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It’s funny how EVERY Malaysian would associate Ipoh with its girls. Those KL suckers would scream, “Ipoh mali” after I told them I’m a full-blooded Ipohrian.

For your information, Ipoh has much more to offer than just its girls. We know Penang is famous for its classic Hokkien-hawker-style food. Ipoh, however is a little different - the food has a closer resemblance to of Cantonese origin.

The drive back to Ipoh this weekend was a breeze. Only because we left KL at 6am. On a non-working Saturday.

Kong Heng, the infamous eating outlet in Ipoh Old Town

The first stop was at the infamous Ipoh Old Town, the origin of Ipoh Sa Hor Fun/Kuay Teow. Kong Heng, also known as the House Of Mirrors (because of the infinite number of mirrors on the wall) and their direct neighbor, Thuen Chun, serve this popular dish. “Which of these two is better?”, you might ask. Frankly speaking, both have the same amount of customers. Taste-wise, I can’t really tell. To avoid their tradesecret from being compromised, Kong Heng initially did not allow any takeaway orders. Thuen Chun, however allowed takeaways; and they were even more than happy to give you more soup if so desired. Ironically it is quite safe to say that the locals here choose between both shops based on customer service and not food quality.

I am usually at Thuen Chun because the stall that serves the popular Ipoh-style Chee Cheong Fun is located there. Chee Cheong Fun in Ipoh, unlike KL and Penang, is served with mushroom sauce. And again, that’s the way all Chee Cheong Funs should be eaten.

Many Malaysians flock to Thuen Chun to have their dessert custard pudding, served with caramel. I can’t comment on their custards as I’m not really into it. When you’re there, you’ll also bump in to this extremely friendly Chinese satay man. He would usually just push you a plate of about ten satay pieces; and only charges you for the number of sticks you’ve eaten. I believe that the Malays make better satays than everyone else. Or maybe it’s just me.

Ipoh Sa Hor Fun

How times flies. Before you realize, it’s already time for brunch. So, we headed to a street off Kampar Rd. to buy their Curry Chicken Bun. This was my first time eating them, even though I’ve spent more than 20 years in Ipoh. Mum told me the bun was so huge before, that you need to have someone to share it with you. For dinner.

If you’re from out of town, you’re most likely to stuff the bun into your gap… like what every Malaysians would normally do. Well, this is the only time when civilized Western bun-eating habits pay off in Malaysia.

You are NOT to bite the bun.

 

The hidden jewel in a Curry Chicken Bun

Now that the alluminium foil is out of the way, it’s time to savor the chicken curry. After staring at the mean little bugger, you peel a piece of the bun and dip it into the curry sauce. There’re bits and pieces of chicken meat (with bones intact) and potatoes. The curry is fragrant. And it seems to go exceptionally well with the bun. This combination, however is different from the remaining overnight curry you used to eat with Gardenia bread loaf.

Let me introduce you to my friend, “Wong Fei Hung” (黃飛鴻). His trademark is in his clothes: bright red-colored shirt and baggy green pants. Proudly flaunting two newspaper cuttings of his famous kachang puteh and few giant bags of various deep fried crackers and peanuts behind his motorbike, this friendly Indian man, who by the way speaks Chinese better than you and me, has been selling kachang puteh for many many years. In fact he’s the second Wong Fei Hung generation that sells kachang puteh in Ipoh Garden. Mum and Dad used to get their dose of kachang puteh from his dad when they were kids. He generously gives away kachang puteh samples to everyone who walks past his little stall; and it’s difficult resisting as they are really tasty and most importantly, crunchy. Oh, he fries the kachang puteh himself.

Wong Fei Hung and his infamous kachang puteh

The Salted Baked Chicken (鹽烤雞) specially sold in Aun Kheng Lim is not easily found in many parts of the world (including Malaysia). Universally, the chicken, wrapped in grease-proof paper is baked on a clay filled with salt in a flame oven. This shop, however introduced Chinese herbs (mainly Chinese Angelica Root a.k.a. 當歸) into their recipe, giving it a more glamorous twist to an already popular dish. The natural flavor of the chicken is not compromised in this unique infusion, as the roots were still heavily flavored when I took a bite at them.

They also serve a variety of chicken types such as the sweeter and leaner textured kampung chicken, which of course is priced higher. Aun Kheng Lim’s infamous Salted Baked Chicken starts from $15 for the entire bird.

 
Salted Baked Chicken

I’m finishing off my little eating tour of Ipoh by revealing a well-known area where “Chicken Beansprouts” (芽菜雞) is served. The sight of tour buses is very common here as tourists throng the streets to discover the hidden secrets of Ipoh-grown beansprouts. The beansprouts here are noticeably “fatter” in shape (and crunchier). It is believed that the hardness of the water in the state contributes to this “natural phenomenon”.

There are about 4-5 shops along that junction. The most popular shop is Lou Wong. This is where all tour buses would take their tourists to. The alternative is Ong Kee. Personally I prefer Ong Kee. There was a history of complaint to the newspaper that Lou Wong delibrately charged a customer about RM100+ for their meals on a Chinese New Year.

Ipoh-grown Beansprouts

The other half of the menu… Steamed Chicken in a secret combination of soy sauce and sesame oil.

That concludes my little eating tour of Ipoh. I’d like to suggest this site if you require further reading on the activities to do this little city.

Here is my parting advice: If you’re planning to drive here, please be careful as the roads are rediculously-filled with reckless motorcycle riders.

If any special information is needed on the whereabouts of the red light district in Ipoh, please leave a message on my Chatterbox.

Happy Eating!

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IMPORTANT ADDRESSES TO REMEMBER

Aun Kheng Lim Salted Baked Chicken
24 Theatre Rd.
Ipoh
Phone: +605 254 2998

Kong Heng Sa Hor Fun
75 Leech St. (Jln. Bandar Timah)
Ipoh

Lou Wong Chicken Beansprouts
49 Yau Tat Shin Rd.
Ipoh

It was time to eat out after having so many days of wonderful home-cooked meals. Dad suggested Kim Gary, but like a spoilt brat I insisted on Western food at The Ship.

It was just barely a half-hour train journey to their Jln. Dang Wangi branch from home. Initially opened its doors for business at their first premise in Jln. Sultan Ismail KL, The Ship have since expanded their business by opening a further six franchises throughout Malaysia, each having their own distinct specialty dishes. Rumors have it that the Dang Wangi branch specializes in Chinese cuisines; but their ten-page menu did their specialty no justice.

Die-hard steak lovers, especially yours truly would be delighted to be in a restaurant that serves “The Best Steak In Town” (tagline). As we entered the ship-like restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly sailor-uniformed dress waiter staff. I heard Mum requested for a non-smoking area, which then puzzled me - why is it legal to smoke in an enclosed air-conditioned room, let alone a restaurant? He then showed us to our table, which was just two tables away from a group of six old-fart smokers.

By the way, a set of courtesy newspapers were placed at the restaurant entrance for your convenience.

I thought The Ship should reconsider changing their tagline to “The Most Variety Of Steaks In Town” when they surprised me with their FIFTEEN different steak preparation styles. Australians only serve the standard black pepper, mushroom and sweet chilli sauces. But of course, yours truly would always make any excuse for pepper-room (no, it ain’t Australian).

When the waiter came to take our orders, he took Mum and Dad’s orders first because I had a very difficult time making up my mind on which of the FIFTEEN steaks I should eat. Seriously, it’s FIFTEEN.

Being the greatest fan of Chinese food, I wasn’t surprised when Dad went for their Yong Chow Fried Rice (楊洲炒飯) and Mixed Meat Vegetable Soup (什菜 肉湯). When Mum’s contemplation between the choice of lamb and beef ended, she finally decided to go for their Grilled Lamb Chop and her favorite bowl of their U.S. Seafood Chowder.

Mee-nee-mee-nee-mi-nee-mo! Carpetbag Steak was appealing as their description stated a few pieces of smoked oysters would be served alongside with its mains. Before Dad could give me the green light for their Chinatown Sharksfin With Crabmeat (the most expensive soup in their menu), the waiter had already taken it down when I was discreetly pointing to it in the menu.

Oh yeah, I haven’t forgotten my usual mango juice, as I am on this quest to find the place that serves the best in Malaysia. No one has yet to come close to beating Madam Kwan’s.

It was quite a quiet evening at The Ship tonight. Maybe the dinner crowd has dispersed since it was almost 8:20pm when we arrived. A quick glance around the restaurant showed only two tables were foodless, while the rest of the people in there were just chatting their night away, along with a fag stucked between their fingers.

A waiter emerged from the kitchen and brought out two little fresh buns for Mum and myself, as we were both having soups of the Western nature. Another waiter brought out my long-awaited mango juice.

A sip of The Ship’s mango juice revealed a mixture of freshly juiced mangoes and mango syrup, which resulted in a lighter and dilluted flavor. That’s it. Madam Kwan’s 1, The Ship 0.

The two bowls of Western soups arrived before you could finish saying “mozzarella”.

The presentation of the soup was not as professional as one diner would expect. The soup was all over the brim. It might be the fault of the waiter. Or it might not. The texture color was very unconventional to any sharksfin soup served in other Chinese restaurants around the world. Anyway, on to the most important aspect - the taste. A quick big scoop revealed some bits of button mushrooms and the well-deserving shark fins, along with beaten eggs. I’d like to believe the crab meat were very finely chopped; thus not visible to the naked eye. The first sip was almost heavenly. It sure tasted different from the usual sharksfin soup I have savored in every restaurants; but the subtle flavor of every sharksfin-soup the Chinese so love was still present. I could only say the crab and egg-flavored soup base could live up to the original flavor, making it a distinctively special starter (appetizer) I would recommend to everyone who visits The Ship.

Different restaurants and many parts of the world prepare Seafood Chowder differently. Mum is pretty particular when it comes to having Western soups. However, she thoroughly loved the Seafood Chowder served in The Ship. Mum’s eyes glowed in delight when she found out The Ship was very generous when it comes to the amount of seafood they toss into their Seafood Chowder. A big scoop revealed some big pieces of white squids, fish meats and some vegetables. I hate seeing a properly-cooked Western soup being destroyed by the flavors of table salt and pepper. Mum practically “destroyed” it when she tossed in a pinch of white pepper, which was the reason why I didn’t taste her soup in the first place. I reckon it’s good as she enjoyed it. Very much, in fact.

When we finished our soups, the waiter came out to grab our licked-empty bowls and then presented us with our mains.

Carpetbag Steak

Like any typical Asian-prepared steak, their grilled steak was flooded with sauce. The serving looked a tad smaller, compared to the ones I have eaten in Australia (We usually have a big plate of garden salad (or coleslaw) and a gigantic serving of chips, which frankly take up 70% of your tummy before you could chuck that whole slice of steak down your throat). Anyway the sauce tasted pretty good; very different from the every other brown sauce I’ve tasted over the years. This specially prepared sauce seems to have a sweet and a subtle touch of sourness to it. The bulk of the saltiness comes from the oyster sauce, which constitutes to the important end result. Like every steak lovers who knows their beef, I ensured my steak was rare. Noticing how thin the slice was, it’s most likely sirloin. However it was quite a disappointment: the natural sweetness of the beef was heavily saturated by the sauce; but let’s not forget that this is a successful attempt to introduce Asian flavorings to Western dishes - the reason of The Ship’s existence in the first place. Their mixed vegetables were left alot to be desired, while their tomatoes could have been grilled/roast/pan-fried a little longer for a shaper smokey flavor. Chips were… well, chips. Then I realized the non-existence of the smoked oysters that was supposedly served together. I flipped the meat and was shocked by the sight of two miserable dried Chinese oysters hidden between the folded layers of my steak. Smoked fresh oysters, or so I assumed.

Grilled Lamb Chop

Mum’s Grilled Lamb Chop looked very promising. According to the menu, the three lamb loin cuts were flown in from New Zealand. Generally people love their lamb with mint sauce; but this dish came originally without. So Mum requested for some, which they happily obliged. I could not help but slice a small bite piece and chuck it into my mouth. The initial taste was excellent. The lamb cuts were well seasoned before they were sent to the fire for serious grilling. It has a smokey sweet flavor, which most likely was a result of their basting while it’s on the fire. Like the steak, the mixed vegetables left alot to be desired. Chips were… well, again chips.

Mixed Meat Vegetable Soup

When Dad’s Mixed Meat Vegetable Soup arrived, I wished my bowl of Sharksfin soup was as big. A quick run through of the soup revealed a VERY generous serving of seafood, including prawns, squids and fish meats. The soup was boiled for quite abit before being served, which brought out the natural seafood sweetness (and not forgetting, MSG). There were traces of chopped garlic, which presented a subtle fragrant presence along with the strong flavors of prawn in the soup. I enjoyed this clear soup as much as I enjoyed all the available Chinese soups out in the market.

Yong Chow Fried Rice

I was busy trying very hard to enjoy the steak that I forgot to taste my Dad’s Yong Chow Fried Rice. Dad’s a very simple man. He enjoys every kind of Chinese food, bad or good. Of course, not too bad lah. He seemed to like the dish very much. So, the verdict’s in. It’s good.

Like last time, below are the break-down prices of the dishes we ordered:
Chinatown Sharksfin With Crabmeat Soup - RM11.90
U.S. Seafood Chowder - RM7.90
Carpetbag Steak - RM36.90
Grilled Lamb Chop - RM22.90
Yong Chow Fried Rice - RM9.90
Mixed Meat Vegetable Soup - RM8.90

The food served in this family restaurant is good in the overall level. The huge number of different steak preparations can definitely keep you busy for awhile with the menu. Be aware that the dishes served in The Ship are very customized to the average Malaysian taste-bud. One last reminder, however. When you’re there for your next meal, please order their uniquely-flavored sharksfin soup. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

For Reservation:
The Ship
Lot 1222, Section 46
Jln. Dang Wangi
Plaza Gerai Pertama (Pertama Kompleks),
50100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: +603 2698 3791

For other branches, please visit here for location and contact details.

Being born in the city known for its pretty girls and delicious hard-water bean sprouts, food in big cities like Kuala Lumpur never impresses me. I was brought up believing food in Kuala Lumpur is too focused on commercialisation, thus sacrificing the fine important flavors that distinguish the many coffee shops that serve the same main dishes.

In a small city like Ipoh, it is not a surprise that many cooks have tried to imitate the Claypot Chicken Rice from K10 in Bercham but have failed miserably when it came to attracting the crowds to their coffee shops. People here are willing to wait for 30 minutes for their Chicken Rice to arrive than having a quicker alternative at their competitor’s coffee shop.

Madam Kwan’s at KLCC have always been the talk in my family as the best Nyonya food you could get in Kuala Lumpur - sometimes the rest of Malaysia. Though it may not be the most economical option to go for lunch there everyday, it is definitely worth the money if food quality is in your demand list.

Madam Kwan at KLCC

Madam Kwan is located at the highest floor of the Suria KLCC Shopping Centre, at the same level of Petrosains and alongside with other Asian dining cuisines. My family and I had a late lunch then due to the sudden thunderstorm. At 2:30pm, Madam Kwan was pretty packed, though there were still some available tables. The other restaurants adjacent to Madam Kwan were deserted, probably due to the long weekend break that everyone has gone back to their respective hometowns to be with their family.

Mum has repeatedly recommended me to try Madam Kwan’s infamous Nasi Lemak, which I obediently ordered when the friendly waiter served our table. Dad excitedly ordered his Fried Rice, while Mum tried their Nasi Bojari, a surprisingly popular dish in almost every table at that time. Mango juice has always been my favorite drink, and it’s just depressing not having this drink served widely in Australia.

The mango juice was one of the most awesome mango juices I’ve drank in my life. It was concentrated and you could still taste a little bit of its mango puree-pulp when you sip it through your straw. You can be assured that mangoes were actually thrown into the juicer, and not just made from mere syrup which you could easily purchased from any grocery markets.

After a surprisingly fast 20 minute wait (taking the crowd into consideration), the Nasi Lemak arrived, followed by the Fried Rice and finally the Nasi Bojari.

Madam Kwan’s Infamous Nasi Lemak

A small plate of ajat (pickled vegetables) came with the Nasi Lemak I ordered, which by the way tasted good. I was not a big fan of ajat then, but I definitely enjoyed eating this one. Before I dive my fork and spoon to mix everything up, I sampled every food individually in the plate. The rice boiled in coconut milk was fragrant and simply delicious. The generous serving of the Nyonya-style curry chicken was simply irresistable. The spiciness was bearable, though I wish it was a tad more. The usual anchovies in sambal sauce was close to heavenly though I wish they provided a little bit more gravy (oil), but it was just my own liking. The half-boiled egg is a usual side you get in every Nasi Lemak, good or bad. Madam Kwan cheekily included sambal heh bee (dried prawns) to finish off the twist to a complete Nyonya-style Nasi Lemak dish, which goes well along with the main repertoire.

Nasi Bojari

My mum enjoyed the banana leaf-served Nasi Bojari very much. I only managed to grab a few pieces of fried chicken and a piece of beef from its beef rendang and a miserable tiny assam prawn. She didn’t let me have the Indonesian colored rice, which I believe was good. I could conclude briefly that the beef was tender and fully-flavored by the rendang curry; while the prawn tasted more like sambal udang. I might be wrong, as it was just a poony miserable prawn. The fried chicken, however was a little overfried, thus explaining its tough-and-dryness. Also, the chicken was a little blend to my taste. It might be due to the variety of spiced-flavored food I was having at that moment.

Fried Rice

Although this is one of the lower-priced (but still expensive) dishes in the menu, you will be surprise how a simple dish like this could look satisfyingly beautiful. The salted fish flavor seemed to enbody the entire dish, which considerably mellowed the flavor of other ingredients that were fried along with the rice. However I still found it enjoyable. Most importantly, my dad loved it.

Below are the break-down prices of the dishes we ordered:
Nasi Lemak - RM13.20
Nasi Bojari - RM19.00
Fried Rice - RM12.60
Mango Juice - RM8.00

Though the dishes in the menu are a little bit overpriced, but one could not argue the quality and taste of the food served in Madam Kwan. I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed her Nasi Lemak very much. It may be some time before I next visit Madam Kwan again, but I will definitely not miss her out in my next trip back to Kuala Lumpur. I may try her most expensive dish in the menu - Indonesian Assam or Curry Fish Head (RM73) and I could only pray that she doesn’t increase her prices by then.

For Reservation:
Madam Kwan’s
Lot 420/421 Level 4
Suria KLCC
50088 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603 2026 2297