Sun Marpoh Restaurant in Ipoh - Lingering Memories from My Childhood

I was practically trained to recognize my foods, & developing my raw, untrained tastebuds since early childhood days. I lived in Pasir Puteh in Ipoh since I was born, then subsequently moving to my current home (cannot disclose location ... scared got stalkers! LOL.) for about 15 years now.

Yup, I'm an ancient brontosaurus from the Jurassic era. So what? I can still chew on the fats, and bite on the bones. HA!!

Gigantic, crispy & tempting deep-fried pork hand (zhu sau) served with the thick, gooey sauce

Back then, I was already munching on sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken, sambal petai and whatever else that was considered 'hot' back then. Of course, no salted egg chicken/prawns/squids/crabs, nor 'Yin Yang kailan', or 'Nai Yau' (Butter Cream Sauce) this & that.

One of the better place for good old 'dai chow' (rice served with dishes, Chinese style) was, and probably still is, the Sun Marpoh Restaurant in Ipoh Garden. Back then, it was known as Marpoh Restaurant, and has since transformed itself from a goose to a swan (bad metaphor, I know. Sue me); Expanding itself into a two shoplots, and fully air-conditioned.

Stir-fried Brinjals with Minced Pork - Epitome of home-style cooking

Ask any ancient Ipohan about this place, and guaranteed 50% of the time (or more, depending on which era they were born in) they'll nod in agreement, and face lighting up while smacking their lips. Unless they're the evil detractors, of course.

Anyway, we've been dining in this restaurant since the 80's. The quality has been maintained more or less, prove that tight QC is at play here. You rarely see the place empty, or the staff swatting flies come dinner hours. Even on weekdays.

Glistening, crispy fish fillets with lemon sauce

On this particular visit to Sun Marpoh, we sampled some of their rarer creations, or signature dishes, if you will. The crispy skin, deep-fried to perfection pork hand (Is it trotter? front trotter? knuckle? Sorry, I'm not good with animal parts here) is currently one of the more famous dish at Sun Marpoh, a portion for RM28. The crisp skin was still crackly until the end of the meal, while the tender, marinated meat was a delight. If you're not fond of fatty, almost gelatinous pork meat, then I suggest you skip this. Or pop a Statin after meal. ;) The accompanying sauce was a combination of five-spices powder ('5 heong fan'), soy sauce, dark soy sauce, etc. Not really necessary though, given the robust flavour of the meat and the skin.

Surprisingly simple. Pleasantly delectable. "Kwai Fei Tofu" - A perennial staple at Sun Marpoh's.

The brinjal stir-fried with minced pork meat (RM8) may look simply and bland, but in reality the dish served its purpose perfectly. If you can't get your children to eat their greens, get them to dig into the tender, smooth and tasty brinjals (eggplants/aubergines). OK, they may not be considered as your typical greens, but still rich in potassium and folic acid. And nicotine, supposedly. Hahaha ... not too worry. Nicotine from plants is negligible. But good news for smokers? (Source from Wikipedia).

The fried fish fillets with the sticky, caramelized lemon sauce (RM16) was worthy of a mention, though may not be the best bet for a child's palate. Not the typical lemon sauce (which is sweet, tangy and brimming with citrusy scent), but with addition of curry leaves, and spices.

And last but not least, we could not help but order the dish that introduced me to beancurd waaaaayyy back then, the Kwai Fei Tofu (RM8), made from their own velvety smooth, egg-y and delicious beancurds. No bells, no whistles, but plain delightful gravy with mixed vegetables as garnishings. You can't go wrong with this.

There is an enviable array of signature dishes at Sun Marpoh, proudly displayed on the board on the wall inside the restaurant itself. Feel free to ask the special(s) of the day, and have a fun time choosing your picks! Btw, they do whip up a mean Sweet and Sour Pork!

Location : Sun Marpoh Restaurant @ 69, Jalan Lau Pak Khuan, Ipoh Garden, 31400 Ipoh, Perak. Tel No : +605-545 5127. Opens from 11.30am until 3.00pm for lunch, and 5.30pm until 10.00pm for dinner daily.

Here's a GOOGLE MAP for easy reference.