Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant in Ipoh - Old Is Gold?

If you're an avid follower of this blog (OK, don't puke), you would've noticed the lack of dim sum reviews in Ipoh. This, although Ipoh has been established as, and probably still is one of the BEST destination for a sumptuous, hearty yet reasonably-priced dim sum breakfast.

The perennial favourite of many, even if not for the dim sum alone, it has to be the charming, nostalgic & authentic breakfast experience

The dim sum scene in Ipoh revolves mainly around the BIG 3, namely Foh San, Ming Court, and Yoke Fook Moon. Of course, there are other newer ones, and some old-timers which sadly never really took off. For those in the dark, dim sum is one of Chinese's (or Cantonese, actually) most famous cuisine, typically eaten for breakfast and served with Chinese tea. Literal translation means "Touch heart", the delightful morsels are either steamed or fried, and served in small portions, thus one can avoid over-eating (yeah, right) yet sample many different varieties.

On a weekend - Notice the vultures? =P

This post arrives in a rather timely manner. Why, you ask? Because Foh San is moving away to a new location next month. For a good many decades, this dim sum restaurant at the junction of Jalan Dato Tahwil Azhar and Jalan Mustapha al-Bakri has been serving hundreds to thousands of customers on a daily basis. The rich history of Foh San can never be rivalled, just ask any of your parents or grandparents, and they'll probably be nodding in agreement.

On a weekday - SLIGHTLY better, hence leave the crutches at home.

I'll reveal the new location at the end of this post. For now, let's concentrate on the food. But wait, before you go thinking that you can simply waltz in, grab a table and order away, think again. The two photos above differ ever so slightly. The first was taken on a Saturday morning, and the second on a Tuesday's. Truth is, the crowd swells to its fullest capacity on weekends and public holidays. So either come early (VERY early), very late (but risk being served with fewer choices of dim sum, as the good ones tend to finish rather fast), or avoid Sundays/public holidays altogether.

What separates a routine dim sum meal, from a memorable, complete experience?

Firstly, I must show my utmost/heartfelt/deepest gratitude (suddenly so formal, eh?) to CK Lam & Hubby for the wonderful meal, and inviting this small potato (OK, large potato ..... happy yet?) for breakfast on a Saturday morning. They were on their southern escapade, all the way down south, yet allocated a little of their precious time for breakfast with yours truly. Aww ... so sweet right? Thanks again CK, and really glad to meet you in person, and your personal photographer too. =P

Har Gau - Prawn dumplings

The second visit was 3 days after, with KYT and FCOE. Though we've been working together for nearly 3 years now, we have NEVER gone for a dim sum breakfast. Given the convenient white coffee fix very near to our office, we never ventured further/drive out for breakfast. A shame, really, with so many territories unexplored, and tables unturned. Wait .... wrong metaphor there. Hehe ..... OK, let's see why Foh San manages to deliver time and again, and remains a favourite among locals, and tourists alike.

Yeung Ngai Kua - Stuffed Brinjals with Fish Paste

Their Har Gau (Prawn Dumplings) has no flaws, so to speak. Thin, translucent & pleated skin, enveloping around a dense filling with moist, succulent and almost crunchy prawnS, the combination of flavours is almost intoxicating (for a prawn lover, at least). Of course there's the scallions, water chestnut (if I remember correctly, sorry I gulped the morsel whole!) and seasonings that rendered every bite a delight.

The other favourite of mine is the stuffed brinjals with fish paste, a type of Yong Tau Foo commonly served with noodles. Of course these are not true blue dim sum, but Foh San does their stuffed brinjals really well. The accompanying sauce (a mixture of soy sauce, and Lea & Perrins, I think) omits the need for chilli sauce.

Clockwise from top left : Siew Mai (Pork dumplings), Fei Chui Mai (forgot the real name, sorry - Prawn + Pork fillings with mushroom), Yue Mai (Fish paste) and erm ... Solid Yellow Pork Dumplings with Black Pepper seasoning.

The steamed items overshadow the fried ones, with many choices on the trolley being pushed by the workers. But just like what vkeong has reviewed lately, the choices may not be comparable to other dim sum outlets. True somewhat, but not wholly. Foh San periodically comes up with NEW dim sum, and without proper menu nor promotion, you have to ask the staff for what's available. And some being grumpier than the others, they may not attend to your queries.

But hope's not lost. You can actually walk over to the trolley you're aiming for, and seek for the types you prefer, then hand-carry to your table. I even opened the covers of the dim sum baskets and shot queries, ala Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Or Slumdog's. Or maybe not.

Char Siew Pau - BBQ Pork Bun, and Sang Yuk Pau - Pork Bun

What's commendable about Foh San's dim sum is that most of the items come piping hot at your table; steamed freshly, and served on the spot. But of course there are exceptions, such as the case with the Char Siew Pau on the second visit, when it came lukewarm, almost cold to touch. But a rarity, really. And the Sang Yuk Pau was equally good. The other varieties they offer were the sweet ones, and Nam Yu Pau (pork with fermented bean sauce). Not sure about Tai Pau (Big Bun, literally) though.

Wu Kok aka Yam Puff

I've never been a fan of Foh San's Wu Kok, or Yam Puff, as I find them rather soggy the previous visit, and the quality rather inconsistent. The Saturday's Wu Kok was OK, but fortunately, Tuesday's version was far better, as they were freshly fried from the wok. Hence the crispy exterior, with oozing filling of chopped Char Siew (BBQ pork meat).

Left to Right : Ham Sui Kok. Fried Prawn Roll, Gyoza-like pan-fried dumplings, and Egg Tarts

Truth be told, if you order one of each of everything, you'll end up feeling really bloated and will probably skip your meals for the rest of the day. Other favourites include the Hor Yip Fan (glutinous rice in lotus leaf), Ma Lai Koh (steamed sponge cake), Hong Kong style Chee Cheong Fun, Loh Mai Kai (steamed glutinous rice) etc.

One of their special creation : Steamed rice roll (Chee Cheong Fun) stuffed with pork, prawns, and mushrooms.

This was very good, served with no sauce, but sprinkled generously with sesame seeds, and garnished with fried shallots and chopped scallions. Very tasty, fresh, and rightful combination of fillings.

Fried Loh Bak Koh aka Radish Cake

And last but not least, Foh San serves their Loh Bak Koh in a different manner. Whereas in most dim sum outlets, they simply pan-fried theirs and served plain in blocks, Foh San takes it a step further, and stir-fries them with bean sprouts, eggs, crunchy 'choy pou' aka salty,preserved radish and garnished with chopped scallions. A must try, although Penangites may notice the resemblance to Char Koay Kak.

On the whole, if you're sick of downing white coffee and toasts for breakfast in Ipoh, go for a dim sum experience. Trust me, you'll start your day with a bang .... though side effects include drowsy from all the food. But hey, that's when the Chinese tea comes to play! Wash them all down with a hot cup of tea, ponder over the dailies (though as of late, you'd better not spoil your mood or appetite with the power struggle, and H1N1 scare!), and unwind yourself before a hard day at work.

Location : Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant @ 2, Jalan Dato Tahwil Azhar, 30300 Ipoh, Perak.Tel: (605) 254-0308 Fax: (605) 253-5432. Here's a MAP.

NEW outlet : 51, Jalan Leong Sin Nam, 30300 Ipoh, Perak. Here's a MAP.

# Photos combined from 2 visits, on 2 different days #

# Relocation date unconfirmed, but sometime in June #