Now recently I discovered a more intimate venue where the food tickles my fancy and hits all the right spots on my somewhat jaded and eclectic taste buds.

Rustic Ambience

Located at the rear of the new TKB building called 1 Casuarina, on Jalan Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah (old Gopeng Rd. for those who still haven’t updated their memory banks) Pondok Padang can be hard to locate as the sign-posting is not prominent enough from the main road. Suffice to say that if you turned in to 1 Casuarina just after passing Impiana Hotel (the former Casuarina Hotel) on the left-hand side, you’ll find Pondok Padang.

The entrance to the restaurant resembles a “pondok” or attap hut which creates a rustic kampong ambience. Situated on two storeys, the restaurant has 6 private rooms upstairs which can open up to form a large room and an intimate seating on the ground floor.

The tables and chairs are from handmade bamboo imported from Indonesia. Full air-conditioning assures one of comfortable dining although diners have the option of enjoying their meals indoor or outdoors, and service is prompt and friendly.

‘Proof of Pudding’
An array of food behind glass greets you as you enter on your left and here you can select from the more than 30 items on offer. But as the saying goes, the ‘proof of the pudding is in the eating’ and no amount of intimacy and decor will suffice if the food is not up to par. Pondok Padang however lives up to its promise.

The outlet’s operations manager, Robert Yeoh, said four Indonesian chefs were specially engaged to prepare the dishes and delicacies. “Padang food is basically of Minangkabau origin and we specially hired the chefs from there to ensure that the taste is authentic”, he added.

On the day I went, we were a group of 10 and we had sufficient numbers to warrant ordering a significant number of dishes so as to really taste a cross section of the food available. We all ordered freshly squeezed Umbra juice (a small green fruit that is probably from the mango family). I asked for mine without sugar which was a great idea as the others were grimacing over the syrupy taste of their drink.

First the Chicken…

First to arrive was the Ayam Goreng Bumbu, a deep-fried chicken smothered in crispy fried spice paste consisting primarily of garlic, tasty but a tad on the dry side – RM8.90. Another chicken dish that I much preferred which was extremely tasty was the Ayam Gulai, pieces of kampong chicken cooked in a thick turmeric coconut gravy – RM6.50.

Superlative Rendang
The Beef Rendang was superlative, tender pieces of beef blanketed in a rich, very ‘lemak’ thick dark sauce that had none of the sugariness of a lot of other local rendang that I have tasted – RM8.50. Pergedil, two patties of potato and meat then deep fried – the Indonesian hamburger – were tasty; RM3.00 for two pieces; as was the Kacang Goreng Tempeh, fermented soya bean cake fried with peanuts and sambal – RM2.00.

The thick, tender chunks of white fleshed, Ikan Ayam or ‘chicken fish’, came with a chilli-sambal type of sauce that was quite mild and great for those seeking a less fiery taste. Gulai Sotong Sumbat is interesting. Whole squid stuffed with egg and tofu and cooked in a lemak gravy was one of my favourites.

Irresistible Fish Head
The piece de resistance of the meal had to be the Gulai Kepala Ikan Merah, red snapper head cooked in a coconut gravy. This is cooked ala minute and takes about 20 minutes. This arrived absolutely hot off-the-stove and the fish head was obviously freshly delivered from the market that morning……with not the slightest hint of fishiness. Depending on the size of the fish head, the one we had that day was medium sized and costs RM35.

Vegetable accompani-ments that we tried were the Pucuk Paku (jungle fern) in a coconut sauce, the egg plant with red sambal and the bean sprouts with tofu.

The meal was rounded off with the addition of their green sambal, which is a combination of petai, green chillies and curry leaves, and their red sambal and of course the perennial standby, sambal belacan.

Ramadan Fare
For Ramadan, they are offering a Buka Puasa menu at RM30+ and from 9 p.m.-2 a.m., people can come and take home dishes for Sahor at a 30% discount. Seven menus will be offered during this time with a daily rotation over a week so diners can taste a variety of dishes and not be stuck with the same lot every evening.

By See Foon Chan-Koppen

So when my friends Edward and Ginla Foo said they would come by to pick me up at 6.00 p.m., I was surprised. “So how long is the drive”, I enquired. “At least one hour”, I was told. Sitting comfortably in the back seat, chatting away (mostly about food), the hour went by very quickly and soon the sign for Ayer Tawar loomed. Thinking we would be turning off into a side street, I was surprised to discover that this corner restaurant, Sun Hon Siong is right on the main Lumut highway easily accessible to anyone on their way to Lumut.

Sweet and Sour
When the Hock Chew migrants from China settled in Sitiawan in the early 1900s, they brought with them a host of interesting specialities. Distinctive for their sweet and sour taste, this Hock Chew or Fuzhou cuisine is significantly different from most other kinds of Chinese cooking.

There is a tendency for deep fried, sweet and sour and the taste difference whether it be fish, pork or chicken is minimal. So it’s purely a matter of what takes your fancy in sweet and sour for that particular meal. There are some dishes though that are very distinctively Hock Chew and certainly worth the drive there.

Signature Mee Sua
For starters, the first dish to arrive was a steaming big bowl of their Mee Sua, fine wheat vermicelli cooked in a homemade fermented rice wine broth with ginger and chicken. The rice wine which has a characteristic red colour is sweet in its original form but mixed with the vermicelli and chicken and made tangy with ginger, loses its cloying sweetness and presents itself as a refreshing sweet broth that lends its flavour to the vermicelli and chicken. RM10 for a tureen enough for 10.

Next to arrive was the oyster omelette, small oysters buried in an omelette pancake of eggs, crispy on the edges and succulent inside. It was so good that we promptly ordered another. RM9. Sweet sour pork ribs followed, crispy succulent morsels combined with cucumber, potato chunks and a tangy dark sauce that was just right, neither too sweet nor too sour. RM25.

A Must-Have
Plain sautéed kangkong with garlic RM5 followed as a respite from the sweet and sour taste to be followed by a typical dish to be found on every Hock Chew banquet, the Fish Maw delight, a steaming soupy tureen of fish maw with minced pork, carrots, wood ear mushrooms and thickened with egg white. For those who like sea cucumber, this dish also comes with that option. This dish is also slightly on the sweet side and the fish maw with its characteristic jelly-like texture lends itself well to the contrasting crunch of the wood ear mushrooms. RM38 plain and RM50 with sea cucumber.

Soupy Fare
I noticed with interest that a lot of Hock Chew dishes are brothy or soupy and the number of bowls we had to change for each dish was quite exhausting. As observed, the next dish to arrive was the Fish Ball seaweed soup. No ordinary fish balls, these, these fish balls are different from most as they are stuffed with salted minced pork and prawns making them distinctively Hock Chew. For me I felt that they could have done with less seaweed in the soup as the fishy tang was somewhat overwhelming…so readers be warned…when ordering, tell them to go easy on the seaweed.

Distinctive Biscuits
Now a visit to Sitiawan and its vicinity, in this instance Ayer Tawar, will not be complete without either tasting or bringing back the mouth-watering Hock Chew ‘Gong Pian’ biscuits. These savoury biscuits are one of the oldest favourites brought by the Hock Chew settlers from China. Unlike the ones found in Ipoh, these are hard and crispy on the outside, slightly salty and filled with a choice of fried onions or char siew. They did not look like much to my naked eye but one bite into one and I was sold and became a fan. In fact the night we were there the group ended up taking back a whole bagful. These ‘Gong Pian’ were ordered with the proprietor of Sun Hon Siong, who instead of buying from the more popularly known outlet in Sitiawan purchased them from an outlet in Ayer Tawar itself. So order in advance.

What is this obsession amongst the ethnic Chinese that fuels the drive for fresh seafood? Not only must the seafood item under consideration be fresh but preferably squirming or claw waving as it is presented at the table,  or swimming  in a tank for selection.  Having almost exhausted the number of eating places that offer this option in Ipoh, a group of my foodie friends decided to take me further afield to Matang for new taste treats.

It took us under an hour to arrive at our destination, the Restoran Makanan Laut Lemon Tree, a very large ‘coffee-shop’ style restaurant in Matang, close to Taiping. Two glassed-in air-conditioned rooms towards the back provide respite from the heat as our group of ten settled in for the delectable lunch that followed.

Guarantee of Freshness
Lemon Tree is, as its Malay name ‘Makanan Laut’ clearly states, first and foremost a seafood restaurant, some of whose fresh seafood come from nearby fish farms in Matang and Kuala Sepetang, which is almost a sure guarantee of freshness. The style of cooking leans towards the Teochew, with most of their steamed dishes sitting on a bed of bean thread vermicelli, beaten egg and laced in dark soya sauce unlike the Cantonese style which has no vermicelli and uses light soya.

Crustaceans Galore
Our first dish was the Oyster noodles, thick Udon-style noodles in a soupy sauce replete with tiny fresh oysters. Eaten with black vinegar, the sauce which is eaten like a soup had all the right Umami notes. I felt that this was too heavy a dish to serve as a first course and would have been better at the end of the meal, which as I soon discovered, was a groaning twelve-course affair.

This was followed by clams (not the usual small market variety but large, round succulent clams) fried with scallions and ginger, and a second clam dish, this time the bamboo clams fried ‘Kum Heong’ style with dried chillies, dried prawns, curry leaves and curry condiments.  Both clam dishes were very fresh and cooked to the right degree of done-ness, which in the hands of someone less experienced can often lead to chewy bits of rubber.

Next to arrive were the ‘spiny sea snails’ in Chinese called ‘Tsi Loh’, just blanched, eaten with toothpicks and dipped into sambal belacan sauce. Quite a fiddly process unless you’re like me who loves to extract the last morsel from any shell or bone. This was followed by small shrimp, lightly battered and fried crispy. A great accompaniment with drinks which should have been served right at the beginning of the meal, particularly with beer.

Rare Surprise

Then we were presented with a dish which is very rare and totally seasonal depending on the catch of the day. It was a plate of shark’s liver, looking not particularly appetizing on the plate surrounded by a dark sauce, but absolutely melt-in-the-mouth succulent, with not the slightest hint of fishiness and exploding in the mouth with its rich creaminess not unlike the sensation of biting into still pink fresh foie gras or goose liver.

Piece de Resistance
A steamed dish was next, this being the piece de resistance of this restaurant which is the Mantis prawns or ‘Lai Liew Har’, large 7-8 inch long crustaceans which get their name from their resemblance to the praying mantis insect, and which to my mind are the best tasting crustaceans in the ocean. Scrumptious.  This was followed by the steamed pomfret, a medium sized ‘Tao Dai’ which is highly prized amongst certain gourmands, in dark soya sauce.

Then came sea-breeze fresh Flower Crabs steamed in the inimitable Teochew style, followed by  small ‘Tsai Yu’ – a five inch long  sea fish fried to a crisp where one can eat almost the whole fish, head, bones and all.

Irresistable Pancake and Mud Crabs
By now all 10 of us were groaning with surfeit of food and still the dishes kept coming. Next to appear was the Oyster Pancake, a flat pancake of egg and tapioca starch, generously dotted with medium sized fresh oysters, crisped on the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. Not an easy dish to find indeed and certainly nowhere have I eaten a more delectable one.
Last but not least were plump, fleshy mud crabs sautéed in salted duck egg roe, succulent and juicy with the egg roe sauce adding the right measure of saltiness. I was ready to give up altogether but the sight of the tantalizing crab claws had me tucking in with gusto.
For a group of 10 people and with the number of dishes we had eaten, the total bill of RM428 was great value especially considering that most of the seafood dishes that we had is usually quite exorbitant in restaurants elsewhere.

Restoraj Makanan Laut Lemon

No. 14B, China Lane,

34750 Matang, Taiping, Perak

H/P: 019-5082793/016-5991883
12 noon till midnight

SeeFoon Finds Malay Gem in Kak Leha

Well I finally managed to meet up with my ‘Sir Galahad’ of food tasters, Shaifuzan Baharil who had offered to take me on the Halal food trail after protesting that I was way too pork oriented in my reviews. I jumped at his offer to be my Halal food guide and being taken off the beaten trail to taste temptations hitherto hidden from my habitual nose and palate.

Our first experiment was lunch at Kak Leha’s, an unprepossessing coffee shop in Bandar Ipoh Raya near the Menteri Besar’s office. The easiest direction I could give is to drive past YMCA on your left, cross the Kinta River and immediately turn left into an non-signposted road which is Medan Istana 7 (or so I guessed as I couldn’t see a sign at either end). Look for the sign Kak Leha in the middle of a row of shop houses on the left.

Kak Leha has quite a following I’m told. Formerly located in the Old Pasar Bulat (Yau Tet Shin market) in town, Kak Leha had been moving around since the market was torn down, renting space from eateries within Ipoh City some of which were in fact Chinese coffee shops. Considering the number of times she has moved, it is quite an accolade to her that her loyal customers always seem to find her and follow her wherever she goes. Now it looks like she is settled in Bandar Ipoh Raya to stay for quite awhile.

Kak Leha’s food is quite original and typical of the Perak style. Similar in some aspects to the style of Tasek Raban, the touch is light and recipes not as complicated as the larger restaurant which essentially specializes in grilled fish (and much more pricey). Nor is the variety as large, which makes selection and ordering a cinch.

The coffee shop is bright and clean and overhead fans provided some relief from the unrelenting heat on the day I was there. I left the ordering to my ‘guide’ and settled back to enjoy the new taste discoveries. And order up a storm he did. As all the dishes had already been pre-cooked and as is typical of Malay cuisine, most of it accept for the rice, is eaten cold. The dishes arrived fast and furiously and we almost ran out of space on our regular sized table for four. But we managed to find space for all ten plates of the various delectables and began tucking in with gusto.

Ikan patin gulai tempoyak

My two companions ate with their hands but squeamish me settled for the spoon and fork, despite the availability of a wash basin with soap for washing one’s hands. First on the table was the Ikan Patin Gulai Tempoyak, a river fish cooked in a light curried, turmeric sauce with the addition of tempoyak a fermented durian paste. The tempoyak flavour was exceedingly mild and not as I had expected – a highly pungent mouth feel that the unadulterated paste can sometimes provide. If not for the fact that the fish was not my favourite variety, this is a most unusual dish and one that is rarely found in many eateries. RM3 per piece of fish.

Beef rendang

The Beef Rendang had a tasty thick gravy and was most reasonably priced at RM2.50 per piece. Masak Lemak Rebung is bamboo shoots cooked in coconut milk, a mild sauce with quite a pungent smell of the bamboo shoots which are lightly fermented. This dish reminds me of the fermented bamboo shoots which I used to see quite often in Bangkok; addictive for those who love it and an acquired taste for those who don’t. Like durians.

The Pineapple Pacari was spicy in a red sauce, the sweetness of the pineapple contrasting nicely with the fiery gravy. Lala Masak Merah or clams cooked in red sauce was good value at RM2.50 and the fried fish Ikan Keli or catfish at RM3 each was very fresh. Although the sambal blachan (preserved prawn paste with chillies and shallots) dip was meant to go with the raw ‘ulam’ or local herbs and vegetables (we ordered a mixture of kacang botol or winged beans, daun ubi or potato leaves, ladies fingers and daun silom and brinjal) it made a beautiful sauce for the fish too.

Ulam & sambal

An interesting side dish here at Kak Leha is their coconut sambal which can be eaten stand alone or with the ‘ulam’. This is not finely desiccated but rather a more chunky version with a spice mix, making it tangy and flavourful.

My favourite dish though was the Tempeh Kacang Panjang, or cultured soya bean cake, sliced and crisped and sautéed with long beans, crunchy and scrumptious.

Kak Leha is open from 7.00 a.m till 6.00 p.m and she does a roaring trade be it in the form of take out or eating in. At a total of RM31.60 for the whole lot of ten dishes which we had, and there is still another 15 more which I never got around to tasting, I would say that Kak Leha serves a very reasonable and satisfying meal indeed.

Restoran Kak Leha Corner
18 Medan Istana 7
Bandar Ipoh Raya

SeeFoon Gets Steamed Up Near the Airport

I never cease to be amazed at the myriad number of great eating places waiting to be discovered around Ipoh. Having explored and tasted at many of the ‘Lo Chiew Pai’ or ‘old signboards’ and written about them, I am now exploring some of the relatively new eateries mostly set up by sous chefs or junior chefs from some of our venerable ‘top’ Chinese restaurants; chefs with ambition and who feel they have learnt all there is to learn and are ready to take on the challenge of establishing their own.

Chef Chan Soon Fatt is one of these. He set up Li Garden restaurant over a year ago and has not looked back since. Situated in a corner coffee shop on the left after the traffic light for turn-off to the airport, having passed the Jalan Gopeng flyover, travelling on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah Selatan towards Pasir Pinji, the name of Li Garden emblazoned in bright lights across the front beckons.

Man with Mission

Chef Chan is a man with a mission. He’ll go out of his way to cater   to your taste buds if you give him at least one day’s notice. On my first visit there, again introduced by my foodie-around-town friend Ginla Chew, we were treated to a specially ordered Fish Head steamboat which Chef Chan had spared no efforts in making absolutely scrumptious.

Chef Chan had gone to the market in the morning to find the freshest fish head of the day. Depending on the local availability, the find that day was a Garoupa head which he had cut in pieces to make the soup. The steamboat was a sumptuous affair. Arriving  on a portable burner, it bubbled away as our group of ten helped ourselves to home-made bean curd and vegetables, Fish balls, Fish lips (in reality shark’s skin – not to be mistaken for sharksfin) and what I thought was Fish Maw but which turned out to be pigs tendons, pounded flat and deep fried. The soup base was flavoured by Kam Wa Fo Tui (a particular type of Chinese ham) and Tso Hau Yu (a type of dried flounder most probably a sole), a generous addition which lent to the stock a lingering scent and the most ‘umami’ taste. RM100 enough for 10 pax.

As this was the first course to be presented, we were already seated when the rest of the dishes came in rapid succession. Next on the menu was the Wu Tso Kai, (a special breed known as ‘whiskered chicken’) half portion steamed and served in bamboo basket. This was tender, juicy and cooked to the right degree of done-ness. RM40 for whole chicken.

This was followed by the whole Lamb leg, steamed for five hours with herbs and then braised in a velvety sauce with dried bean curd (Fu Tsok) and onions RM60; the salted pork knuckle which was tender, succulent and worth a revisit RM15; fresh spinach done my favourite style-in broth with salted and century eggs RM9; and finally just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, in came the bread wrapped chicken curry – RM25.

Bread Wrapped Curry

I usually avoid this dish when it is served at dinners as the usual curries that come with this dish are bland and boring and the bread, dry, but as I was writing a review, I thought it deserved a taste. Did I ever make a mistake! Not only did I have a nibble (to taste), I ended up gorging myself on both the bread and the chicken curry. The bread, according to Chef Chan, is hand kneaded, steamed and then hand ladled with oil to crisp the outside. The chicken curry was very tasty, with Malaysian spices (as different from Indian) and surprisingly cooked without coconut milk and yet still tasted creamy.

Returning for More

As there were many more dishes in Chef Chan’s repertoire, I made myself a promise to return and savour them which I did a few weeks later. This time I tried their fresh Tilapia which arrived at the table in a claypot, had the oil poured out and simple soya sauce with oodles of scallions poured in while still sizzling. RM26.

Other dishes worthy of note are their fried pork brisket (char fah lam) – great for nibbling with drinks while waiting for others to arrive RM8; lotus root fried with salted eggs (ham dan leen ngau) RM8; a great white cabbage that came in a claypot redolent with the taste and smell of salted fish RM6 and for me the crème de la crème: their Beef Brisket soup.

I actually woke up the following morning with the lingering memory of its taste: tender chunks of beef brisket and shin that are specially selected for this dish for their lattice of tendons which lend a succulence to the meat that could otherwise become dry and chewy. This is mixed with pieces of beef tripe, beef tendon, simmered with herbs for hours till tender and served with Chinese celery. RM15.

In fact even as I write this, I am tempted to go back and ‘Ta Pao’ or bring home, this soup for my supper tonight!

LI GARDEN

57 Laluan Pinji Seni

4, Taman Pinji Seni,

31650 Ipoh.

Open: 5pm-Midnight

Tel: Mr Chan (012-5002135) Mr Liew (012-5183370)

Seefoon Lands in Hospital……With an Acute Case of Gourmet-Itis

Unusual Invitation

Until today that is. Today I had the pleasure of being invited to dine at Pantai Hospital – a very unusual invitation to say the least. When I was first approached with this novel idea, knowing my own general abhorrence and recalling the many encounters I’ve had with hospital food, my first inclination was to decline. However, with some cajoling and assurances from charming corporate communications chief of Pantai, Betty Caleb, that the meal will be worthwhile reviewing, I relented and went for the tasting.

Thanks to innovative planning from dynamic CEO Dr. Dilshaad Ali, Pantai Hospital Ipoh is forging ahead with ‘re-inventing’ itself and holding good to its promises of refurbishment, upgrades and general overhaul of services pertaining  to the customer – in this case, in- and out-patients. And quality of food is high on their list of priorities.

Hotel Standard

Jeffrey Gomes, Customer Service Division Manager, greeted us on arrival and promptly showed us to a well-laid table in their conference room on the fourth floor which they had turned into an impromptu dining room. A scrolled menu lay at each place setting tied with red ribbon. “Wow, full hotel set-up” commented one of my party, and understandably so, as Jeffrey comes from a Food and Beverage background having only recently left the Casuarina Hotel after 8 years.

Executive Chef Mohamed Azli

Executive Chef  Mohamed Azli bin Mat Ali also comes from an hotel background having gained experience with the Merlin, Ramada Renaissance, Pan Pacific groups and lastly with Casuarina Parkroyal Ipoh. He was also a Guest Chef for Fukuoka City Council, Busan City Council and Regal Riverside Shatin Hong Kong at different times in his career. Chef Azli was hired by Pantai because of his substantial experience in designing exciting, creative and innovative menus. He is running the F&B kitchen and overseeing all the food aspects. Together with Jeffrey, they will also be working closely with the dietician in order to provide well-balanced meals for all patients.

Fine-Dining

The menu they put together can only be described as fine-dining or ‘gourmet’. As we waited for the food to arrive, half-moon portions of a kind of pita bread was served. This was totally tantalizing in the contrast of its crusty topping of garlic and cheese and the softness of the middle section. I was told that this was made by Chef Azli himself as were all the accompaniments of the subsequent dishes.

The appetizer was a risotto (Italian style rice) with prawns in a prawn bisque sauce. The prawn bisque was tasty as were the prawns. Next came the main course of Miso rubbed Canadian Salmon served with a Tian (round shape of anything piled high in layers) of aubergine (brinjal), asparagus, Tapenade (olive paste) on a bed of Buckwheat noodles. The salmon was done just right, still slightly pink inside and grilled on the outside. The Tian consisted of two thick slices of brinjal sandwiching a slice of tomato and topped with sun-dried tomatoes. This with the olive paste provided the right dollop of sauciness to the salmon and the buckwheat noodles, causing me to devour every mouthful.

Other Delights

This was only one of the menus on offer! Other menus which will be rotated in turn will be a welcome addition especially for the long-stay patients. This gourmet menu will also be available for those going to the Wellness Centre. Other items on the gourmet menu include:

Curried Pumpkin Soup with Roast Pumpkin Seed; Pan-Fried Cajun Snapper Fillet on Lentil and Potato Ragout with Coriander Sauce; Puree of Chic Pea with Cheese Croutons; Pan-Fried Chicken Breast with Olive-Scented Jus, Seasonal Vegetable and Potato Wedges or Pillaf Rice; Minestrone Soup with Pesto; Poached Cod with Tomato Basil Sauce and Cous-Cous and Sautéed Vegetables;  Mushroom Cappuccino; Pan Roasted Mahi-Mahi with Coriander Pesto, Spinach Tagliatelle and Fresh Garden Vegetables; Fillet of Sea Bream with Parsley Sabayon, Soft Polenta and Tian of Eggplant.

Now doesn’t that make you want to rush out for your next wellness check-up? By the way, these gourmet menus are only available for patients in private single rooms only. That’s what I call pampering!

By See Foon Chan-Koppen

SeeFoon Goes Down Memory Lane

I have to admit to a secret of why I fell in love with Ipoh. Oh yes the majestic limestone formations took my breath away and the friendliness of Ipohites cemented the bonds of attachment but I have to confess that the first time I was served Tualang prawns, the Foodie devil in me planted the seeds for my relocation, whispering admonitions for me to move from the chaos of Kuala Lumpur where I was then living and settle in Ipoh. That was 14 years ago and many Tualang prawn feasts later.

Tanjung Tualang

Ask any Ipohite worth his foodie salt where these prawns come from and where to get the best ones and the answer will always be Tanjung Tualang. Legend has it that these prawns were found in the ponds and lakes left by the mining industry although they are now commercially cultivated. I recently took a trip down memory lane and made a visit to Tanjung Tualang itself, the location for the freshest of these freshwater prawns or Udang Galah as they are known in Bahasa. For the scientifically minded the name is Macrobrachium rosenbergii, although commonly mistaken for the other giant Tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon.

Luen Fong

A half-hour drive took us to Tanjung Tualang, past the Herb Garden and Kellie’s Castle, the must-see tourist sites on any tour, to crowded Market Street housing a few of the restaurants specialising in these freshwater prawns. Cars with KL number plates occupied many of the available parking spaces, a testimony to the fame and quality of these prawns for people to drive all the way from there and back just for them. We settled for the corner restaurant Luen Fong, reputed to be one of the original and oldest one on that street.

Luen Fong was opened more than 80 years ago by Mr. Cheong Kin Chong’s grandfather and today is in the hands of the fourth generation, who helms the kitchen as head chef while his father mans the front.

Tanks with the prawns of various sizes stand outside the restaurant, a source of entertainment for the children as well as tourists. Inside the air-conditioned smallish restaurant, we ask for recommendations and placed our orders.

Bigger not Better

We opted for the small- to medium-sized prawns as we believe they tend to be sweeter, done two separate ways, some steamed and some fried. Usually in Ipoh when I eat these at some restaurants I will have the head steamed and the tail fried but only for the extra large prawns which can easily run to RM30 or more per piece. Here in Luen Fong, we paid by the kilo which was about RM75 for large, RM60 for small and medium, and RM70 for the slightly smaller than large ones. Prices vary according to season.

The  steamed prawns arrived first and we polished these off with gusto, juicy and succulent, the right degree of ‘done-ness’, dipped in their home-made chilli sauce which was to my taste – not too sweet and just tangy enough. The fried prawns followed, fried in soya sauce and served on a bed of scallions.

Hot to Trot and the Deep Fried Devils

My hosts had pre-ordered (a must-have and must-do) the braised pig’s trotters which arrived in a thick gravy, chewy yet tender – RM12 (small) and RM25 (large). This was followed by one of their signature dishes; Yau Cha Kwai or Deep Fried Devils (Chinese crullers) stuffed with fish paste and deep fried a second time. This was served with a salad sauce as a dip. Crispy, delectable and a dieter’s nightmare! RM10 (small) and RM15 (large)

Next on the table was their pig’s-cauls-wrapped spring roll. Essentially a fried Chinese sausage, the cauls serves as the ‘skin’ holding the stuffing together instead of the traditional pastry wrap. The cauls produce a lighter crisp to the spring roll and creates a smoother mouth feel – RM6 per piece.

Irresistible Charcoal

The final crème-de-la-crème to the meal was definitely their best signature dish, their Fried Rice which I know some of my Ipoh friends will drive out there just to eat this. The rice arrived with that special tang and aroma that only frying over charcoal can produce and Foodies like myself swear by this unsurpassable flavour. Added to this was the texture of the rice, each grain separate, just the right degree of fluffiness and not in the least bit oily…..unlike some other fried rice I have had the misfortune to encounter elsewhere – RM6 (small), RM10 (medium) and RM15 (large).

Fully sated, our group reluctantly dragged ourselves to our respective cars, only stopping to buy still some more food from the stalls lining the streets outside. An unforgettable Tualang Sunday!

Luen Fong

19, Market Street

31800 Tanjung Tualang, Perak

Tel: 05-3609267

Open: 11.30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Dining ‘al fresco’ or under the stars has always appealed to me, ideally in a more temperate climate with a gentle breeze creating a soothing susurration from surrounding trees as one sipped slowly from a glass of wine. But with the recent heat wave, I was somewhat reluctant when friends suggested I join them for an ‘al fresco’ meal in old town. I was about to make some excuse when my friend C.K. Cheah mentioned the fantastic iced beer that was the chief attraction. At this I accepted with alacrity, as this was just the right antidote to the stifling heat. So dressed in my skimpiest (my modesty and concern for not outraging other’s sense of aesthetics notwithstanding), I hurried down to old town to rendezvous with my friends.

Iced Beer

Kafe Yoon Wah is located on Jalan Bijeh Timah, almost on the corner of Jalan Panglima. In fact the table we were sitting at was directly outside Lorong Panglima, more popularly known as Concubine Lane. An iced beer mug was immediately delivered, followed by an iced beer that was poured in quickly. The resulting foam almost filled half the glass and I was told to drink it quickly before the foam dissipated.

Not being a seasoned beer drinker, I spluttered through the foam and found the ice cold beer below, refreshingly cold on the tongue and absolutely what the doctor (if he was my kind of doctor that is) would prescribe! Apparently the beer and the mugs are kept in the freezer, taken out and immediately opened. RM12 for a large bottle.

Late night spot

We then proceeded to order and I was given the ‘low-down’ on the Kafe. Essentially open for business only at night, Kafe Yoon Wah stays open and serving till the wee hours of the morning (like 2-3.00 a.m.). It is a favourite haunt for bar-flys, after-movie, after-banquet, after-dancing crowd and earlier for general diners and families. Tables covered almost half the street stretching from the corner of Jalan Panglima for about two blocks. I asked what happens when it rains and I had the opportunity to find out that evening for as we had just finished our meal and preparing to pay, we felt the first few drops of rain and ran scurrying to our cars. I then saw the waiters running forward to set up removable canopies which were already open and ready to provide instant shelter from the rain.

Signature Dishes

The first dish to arrive was the pig’s fallopian tubes fried with dried prawns, dried chillies and chilli padi with a sprinkling of rendered lard (ju yao jah). While it may sound repugnant for a lot of folks, it must be remembered that unlike other offal meat which usually act as filtering systems in the body, pig’s fallopian tubes purely act as a passage for eggs and are therefore much more hygienic. It has a crunchy texture and can be very tasty when cooked in the right way. Kafe Yoon Wah certainly cooks it right and in fact our bunch of foodies liked it so much that we had to order a second helping.RM13.00 per portion.

Another dish worthy of note was the steamed frog with chicken essence. Soft and succulent, these bite-sized morsels of frog which on its own is quite bland, were given a lift with the addition of a whole bottle of chicken essence. Our portion for six – RM37.50.

Must-Haves

Other must have dishes included the dry boar curry (a must have) RM13; fresh eel braised in dark soya with dried chillies  RM17.50; shelled Mantis prawns fried with Nestum RM15.00  and deep fried ‘Sa Tsui’ fish, a small local fish that is very popular with Ipohites RM18.00.

For noodles, we had two types: the fried Hokkien noodles, thick udon type noodles in a dark sauce (RM9.00 for a 2-person portion) and the dry fried ‘beehoon’ or thin rice vermicelli (RM10.00 for a 2-person portion), both of which were generously topped with crisp lardons.

Completely stuffed to the gills at this point, a lady approached us and asked if we’d like to try her boneless stuffed chicken wings – 3 for RM10.80. Her description of it was so tempting that we just had to order three for a trial. And we were glad we did. Fried to a crisp on the outside, the stuffing which was a combination of pork meat, mushrooms, and water chestnuts, was most flavourful.

Kafe Yoon Wah, worth a visit.

I have been roundly chastised for being biased in my reviews, opting for all things porky and eschewing the delights of other ethnic cuisines. While this may be somewhat unjustified, considering that I have reviewed Tasik Rabin, Salim, Samy, and made comparisons on many Halal hawker foods, I had to admit to my critic that  yes, he is correct, I am slanted towards Chinese ‘Tai Chau’ restaurants. For only one reason: the breadth and depth of their menus.

I know there are many delectable culinary treasures out there, but most of them are one-dish stalls and no matter how out-of-this-world the food may be, and how verbose this columnist tries to be, it is difficult to fill a column. Until Simpang Tiga.

Joint Venture

This newly opened restaurant with a motto of quality, cleanliness and satisfaction is already garnering a following, judging by the almost-packed volume of diners on a recent lunch visit. With a seating capacity of 500 (300 inside with air-conditioning and 200 outside) this is a very large restaurant indeed. A joint venture between Bandaraya Ipoh and Bandaraya Medan, Indonesia and some local entrepreneurs, Simpang Tiga in Greentown is the first restaurant outside of Indonesia where they have five, to be opened by this chain. 

Simpang Tiga

Serving modern Padang food or more popularly known as Nasi Padang, Simpang Tiga has a staggeringly wide choice of items (more than 60) on their menu. The easiest thing to do is to go to their counter where all the dishes of the day are displayed behind glass. There is also an ala carte menu of their specials. In fact I have been to this restaurant five times since its opening in the latter part of last year and I still haven’t exhausted my explorations of the plethora of dishes offered here. So today I shall attempt to put into words some of these taste treats which make Simpang Tiga stand out.

Distinctive Taste

Simpang Tiga Fare

Nasi Padang is distinctive in that, unlike other specialties in the Indonesian culinary tradition, most of the dishes don’t have that cloying sweet kicap manis or sweet dark soya sauce that most of the rest use. And most of the dishes are not sweet. Growing up in Singapore as I did, I have always been a devotee of that renowned Nasi Padang restaurant Rendezvous when it was just a dingy old coffee shop on Selegie Road and would go and pay homage every time I went back. Since its metamorphosis and move into a fancy boutique hotel complete with pseudo Peranakan decor, taste has gone downhill and prices up. I have been on the hunt for that indescribable taste ever since, that je nais se quois  (literally means ‘I don’t know what’ to denote that indefinable or attractive quality) perhaps lingering more in the cobwebs of my mind than in my tastebuds.

But found it I did in Simpang Tiga, that ‘Eureka’ moment when my teeth sank into the ‘Gulai Sotong’ or squid curry (RM8) and tasted the green and red sambal. What joy and delight as I, like a child lost in ToysRUs, went about pointing out and ordering all the dishes. I can’t begin to list all the delectable offerings this restaurant carries but to suffice to say that the beef rendang is tender, dry and rich, RM10; all the Gulai (anything with a gravy) sauces are very lemak (rich with coconut milk) and have varying combinations of spices and herbs; the sambals, four kinds, red, green, killer (as in hot) and the black which contains the aforementioned Kicap making it sweet, are wonderful accompaniments to the dishes.RM1 each

Urap (pucuk ubi)

Special Chickens

Their signature dishes are their Kampung chickens. These free range chickens are smaller than their battery-raised counterparts and are served in a variety of ways. The Gulai and Rendang versions are very tasty and the Ayam Goreng Pop comes piping hot and deliciously tender. An enthusiastic waiter raved about the Ayam Bumbu Kampung which he claimed was THE signature dish but alas, while the ‘bumbu’ (machine shredded combination of herbs  like lemon grass, galangal and turmeric) was delicious, the chicken itself was too over fried and dry to be of much interest. All chicken RM5.50 per piece.

Signature Dishes

Worthy of special mention are the following dishes: the Gulai Nangka  young jackfruit cooked with its seeds intact – RM3.80; Babat Usus (beef tripe) – RM8;Sambal Terung (‘brinjal’) – RM3.80; Kerabu Pucuk Paku (salad of fiddlehead fern) – RM3.80; Urap – pucuk ubi kerabu, a mixed concoction of sweet potato leaves with bean sprouts, string beans and coconut, RM3.80; Daun Ubi Tumbuk (minced Sayur Manis) – 3.80; Gulai Isi Ikan( Fish Curry ) – RM8 ; and last but not least the Mutton Curry which comes closest in taste to the Indian, although this one has more coconut milk – RM12; Gulai Kikil which are beef trotter’s tendons is deliciously tender and for people like myself with a penchant for the organ meats, a rare find.

The staff numbering about 40 of whom about 70% are Indonesian, are very friendly although English is barely understood so one needs to be patient in finding one who does speak a smattering. The 10 chefs are all from Medan as are some of the ingredients including some freshwater fish from Lake Toba which is flown in regularly. The drinks menu is extensive with fresh squeezed juices being the main attraction. A must try is the  

Jus Pelangi (rainbow juice) avocado, papaya, orange and soursop arranged in four colourful layers.  Other fresh fruit juices included mango, apple, corn, star fruit, watermelon, orange, tomato, guava, cucumber, umbra and lemon.

Restoran SIMPANG TIGA

D-G, Greentown Square

Jalan Dato Seri Ahmad Said

30450 Ipoh

Tel: 05-2551220 / 1180       Fax: 05-2551180

Open: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fridays: 2.30-10 p.m.

See Foon Chan-Koppen

See Foon Chan-Koppen

Ask any Chinese food connoisseur in Ipoh if he knows Tuck Kee and chances are a positive nod of the head.  In fact if you drive down Jalan King, off Pasir Pinji you’ll notice a queue beginning to form from around 12 noon onwards outside number 1, where Tuck Kee is located.  They’re all lining up to purchase the takeaway roast duck, char siew (roast pork), suckling pig, and roast pork for which Tuck Kee has solidified its reputation as one of Ipoh’s leading Chinese restaurants.

Unbeatable Duck’s Breast

Smoked duck breast

I have been so busy raving about the noodles that I am putting the cart before the horse literally. I must go back to the beginning, the starters. Here again forgive me if I wax lyrical. Ah Tuck’s smoked duck breast will beat any ‘Magret de Canard’ (same duck’s breast in French and a very popular dish served in a myriad of ways) hands down. Using fresh duck breast, he marinates and smokes them before putting a slight crust on by grilling. Served on a bed of lettuce still slightly pink, this is one dish I can eat ad infinitum. RM18

Following this was another appetizer with Frogs legs, smoked garlic and onions. The frog was fresh and succulent with the garlic and onions lending flavour to what is usually a bland meat. RM40

This was followed by a ‘fusion’ dish, that of Foie Gras (imported from Hungary), pan fried and served with a brown sauce. I found this an unusual offering from a Chinese restaurant and testimony to Ah Tuck’s creativity. RM35 per portion.

Piece de Resistance

The piece de resistance of the evening had to be the dessert. Fragrant coconut steamed with a still -quivering egg white custard inside. This suited my palate to a T as I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and the custard was just sweet enough to be a dessert without the usual cloying sugary mouth feel that accompanies most desserts. For RM8.00 per portion, it’s great value considering that just buying one of these coconuts at the supermarket already costs around RM3-4 without the other ingredients and if you consider labour and the time required for steaming (at least 2-3 hours). Another wonderful dessert is their homemade almond cream, a combination of US almonds and apricot kernels. RM12.

Egg white custard

So if you’re into experimenting or have a jaded palate do go to Tuck Kee and experience their ‘laboratory’ and reinvent the gourmet wheel. Speak to Ah Tuck or one of their experienced staff who’ll be more than happy to help you.

Tuck Kee Restaurant

1&3 Jalan King, Off Pasir Pinji,

31650 Ipoh

Tel: 05 2553870 or 05-2419071

Seducing Traditionalists

In the early days when I first arrived in Ipoh 14 years ago, I used to go to Tuck Kee for their braised Sharks fin Tureen which at that time was a great value at RM45 each. These days as it is politically incorrect to eat or order sharks fin, I have reluctantly eschewed this dish and moved on to other gustatory explorations. And since Ah Tuck has returned to his roots in Ipoh after learning all the tricks of the culinary trade in Kuala Lumpur over a period of 20 years and taken over the kitchen and restaurant from his father; new epicurean delights beckon to me as Ah Tuck applies his wizardry in the kitchen, reinventing the culinary wheel to woo new fans while working on seducing the diehard traditionalists who have patronized his father’s restaurant for years.

Braised beef short ribs

And he is succeeding. Judging by the raucous ambiance, every square foot of both the upstairs and downstairs area was packed like sardines on the two occasions when I dined there recently.  And for good reasons too. Tuck Kee today does not print an ala carte menu. Yes there was a menu of sorts for Chinese New Year with various options for tables of 10 but for the rest of time, one can sit down with the serving staff or Ah Tuck himself and discuss what they’d like for their meal, tailored for individual tastes.

Hawker Dishes Upgraded

On his own, Ah Tuck has upgraded two popular local hawker dishes and brought it up to ‘Michelin’ (the yardstick by which the cream of restaurants around the world are rated) status.  His ‘Har Meen’ or prawn noodle soup, commonly available at most hawker stalls for a mere RM4.00 is now served in his restaurant for a whopping RM13.00.  But what a dish and worth every ringgit we pay! A meal by itself, two very large prawns sit on top of velvety smooth rice noodles complemented with the addition of two bunches of the Japanese crunchy ‘shirataki’ yam noodles, garnished with local chives, the soup base redolent with prawn essence. Totally addictive!  Ah Tuck assures me that his soup base is pure stock, made without the slightest smidgeon of MSG, that scourge of Chinese food and often the reason why I seldom eat this dish at hawker stalls.