Wedding Dinner @ Ipoh City & Country Club

No, don't get funny ideas, it wasn't my wedding. But rather, one of my ex-colleague, Miss E's. Just got back from a weekend 3 days, 2 nights course at Hotel Seri Malaysia in Ipoh, and feeling rather fatigued, I'll just run through briefly what I had during last night's dinner. (Yup, we skipped the night class for your big day, Ms E! =P)

"Wonder of Four Seasons" - Almost every Chinese dinner will start off with a cold platter of appetizers, consisting from 4 to 8 varieties of saliva-inducing starters. Yesterday's was no different, 4 types were served, but honeydew salad with boiled prawns was my favourite, while the other 3 paled in comparison. The fried spring rolls were quite yummy, nonetheless.

"Braised Seafood Soup with Eight Treasures" - Not really sure what the EIGHT treasures were, but there were various seafood included in the thick, gooey concoction. Add a dash of black vinegar for taste, and seemingly to reduce the fishy taste, and the soup was fine. The lack of shark's fins may appease the animal rights activists, but may irked those loyal followers of traditional Chinese dinners.

"Steamed Yellow Croaker with Light Soya Sauce" - Initially thinking a croaker is something from the amphibian family, we were pleasantly surprised the dish resembled anything but a frog. The fish was fresh, and the flesh was firm, sweet, and steamed to perfection. One of the highlight of the night, for me.

"Pi Pa Chicken" - Deep fried til the skin is crispy, served with plum sauce with a tone of spiciness, the chicken was mediocre, and some dropped unfavorable comments. The gravy was too salty for my liking, though one winning point was that the chicken meat was not too dry.

"Vietnamese Style Pan Fried Prawn" - I loathe digging my clean hands into anything with shells, especially during dinners and functions. Prying open the shells with my bare hands, while being dressed to the nines, just did not bode well. But Chinese dinners LOVE serving those large prawns with shells intact, to prevent shrinkage, and retain the sweet juices of the flesh. The sauce was spicy, with additional bird's eye chilli for an extra kick.

"Braised Beancurd Skin with Black Mushroom" - Possibly the worst dish of the night. The mushrooms were OK, but the braised beancurd (foo chuk) underneath was tasteless, and the brocolli did not save the dish.

"Hong Kong Style Pan Fried Glutinous Rice" - By this 7th dish, we were all full, and only managed a spoonful or two of the rice. Though fragrant, the glutinous rice lacked ingredients, and did not appeal to most of us. Now, where's the desserts? :)

"Sweet Red Bean Soup with Sago" - The sago was clearly not present, or probably blended into the smooth concoction of red bean soup. This 'tong sui' type of dessert is making its way into the dinner menu everywhere in Ipoh. But the one in Kok Thai Restaurant was miles ahead in terms of taste, and not sickeningly sweet.

"Dual Chinese Pastries" - Surprisingly, the layered jelly with santan is considered a Chinese's dessert? Hmmm. But the cookies-like morsels contained filling of pandan lotus paste, and surprisingly, VERY good. At least the meal ended on a high note?

Overall, the dinner had its hits, and misses. They serve set lunch as well, but bear in mind a strict dress code is applicable, meaning no shorts, slippers, or sleeveless shirts.

Location : No. 283, Jalan Kampar, 30250 Ipoh. Tel : 05-2422233. Pretty easy to locate. Coming from Simpang Pulai toll exit, go towards Ipoh town, passing by Medan Gopeng bus station on your left. Arriving at a flyover to Pusat Bandar, take the left most lane, and go towards Jalan Kampar. You'll reach a crossroad traffic lights. Go straight, and keep left. You will see Ipoh City & Country Club on your left soon.