The Old Town Coffee Face-Off : Sin Yoon Loong White Coffee vs Madras Coffee

Old town of Ipoh is forever bustling with activities come morning until evening, a nostalgic part of Ipoh that's far from forgotten, and no doubt a dream come true for all food lovers on a gastronomic trail; From north to south, and vice versa.

The one that started it all ....

Previously, I blogged about Sin Yoon Loong white coffee, the oldest joint serving the now legendary white coffee of Ipoh. Though no doubt Nam Heong, or rather, Old Town White Coffee (those Kopitiam outlets that are mushrooming everywhere) is responsible for putting Ipoh's white coffee on the map, both domestically and internationally.

The same old setting, albeit plastic chairs being used now, instead of those classic wooden ones from days of yore

Sin Yoon Loong has been in business probably in my past life. Right until today, they've managed to retain the authenticity of their forte; the white coffee brew, a secret handed down from generations to generations.

Realise that having breakfast in Ipoh's Old Town can be a stressful endeavour. Searching for an empty parking lot is one, while fighting for a seat is another. Thankfully, the row of white coffee shops consists of 3 shops in a row, and Nam Heong on the opposite side. So there is backup after all.

Chee Cheong Fun with Mushroom Gravy


Toast with Kaya and Butter

All this while, I never had a full meal at Sin Yoon Loong. Only coffee and toast. Or their famous "Kai Dan Kou", or egg-flavoured roll with kaya.

The Chee Cheong Fun passed the test, at least to Mr Z anyway. He of course, was comparing to Sin Lean Lee's version, which is nothing to shout about in the 1st place. Sin Lean Lee is the coffee shop with that infamous stall serving Kam Chau Fan aka GOLDEN Fried Kuey Teow.

A hot, frothy cup of good old Ipoh's white coffee. THE original taste.

But nothing beats spending precious time chatting away with acquittances over a cup of rich, and fragrant white coffee. Feeling peckish? Order a serving of toast, buttered yet not overly cloying although substantial 'kaya' (coconut jam) is spread on the thin slices of crisp bread.

Location : Sin Yoon Loong @ Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. The corner lot, before reaching the towering 20-storeys flat of Old Town.

But what IF you've waited for hours (slightly exaggerated, but you get my drift), yet you found NO empty seats? And with your craving for a shot of caffeine at an all-time high; runny nose, jittering teeth, sweat beads forming on the temple and all?

Another one of those famous banana leaf outlet in Ipoh .....

A hop and a skip away, you'll seek Nirvana. Your light at the end of the tunnel. Your solace, your requiem, your COFFEE. @ Sri Ananda Bahwan Restaurant.

Madras Coffee (thanks to yikyang for the heads-up)

The sweet Indian desserts of Ladoo, Palkova, and Mysore pak. Spelling may be off though.

So you're wondering what's Madras coffee? Also known as Indian Filter Coffee, not many might have heard, let alone tried this saltish, milky brew. I for one, was completely oblivious to its existence until duly notified by a reader.

Firstly, you gotta know how to drink it. Yup, you'll be served with not one, but TWO separate steel container, a cup with the thick & frothy coffee, and another smaller steel bowl of fresh cow's milk. Tastewise? Not too strong to jolt up that draggy system in the mornings, but pleasant and smooth, with a tinge of saltiness. There's a faint hint of herbs/spices which is not overwhelming, but leaves a fragrant note after you slurp down a mouthful. Not bad, definitely a beverage I'll come back for.

Whazzup, Matcha?!!!!

The desserts at Sri Ananda Bahwan were not sickeningly sweet, unlike most. The Palkova or milk sweet in particular, is creamy, soft and sweet enough to leave a lingering taste, yet not tooth-numbing terror. The ladoo was disappointing though, Samy's was far better.

Location : Sri Ananda Bahwan @ 7, Persiaran Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh. It's the row of shops perpendicular to Sin Yoon Loong. Turn right at the crossroads with Nam Heong and Sin Yoon Loong, and you'll see this shop on your left.

SO, WHICH ONE'S RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY?

The Ugly Nasi Kandar in Old Town, & The Imported Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun

Imagine to circle endlessly around the perimeter of the famed (maybe over-rated) coffee shops in Old Town serving those inimitable (doubtful?) cups of white coffee .... Then by a stroke of luck, you finally manage to find a parking spot out of nowhere, either double-parking, or illegal parking (who cares, right? .... but one note of warning though, the officers in blue work EXTRA hard around this area, mainly cz IPD (Police HQ) & Majlis Perbandaran also located nearby only ma... no need to ride out to oblivion to achieve daily quota of summons!)

Direct competitors side by side. Which would YOU choose?

Then after punching your fist repeatedly in the air, you strut your stuff and walked over to Nam Heong, Sin Yoon Loong or Sun Yuan Foong (bitter rivals ..... a fight to the finish's at hand!) only to discover that the place's crowded to the max! Holds true on most days, especially weekend mornings and public holidays. You can either kiss your white coffee goodbye, wait for aeons for a table (even more troublesome if you decided to bring your whole busload of relatives) or .... you can set up your own tables/chairs. But of course, don't try this and credits to yours truly lah ... =P

This Indian uncle VERY eloquent in conversing in Cantonese! It's almost funny.

But don't worry, help's at hand. Though comes slightly late, for someone who has worked in Old Town for a good 1.5 years. LOL. This stretch of old, dilapidated shophouses consist of various Nasi Kandar stalls, and some rather rundown shops. It's facing the Old Town famous 20-storey flats, and a stone's throw away from the white coffee outlets. Just imagine Jalan Bijeh Timah (Nasi Kandar) is parallel to Jalan Bandar Timah (White Coffee).

Did you see what i see? Can you see ME? ;)

Nasi Kandar Pekan Lama is the shop at the end, manned by a pair of Indian (maybe mamak, not very sure) twins, who are both very good at speaking in Cantonese. It's hilarious how they tease customers, and nonchalantly converse in OTHERS' mother tongue. Probably the reason why the place was crowded with Chinese patrons that Sunday afternoon.

Not the prettiest sight eh? Swear I did NOT purge this!!!

Nasi Kandar in Ipoh and those in Penang is slightly different. Whereelse Penang's version has been commercialized, branched out, and franchised, Ipoh still has yet to develop a mamak nasi kandar stall worthy of a mention in food guides, or rave reviews. Except for Yong Suan or Nasi Ganja, maybe. Still miss Penang's Kayu, Pelita, Subaidah and Kassim. Those good times .....

Tastewise? The similarity exists in the gravy doused onto the pile of rice; The Kuah Campur (mixed gravy) whereby he'll scoop every type of curry imaginable from the pots and bowls in front of him, and then proceed to 'banjir' (flood) your rice. If you're not in favour of ultra wet curry rice, you can hold the gravy.

About RM4 for a packet of rice with chicken and vegetable, and the killer sour-ish sambal at the side, as well as cucumber slices to lessen the heat.

Location : Nasi Kandar Pekan Lama @ 125, Jalan Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. Notice the next door neighbour? Omar Nasi Kandar has a following of its own, heavily promoting the Ayam Merah (chicken cooked in a reddish sweet and spicy gravy), and has a branch somewhere on its own.

Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun (RM2.20 for 2 rolls)

Remember the post on my previous Teluk Intan's excursion in Jan? We didn't manage to sample the famous Teluk Intan CCF that time as the original factory only churns them from evening onwards, and the shop (Teck Kee Foodstuff) which gets their supplies from the factory was not selling them due to the CNY season. Shucks, right?

See the dried shrimp enveloped by the rice rolls?

But TallGal and FCOE were kind enough to 'tapau' (takeaway) 2 packets back from Teluk Intan, succumbed to my pitiful pleas and let me share their lunch. Hahahah ..... The power of persuasion? ;)

The experience brought back memories indeed, as I'm a fan of Teluk Intan's CCF, and used to buy back 10-20 packets at one go, whenever my family went to the town for any occasions. Of course, detractors may condemn the oiliness of the rice rolls. But the deadly combination of dried shrimps, fried shallots, wrapped inside the freshly steamed rice rolls .... I'm sold.

Teck Kee's CCF wasn't exactly bad, but rather dry and tasteless. For your information, the Teluk Intan CCF does not need any accompanying gravy, or sides. Only some pickled green chillies would do fine. Makes me wonder does Teck Kee REALLY get their supplies from the factory? Hmmm.....

Bye Bye office ..... muahaha .... =)

On that note, Motormouth's going on another journey up north ..... C ya around guys !!!

A Mid-CNY Post - How 'bout some Capati & Mee Rebus Ramli instead?

This year's CNY celebration may be slightly on the sombre mood, what's more with blatant intrusion of human rights (aka killing without mercy) over at the Mid-East & the economic turmoil that's looming over our helpless heads. But still, there's always a silver lining somewhere on the horizon, I believe ....

Birch Memorial Clock Tower @ Old Town, Ipoh

For those celebrating the festive season, I highly doubt any has yet to 'Lou Sang', or stuffed their faces full with either extravagant (read : exorbitant) Chinese dishes at the restaurants, homecooked fare, or even hawker food (prices a tad inflated, no less).

Fluffy capati and milky teh tarik @ Medan Selera Dato Sagor

What if you're 'trapped' in Ipoh, for a week or more this CNY holidays, and slowly (but surely) starting to get sick of Chinese food? No brickbats, please!!

Still reeling from all the indulging, here's a short post on simple Indian and Malay food in Ipoh. Which, by the way, was what I ate on the same day, last week.

Medan Selera Dato Sagor is a very famous place for halal food under one roof, housing more than 15 stalls (at least) selling a variety of nasi campur, nasi lemak, every type of mee imaginable, roti and kuih, as well as Indian food. Located in Old Town area of Ipoh, right behind the Ipoh town hall, the food court like diner occupies a rather spacious lot, next to the Birch Memorial Clock Tower. Come join the crowd for breakfast, and treat yourself to a cup of teh tarik, or kopi-o kau, accompanied by either a capati, roti bakar with half-boiled eggs, or nasi lemak.

Location : Medan Selera Dato Sagor @ Jalan Dato Sagor, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. Got MAP!!! (From Ipoh Utara PLUS highway exit, using Jln Kuala Kangsar).

Mee Rebus Ramli @ Jln Kuala Kangsar, Tmn Tasek Jaya, Ipoh

As for lunch, since we were on a roll, we opted for Malay food instead for lunch. The hype surrounding Mee Rebus Ramli was evident, ever since they started business some years ago, now they have 3 branches all over Ipoh (do correct me if I'm wrong, ok?).

With a name like that, surely you don't need hint as to what's their signature item is. The safest choice? Mee Rebus.

A satisfying bowl of Mee Rebus at RM3.50.

With those luscious thick gravy that's slightly spicy, and sweet, accentuated by the tangy lime squeezed DIY, and brimming full with ingredients such as the compulsory potatoes, chopped green chillies, spring onions, yummy fritters, and of course, ONE whole egg sliced into pieces.

All for a mere RM3.50. If you're thinking ... nah, just another Mee Rebus/Mee Jawa clone, you're half right, half wrong. Yup, it looks like another run-of-the-mill Mee Rebus, albeit served in a bowl, but tastewise, it's gotta be one of the better ones around. Even the yellow noodles did not contain the annoying/repulsive alkaline taste.

Do ask for the fritters to be served separately, as they tend to get soggy very fast. Or better yet, ask for EXTRAS. They're good when crunchy and dunked into the gravy. Slurp them up!!!

Btw, their Nasi Ayam is delicious as well, though white rice is served. At RM4.20 per plate, you get a generous chunk of chicken, with their killer chilli sauce and gravy combination. Plus a bowl of soup. Other items include chicken/lamb chops, laksa, etc.

Location : Mee Rebus Ramli @ 767, Taman Tasek Jaya, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, 31400 Ipoh, Perak. Tel No : 605-547 2026. Opens daily from morning til night. Got MAP !!!

Now, let me retract back to my nest and hibernate for the remaining week ...... Holidays are no doubt, god-sent. Happy Chinese New Year !!!

Fancy Having Gopeng Mee in Ipoh?

Here's a little something from Ipoh's Old Town, AGAIN .... Yeah yeah ... I'm getting predictable, I know. Sue me? =P

METRO Cafe ... The exterior's VERY misleading (sorry, no picture). The shop's name is not even put up on the outside!

But look for this stall, easily observed from the front ... The crowd comes for the Gopeng Mee anyway ....

Gopeng mee - Homemade (handmade?) egg noodles served with soy sauce, choy sum, bean sprouts, and garnished with scallions and fried shallots. Resembling Wanton Mee, right?

This is only our 2nd visit to this shop, ever since working here. Reason to come later. One quick glance and you would be forgiven for thinking this shop's bordering on closing down, looking at the dilapidated building (common findings among Old Town's classical structures though), without a proper signboard, and rather tucked away among the seas of banks. As well as dwarfed by the popularity of the other white coffee 'specialists' and immensely popular hawker fare. But come lunch hour, and you'll be amazed by the sheer fame of this place.

Served with chicken and mushroom - Their speciality ...

The noodle is their main drawing point, springy/QQ bites of alkaline-(lye water)free egg noodles, served "dry" with soy sauce for taste. The options are simple, either have yours with wanton (dumplings) or with chicken+mushroom gravy combination, or both. And you can upsize your serving to one half, or double portion.

Prices from RM3.00 for single serving of noodles with wantons, to RM5.60 for double servings of noodles with wantons and chicken+mushroom gravy. Certainly not dirt-cheap, but still bearable. The wantons are made from chicken or prawns, I believe. Dunno got pork or not, didn't bother to ask much.

The itsy-bitsy wanton ... A far cry from Hong Kong's ones, eh? =)

I cannot pass judgment this time, as I've only tasted the noodles ONCE, and that was more than half a year ago. Before this blog was born. Imagine that.

So what did I have for lunch instead?

Tell me you're not salivating .....

THIS. An Indian curry stall, operated by a friendly Indian lady. The dishes finish rather fast, as we were there at 1pm, and most plates were already emptied. Given the highly adaptable nature of me and FCOE, we soldiered on and ordered a half dry/half wet (I'm bad with my curries, I know) curry chicken with strong tomato hints. Mimicking ayam masak merah, but not quite. A bit sourish, and saltish for my liking. Bet the devil curry chicken is good, as the whole pot was polished off before we could sound our protests. Sigh .....

But still delicious, nevertheless. At only RM4 for THAT plate above, even cheaper than the noodles from the adjacent stall!

Location : METRO Cafe (chic-sounding name huh?) @ Jln Tun Sambanthan, 30000 Ipoh. Next to CIMB bank in Old Town, Ipoh. A short walk from Maybank, the towering building in Old Town, facing Padang Ipoh. Need help? I'll be glad to assist. :)

"Please ... please bring me home?"

Bumped into this cute little black puppy by the roadside. Kinda sad, isn't it? The lack of birth control amongst the wild ones. The dogs, I meant. =)

Good Ol' Teochew Porridge @ Yew Ming, Old Town

Somehow people get the perception that eating in Old Town, Ipoh boils down to white coffee and toasts. Or the occasional satay and popiah from Kong Heng, and some random curry noodles. Seldom people come to Old Town for lunch, not to mention dinner (when most of the shops are closed anyway).

YEW MING TEOCHEW PORRIDGE RESTAURANT @

83, Jln Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh.

Working in Old Town of Ipoh, I've been exposed/pampered to various cheap yet delicious choices when it comes to breakfast, or lunch. It's been a year, and we've been crossing our fingers for more eateries to open up, else we'd be having the same "Kam Chau Fan" (Golden Char Kuey Teow), Nam Chau's Dry Curry Noodles & Egg Toasts, Kong Heng's Popiah, Hwang Chao's Singapore Chicken Rice, the white coffee originals (Sin Yoon Loong and Nam Heong), Thean Chun's "Kai Si Hor Fun" (or Chicken Kuey Teow Soup) and many others.

Wow, with that long list of temptations, and yet I'm still complaining? =P

Stir-fried Salted Vegetable and Pork

Yup, imagine cracking your head day in and day out deciding on a place to eat, trying desperately to keep things fresh and avoid repetitions. Tough job we have, really.

Plain ol' porridge

The other day me and TallGal were the only poor hungry souls left in the office, as FCOE & KYT were roaming in space. I meant, relaxing at home. Thus, we opted for a light yet substantial lunch. And so we picked Yew Ming, a mere stone's throw from our office, famed for their porridge and simple home-cooked dishes.

Fried Egg with Preserved Mustard (Choy Pou)

The place is usually packed during lunch, spanning 2 shoplots, directly behind Hwang Chao,and at the same side as Kong Heng. On your left, before you reach the towering Maybank building in Old Town.

You can either pick rice or porridge to go with the dishes, but the latter's more popular with the crowd, obviously.

Homemade Fish Cakes with Chilli sauce

The dishes resembled home-style of cooking,; simple, tasty and flavoursome. Some may comment they're a bit salty, but the dishes actually complement the bland porridge all too well. Especially the addictive signature fish cakes, fresh and devoid of unpleasant, lingering fishy taste, dipped into their concocted sweet chilli sauce. And the fried egg with preserved mustard greens was excellent, albeit a tad oily. But wash all down with a glass of herbal tea or Chinese tea, and you won't feel the grease thereafter.

Popular with those working in Old Town

Total damage for two? RM15.60, including drinks. Worthwhile; a rejolting, detoxifying meal for the senses. (Well, I CAN lie to myself, can't I? =P)

So what if you're not fond of dishes TOO simple, and avoid porridge like the plague? Then you can walk a short distance, and find solace in Wong Koh Kee (click HERE for previous post).

WONG KOH KEE RESTAURANT

Situated at a backlane, opposite of Kong Heng; arguably the most famous coffee shop in Old Town

Individual portions of Sweet and Sour Pork Rice, Kung Pou Chicken Rice, Tofu & Roasted Pork Rice, and Ginger/Spring Onion Chicken Rice (RM3.50-RM4)

Be patience. The crowd can be overwhelming from 12pm onwards. Come as early as possible, and pray for an unoccupied table.

Their Ku Lou Yuk (Sweet and Sour Pork) is one of the best I've ever tasted. Crunchy batter enveloping the tender pork meat, cooked in the tangy and sweet gravy.

Wong Koh Kee @ "Concubine Lane" (a moniker given to the historical lane ... guess what's the reason? =P), a small lane opposite of Kong Heng, on Jln Bandar Timah.

How 'Bout A Cuppa ORIGINAL Ipoh Old Town White Coffee? (Nam Heong Coffee Shop)

Look at how they literally 'pour' the fillings of egg custard into the moulded pastries?

Hot, fresh from the oven egg tarts overflowing with the fragrant egg-y custard

Funny how I'm working so near to Old Town famous stretch of white coffee outlets, yet I haven't blogged about Nam Heong, the TRUE origin of Old Town Kopitiam outlets, mushrooming everywhere.

Old Town Kopitiam is the brainchild of the erm, child to the proprietor of NamHeong. Look at how some simple marketing, and novel concept breeds fortune, and an admirable number of copycats. Lest I digress further, let's go back to the root of the "ragingly-infectious" kopitiam craze.

Hakka Mee with Yong Tau Foo

No doubt, in comparison to Sin Yoon Loong, the oldest coffee shop in Ipoh's Old Town serving their patented white coffee brew, Nam Heong's history does not run that deep. Situated directly opposite Sin Yoon Loong, the obvious aim was of course, to compete in the mighty war of white coffee.

Many years ago, we were mighty pleased with the competition, for we did not have to scramble for seats in the permanently packed Sin Yoon Loong on weekends. And somehow, the quality of the white coffee in Nam Heong, as well as the variety & quality of food served was better than Sin Yoon Loong's, by a margin.

Char Kuey Teow

But somehow, the few recent visits, within these few years proved otherwise. Nam Heong's white coffee had gone from bad to worse, and could not even be classified as a frothy, rich, and aromatic cuppa, in the same line as SYL's or even Nam Chau's offerings. Pretty disappointing as owing to the popularity of Old Town Kopitiam outlets all over Malaysia, Nam Heong should've bucked up and fought for its brush of fame, but instead let success gone to its head and brewed some dismaying concoction masquerading as REAL white coffee.

An egg tart and a cup of hot white coffee - Perfect combination?

But of course, every eatery deserves a second, or third chance. And one fine evening, I managed to steal some precious time and crawled my way over to Nam Heong Coffee Shop, at Jalan Bandar Timah.

The declining popularity was obvious if you go on a weekday, when the crowd would be packing the opposite row of coffee shops, instead of cramming themselves into Nam Heong like the old days. But surprisingly, on this specific visit, I found the white coffee (hot, do NOT order iced version, as you'll be sorely disappointed at the diluted nothings) quite deserving of its old moniker, the KING of white coffee. Hot, frothy, milky white coffee in a white porcelain cup, paired with a hot plate of Char Kuey Teow (fried flat rice noodles with prawns, cockles and eggs), and a freshly baked egg tart with the still runny yet fragrant egg fillings, equals a satisfying meal.

The addictive beverage that started all the craze, and put Ipoh's name on world maps, in every sense of the word ...

There are various noodle stalls, and a stall selling kuih and chang (rice dumplings). But my preference for the Char Kuey Teow and egg tarts surpassed all the other temptations. But of course, the egg tart stall is manned and owned by Nam Heong as well, also serving some delicious Char Siew Sou (BBQ Pork Flaky Puff) and Dim Sum.

If you're wondering; How do I rate the white coffee in Nam Heong nowadays? I'd say it closes in behind of Sin Yoon Loong and Nam Chau. But somehow, my tastebuds are accustomed to Nam Chau's saltier, yet fragrant brew, and I've yet to find another worthwhile contender. Anyone? :)

Easy to locate - Opposite of a row of coffee shops serving white coffee, and the side of the shop's facing the 20-storeys flats in Old Town.

Briyani Rice Set Lunch for RM7.90 @ Benaz Cafe, Old Town Ipoh

Opened in such a hurry, that they have yet to tear down the previous shop's sign

Lately, in the afternoon, the weather's unforgiving-ly hot & humid. We would rather have a simple lunch somewhere near to our workplace, rather than venturing far for some grubs. As luck would have it, I 'accidentally' overheard an Indian man promoting a spanking new restaurant/cafe occupying the previous Ice Ice Baby desserts cafe's lot. Come what may, we were eager to see what the fuss was all about.

Notice the unchanged decor from the previous cafe? - Not only the tables and chairs, but even the beverages counter AND the list of beverages served by Ice Ice Baby was still up there

Pleasantly surprised to see the aforementioned cafe transformed into Benaz Cafe aka Briyani House, serving Northern Indian fare. With the addition of this Indian restaurant to the mix, the array of cuisines in Old Town, Ipoh is represented by almost all ethnic groups, and international fare, save the Japanese and Korean cuisines.

Lassi (RM2.50) and Starfruit Juice (RM3)

Browsing the extensive menu was no breeze in the park. Plus the foreign sounding Indian dishes sans any descriptions added to the confusion. But the owner was one friendly Indian man, catering to every customer's needs and queries with flair. Yup, he was zipping in and out, preparing the drinks, taking orders, serving them, etc. Only at the end of the meal we were told that 2 waitresses did not show up for work that afternoon, leaving the waiting staff slightly handicapped.

KYT's Lassi was a creamy yoghurt drink, though slightly salty and an acquired taste for some. TallGal's Starfruit Juice was freshly squeezed (I think) however seemed slightly diluted (TallGal, true ah?). While my Kashmiri tea, well, did not arrive. Hahaha .... He was too busy and completely forgotten about my order. But it was all good, as everyone's served with a glass of warm water.

Briyani Rice

To lessen our worries or indecisiveness, he wisely recommended the Briyani Set Lunch, consisting of Nasi Briyani, Fish Masala, Palak Paneer, Vegetables in Yoghurt, Mint Sauce, Coconut Chutney, a plate of Mixed Vegetables and a plate of watermelon as desserts. Sounds like a lot eh? In reality, it was not so. The serving's dainty, yet sufficient for one.

Fish Masala, & various condiments & side dishes

Tastewise? The Briyani Rice was nothing spectacular, I've had better ones. But still the fluffy grains of rice cooked with spices paired well with the condiments and side dishes. The fish masala was a tad too sour, though appetizing, but somehow overwhelming. In fact, most of the side dishes were either sour, or slightly salty. Hmm ... And most side dishes incorporate raw onions, which I've no problem with, but if you're expecting someone important, or meeting client, better stay away from those stinkers !!!!

Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cream Cheese)

The saving grace came in the form of Palak Paneer. Slightly different from Pakeeza's (click HERE for previous raves and rants) version of mashed spinach with cottage cream cheese, the version served at Benaz's was swimming in curry-like gravy, and the spinach was chopped albeit not as finely as I'd like them to be. But the cottage cheese provided much relief, lending the dish a creamy texture and richer flavours.

The set lunch is priced at RM7.90 nett/person. Reasonable, as North Indian cuisine has not been known to be cheap. A re-visit's pending, as I'm curious to try the other dishes, and Gulab Jamun. =)

Location : Benaz Cafe (Briyani House) @ Jln Tun Sambanthan, next to Mixed Cuisine, and same row with Momo Steamboat, and Old Town Kopitiam. Facing Padang Ipoh, the place is rather easy to locate. Tel : 019-2823392/016-3956459.

Pork Noodles @ Zun Seng Fatt, Old Town, Ipoh

The wonders of Old Town, Ipoh : Unlimited resources for food. Be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. OK, maybe not dinner, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad. After working around here for one whole year, it still surprises me to find something new, and yet to try everything at every nook and corner.

Zun Seng Fatt

Situated next to Thean Chun, the shop famous for Ipoh's "Kai Si Hor Fun" or Chicken Kuey Teow, Zun Seng Fatt has been around for quite some time, probably longer than I've thought. But only 2 stalls are here, one serving erm, Kai Si Hor Fun as well, and another quite popular for its pork noodles soup.

Choose to either sit indoors, or embrace the tranquil surrounding at the back of the shop

KYT was the one introducing me to this shop, as his dad had been frequenting this noodle stall quite often, almost every weekend. But I'm no big fan of soupy noodles, therefore giving this stall a miss all this while. But one can only has so much curry noodles, or Kong Heng's popiah , or white coffee and toast before boredom sets in.

Lou Shu Fan with Minced Pork, and Pork Slices + Additional Egg (RM4.30)

Vermicelli with Minced Pork and Pork Slices (RM3.70)

What sets the noodle different from other stalls is the flavoursome broth, devoid of MSG, but instead with additional aroma from fried pork's lard, lots of scallions as garnishing, and the sweet & juicy pork. Of course, you can opt for innards and other cuts if desired. My bowl of Lou Shu Fan with additional egg thickened the soup, and provided quite a substantial meal on its own. What's more, it was a mere breakfast. Ended up we were still full right until lunch hours. =)

Can't finish your bowl of noodles? Count on the pigeons on this ....

Nothing beats a good cuppa (the coffee's pretty bad though, take note), and a piping hot bowl of soupy noodles to soothe the nerves, and jumpstart your day. Aaahhh ..... BLISS.

Location : Zun Seng Fatt Cafe @ Jln Bandar Timah, next to Thean Chun coffee shop (click HERE for previous post on the place)