Breakfast in Kampar, Tapah or Tanjung Malim?

Happy Merdeka everyone !!! A little late, but better be late than never, right? A rather eventful journey back from KL moments ago, with a 10 cars pile-up on the highway heading north, creating a helluva ruckus, mainly from the slowed down vehicles no thanks to the over-eager and caring crowd (read : nosy), and the traffic on the opposite side that's heading south snaking from Ipoh all the way to the accident scene at around Tapah.

Goes to show how united we Malaysians are, especially in such dire situations (or interesting, depends on which side of the fence you're on), as people from all walks of life, from the young 'rempits' to the old-timers, we never failed to come to a halt on the roads, and express our 'concern' towards such unfortunate incidents befalling others. 1Malaysia indeed ....

Breakfast @ Medan Selera Kampar, beside Kampar's morning wet market

Shivering from the inevitable 'balik kampung' exodus yet? No fret, as if you're not fond of the highways, go for the trunk roads instead. Not that I'm giving my words suggesting there won't be any traffic jams on the significantly longer and tedious journey on the one-lane roads from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur, but at least one can stop over for a leisurely breakfast in various smaller towns, and be amazed by the sheer quality of the simpler, hawker food, aside from the possibly more fruitful and entertaining journey along the way.

Just be sure to endure the incessant "Are we there yet?" nonsense from the young ones, as the rural outlook of the towns and whatever else sandwiched in the middle between the towns may get to a child's nerve pretty fast. Especially if one's tailing a lorry or roadhog at 40km/h.

Kampar is a developing town about 30km south of Ipoh. Previously only famous for the 'Chicken Biscuits' (Kai Jai Peng), Claypot chicken Rice (coincidentally, I wrote about the origin of claypot chicken rice HERE before) and Curry Chicken Bread, Kampar has been transformed to a bustling town complete with a hypermarket, a university, and new residential areas sprouting to cater to the growing population.

For breakfast, hop over to Medan Selera Kampar adjacent to Kampar's wet market that houses an impressive number of stalls selling a delicious array of hawker fare, from the hearty pork porridge and famous glutinous rice to Kampar famous 'Lou Shu Fan' and Char Kuey Teow.

The Char Kuey Teow (fried noodles with eggs, prawns, and waxed sausages) was served on a sheet of banana leaf, and a welcoming half a calamansi lime for extra zing. A respectable portion, enough to feed a big eater (Mr Z had them, not me ... LOL), the noodles was fried with enough 'wok hei' or fire from the wok, hence ensuring a satisfying plate of greasy noodles for breakfast. At RM3.30 per plate, considered a steal if you ask me.

The Nasi Pulut or Glutinous Rice (Stall No 42) was ever so satisfying, with the usual slices of Char Siew, and peanuts, with optional curry gravy, and garnished with chopped spring onions. At a mere RM1.70, one pack or plate may not be enough. Just be sure to arrive early as they finish rather fast especially on weekends and public holidays.

Skip the Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun though, for the taste was a little off, with an evidently pungent taste emitting from somewhere (probably the steamed rice noodles was soaked in some foul liquid).

Location : Medan Selera Kampar @ Jalan Pasar, Kampar, Perak.

Thick, fragrant Roti Telur with a piping hot cup of teh susu @ Anjung Ria in Tapah

Not fond of the crowd? Don't fret. Make your way further down south (from Ipoh's direction) to Tapah, for a fulfilling breakfast of Roti Telur and Teh tarik from Anjung Ria Restaurant, facing the Tapah bus station on Jalan Raja.

Previously, I blogged about Roti Telur at Restoran Haji before, the two-lots mamak restaurant next to Restoran Anjung Ria. But once I've tasted the crisp on the outside, warm and perfectly-cooked egg omelette on the inside Roti Telur from Anjung Ria, I was hooked. They also serve Roti Sardin, albeit in a different manner. The chunks of sardine is served at the side, instead of in between the layers of dough (roti canai).

Location : Restoran Anjung Ria @ 16, Jalan Raja, Tapah, Perak. Opposite the bus station in Tapah. Jalan Raja is the road parallel to Jalan Stesen, which leads to Tapah Road, and subsequently Teluk Intan.

A little commercialization never hurts ... their pockets. But ours did.

Okay, so if you're heading northbound, and breakfast in Kampar or Tapah sounds like a far-fetched idea, why not stop over in Tanjung Malim instead, for a taste of the traditional Yik Mun Pau?

Coincidentally (again), I blogged about them HERE. In a short span of few months, they're renovated, giving the shop a modernized, cleaner look. But in exchange, the old school, authentic kopitiam decor from the olden days is lost.

The quality of the pau remained mediocre, with highly-processed minced meat (chicken or beef) dominating, with a rather run of the mill curry paste. At RM1.60 per piece, a little exorbitant in a small town like this. The thick toast with kaya and butter (Roti Kahwin) @ RM3.00 per portion fared much better, as the sides remained crispy while the bread was soft, and warm, sandwiching blocks of butter and kaya. The beverages were nothing to shout about though, bordering on being diluted, tasteless liquids.

Still wondering where the charm from the yesteryears has disappeared to? Sigh ....

Location : Yik Mun Famous Tanjung Malim Pau @ 6043, Jalan Slim River, Tanjung Malim, Perak. Tel No : 05-4596380.

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!