Everytime I go home to Ipoh, it’s like a walk down memory lane. Everything looks familiar, yet foreign. I feel like I have “come home”, yet in many ways I cannot help but admit I am experiencing this little town again as a tourist. I no longer recognise the roads. I could not give directions to landmarks, because I no longer know how to get places.
Kong Hing and the Hall of Mirrors are both coffee shops that are somewhat Ipoh establishments. I may not be able to navigate my way to many places in Ipoh, but, I can always find my way to the Hall of Mirrors (the shop’s walls are plastered with HUGE mirrors).
When I was growing up, our family will eat here at least once a week. Most of the little stalls
here have been around as long as I could remember. The rice noodles (chee cheong fun) are better from Kong Hing next door (yes, you can eat food from both shops), as is the Kai See Hor Fun (shredded chicken noodles). No
where else in the WORLD can Kai See Hor Fun be like Kai See Hor Fun in Ipoh. *drool*The Rojak is also excellent. The sauce is like liquid gold. I wish I had the recipe!
Pass the traffic lights junction in New Town enroute to Low Wong Chicken Taugeh is Chuen Fong Curry Mee. It’s a tiny little coffee shop that sells only…you guessed it – curry mee. It is easy to miss, but for the crowd of locals hovering over tables in hope of a seat.
Everyone tells me the curry mee here is no longer what it used to be. Be it nostalgia, or that my tastebuds are no longer as discerning as an Ipoh girl’s should be – I still thought it was top notch. The hubby will always insist on extra toppings (“ka liu”), and the extra dipping sauce (read: the thicker version of the soupy goodness you slurp with noodles). It’s not the cheapest curry mee in town, by that I mean it is expensive for Ipoh standards. But, I swear, AUD20 feeds the whole family at this joint.
A friend prefers the “dry” version, but me? I’m a purist – bring on the goodness of curry soupy-ness!! Yum yummmm….
Where: New Town, Ipoh Style of food: Chinese Price guide: $
*Apologies for the long hiatus guys - the last few months of 2008 have been crazeeee....we spent more time out of the country than in!!*
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One of us grew up in Sabah, and we both love seafood. But, in all our married years, we have never had good seafood in Sabah! Oh, it’s not the seafood’s fault – most restaurants have live creatures frolicking in aquariums – but the cooking styles have always been rather disappointing. On recommendation from a trusted foodie relative, we ventured to Portview during a recent visit.
Perched on the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront in the heart of KK city, Portview overlooks Gaya Island and the South China Sea. Pick your seafood literally “on display” in aquariums as you stroll in.
The steamed fish was cooked just right. The flesh was moist and sweet, and the soy and ginger sauce was not overpowering. For half the price we paid at Portview, I have had better in Hong Kong. But hey - we're not in Hong Kong, are we? We had soy prawns (see yow wong chow har) – I swear these were the BIGGEST prawns I have ever eaten. Can't fault this dish, but ain't nothing to shout about either.
So, what's there to shout about at Portview? Well, I'd be yelling about the also-very-big oysters. Actually, big could not even begin to describe the oysters. They were huge, no – gigantic, no make that super extra JAI-NOR-MOUS!! I kid you not, they were the size of my palm!! And, at RM7 each, they were a steal! Would’ve love to have had them au naturale, but our dinner guests didn’t quite like the idea of slimy, raw oysters. So, we had them steamed with garlic. Still delicious!! For their size, these oysters were surprisingly non-rubberry. Handy tip: steak knives are particularly helpful to help carve the oysters into bite-sized pieces.
A note of caution though, stick to the seafood – the “other dishes” were pretty ordinary. The five spice fried chicken was dry, veggies were OK but the pork way too tough!
