Motormouth has moved !!! (http://www.j2kfm.com)

Thanks fellow bloggers, faithful readers of Motormouth From Ipoh since day one (you know who you are!!) and those who had stumbled upon this highly infectious/viral yet humble blog of mine.

I have successfully ended my run over here at Motormouth From Ipoh (erm, version 1?), and from now on, will be permanently blogging over at my own domain :

http://www.j2kfm.com

So, what to do next?

1) PLEASE click the link above, hop over and have a look at my new "home"

2) Drop a comment over THERE, at www.j2kfm.com, indicating you've seen Motormouth's transformation/evolution, and most important of all ...

3) UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARKS, LINKS, BLOGROLL, and whatever else necessary. Why?

Because I won't be updating this blog here anymore, but instead continue to spread my poisons over at  

http://www.j2kfm.com.

Thanks again everyone !!! So what are YOU waiting for? :)

The Eccentric Bangkok

Previous installment - Once Upon A Time in Bangkok ....

It's a long, 3-days weekend, therefore I'll spare you the endless rantings, and instead let the pictures do the talking ..... 

Theme for the day? Bangkok, best described as Quirky, Wacky & Eccentric? ......=)

#1 - The Relentless Traffic Jams - 5 lanes vs 1 lane?

#2 - Talking Eggs searching for lurve Loft in the mall ....

#3 - Fans cheering for the guys & gals doing the Macarena

#4 - Dun pray pray .... Eyelashes longer than your fingernails !!

#5 - Of Knights and Wizards ... POSERS.

#6 - How nice if our politicians dress down sometimes, and live out their fantasies like the Thais ....

#7 - Fairer than your SKII/Shu Uemura/Bedak Sejuk ambassadors

#8 - Want some of my BALLS? No thanks, my hands are stuck to my cap. The politically-incorrect, WHITE Michael Jackson

#9 - Even the staff of the restaurant were dancing for no reason! Wui, mogok ah?!!

#10 - MK Platter - Lacklustre at best. C'mon, they thought we're dumb enough to fall for the fish-impostors?!!

#11 - Green, mean and lean noodles, Saviour in the form of the spicy/tangy dipping sauce, and the pot of vegetables in clear (bland) broth

MK Steamboat Restaurant has many chains all over Thailand. One of their most famous chain,alongside Fuji Japanese Restaurant, and Bar-B-Q Plaza, which one can find in most major shopping centres in KL.

At 12.30pm sharp (not sure about the other 'performance' hour), the whole restaurant will come into a standstill, with every single staff dancing to the music, with some tongue-in-cheek, and rather cringe-worthy moves. FOC, don't worry. They don't ask for donations either.

The meal was rather disappointing, with an almost tasteless soup base. The set with mixed seafood and meats, as well as another that came with an array of vegetables, were nothing out-of-the-ordinary. Total damage = 492baht/RM50 for the four of us, which although was reasonable, but left us craving for more.

#12 - Get your Sugar Fix Here .... Khanom Buang @ 10baht each (MBK Shopping Complex)

#13 - Trudge Strut along the Walk of Fame .... Siam Paragon-style.

And with that, Happy Weekend everyone. 

P/S : This has gotta be my shortest post ever.

*Ahem, I see you clapping back there .... !!

Kuala Kangsar in a Whirlwind

Kuala Kangsar - The Royal Town of Perak, Malaysia. Not a destination listed in a common tourist's itinerary. Easily accessible from the highway, though not necessarily translates to higher traffic. A simple town in general, it was only my third visit to the comparatively serene town.

Yut Loy Coffee Shop (read about them from rasarasa.net) has been in existence for more than 50 years now, spanning three generations of the Chong family. A 'MUST' stopover for outsiders in town, for a taste of their traditional (and immensely popular) Hainanese pau, coffee/tea, and even Hainanese chicken chop, steak, or fried rice.

Opens for breakfast and lunch, but their signature HALAL pau (comes in different fillings, namely chicken, beef, kaya and 'tau sar' - green beans) are only available from 2.30pm onwards. Truth be told, this place reminded me of Yik Mun in Tanjung Malim a lot. From the pau, to the Hainanese fare, as well as the mixed crowd (truly 1Malaysia?) and the HALAL certification.

Coming here early for breakfast, only simple fares such as toasts with kaya and margarine, and egg toasts were being served. Paired with their brand of milk tea and coffee, a complete Hainanese breakfast-package.

The thick and fluffy bread used was of the Benggali bread variety, a plus point compared to the usual Gardenia and Hi5 modernized/over-processed white breads. The coffee was sadly a bit lacking in terms of roasted, smokey aroma; A notch below the highly sought after Ipoh's white coffee. (Okay, not ALL outlets in Ipoh serve good white coffee, hence take heed!)

Location : Yut Loy Coffee Shop @ 51, Main Road/Jalan Kangsar, 33000 Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

Tel No : 05- 776 6369. (Number taken from rasarasa.net article, not confirmed)

Lunch was a hearty affair at Sudut Nyonya Restaurant, at Taman Suria, Kuala Kangsar. No prize for guessing what type of cuisine they specialize in!

A Halal outlet (it's definitely pork-free, but I did not notice the Jakim's certification anywhere. But several Malay patrons, including the police officers were chowing down their curry fish heads this afternoon, hence it has to be Halal, no?) on the main road of Jalan Taiping (the road where you exit the highway, and travel on heading towards town centre), this gem of a restaurant has definitely stood the test of time, given the worn-out decor, and constant patronage from the locals.

Signature dishes were all listed on the whiteboard at the entrance, hence choosing your dishes is a breeze. Or you can just walk over to the counter, for some economy rice fare.

Notable dishes include the curry fish fillet, rendang chicken and sambal belacan kangkung. HT - The Bulldozer made her picks, being a regular and all, while my mouth was agape, staring in disbelief at how her small frame can fit in the seemingly unbelievable amount of food. And yet she cried hunger after the session.

The curry being dark, thick and redolent with spices, reminiscing a wholesome Indian curry in claypot, with ample ingredients thrown in for good measure. Tomatoes, eggplants, ladies' fingers, and chunks of 'tenggiri' (doubtful, as I'm not good with my fishes) elevated the dish from a decent dish to an above average rating.

My personal favourite was the Sambal Belacan Kangkung, which was a little too strong for Mr Z, but the pungent belacan (fermented spicy shrimp paste)was definitely right up my alley. The young shoots was crunchy as well.

The meal for 5 came to RM61, including drinks of sea coconut with shaved ice. Reasonable, given the rather clean and comfortable ambience, with air-conditioning and free parking.

Location : Sudut Nyonya Restaurant @ No 6, Ground Floor, Taman Suria, 33000 Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Tel No : 05-776 6410.

Coming from the highway towards Kuala Kangsar town, This restaurant is on your right, before reaching the traffic lights with Hospital Kuala Kangsar on your left. In the middle of a row of double-storey shophouses.

And since we're on the subject of parking, I was slapped with a summons for not displaying my parking coupon on the dashboard. I was only a mere 5 minutes late and on the receiving end of the enforcer's wrath. Some guys may have all the luck, but poor me being far, far away from being one. Sigh...... (Thankfully, it's only a RM10 compound. HAH! Puny fellas .....)

P/S : What irony, as boo got hers as well, and coincidentally during her getaway to another small town, for some Hainanese fare. Geez, how uncanny!

Manjung Coconut Jelly/Joez Coconut Jelly - A Father & Son's Empire

#Disclaimer : Beware the insanity that follows ..... everything's completely fictional, and Motormouth has NOT gone bonkers. Take it with a pinch of salt. Right until the very end. #

“After too many Slippery Nipples the night before, I woke up with a massive hangover and was extremely late for an important meeting. In my haste, I found myself clad in nothing but a pair of daisy-print boxers in front of a board of CEOs.”

Da Much Feared, Much Worshipped Board of CEO's ... Coconut jElly of Orgasmic proportion.

Cumming Coming to da office at an EXTREMELY late hour had me shaken (not stirred) in my boots, pants and all. Moreso when facin' the almighty, "sacred lords" codenamed CEO's, all 11 of them at one go. They probably don't have nothing better to do than holding meetings day in day out, at an alarming frequency.

P/S : On a side note, that last line bears some truth in it, categorized as NON-fiction. LOL. But anyway .....

All hail Tai Kor #1

Nobody messes with the sandals-wearing, carrying TWO pair of glasses at any one time (in case sparks fly between opposing clans/tribes ... you'll never know) and the habit of scoopin'-them- brain-juices-out-of-the-skulls-into-me-mouth TAI KOR #1.

TAI KOR #1 : Ahem ahem .... ahem. Soooo yer gonna waltz in so the very late oledi, N gimme some cranky cerita about Slipper-Nipples eh? Very the daring this padawan. Ahem, I mean, young one. N very the unrespectful to the elderly, NOT me, I'm still young & hung hunk, but the other 11 CEO's on the board. I meant, table. Yer eyez cannot see that they're already fumin'/blisterin/far ....... ting MAD ah?!

Swallowing my pride, and protecting da very exclusive family jewels from overly shrivelling due to air-cond blasting at full force (ya know we Malaysians ... tarak winter, so kena buat pirated copy of the climate in office) and still clad in da daisy-print boxers. But wait, was it MY fault that I was in a boxer (with daisy da FLOWER-prints! NOT Daisy Duck prints, ok!) in the first place?

Wait, was it even MY doing?!!!!

Suddenly the clouds parted ways, the haze/mist became clear, truth prevailed ... yadda yadda. I was drugged! Not by any means of the opiate kind, mind you. It's a Slippery Nipples of da most intoxicating kind !!!! (cue : OooooHHHHH ..... with dat suspenseful-revelations tone)

It was Mr Mathy all along!

Just look at the hundreds and thousands of coconuts stacked in the fridge, awaiting to be transformed into the gang of ze EVIL CEO's !!!! Masquerading themselves at night as Slippery Nipples (no Sambuca, no Irish Cream for sure!), the milky, whitish (don't get naughty ideas) shades of the inner walls of the coconuts, resembling da most delicious drink in da world named colostrum-fuelled mother's breast milk.

But wait, I remembered some substance. Some springy, jelly-like (again, DON'T be getting farny farny idea, I tell u), smooth materials that glided down my throat. Tasted like refreshing coconut water, without much enhancers (no sugar, no salt, no pepper (duh) and no artificial flavouring/colouring/preservatives!)

Wait, Mr Mathy's Manjung Jelly notwithstanding, he actually got a partner-in-crime!!!! His very own loyal & filial SON from Joez Coconut Jelly!

Oh dear. Not once was I tricked devilishly by the coconut jelly empire. The father (not Darth, but Mathy) had me enticed, intoxicated and lulled into several big coconut jellies in Manjung in Perak. But in Penang, the son named Joel @ Joe (alter egos are omnipresent on ze face of ze earth!) knew that I was as easy as pie to be duped/tricked/drunk on da coconut jellies !!!

Then my mind suddenly rewind itself back to that fateful afternoon ...... ze violent chopping/slashing motion got me hypnotized/terrified/terrorized all at the same time!

Aiyo, I tell u, the coconut jellies from both places (Manjung Jelly's the original supplier hence deemed as ze MAIN culprit) were equally intoxicating! Even of higher addictiveness than a 70% bottle of alcohol/ethanol!! Wait ... that doesn't sound right .....

Especially when our dearest old country's in a heated turmoil now, what's more with fingers pointing up,down,left,right and people dying for NO reason (and supposedly.... horrifyingly ..... no foul play. Ahem).

A refreshing, RM3 (in Manjung)/RM3.50 (in Penang) 'biji' of Coconut Jelly is all we need, to forget the material world for one second, and relish in our existence in this world! YAY !!!! Embrace the Coconut Jelly, People !!!!

See the transaction above?! They're EVILS! and the Tag line !! No wonder I was duped. Me being IQ of less than 40 and all ........ very tricky people these ones.

Wait, so that was how I got drunk the other night, from a severe case of coconut jelly-overdose. A rare disease this one, even House nor Grey's Anatomy people (wait, the latter only were good at screwing around .....) could never decipher a clinical findings as obscure as mine.

To even reach the extent of terrorizing-ly hypnotized yours truly to unwillingly wear a pair of shame-shame daisy-print boxers all the way to work, all the while polluting the horny minds of ze little people on the streets along the way.

Refreshing, cooling and addictive. Call now to be enticed .....

The above story was no thanks all thanks to Bangsar-Babe for passing around the torch. Or tag, originating from Thamby .... oops, Lemongrass herself. =P

The Coconut Jelly are branded under the banner of Manjung Jelly, all thanks to the innovative/creative/entrepreneurial ideas of a humble Mr Mathy. This brilliant idea of his came to fruition about 2 years ago, and still is a project under the watchful eyes of FAMA.

He's not sitting at home shaking his legs though. NO sirree .... He's perpetually on the run, even sending/exporting the product himself, to all over Malaysia. Currently his son, Mr. Joel @ Joe is helming a shop in Penang's Jalan Dato Keramat (the other Penang floggers have gave adequate reviews and publicity to Joez Coconut up north), and he's even exporting them over the boundaries, to Singapore.

Producing and selling off in excess of about 500-800 coconut jellies per day, he's mass-producing the delightful dessert at his shop in Manjung, which not unlike Joez Coconut in Penang, offers tables and seats for those wanting to savour their jellies or coconut drinks there and then.

If you're wondering, what's the BIG fuss about some simple coconut jelly that even the average layman can make? You're wrong. Note that the jelly is not formed outside of the shell. But instead, the jelly is 'injected' INTO the coconut which is still intact, using a specific method utilizing machineries. Then under the extreme low temperature, the jelly is formed WITH the coconut water inside of the young coconut. Almost like a science tutorial, eh? :)

Location : MAE Tendernut Jelly aka Manjung Jelly @ 45, Persiaran PM 2/3, Pusat Bandar Seksyen 2, 32040 Seri Manjung, Perak. Opens daily from 9am til 7pm. Tel No : 605-688 5654 or 6019-416 6603 (Mathy)

Location : Joez Enterprise aka Joez Coconut @ 201, Jalan Dato Kramat, 10150 Pulau Pinang. H/P No : 6016-440 9049. E-mail : joezcoco@yahoo.com.

## Now for ze most evil deed ever known to mankind (in the blogosphere, at least) ... I'm passing this tag to ... Unkaleong! Yeahlah, I know you're BUSY and all, but nah ... too bad! ##

" As Thorny spoke to the Stinky, let's fight to da finish, and see who in ze end, got da Sloppy! Wrestle we will, dropkick/elbowdrop and all, spells we shall cast upon all who stand in our ways ..... but me wanna see da BEST man WINS! "

Motormouth's Back from Bangkok - Bloated, Flustered, & on Quarantine Mode

Pardon the hiatus, as I was in Bangkok for the whole of last week, chomping my way through all the delicious Thai fares, from the spicy to the sweets, and the dirt-cheap to the not-so-budgeted choices at restaurants and malls. Gratitude's in line for sc's assistance, for she's a fanatic (almost enviable frequencies!) traveller to the city of sins, shoppers' paradise, and foodies' wet dreams come true. ;)

But all in all, a rather fulfilling holiday, for it's been 3 years since I've been to Bangkok, and back then we were on extra tight budget (being students and all - back then, I spent merely RM1.2k for a 10 days trip to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya, inclusive of airfare. Imagine that!).

This time around, we skipped most of the sight-seeings and tourist traps ... wait, I meant ATTRACTIONS. Lol. But not without a few, to avoid over-shopping/bingeing and came back poorer/fatter than ever.

Some of the saliva-inducing food from Bangkok ....... The array of sumptuous food at every nook and corner of the streets, malls, and even the 'invisible' joints was just mind-boggling!

Still crossing my fingers and keeping my mind open on the possibility of contracting the much-hyped, much-feared & downright devastating H1N1 virus aka Swine Flu. But since we can't call the flu that anymore, let's not.

But seriously, less than 10% of the people walked around with face masks in Bangkok, be it on the streets, in the malls, or at the eateries. Hehehe ... to imagine scooping ladles of piping hot Tom Yum into one's mouth underneath the mask. Mission IMpossible?

More posts to come in later days ...... IF the Motormouth does not evolve to become another statistic in the papers. =P

Part 2 - Best Pad Thai from Thipsamai, Lamphu House guesthouse & Khao San Road

Part 3 - Chinatown - Night & Day

Part 4 - Floating Market and Death Railway

Part 5 - Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and Giant Baguettes by the Roadside

Part 6 - S2S Boutique Resort (Moeleng) in Pratunam, Bangkok - 700baht/night!

Part 7 - Fuji Japanese Restaurant in Bangkok

Part 8 - Once Upon A Time (Traditional Thai Food) & Erawan Shrine

Part 9 - The Eccentric Bangkok & MK Steamboat Restaurant

The NEW Foh San - And The Astounding Ripple Effects !!!

Unbelievable. That's the word to sum up the experience this Sunday morning. I pushed my luck, trying to see if the hype's justified, judging from the repeated claims that Ipoh's "Dim Sum Street" is perpetually jammed up with dim sum lovers, from morning until early afternoon. Even on weekdays!

The gigantic new lot that was specially built, with a generally more spacious seating area, albeit with modern influences as compared to the previous outlet

9 am should be early enough, on a Sunday morning. Or at least that's what I thought. Given the new location's humongous dining area, it did not cross my mind at all that the place would be soooooo packed. Both floors were fully occupied, and the 'vultures' perched on every corner were daunting, eyeing and scrutinizing every action of the (damn lucky) ones seated and picking on their morsels of choice.

The sea of people everywhere, as if FREE food was being distributed! Notice the specially-designed Take Away counter? SWARMED!

Unlike dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong, or maybe in KL (not so sure, as I doubt there are dim sum restaurants with such impressive traffic flow!), whereby numbers would be given to those queueing up, to ensure everyone gets their table, fair and square. Foh San however STILL practises the same old routine, ie : The "Let's Stand Around with Sharp Stares & Grunts, & Give the Patrons some Pressure, so they DO NOT refill their pot of Chinese tea any Longer & instead Buzz the Hell Off!" rule.

Seriously, this does not bode well, as the customers may feel threatened, disturbed, and their breakfast experience marred by the incessant urge to empty their seats ASAP.

But on a positive note, the place does look spanking clean and new, with a brighter, and generally more pleasing atmosphere. Though lacking in terms of the original Foh San's nostalgic ambience, they compensated with wooden panels, classic windows, and rustic furnitures.

The restaurant can easily fit several hundreds patrons at one go. But this morning, the ones standing/lurking around, with their steel-y glances may even outnumbered the ones stuffing their faces with the sumptuous dim sum. Hence, we made an early retreat and proceeded to Plan B.

The crowd @ Ming Court was spilling onto the sidewalk! WHAT?

Plan B - Ming Court Dim Sum right across the road. With that many people in Foh San (probably half of Ipoh's Chinese population .... hehe), we expected the other competitors along the street (Jalan Leong Sin Nam aka Dim Sum Street) to be swatting flies, succumbing to the almighty Foh San.

But we were dead wrong. Here's some evidences .......

Chef Fatt Hong Kong Dim Sum - A new addition to the scene (not so new though, opened a year or two ago, but without much fanfare)

Ming Court Dim Sum Restaurant has always been the top contender to Foh San's crown. Some may even argue the fact that Ming Court actually serves BETTER dim sum than the old Foh San. Yup, I do agree that the variety of dim sum at Ming Court is a notch above Foh San's, but the dainty morsels had me feeling dissatisfied time and again. Prices are generally the same across all outlets, and tastewise not much difference.

Chang Keong Dim Sum - Many may not even recognize or notice this restaurant beside Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Hua Nam. They operated at a stall in Hua Nam previously, but ventured out on their own now.

Yoke Fook Moon - To complete the BIG 3 of Dim Sum Giants, this restaurant seems to be at the losing end, due to the very near location of both Foh San and Ming Court now.

All the other dim sum outlets around the area were fully packed!!!! Even the lesser-known ones, and even the coffee shops surrounding the area. The whole road was jammed up with cars, people, kids, animals, and whatnots. Hehehe .. OK, maybe not animals.

People from all walks of life, be it locals or tourists from other states, were probably pushing their luck like yours truly, wondering how the epitome of Ipoh's dim sum restaurant; Foh San, looks like now at its new location.

Go and have yourself some Chee Cheong Fun, Dim Sum (again?!) and Egg Toast from Hua Nam, if you're frustrated with the wait!

So we surrendered, white flags and all, and decided to have our breakfast the simple way; at Hua Nam Coffee Shop across the street. Only to be greeted with another mind-boggling sight of a large crowd of people feasting on the hawker fares. Geez .... is there no other place for breakfast in Ipoh?!

Mee Gopeng and Yong Tau Foo (noon only), and Char Kuey Teow on banana leaf

Hua Nam has always been one of my favourite haunt, back then when I was working nearby Greentown area. But since moving to old town (jobwise, of course), my visit to Hua Nam has been lesser and lesser.

But of course, given the fact that this area is no doubt THE hot spot for dim sum, there's even a stall in this not-so-humble coffee shop selling dim sum to the masses! Tastewise? Forgettable. Go for the char kuey teow instead, which is good in its own right; comparison with Penang's authentic versions notwithstanding. The egg toast came in bite-sized cubes, toasted with margarine, then served with 2 half-boiled eggs. Still prefer Nam Chau's version, but this should do on average days.

Bigger than the average budget hotel, this magnificient restaurant will book (or maybe already had!) its place in Ipoh's history ......

Sorry if you're feeling duped into believing that this post covers all of Foh San's delicacies. Promise there'll be another write-up in the near future, ok? As of now, I certainly am not in the mood to jostle with the maddening crowd!

Here's a MAP, with all 5 dim sum outlets around the area, within walking distance from each other. Parking's sure to be a problem here, given the already limited lots around the place even before Foh San moved in. Do bear in mind that this area is a HOT SPOT not only for your favourite dim sum joint, but also a popular target for the enforcement officers from MBI, aka those who write you FREE tickets. ;)

Motormouth From Ipoh - Unveiled. Revealed. Exposed.

Sort of. Hahaha .... Got ya attention there, didn't I? Nah, still no photo of this lowly ogre hibernating in a land called Ipoh (yet). But Feedmelah.com was miraculously enticed (in my own words, not theirs, hehe) by this Motormouth, hence the fruition of this e-mail interview.

Initially surprised, pleased, shocked etc to receive that e-mail from Stephen of Feedmelah.com. I was dumbstruck, dumbfounded, & plain dumb (that's yours truly's best trait). So it took some weeks before replying the questions imposed, which in nature, were NO mere pushovers.

Imagine 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' meets 'Are you Smarter than A 5th Grader?' ... and you'll get my drift. Good thing was that, I was not required to send a portrait of myself.

Else there goes the appetite of the millions and millions of readers. Not from my blog, of course. Feedmelah's.

Anyway, seeing that it's a FRIDAY after all, I won't bore you any longer with my rant, but instead would like to leave you with the link to the interview. Do hop over, have a pleasant read, browse through, print out & frame it, feign interest, spit on your monitor if you would (but you wouldn't, right? *puppy-eyed*) and do leave a comment at the end of the post. So Stephen can keep his job, and as the Cantonese saying goes, wont' "Drop His Glasses".

http://feedmelah.com/blog/2009/05/21/interviews/email-interview-with-motormouth-from-ipoh/

Deja Vu? (Banana Leaf Curry Rice @ NS Curry House & Ritter Sport Chocolates from Langkawi)

Since we're on a roll here, let's review another restaurant serving banana leaf curry rice (BLR - sc's the one who coined this, not me!) in Ipoh .... but feel free to look away if BLR's not your thing. But Malaysians being Malaysians, who can say NO (!!) to heaps of white rice on a banana leaf, generously doused with curries, served with a meat of choice, and unlimited servings of vegetables. And a piece of those addictive, crunchy papadom for good measure.

Unlimited gravies, and vegetable side dishes, one can have a VERY heavy lunch and suffer the consequences. The post-lunch syndrome x 10 = Logs @ Work.

Previous experience at Samy's left us wanting for more, Mr Z & FCOE recommended this outlet on Maxwell Road in Ipoh, simply named NS Curry House, an unassuming choice given the far from city location, as well as the lack of publicity thereof. But wait, since they're foodies in their own rights (=P), we took their words for it, and ventured to this outlet one fine afternoon. (P/S : See? Mr Z/FCOE ; I'm skipping all backlogs for this post, dedicated to you guys .... hehehe ...)

The Elixir of Sin ....

The restaurant is opened from breakfast til lunch, according to Mr Z. Specializing in Indian Curry Food, they cater to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Needless to say, you can already safely place yours truly in the latter category, championing the rights of all carnivores all around the world ... Wait, I meant OMNIvores. =)

Dry Curry Mutton

Compared to Samy, the dishes may pale in terms of variety, but tastewise, NS did not disappoint. Excelling in fact, in aspects even Samy faltered.

The side dishes of vegetables (cabbage, long beans and snake gourd) were all tasty, without being overly salty nor bland. My personal preference was the snake gourd cooked lightly with lentils. And yes, you can ask for unlimited refills of rice and vegetables, FOC. And the compulsory curries came in a trio of steel pots, so you can either 'banjir' (flood) your rice, or practise self-constraint.

Chicken Varuval - Dry Curry Chicken

The accompanying mains of dry curry chicken and curry mutton were delicious, brimming with flavour and spices, while maintaining the freshness of the meats, yet moderately spicy. Therefore, even if you're not a fan of spicy dishes, you can be assured that you won't be breathing fire/required to be exhumed from ashes/drenching yourself with H2O in the midst of the meal.

Minor gripe? The serving size being a little on the smaller end of the scale, when compared head to head with Samy, and even Sri Asoka. But sufficient for lunch, nonetheless. And at a cheaper price too, my banana leaf set with curry mutton, and a glass of Teh Susu Lembu (Tea with Cow's Milk) amounted to only RM7.80. A paltry sum, as you're seated in an air-conditioned room, with commendable cleanliness level, and impeccable service (OKlah .... but don't expect napkins and violins).

Location : NS Curry House @ 10F, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak (Maxwell Road), 30100 Ipoh, Perak. Tel No : 019-576 7354/019-514 1004.

NS Curry House provides catering service as well, in the form of Naidu Food Catering, and serves wedding parties, buffet luncheons/dinners, birthdays, etc. Another branch (or sorts, didn't get to confirm, sorry) of theirs is at Restoran Simpang Pulai @ 808/810, Jalan Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah (Jalan Gopeng), Taman Chandan Desa, 31300 Simpang Pulai, Perak.

## Now, now .... since NS does not serve any traditional Indian sweetmeats, what's for DESSERTS then? ##

Pick. Your. Poisons.

With THAT many flavours to choose from, Ritter Sport Chocolates all the way from Germany (but of course, Motormouth can't fly that far without sponsors ..... shucks). So this time around, the loots from Langkawi consist mostly of imported Ritter Sport Chocs (3 for RM12.50), Cadbury's, etc. TWO trips to Langkawi within TWO weeks .... I'm spent, in every sense of the word!

Now here's a $$$ Million Dollar Question $$$ - What would you like to see in the upcoming post? Langkawi? Halong Bay? (been AGES, right? LOL) Ipoh? Kuala Lumpur? Kuala Sepetang (bad trip @ the wrong time!)?

Banana Leaf Meal @ Samy Restaurant, Chemor & Chocolate Liqueurs from Langkawi

The sleepy?/bustling? town of Chemor, Perak

Chemor, in case you're wondering, is a small town in Perak, about 25 km from Ipoh, and near to Sungai Siput, and Kuala Kangsar. Previous entry on Chemor's food (and the only one, as far as I can recall!) was on Hoong Wan's Fish Noodles, and that was ages ago.

A name most food enthusiasts in and around Ipoh would be familiar with ....

Samy Restaurant is one of the household name, a force to be reckoned with, so to speak, in this part of Kinta district. Serving delectable Indian banana leaf cuisine, the place is routinely packed with factory workers from the various industrial parks within the vicinity, namely Tasek, Chemor, Kanthan and Sungai Siput. On weekends, even tourists stop by for a finger-licking good meal while on the way to Kuala Kangsar (using the trunk road).

Red, fiery, and tantalising curries in claypots for your choosing

Be there early, before 12pm if possible, to beat the crowd. But the patrons here do not mind sharing their tables, given the fact that the set up mostly consists of long tables (ala canteen style), thus strangers may be sitting next to each other, licking their fingers while seemingly in trance from the addictive curry dishes.

White rice served on a banana leaf, with various vegetable dishes; Pickled cucumber, pineapple and onions, Curry potatoes, carrots and long beans, & The Usual .... Cabbage

First up, march into the shop, all the while stealing glances at the counter up front, picking your dish of preference. From curry chicken to dry mutton curry, as well as crabs, de-shelled prawns curry and squids, you'll be spoilt for choice. Lest you come here with a few companions (makan kakis?), you'll be better off picking ONE dish, rather than being ambitious and try one of each!

Drench your rice with the vegetable curry, complemented by a cup of Rasam and a crispy Papadam. To douse the fire (don't worry, the dishes ain't spicy), wash it all down with a cool, and sweet glass of Cow's Milk


Curry Mutton with Potatoes

Curry Chicken with Potatoes

The portion at Samy's on the larger end, hence hold the rice if you're not in for a VERY filling meal. We ended up feeling very sleepy after the meal, given the high carbohydrate contents, and the hot-as-hell weather. Ipoh's BLAZING HOT lately, no joke.

As popular as Samy may be, I still feel the banana leaf fare at Sri Asoka Corner over at Medan Selera Stadium Ipoh scores a notch above in terms of taste. Personal preference aside, I felt that Samy's curries and side dishes leaned more towards the salty side, especially the cabbage and carrots combo.

People tucking in to their serving of banana leaf goodness, completely ignoring the intrusion of privacy in the form of licking one's fingers on the side

The meal for two came to RM22, including drinks. Not the cheapest option out there, especially in good old Ipoh, but the portion served somewhat justified the price paid. And banana leaf meals don't come cheap, do they? :)

a sweet ending .... in the form of Laddu (50 cents)

The Laddu is a popular Indian sweet, made from flour, and dipped into sugar syrup, with a hint of spices. Samy's Laddu is fortunately, not sickeningly sweet unlike most, and finished the spicy/greasy meal rather well, on a sweet note.

Location : Samy Restaurant @ 70, Jalan Besar, 31200 Chemor, Perak. Specifically? From Jalan Kuala Kangsar, go towards the direction of Chemor/Sungai Siput and you'll reach the town of Chemor with two-storey shoplots lining the road on both sides. Samy's on your RIGHT, hence you'll need to make a U-turn further up the road.

On to an even sweeter note ..... ^_^

RM28.90 for 16 mini 'bottles' of chocolatey goodness ..... with a twist


Makes REAL perfect ornaments for display eh? Pity they can't weather the calls of nature .... as in the threat of EXPIRING.


Oozing REAL liquor ... from vodka, to cognac and such. Blissful stuff.

Remember my lament in THIS post? That I didn't expect my first visit to Langkawi to be tailored to a 5 days boot camp style. Now, destiny has its calling, AGAIN, and I'll be off to the island TOMORROW.

Wow. Now tell me that's not insane, flying off to Langkawi within a short span of 10 days. But at least this time around, I can be assured of a good night's sleep, without the looming threats of bugs and monsters, and hopefully, better food, instead of military rations. Hehe ..... =)