Sitiawan Cendol, Nasi Ayam Mama @ Seri Manjung & I Discovered Teluk Batik !!!

Realize it's been some time since I've posted anything from the outskirts of Ipoh, as well as outings to other towns in Perak. Since Chinese New Year in fact, and the Hanoi trip, my momentum was somewhat lost. Crawling out of bed and going to work sounds tedious and spells boredom on most days, while driving to obscure destinations for work does not seem as tempting like those good old days anymore ....

Where's the Zest in my Life ?!!!

MMMM .... yummy condiments from the roadside for that extra 'kick' !!!

Since I'm reeling from my 3 hours train ride today, I'll probably breeze through today's post. Not that the ride was horrible, mind you. In fact it was a rather commendable effort for KTM to regain the trust and its lustre, after such a looooooooooooooong hiatus from commuting between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. 3 hours exactly, from KL Sentral to Ipoh's station, departing and arriving right on time! From a lowly RM10 per ride (economy seats), you can be assured of a pleasant and safe ride. OK, at least in comparison to buses, you don't see trains derailing as often, do you? :) (For more information, do visit KTM's website here : http://www.ktmb.com.my)

Sitiawan's very own, Kampuan (sp?) Noodles ..... dry or wet, with curry, wantan (dumplings), pork ribs, fishball, etc. The choice is yours. But the compulsory dash of Kampung Koh's Garlic Chilli sauce is inevitable.

This journey takes precedence over my Hanoi posts, for a simple but obvious reason. To squeeze dry my brain juices in order to recollect the Halong Bay journey may take a lifetime, given the fact that I'm rather drained for the time being. Soon, OK?

Last week, work took us to Sitiawan, and Seri Manjung, both towns next to each other, located at the western coast of Perak. If you've been to Lumut (where the jetty's at before departing to Pulau Pangkor), you would've passed by these towns somehow, unknowingly. The Lumut Highway is a wonderful path to discover smaller and some off-the-(tourists)-track destinations in Perak. From Parit, Pusing and Tronoh, to Seri Iskandar, Beruas, Pantai Remis, and of course, Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan and Seri Manjung. The highway (wonder if that's what it's called, officially) does NOT collect toll fees, fret not. And with two lanes on each side, with 90km speed limit, and 60km at certain areas.

The famous item in Kampung Koh, Sitiawan is Loh Mee - A special noodle dish with wet, thick and sticky gravy

This corner shop at the Kampung Koh crossroad traffic lights attracted our attention, while we were busy searching high and low for breakfast. The place was packed with locals and out-of-towners alike (it's rather easy to spot them, as we're considered outsiders here as well!).

The famous Loh Mee in Kampung Koh is supposedly located near to the wet market, but we had no idea where the market is. And after countless rounds in Seri Manjung in search of a proper breakfast joint, we instinctively jumped at the opportunity of joining the crowd that morning.

Look for this corner shop, at Kampung Koh, Sitiawan

You can point to what others are having, in case you're at lost on what to order. The Loh Mee was sadly out-of-stock by the time we went, hence we ordered a Dry and a Wet version of their famous homemade noodles.

Resembling the texture of Hakka noodles, the springy, flat noodles was thankfully devoid of alkaline taste (from lye water being used), and complemented well by slices of tender pork ribs, and fried shallots. The noodle on itself was rather tasteless, but that's when the condiments come into play. Kampung Koh's original chilli sauce (Koki brand) and vinegar with garlic (in a jar) did the job well, lending a sour/spicy note to the noodles and meat.

Location : Sin Ek Sek @ Main Road, Kampung Koh, 32000 Sitiawan, Perak. Sorry no MAP, but coming from Sitiawan town towards Kampung Koh, you'll see this shop on your left, at the traffic lights.

JAMES CENDOL - Now helmed by the wife instead .....

So what's next after breakfast? Thirsty? Suffocating from the sweltering heat? No sweat. Look for the famous Sitiawan cendol, situated in front of the Indian temple, within walking distance from The Store in Sitiawan on Jalan Lumut.

The Indian temple (Maha Mariamman), closed to the public on that afternoon

At RM1.30 per bowl, you get a substantial bowl of green pea flour strips (Cendol), and red beans dunked in shaved ice (using the ORIGINAL shaving machine!) and Gula Melaka

The difference lies in the preparation of the cendol. And the presentation of the proprietor, or rather, the wife of the owner. The owner is seemingly operating at another location, while this original location is being manned by the wife, complete with the signature RED bowtie. Yup, remember the RED bowtie, not BLACK. There's a flattering imitation a stone's throw away.

As I mentioned, the preparation of a bowl of their famous cendol requires much sweat, though no tears. The classic ice-shaving machine probably has history dating back to my grandfather's generation, and you can witness her pumping muscles ... I mean, vigorously rotating the handle to generate shaved ice bits for the cendol. Not as smooth as those Ais Kacang, but you can bite on those crunchy tiny bits of ice, in addition to the soft strands of Cendol, and large red beans. Though I'm still giving my vote to the Penang Road's version, James Cendol deserves an honorable mention in my books.

Location : James Cendol @ Jalan Lumut, 32000 Sitiawan. In front of the Maha Mariamman Temple, near to The Store. Opens daily from 11.30 am onwards, until the day's supply finishes, or until about 7pm.

When even royalty beckons .... you know it's gotta be good

Of course, after breakfast, and erm, a simple cendol-refresher, we had to finish our duty for the day, before feeding our lunch cravings.

How to burn calories, you asked?

Teluk Batik beach ..... about 10 minutes away from Sitiawan

Surprisingly, it was my virginal visit to Teluk Batik. Where? Haha ... Least I'm not alone. Teluk Batik is a beach getaway on the western coast of Perak, about 5 minutes drive from Lumut, and accessible by car, with ample parking space, and a few resorts for travellers.

It's midday, yet the place was crowded .... school holidays = hot period, apparently ....

The beach is lined with various stalls, selling food & beverages, as well as clothes, accessories and souvenirs. A tourist destination but overshadowed by Pulau Pangkor, indefinitely, Teluk Batik has been attracting a steady stream of tourists (majority the locals, from what I witnessed that afternoon), and even had a facelift of sorts, now with a Waterfront square, just like Lumut.

Even a Sea Shells Museum?!

The seemingly abandoned museum .... One wonders who admire, erm, sea shells?



The waterfront square facing the sea

Obviously, people stare when you're all decked in shirts and suits, with slacks and leather shoes, all the while prancing and camwhoring by the sea, under the scorching heat. Ahem, but nobody recognizes us ma ...so no uneasiness at all. Thick-skinned eh? :)

You can visit http://www.malaysiavacationguide.com/telukbatik.html for information on the beach, as well as contacts for various hotels/resorts around the area.

Here's a MAP, so you can have a rough idea where this place is. "Teluk" means bay in Malay language, probably stemming from the inward curving bay this beach is located. Though far from pristine waters ..... or golden sands, at least you don't need to travel far for a simple yet relaxing holidays.

No, you're not seeing double. They've 'expanded' across the lane!

And to cap things off, we went for a late lunch (we DID work, after all) at Nasi Ayam Mama in Seri Manjung. A very, very popular HALAL restaurant in Seri Manjung, you'll be stumped at the sheer amount of people having lunch here during peak hours.

The interior is very clean, bright and airy

Recommended by Malay colleagues as well as other races, their specialty needs no intepretation. Or you can't understand what Nasi Ayam means? It means Chicken Rice, in Malay.

Very Chinese-oriented, except the chicken, served with a dark, thick and sweetish gravy (RM4 per plate)

The Chicken Rice here is GOOD. I seldom throw praises on Malay-style Chicken Rice, as most failed in the chicken department (tough, not tender, salty, or plain tasteless) or the rice department (soggy, too artificially yellow, too hard, or overpowering margarine taste). But pleasantly surprised by Nasi Ayam Mama's quality, the rice being fragrant and fluffy, resembling Hainanese chicken rice, while the roast chicken was flavoursome, with or without the gravy. The dipping sauces were right on as well, the chilli sauce being a little sweetish, and the bird's eye chillies in thick soy sauce was perfect to perk things up. The soup was a little too peppery for my taste, but Mr Z (my colleague) enjoyed it nonetheless.

FYI, they serve other dishes as well, rice and noodles alike.

Location : Nasi Ayam Mama @ 63-65, Persiaran Manjung 3/2, Taman Manjung Point Seksyen 3, 32040 Seri Manjung, Perak.

With that .... we departed back to Ipoh ; Hunger pangs Satiated, Sleepy yet Satisfied .....