How much is that plate if curry hor fun? The serving is enough to make my brothers full after 1-2 plates. What? RM 4? RM5? Pfffttt... Try RM 1.40. Yes you heard me right - RM 1.40. Kum Kee is probably like the mamak of the area, with it opening till late, the shop is famous for it's Ipoh bean sprout white chicken. But chicken too boring? Well try this! Seriously... RM 1.40? The curry isn't too spicy and blends well with the slightly salty soy sauce mixture at the bottom. Just one of those simple foods that should not, and did not take much, but still so complex, full of flavor and fulfilling. When my time comes, I guess I can tell my kids "when your mom was young...it only cost RM 1.40!!"
You've probably read about the place. Now here are some satays to show you that satay for breakfast is perfectly fine! Opt for chicken, pork or pig intestines satay (approx RM 0.60 each), dip in simple peanut sauce and get messy!
Thean chun has been around forever. According to my dad, his father brought him here when he was a kid, he brought us here as kids, and he's waiting to bring his grandchildren here, continuing the generation line 😂. The place is also known as "hall of mirrors", but better known as "the shop beside Kong Heng".
Known for its kai see hor fun (shredded chicken meat rice noodles- which by the way will cost you RM 5.50 for small, 45 minutes and can't fill even my tummy), this place also holds a hidden gem : a decently done crème caramel for RM 2.60!! If you ever stop by Concubine street in ipoh and want some good kai see hor fun, give this place a try.
Also, if you want a nice, chilled but not to expensive dessert, try the crème caramel, or as they call it here "egg pudding"
Ask people around ipoh for good asam laksa and they probably will tell you about the "pokok asam asam laksa". The place is pretty easy to miss, as it's not a physical shop per se but a corner house turned into a sort of canteen.
Don't expect an extensive menu as this place knows how to cut down on uneeded food items and only focus on things like pasta and asam laksa which is their best seller. RM 4 for a "plate" of asam laksa? SOMEONE SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! When was the last time I had such cheap asam laksa which is not at the night market (pasae malam)?
The broth had the right amount of heat to it though not sour enough for my liking (it's good to note I'm a hardcore sour eater) and the portion will not be enough to satisfy big eaters. But hey, even with 2 servings, it's only RM 8!
Wash it down with fresh umbra juice on a hot day or you can opt for ice kacang at the side :) alternatively if you feel your asam laksa too bland, try some deep fried fish skin 😉
Chicken wings. Gotta love em from the dummers all the way to the wing tips. And while Wong Ah Wah might be the well known big brother of chickens wings in KL, there seems to be a stall that rivals it in terms of taste, albeit in a different sense.
If salty chickens with burnt skin aren't your thing, Cu Cha Restaurant serves honey glazed roast chicken wings for RM 3 per wing for a sweeter alternative. Some people just want them nicely barbecued with some color and not all the way burnt.
Located on the same road as Wong Ah Wah, this place also sells other dishes like fried bean curd which we thought made great supper finger food as well as stir fried short neck clams and the likes. But we really would just come back for the chicken wings.
And don't bother comparing this with W.A.W, one is sweet and one is salty. It's like comparing char kuey teow with hor fun sup.
Disclaimer: The amount you spend is really dependent on how big of an eater you are. RM 10 wont be enough if you eat 10 pcs. But for a small eater like me, RM 10 is enough.
Wong Ah Wah needs no introduction to not only locals. But also tourists who have done their homework. Famous for their salty, charcoal burnt chicken wings that taste like the BBQ pit, Wong Ah Wah is located in Jalan Alor and is quite hard to miss. Parking might be a little hard to find but you can always park inside one of those buildings nearby.
Chicken wings go for RM 3.50 per wing and minimum order of 2 wings is required.
Recommended to down with a glass of Coca Cola for maximum "ahh"
Disclaimer: The amount spent varies from person to person depending on how big of an eater you are. Personally I have a small appetite so RM 10 is enough for me.
Banana leaf rice brings you to a few big names. Nirwana in Bangsar and Sri Devi... in Bangsar. Sri Ganapathi Mess is more of a hidden secret amongst the locals. The shop is safely tucked away in one of the small roads of PJ, hidden from those unfamiliar with the territory and going inside is even more intimidating. Rarely do you see people of any other race there and it's safe to say you better go with someone who knows the place. But once you do get in and get seated, be prepared for a world of suprise.
The curry at Sri Ganapathi Mess is definitely preferable compared to Nirwana which I find a little powdery. The crab curry is life changing and the rasem there is also made with crab which gives it a lot of flavour. Papadam is free (Nirwana charges RM 1 for extra) but the deep fried bitter gourd isn't as nice as Nirwana's. However still a nice place to go to all in all. It might seem a little intimidating at first. But the food is definitely worth the experience.
Sang nyuk noodles (lit. Raw meat noodles) are basically noodles with a clear stock broth with meat slices added into the dish at the last minute. Usually added to the noodles when the noodles are cooked and drained and hot soup is poured over them to ensure they aren't overcooked.
Sang Nyuk Noodle in SS15 claimes to bring in their ingredients fresh from Bidor. They not only serve sang nyuk noodles here but this is obviously their main seller.
Options for Sang Nyuk Noodles are available in either kon lou (dry) or soup (pic.) And is eithr RM 6.90 or RM 7.90 depending on the type of noodles. Lots of noodles are given with lots of liver. Pork slices? Not so much. Ajinamoto? A plenty. But that is the beauty of it. Sometimes you just want a hot bowl of salty soupy unhealthy magical goodness. Well this isn't magical, but it does make you feel unhealthy alright.
Hype Concept might be a quiet place to have tea (or bland green tea), but if a good piece of chocolate cake made with ze artisan's touch is what you're looking for, turn your backs and walk away. The chocolate fever was dense, hard and compact like how it looks. Like a vacum packed chocolate mousse with no air for a breath at all. Granted, the cafe gets their cakes from god knows where, and I was told to try the purple potato cake thingy majiggy.
Well at least I know chocolate cake here is a no go :(
Tea and fashion comes together in Hype Concept Cafe, where the upper floor sells clothes and the lower floor sells tea, cakes and pastry. Located beside Coffea Coffee SS15, Hype Concept is a quiet place with hard to find parking.
Opened less than 2 months ago at the time of writing, Hype Concept is a nice place if you like taking pictures with minimalistic interior and huge glass doors and windows for natural light.
Knowing me, huhuhu~ I only go for Peach flavoured drinks if they are available and hence I got myself a Peach Sencha (RM 12). The tea came out bland. The scent is there but the taste is not there. It tastes just like... scented water. The Lamc Loco (RM 15) which is apparently pulled lamb in pastry. It's weird that they cut the pastry in half before tossing it into the oven to heat up cause it makes the meat inside dry like jerky.
Well tea doesn't really make me hyper and the food isn't all that, for a quiet place to chill and hangout, Hype Concept Cafe seems quite ok. Tho I wish parking was easier to spot here.
Konbanwa minna-san! Esther is back with another Japanese place! Previously named Matsuba Shokudo, this place currently called Aji-ya (味屋) serves Japanese food and I gather is pretty popular among those living nearby by the amount of filled tables (me and the family went during a weekend, 8:30 p.m. and we had to wait for a bit).
Secretly tucked inside OBD Garden Tower Condo, Aji-ya will require you to park by the roadsidr because they only have 7 slots to park under their name inside. If you're lucky, just tell the guards you're here for Aji-Ya Japanese restaurant and they'll let you in, otherwise park outside it is!
The place itseld doesn't garner much attention, only a small door and a small signboard, Aji-Ya is located beside a swimming pool, after a playgroubd and security house inside the condo itself. The place is run by a chinese lady and the kitchen is run by a Japanese chef.
Menu wise, unlike most Japanese restaurants, Aji-ya sports a very minimal menu. With sets only taking up a page (ramen set, special set or even onigiri set among the few) with prices not exceeding RM 30.
We ordered a Nankotsu Ramen (RM 15) which had the tag "specially made" by the side. It came with pork ribs and in a pork broth. The pork broth is not as heavy as Bankara's broth and tastes rather light but still flavourful, not enough to make you sick of it. The pork rib meat was tender and broke apart pretty easily. Portion wise it was huge. No funny business like lots of soup here. Maximum portion of noodles and soup for you!
I ordered the Sashimi Onigiri set which came with a Ramen of your choice (miso, shoyu, shio) which came with 2 niko-niko onigiri sized onigiri, 6 slices of thick cut sashimi and a huge bowl of ramen. Think Maggie Sup you order in the mamak, now multiply it by 1.3. That was the portion size of the noodles. Let's not even get to the salad which I couldn't even touch because I had trouble finishing the onigiri and ramen by myself. All this for RM 30.
We also ordered other things like gyoza (RM 8) and soft shell crab temaki and sake temaki (salmon temaki) - can't recall the price. Which all looked pretty expensive at first but given the generous amount of sashimi/soft shell crab, it was worth it.
The brother ordered a Curry Rice- Ramen set (RM 28) which came with curry rice ans a ramen of your choice from the 3 I mentioned earlier. The curry rice was really good. Thick, rich, flavourful and went with the rice nicely (tho not as nice as CoCo Curry) while once again, it came with a hige bowl of ramen by the side as well as the normal fruits and salad. My brother, who is a monster eater, got full after finishing this whole set and 1/3 of my dad's nankotsu ramen. Mind you this is a brother who will always make me broke when I treat him to something. Just him alone can cost me RM 100 at least at Kinpachi.
Oh and green tea (RM 1.50) is refillable.
Been to IOI City Mall lately? Well I did and they have so many new shops now! Ice skating ring (no need to squeeze in Sunway Pyramid), a pie place, thai tea place, korean restaurants, waffles and of course, Relish.
Relish is not a place easily spotted, nor does it look encouraging. Tucked at the far end of IOI City Mall right beside the ice skating ring, Relish's tagline is "uniquely Malaysian", serving Malaysian and fusion Malaysian food such as curry laksa, nonya laksa, satay burger etc.
We had a Nonya Laksa (RM 15.90) with a thumbs up by the side, probably indicating it's a recommended dish. It was curry laksa broth with laksa type noodles, 2 prawns, fishcake slices, some shreded chicken, and tofy pockets with cucumber. Served by the side with it is skme sambal with a lime.
The dish itself was nowhere near exciting despite its colors. Bland, lukewarm, unfrrsh prawns, small portion. The sambal however, proves to be another story altogether. The sambal was slightly tangy and salty, enhancing the flavour of the dish. Making the dish go from less than acceptable to "ok I can finish this". The sambal is the saviour of the dish and makes the dish go from bad to quite good: as long as you have the sambal.
My biggest gripe though, is not the overly sweet syrup+water tasting strawberry mojito (RM 6.90) or the unfresh prawns. My biggesg gripe is the FLIES. FLIES!! It's EVERYWHERE. I have had to chase away shiny, big flies the size of kidney beans every 5 minutes which made me unable to RELISH my food in peace. And it's not one, they come in groups of 2-3.
Relish, now just let me at least enjoy my alone time in peace
