Hoi Seng Restaurant @ Ipoh Garden

A new Chinese diner opened its door to business recently (15/8/09) at a most strategic spot in Ipoh Garden, directly facing the roundabout nearest to the post office. Not exactly 'new' per se, given the fact that Hoi Seng seemingly originates from another Hoy Seng (notice the difference in spelling?) in Batu Gajah Perdana, near to Pusing in Perak.

Seemingly because I did not manage to confirm the rumour, as the whole place was buzzing with activities, almost catering to a full-house crowd on the evening we had our dinner there. An impressive feat, as the restaurant can seat up to a grand capacity of 50 tables of guests, if there's any function or occasion being celebrated at the premise.

Spacious, grand and bright decor - A perfect setup for a wedding dinner

Jusco Kinta City is still suffering from the spreading-like-wildfire rumours (or truth, I can't determine for sure) about the devastating pandemic hitting the departmental store since weeks ago. People are being wary, thus staying away from enclosed public places such as shopping complexes, schools, gatherings, and even offices.

But much to my chagrin, restaurants, eateries, kopitiams etc are still patronized by the masses, as if everyone's brandishing the devil may care attitude. How cool. It was drizzling that weekday evening, but Hoi Seng was doing such brisk business, one may be forgiven for thinking that this restaurant has its own loyal following for some time now.

Special Pot Rice - RM14 for small, RM28 for big portion

A plus point when it comes to ordering at Hoi Seng, in comparison to other similar Chinese diners, is that they have a simple, two pages menu, printed and laminated. With plentiful of pictures, prices clearly printed, and with English translations to boot, turning your order into a more convenient and hassle free affair. I do not advocate for the 'asking the waiters for the special dishes nonsense', as I doubt all the waitering staff have the same exact knowledge of the restaurant's specialities and dishes. Unless they've been working at the same place for a respectable amount of time.

Therefore, it was a simple point and order system, coupled with the staff's recommendations. But the swelling crowd was rather overwhelming, we were fearing that our food would arrive an hour or so later. But the waitress was reassuring, minus the empty promises, but instead admitted that they're still new to the scene, and still coping with the exceptionally good customer flow.

Mini Buddha Yum Pot @ RM28

The Special Pot Rice came in a small portion for the 6 of us, barely sufficient but was exactly what we requested as carbo = extremely filling stuff. With a treasure load of ingredients, such as shrimps, 'char siew', waxed sausages, mushrooms, French beans(kacang buncis), silver anchovies, celery, and such, the sticky, fragrant rice was presented in a huge wooden/steel bucket. Reminded me of claypot chicken rice, sans the smoky aroma. Still a better bet than the common glutinous rice or fried rice served at the end of a wedding dinner.

The Mini Buddha Yum Pot (yup, it was named as such, and definitely not my intepretation) is a layman's version of the highly-prized Buddha (or Monk) Jumping Over The Wall. Lesser ingredients at a fraction of the price (RM28 standard portion), the sliced abalone, mushrooms, dried scallops, chicken and dried fish maws rendered the soup a distinctive umami flavour, but a little thin (read : diluted) and bland, in comparison to its many-folds pricier counterpart. Of course, you get what you give. :)

Deep-fried Lotus Roots with Salted Egg @ RM10

An addictive and novel snack-cum-vegetable in the form of fried crispy lotus roots with salted egg coating, the concept may not be ground-breaking, yet worked wonders. The salty flavour complemented the bland but crunchy lotus roots so well, you may be wishing for a pint to appear miraculously to go with the savoury snacks. Order this for the children, and guaranteed they'll be eating their greens with glee! (Erm, not really greens, but okay lah ...).

Shanghai Special Pork Ribs @ RM16 (small). RM32 if big portion.

Initially craving for some Guiness Pork Ribs, we were disappointed they were not being served that evening. But at least the staff knew their kitchen well, instead of running to the kitchen and back to your table to confirm.

Settled for second best (or probably the better choice, given the front page placing of the dish on the menu) instead, we had the Shanghai Pork Ribs, served with blanched 'Siu Pak Choy' and fluffy 'mantou' (steamed buns). Not bad, with generally leaner cuts of meat (pork RIBS, ok?), but still remaining tender and marinated well. The dark and thick gravy just begged to be wiped clean with the 'mantou'. But take note that only 5 pieces are being served, and this was clearly stated by the staff taking our orders.

Hoi Seng Special Tofu @ RM9 (small), RM18 if big portion.

Smooth, egg-y beancurd served with plentiful of gravy, topped with generous garnishings of julienned crabsticks and beancurd sheets (foo chuk). Homely stuff, suits the tastebuds of the young and the older generation.

Fresh-Water (Knife Fish) Fish Balls @ 70 cents each

A feeling of deja vu swept over me, as we were served with a plate of their signature fishballs. Probably reminded me of the Lenggong's episode not too long ago. But the bouncy (QQ) texture, and sweet flesh of the Saito/Wolf-herring fish (Ikan parang, doubtful it's called Knife Fish as stated in their menu) shone through, requiring no dipping sauce at all. Though a bowl of chilli sauce was provided on the side.

Sliced Fish with Wine in Claypot @ RM12 for 100g of Grouper fish fillets.

And last but not least, the fillets of grouper served in the Chinese wine concoction, with wood ear fungus (mook yee), and mushrooms was no difference from the chicken in wine commonly served to women in confinement. LOL.

Though the thick and sweet flesh of the grouper provided much flavour in its own, when dunked and cooked inside the strong broth, somehow the texture became much firmer, and may not be to everyone's liking. Stick to the chicken instead, if you're in the mood for some 'Kiong Chau Kai'.

The 1st Page - Signature dishes. Wanted to order the 1st platter on the top left, but must book in advance. Shucks .....


And the second and last page. Easy right? No need to tear your hair (or the waitress'), trying to make up your mind on what to order on the spot

That meal explained the abundance of people patronizing this restaurant on a weekday's evening. And the many rave reviews from friends and neighbours. We'll probably return for the other dishes, and the platter of Cold Salted Four Seasons Pork (RM68) that we've been eyeing, but sadly required advanced booking for a taste.

The meal came to RM118 for the 6 of us, with white rice being charged at RM1.20 each, and Chinese tea at RM1 per head. Almost too reasonable, given the setting that resembles a higher class Chinese restaurant.

Location : Restoran Hoi Seng Ipoh @ No 86, Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan, Taman Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh Perak.

Tel No : +605-548 2272

Opens daily from 11.30am - 2.30pm, and 6.00pm until 10.30pm.

Parking's a breeze come night time, while a bit tricky in the day, for the post office is situated directly next to the restaurant.

Here's a GOOGLE MAP to the restaurant.