Lenggong's Loh Dee Wan Ton Mee - Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

Lenggong is a small town in Perak, to the north of Ipoh before reaching the towns of Gerik and Pengkalan Hulu. Sounds alien right? Fret not. Here's a short, short geography lesson; Motormouth style.

Perak has 10 districts. Previously 9, but Kampar has been granted the status of a district recently, therefore rounding up the total to a grand total of TEN. Lenggong, Pengkalan Hulu and Gerik are all towns grouped under the administration of Hulu Perak District, the northern-most district in Perak. If any of you remember vividly (or faintly), I blogged about Pengkalan Hulu in my Betong chapters last year. (Click HERE for the Over The Border posts)

It was only about 7.30am .... and the shack was crowded in mere minutes after we arrived!

Famously renowned for the legendary/mythical Perak Cave Man, Lenggong hosts a plethora of caves and excavation opportunities for the diggin'-savvies (archaelogy-wise, not the nostrils-kind!). You can refer to the incomparable Cumi & Ciki's discovery of the caves, journaling their experience before crossing over to the wartorn lands (hah! as if) of Betong, Thailand.

Or for a more concise history and overall impression of Lenggong, refer to the ever-reliable Wikipedia page on Lenggong HERE.

And that's a wrap, folks! For the 1st half, of course; The History lesson. Short eh?

In all manners of preparation ..... funky?

Now to the better half of this post. The Yummy part, referring to one of Lenggong's most famous yet hidden treasure of an eatery.

Most people would undoubtedly recognize Lenggong's best offerings as the bouncy, fleshy Lenggong fishballs. It's so popular, you can either eat them from the restaurants here, order them with accompanying noodles ala fishball noodles style, OR even take away the cooked & uncooked ones.

Deliciously red Char Siew atop the selfmade Wanton Noodle (RM3.00)

The main road of Lenggong runs through probably 20 shoplots on each side, at best. Or maybe slightly more, but covering the town on foot is not an impossible task.

Loh Dee Wan Ton Mee may be easily missed, had one sped across Lenggong town. The simple, unassuming shack on the opposite side of Shell petrol station had been doing brisk business come early hours in the mornings, since the olden days. OK, I've no idea how long they've been running the shop, but judging from the locals' reactions and recommendations, it's safe to assume the place has its history deep in the books. Or valley, as in the case of Lenggong town.

Springy, QQ egg noodles with no trace of lye water, and pork wanton/dumplings

Half-expected the wan ton noodle to be a mere pushover, being a small outlet in an obscure town, we were taken aback by the sheer quality AND quantity of the noodles! We ordered the small portion for only RM3, (single mee @ RM3, one half at RM3.70 and double at RM4.40), and the portion justified the amount paid, and more.

KYT skipped the Char Siew (a decision he probably regretted, judging from his reaction after nicking a piece of mine), and he got 10(!!!) pieces of wan ton instead, at RM2.50 only! The wanton (dumplings) comes with only pork fillings, and pleasantly marinated before wrapping them in those transluscent (though slightly thick, according to KYT) skins. Definitely not those generic, forgettable ones.

But the Char Siew is in another league altogether. One glance, and you'll be forgiven to think that it's just another run-of-the-mill offering, but that's where I was wrong. The Char Siew was marinated & roasted over charcoal; the traditional way by themselves, hence the smoky flavour imparted to the juicy and lip-smacking cuts of meat. I wished I had ordered extra servings of the sumptuous barbecued pork, but a breakfast's a breakfast. Can't go overboard now, can we?

Finish it off with a glass of frothy milk tea

The meal costed each of us less than RM5. Worthy, satisfied, and charged for the day. Now, if only the drive to Pengkalan Hulu is not THAT taxing ...... Sigh.

Location : Loh Dee Wan Ton Mee @ Main Road (Jln Baling-Kuala kangsar), Lenggong, Perak. Specifically? From the PLUS highway towards north, exit the Kuala Kangsar/Gerik Timur exit. Then proceed to Kuala Kangsar/Gerik direction. Follow the Gerik directions, and go along the trunk road, until you reach Sauk, and subsequently Lenggong. Turn right into Lenggong town at the intersection (there'll be a signboard, no worries), and explore the town along the main road. You'll notice this shop on your left, before you reach Shell petrol station on the right.