Day 3 Finale - Foh San Dim Sum, Ipoh Old Town & Funny Mountain Taufu Fah!

Most of my friends were either drunk or too tipsy on the wedding dinner! Somehow I managed not to get drunk :) as I wanted to utilise my last day in Ipoh by taking Jenn to taste some of the much mentioned about food in Ipoh. Initially I wanted to ask my friends to join me on the excursion but looking at their states yesterday, I knew that it was impossible. Both Jenn & I woke up early in the morning and walked to Foh Sam for breakfast. Oh yes... we stayed in Excelsior Hotel which was near (I mean.. very near) Foh San. As a matter of fact, I could see Foh San from the hotel room that we stayed in.

at 8.30am, the street was already bustling with activities. Some tried to make $$$ by selling balloons in front of the restaurant. If Sher Ryn was here, she'd beg me to buy one for her :)

The new Foh San was huge! Occupying at least 4-5 shoplots, the proprietor has done a great job in renovating and turning the whole place into a very modern looking and grand restaurant. Even Jenn commented on why there isn't such place in Klang Valley. She loves this place!

Clockwise from the top - Foh San's sign; Chinese tea (a must for us everytime we eat dim sum) & reception table in front of the entrace. Personally I think it's useless to have the reception table because it didn't serve any purpose at all. Lucky for both of us that we arrived early as there were still some empty tables, as the restaurant became chaotic 15 minutes later when every table was taken and those who arrived late would literally stand next to you (if they noticed that you almost finished the food). It was hard to enjoy our tea after the meal which we usually did in KL. The people at Foh San should have started the numbering system in order to be more systematic.

The selection of dim sum at Foh San was extensive. When we arrived, the waitress would push the cart to your table and asked you to pick your choice. And when the place reached its full capacity, I had to literally shout but everything fell into deaf ears. So I took everything into my own hands - when the fresh dim sum(s) were rolled out from the kitchen, I just walked over with the order chit and picked those that I wanted & brought back to my table.

Most of their dim sum(s) were good! Fresh from the kitchen, I love the fact that they were still hot and smoking! clockwise from top - steamed HK style CCF (smooth skin and fresh prawn); juicy and tasty char siew bao; must-order siew mai; and crispy Wu Kok with delicious pork filling!

Clockwise from top - delectable har gao (prawn dumpling); bouncy and fresh tasting fishballs; full of wok hei stir fried radish cake; and something similar to har gao (but with mango slice and other filling which I have forgotten). At the end, we left our tables to a few polite ladies who had been patiently waiting for us.

We checked out of our hotel shortly after that and drove to Ipoh Old Town (No! not the chain) area in search for a good cup of famous Ipoh White Coffee! In fact, my friends and I wanted to sip coffee at one of the restaurants here but my Garmin didn't recognise that some of the roads had been converted into one-way-street. This time I had to rely on my sense of direction again! Arriving at Jalan Bandar Timah where most of the famous coffeeshops were located, we could not find any parking and those available ones were guarded by touts trying to make easy money.

I didn't want to let them profit so easily and therefore, I parked along Jalan Bijeh Timah where a number of Indian shops were located there.

Jenn & I strolled along this small lane that led to Jalan Bandar Timah where most of the old school kopitiams were located. Love this shot as Jenn didn't even realise that I was photographing her :) my lovely wife!

My destination?? Kedai Kopi Nam Chau as I have read rave reviews on their dry curry noodle as well as white coffee. The place was packed with people as we arrived. Somehow we managed to secure a table located almost at the end of the shop.

Clockwise from top - the task of preparing noodle was given to the foreign worker (indication that we are getting lazier); plump & juicy bean sprout; and the interior of the coffeeshop.

As both of us were quite full from having dim sum earlier, we couldn't order much here. The iced white coffee was normal even though it was packed with flavour. Reading j2kfm's blog, I had high expectation on their coffee and that's why I was disappointed in the end. It tasted like they had brewed the coffee earlier and just poured into the glass and served immediately.

However, their dry curry noodle wow-ed me! Opting for the normal sar hor fun, the dish came with chicken shreds, char siew, and a few plump prawns. Doused in rich curry gravy, all you need to do is to squeeze the lime in order to enjoy the combination of spicy, sour and sweet flavour gravy that enveloped all of the hor fun. One of the best dry curry noodle that one can find in Ipoh!

Slightly oily but it really didn't matter at all!! The taste trumped everything else.

Jenn & I were practically full after the meal but we wanted to end our trip in a sweet note. So what place is more suitable than the famous Funny Mountain taufu fah? Now here was where the story took a funny twist. I punched in the street name (Jalan Theatre) into my GPS and it led me all the way to Pasir Pinji area. Apparently there was a street by the name of Jalan Theatre in that area too :P anyway, we made it back to the town area where the stall was located after realising our mistake!

All the cars that stopped to ta-pao or just to enjoy a bowl of taufu fah in the comfort of their cars.

Operated by a few family members, they were enjoying brisk business as the customers kept pouring in. All of them seemed very busy running here and there just to serve the sweet desserts.

However, they were very friendly and accommodating when I asked them questions. They even let me took pictures despite blocking their path :P

Both of us sat on the small stools provided near their stall and enjoyed the silky smooth taufu fah that was doused in ginger-flavoured sugar syrup in the hot weather! Of course, you can opt for gula melaka syrup or any combinations that suit your taste.

whoops! Caught in the act!

Leo's verdict - after the dessert, we started our 5 hours++ journey back to Pahang as we missed Sher Ryn very much! This was the last time that both Jenn & I got to spend time together before little Keith finally arrived one month later!

Restoran Foh San
51, Jalan Leong Sin Nam
30300 Ipoh, Perak
Tel: 05-2540308
*Closed on Tuesday

Kedai Kopi Nam Chau
54, Jalan Bandar Timah
30000 Ipoh, Perak
*closed on Saturdays (weird huh?)

Funny Mountain Soybean & Traditional Tau Fu Fah
49, Jalan Theatre,
30300 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel No : 016 595 0369

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

East Coast Trip Day 3 - Hai Peng Kopitiam @ Kemaman & Awana Kijal Resort

I realised that I had taken a lot of pictures during my East Coast trip and the blog might get too long if I insert one by one. A quick chat with my one of my best friends (Andrew Lo) whom I regard as my own brother & he told me to download Photoscape in order to combine several pictures in one, thus saving space... btw, it's FOC :) Thanks a lot bro! I knew that I could count on you like I always do!

We started our journey up north towards Terengganu after having light breakfast. Why light? Because Kedai Kopi Hai Peng was on our list to stop by on the way to Awana Kijal. Since it was only less than an hour away from Kuantan, we figured that we had a good cup of coffee would kick start otherwise an ordinary day! Since it was my first time going to Kemaman, I was worried that I could not find this place. However, this white building was visible from the main road leading towards Awana Kijal (if you see Public Bank, it's just opposite the bank).

True to its name, Hai Peng was packed with patrons most of the time. This place still maintain its old school way with some touch of modernity. LCD TV (behind the cashier) is used to introduce their food and beverages; some old (is it antique?) plates were seen hanging on the wall; pictures of the kopitiam in its early days as well as the founder were proudly hung on the wall; and variety of kuih-muih were placed on the wooden table in the middle of the shop for patrons to choose. It took us 5 minutes to secure a table for ourselves.

The kopi panas that Jenn's parents had was aromatic when it was served. One sip and I could see their eyes brighten up. "Wow! We have not tasted such good coffee for a long time" came their reply. My choice of kopi ais was not bad either! I wanted something cold rather on such a hot weather. It was rich and robust with each sip.

It took us another 20 minutes to reach Awana Kijal. Even before we came here, I had done some research on this resort. If you are looking for plenty of activities, then this is not the place for you. Our objective was to relax and therefore, it suited us. I didn't take many pictures of the hotel as I was busy taking pictures of Sher Ryn. to those who have not been here before, do not.. I repeat, DO NOT have high expectation on Awana Kijal. The rooms although clean, the interior seriously need refurbishment as the carpet, bed sheet and the wall look like from the 80s.

As soon as we checked into our respective room, Sher Ryn started exploring & venturing to prohibited areas.. starting with the cupboard. But then, I loved to see her mischevious look so I just let her continued with her ways.

Since it was hot outside, we decided to have lunch in the hotel instead. The resort is quite big and some places can be hard to find. Our lunch at Waterfall Cafe exceeded our expectation. Quite frankly, I never expect their food to be good especially after reading mixed reviews on their food through tripadvisor. My choice of nasi goreng with grilled seafood (squid, chicken and prawn) burst with flavour. The fiery belacan got my attention too! I had a mouth of the nasi ayam berempah (herbal spiced chicken) and thought that it was good too. The chicken was aromatic and tender. The curry however, tasted just like regular curry out there.

After the lunch, I sent Jenn's parents for Balinese massage before heading to the swimming pool. Did I ever mention that Sher Ryn loves swimming pool? Ever since I brought her to the pool for the first time, she couldn't get enough of playing with water. As it was still scorching hot outside, we planned to go to the beach later in the evening. Jenn just watched by the pool side as Sher Ryn and I had fun. Well, a pregnant woman should not move too much. The father and daughter had great time together... we just kept ourselves at the shallow areas. The swimming pool too looked it need refurbishment.

Alright! Time's up... it was time for Sher Ryn's afternoon nap and therefore I wrapped her with the newly bought robe & went back to our room.

After recharging the battery, the little princess was ready to hit the beach for the very first time. Initially, we thought that she would love the sand and the sea. Instead she stayed close to Jenn when she tried to put her down. Once Jenn left her by herself so that I could take pictures of her, she got nervous and started to cry. Her expression? Priceless (just look at the combination of pictures)

It didn't take her very long to get used to the surrounding. She started to play with the toys that we bought from Toy'R'Us. I built many sand castles which she destroyed shortly after.. sigh! Little children are very good in destructing stuff :) happy daughter and mom!

Look! An extra pair of feet (^_^) and soon, another one will join us!

Our dinner was at Grandview Restaurant late in the evening. The restaurant is located right outside Awana Kijal. There are only two rows of shophouses in front of the resort so you should be able to find it in no time. My friend reckoned that I had dinner at Grandview as the food is better (according to him). It was still early when we arrived but it was packed in less than 30 min. Tiger beer to cool down!

Most of the dishes that we had that night were good! Especially the sweet, sour & spicy soft shell crab. The gravy was great to be paired with white rice. A recommendation by the waiter, it didn't disappoint.

Butter prawn was another hit with us! The aroma of butter enveloped all the prawns and curry leaves added extra zing to it. The fresh and succulent prawns were finished in no time.

Oyster omelette - puny oysters but the omelette was fragrant. I just imagined that I was having telur dadar instead :P

Black pepper venison - tender meat and great sauce without over-powering the dish.

No complains on the green!!

Tomyam chicken - forget this! Sour is the only word I could use to describe this soup.

Leo's verdict - not many option to dine if you are looking for Chinese food as there are only two outside the resort. Otherwise we will have to dine inside the resort and pay exorbitant price for hotel food; or KFC which is also outside the resort. We visited Mesra Mall (about 10min drive from Awana Kijal) and also Kerteh Oil Rigs after the dinner.

Hai Peng Kopitiam
3753 Jalan Sulaiman
Chukai
24000 Kemaman
Terengganu
(6.45am – 6pm)
09 - 859 7810

Grandview Restaurant
No.12, Back Row, Jalan Persiaran Bunga Araya
Kijal Beach Resort
24100 Kemaman, Terengganu
Tel: 09-8642486

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Otak-Otak Place @ 1Utama Shopping Centre

Like I said in my previous blog, I am going to clear my back logs as fast as possible. Some of the posts have been sitting inside my thumb drive for months and if I didn't get rid of them now, I don't know when is the best time to do so.

My idea of a good afternoon tea time... well, of course, would be a good cup of tea or coffee! Not necessarily a high tea session at posh hotels or elegant cafes for me, as even a simple RM2 cup of tea is sufficient to make my day. When the kopitiam craze started, Jenn & I always patronised Old Town Kopitiam. Back then their coffee & tea were the best! Perhaps they expanded too fast through franchising and own expansion and as a result, failed to control the standard of their F&B. These days, you would see at least one kopitiam everywhere you go...

Otak-otak Place is another kopitiam-styled establishment, but with a new twist. As the name suggest, their signature food is otak-otak, a delicacy originated from Johor. So far I have only gone to their 1Utama and Tropicana City Mall's outlet.

Also known as otah otah, this dish is prepared using fish (normally tenggiri or mackarel) mousse wrapped in daun nipah (my English failed me once again!). Then the otak-otak is either grilled or steamed before served. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Otak-Otak Place only served the grilled version.

And when it is grilled, the daun nipah will emit a rather strong aroma which will make the otak-otak aromatic and delicious.

Back to the place, if you happened to visit their 1Utama outlet (which is located in the New Wing by the way)... you would notice a lot of stuff that reminds of our youth (to those who was born before 1990)... like this congkak.

And these...

They even used homework book as menu.. obviously trying to make you reminiscent the olden days! in my case, it really works! I remember playing guli, congkak, rubber band rope, etc... which makes me think that the children nowadays are so pampered with PSP, Wii, iPod, iPhone, etc...

During tea time, there are a few sets to choose from the menu. I settled for their Set A which comprises of kaya & butter toast (mediocre at best!) served in dimsum basket, half boiled eggs which were perfectly done, and a cup of teh tarik. Costing only RM5, definitly a value for money.

I have to say that I love the teh tarik here.. as it's milky but not to the extent of overly sweet. With a piece of Hup Seng cream cracker to dip in, I felt like a school boy once again :)

Their ayam percik with nasi lemak @ RM9.90 was OK... not too bad but also not blowing my hat off. The acar was good though but I wish that the ayam percik was more fork-tender.

I also ordered their set of otak-otak sticks (5 pcs) at RM3.. normal price would be RM5.50 but they were having promotion at that time. The promotion probably is over coz I had these months ago.. lol!! Anyway, taste-wise it was slightly spicy which suits my taste bud. I'd say one set is definitely not enough for me :P

Feeling greedy, I ordered their otak-otak toast. instead of kaya & butter, you spread the otak-otak onto the toast before eating. Heavenly!

Leo's verdict - they do sell some of the old stuff that I mentioned earlier in this post but at a rather high price. Service was quite fast and attentive...

Restoran Win Heng Seng @ Jalan Imbi, KL

Formerly Wing Heng, I thought that they had closed down and taken over by other proprietor. But when it finally opened its door to the public after some renovation works, I realised that they only changed the name to "Win Heng Seng" and did some paintings and rearranging the interior. The cashier counter had bene moved to accommodate more tables. One good thing though... all the stalls remain the same!!! (Sigh with relief)

My favourite sam kan zhong (pork ball noodle) stall and the boss who prepares the dish himself every morning!!!

Also not to forget the super busy pastry stall... I really like their egg tarts. Used to be RM0.50 per piece but the price has increased by RM0.10! Whatever... I'm still buying because I love the fluffiness and crispy-ness of its skin while the filling is just nice!

My favourite sam kan zhong (RM5)... dry style. Most of the time, I would ask for extra roasted sausage at RM2 extra. The dark soy sauce is slighty salty and sweet, which goes very well with the ho fun and the minced meat. When you add the roasted sausage or meatball... it was simply heaven!

Normally you would get 2 or 3 pieces of pork sausages, which is proven to the crowd puller, for normal price. But for extra RM2... the boss will be glad to throw in another 4-5 pieces extra into the bowl of soup.

One of my favourite places in Klang Valley for a cuppa of iced cham (RM1.70)... it had a strong taste of coffee and tea, unlike other places which are quite diluted.

Leo's verdict - after the renovation, I feel like the shop has become more spacious and brighter. Maybe it's just me! :) a must go place for breakfast everytime I go to downtown KL. The downside are that it can be quite hard to find a parking for your car, a table to sit down, and also it can get quite stuffy once the place is packed. But if you have the patience, everything will be just fine.