Ipoh Famous Canning Garden Chee Cheong Fun

Aaahhhh .... lazy Saturday morning. Come weekend and my brain will automatically freeze and hibernate for all it's worth. Short post today, regarding a strong contender for BEST Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls )in Ipoh. Or so most claimed. (Try HERE, HERE, and HERE)

The corner lot facing the Canning Garden morning market

I've not been here since aeons ago. Possibly since secondary school years. Yeah, and now I'm a priceless, ancient piece of antique, do your maths.

The intimidating morning crowd. OK, not in THAT sense.

For a mere RM2.50, you get a plate of satisfying breakfast

There were a few occasions when we went there for breakfast, and felt dejected as the shop was closed. But usually open for business (a very brisk one at that) on weekends, it's safe to get your CCF fix on a Saturday or a Sunday. (Do correct me if I'm wrong, ya?)

A regular serving for RM2.50, large portion for RM3.00. No frills. Either the chilli sauce+sweet red sauce combination, OR their mushroom gravy to accompany your rice noodle rolls generously sprinkled with sesame seeds, fried shallots, and served with pickled green chillies, the compulsory side kick.

Steaming, chopping, and serving them fresh ... be patience. You've been warned. :)

The uncle and his assistant are not the friendliest chaps around. So when they said you've to wait for a while as there are a lot of customers around, DO NOT protest and throw a tantrum. Seriously. Even if you see those coming in later than you, and got their servings first, DO NOT scold the uncle, but "politely" remind him that you're on the brink of starvation and would really appreciate a faster service instead. (We were lucky to get some seats right behind the stall, thus we got ours pretty fast =P)

Still being served on those classic metal plates, with wooden chopsticks

The rice noodles rolls was impressively smooth, and glided down the throat with ease. The sesame seeds and fried shallots provided much texture and crunchiness, as well as extra fragrance, while the pickled green chillies are never enough. Of course, you can ask for more. Politely, remember? :)

But sorely disappointed that the chilli sauce and sweet red sauce combination did not work wonders, in fact was way too salty as he was probably in an ultra-high mood, liberately dousing my CCF with the red sweet sauce. Remember to request for less, if you're not in favour of wet, and saltish gravy.

The regular portion's rather sufficient as breakfast, and even if it's not, there are NO sides of Yong Tau Foo (Stuffed fish paste) and the likes (unlike KL's version) to complement the noodles.

Location : Kedai Makanan Canning Garden @ No. 27, a corner lot facing Canning Garden wet market. Sorry I forgot to take down the road's name. But it's right behind Restaurant HONG KONG, that faces the main road of Jalan Lee Kwee Foh, which sells chicken/duck rice, and tasty fried dough (yau char kwai, fried nin gou etc).

UPDATED 12 Oct 2008 - Directions to the Canning Garden CCF. I'm in such a jolly weekend holiday mood. Here goes ; Exiting from PLUS Highway IPOH SELATAN exit (the one with Tanjung Rambutan/Tambun on the signboard), you'll reach a T-junction traffic lights, whereby turning right will reach Tasek and Bercham, while left leads to Jusco. Take the LEFT turn, and go straight, passing by McD Drive-Thru on your left, and some rows of 3-4 storeys shoplots+Jusco on your left as well. At the Jusco's traffic lights, turn RIGHT and you'll soon reach another traffic lights. Turn LEFT at this one, and go straight until you reach a round about. Take a 12 o'clock turning, and you'll reach Jln Lee Kwee Foh, then see a field on your right. Turn RIGHT after the field, before the row of shophouses on your left. The CCF shop is at the left corner, facing the back, opposite the market.

But before I'm off for my precious, beauty sleep, here's another strong contender :

Dilapidated house tucked away at some corner in Pasir Pinji - Address : 1456, Jalan Pasir Pinji 5, Pasir Pinji 31650 Ipoh. Familiar?