Street) for his famous Gopeng Mee. I have been frequenting his stall for many years and the taste still remains good.

This Gopeng Mee stall was originally situated in a coffeeshop where most of the lawyers had their offices beside the Ipoh Padang. He moved over to his new place when the row of shops and offices were rebuilt to house upscale cafes. You will be able to locate this place as it is situated between the HongKong Bank and Maybank.

Coming back to this Gopeng Mee. What is it? It is a dry version of Wan Tan Mee with shredded chicken and gizzard cooked in a delicious gravy. A bowl of wan tan in clear soup comes with it. The pickled chillies has chilly sauce which gives a nice taste for the extra 'punch'. The portion of noodles may be a bit small (for those with a huge appetite) so its best to order one and a half portions to satisfy your hunger pangs.

If you are in the area looking for good old Ipoh food, drop by at this place and you will want to come back for the second time for this Ipoh speciality.

Ipoh's Famous Chicken Hor Fun

On my recent trip back home to Ipoh, I went to Restoran Thean Chun in Leech Street which is famous for its Chicken Hor Fun. Leech Street has always been famous for its variety of food and is packed with locals and folks from out of town. Two coffeeshops here are Kong Heng Restaurant and Restoran Thean Chun but I prefer the latter for its smoth Ipoh Hor Fun.

I have known this guy manning the hor fun stall for decades and he made time to even pose for a photograph with a smile.

I made my way there for lunch and ordered a bowl of hor fun for my wife while I had the bihun mee which is my favourite. We didn't have to wait long to be served (old friends get special treatment) LOL and was not disappointed as he had maintained its original taste. It came with shredded chicken, halved prawns, kow choy (kuchai) and the smooth hor fun. Slurp!!! We also ordered a plate of Chee Cheong Fun (another old friend too) and to finish it off, we had Caramel Custard. It was a satisfying meal and thats the reason why people pack the shop everyday.

Parking may be a bit difficult on a working day but on weekends, it won't be much of a problem. Whenever you are in Ipoh, do make a beeline to this shop for some good old Ipoh food.

Pork Noodles in Kota Damansara

One of my favourite eating places is Restaurant DU Cafe, situated in the Sunway Damansara Business Centre. This area has lots of restaurants from mamak food to the higher end kind of food and this particular restaurant has lots of choices featuring food from Penang, Ipoh and Klang Valley.

The Pork Noodles (Chee Yoke Fun) is my favourite and I've heard from the locals that this place serves one of the best pork noodles in the valley and guess what? It only costs RM3.80 per bowl with lots of minced pork, liver, pork balls and vegetables and not forgetting the deep fried lard (chee yow char). The guy who mans the stall whips up the noodles in a jiffy and before you can warm your chair, the noodles are served to you. That's real fast. The Pork Noodles stall is open from morning till night and he does roaring business.

Fancy a good Roti Canai?

Roti Canai is one of my favourite breakfast choices and I have tried it at various places hoping to find the best or one of the best for me. Well, if you walk in to any mamak restaurant, you will definitely find it there but many just taste mediocre or not to your taste. It made me decide that 'Not all roti canai taste the same'.

Very nice roti with dhal

A look at the rich dhal c/w vege

Front view of the restaurant

Fresh vadai and samosas

I am up early every morning and after dropping my wife at work, I will be off for breakfast and for me, breakfast means something 'Roti' based and not noodles as I prefer to have noodles in the later part of the day or night. I happened to drop by at the Original Kayu Nasi Kandar restaurant in Aman Suria (facing the NKVE) to try the roti canai. I chose to sit outside the restaurant to enjoy the cool morning air and read my newspaper. My teh tarik and roti canai came in an instant and I was pleased that the teh tarik tasted the way I like with the right amount of sweetness but not overpowering. The roti canai came in a yellow melamine plate with a small dish containing the dhall. Some people prefer to have fish curry or some other curry but I love having the dhall. They make the roti fresh upon order and the texture was just perfect for me instead of some places where they make it rather chewy. The dhall was warm and pleasant to the taste rather than being pasty as some places do. I also tried their Vadai and Samosa which were very fresh. The vadai had lots of onions and the samosas had really nice filling. This is definitely a place I will come regularly to enjoy my early morning breakfast.

They have many branches of the (Original) Kayu Nasi Kandar but I prefer this one because of the taste and location.