Ipoh food excursion

Returned home from Ipoh yesterday night after spending an overnight trip there to meet up at a halfway point with several chess friends who had travelled up from the Klang Valley. Surprised them all because I was a totally unexpected presence. Only the host was in the know.

Though chess was the main excuse for the get-together - yes, we did play some games with a few resident chess players from Ipoh - the emphasis was heavily on food. Good food was always on our minds and with a perfectly good host who understood our needs and wants, there was no lacking of good places to go for a filling meal.

For example, on Monday afternoon itself we decided to sample their local beancurd or tau hwa (the Cantonese in Ipoh would call it taufu fah) from one particular shop in Yang Kalsom Road and let me tell you that this bowl of tau hwa was really an experience: it was one of the softest and smoothest I've ever had in a long time!

After that we wanted to have mee rebus. Unfortunately, the first restaurant we went to would not allow people to dine in, thus forcing our host to take us on another long drive to Tasek Jaya which served this Malay dish. Verdict: the broth was exemplary. If not for the fact that we would be taking our dinner soon, I guess many of us would have ordered a second bowl. 

Dinner was, of course, the famous Ipoh chicken rice. The coronavirus not withstanding, the place was filled with diners. After happily gorging ourselves silly with chicken rice and taugeh at one of the joints, we finally adjourned to meet with some local chess players.

Day Two of our food excursion began with an early six o'clock breakfast at a timsum restaurant behind the Excelsior Hotel where we stayed. Ipoh is reputedly famous for their timsum fare and this was only the second time that I had the opportunity to try it out. In my opinion, this reputation is well deserved because definitely, nothing in Penang can really compare with the quality of the timsum in Ipoh.

Two hours later, we had a second round of breakfast. This time, it was Ipoh's version of curry mee. It was a bit pricey because of additional fillings but in my opinion again, the overall quality was nothing much to shout about. Some of us commented that there was too much curry powder in the broth. Maybe I'm being too judgmental but the bowl lacked two very important factors: what is curry mee without cockles and curdled pig's blood?

By the way, did I mention earlier that I had enjoyed timsum only twice in my life in Ipoh? Make that thrice now, because immediately after we finished the curry mee, we went back to the hotel to pick up another chessmate and then proceeded to a halal timsum restaurant in Canning Garden. Needless to say, it was fabulous food again. 

After checking out from the hotel, our final food destination was a Chinese restaurant in Pasir Puteh. Unfortunately, we were still rather full and could not order a wider variety of dishes. Nevertheless, it was the company which made the occasion perfect and we parted ways soon after that.

Beancurd with various toppings (gingko, grass jelly and peach raisin) from Bigmom Beancurd at Yang Kalsom Road

Restoran Mee Rebus Ramli in Taman Tasek Jaya along Kuala Kangsar Road 

Chicken and taugeh from Ong Kee Bean Sprouts Chicken Rice Restaurant in Yau Tet Shin Road

We played a few games with Ipoh chess players in a hawker outlet known as Poziah Enterprise in Gunong Rapat. No food, but I had a cup of teh halia. Was surprised to find some crushed ginger at the bottom of the glass. Totally unexpected. Learnt later that this area was a popular stop during the day time for people wishing to buy pomelo.

First breakfast of the day at the Ming Court Hongkong Dimsum Restaurant in Leong Sin Nam Road

Second breakfast of curry mee from the Restoran Xin Quan Fang (Sin Chuan Fong) in Hugh Low Street

Followed by a third breakfast at the Canning Dimsum Restaurant in Cecil Rae Street

The few of us at the Mun Choong Restaurant in Pasir Puteh Road. Standing, left to right, Andrew Tan, myself, Thomas Chan, Roy Ng and Tham Tick Hong. Seated, left to right, Chew Soon Keong, Wahid Karim and Chia Soon Keat