Teluk Intan Nasi Pulut & Buntong Beef Noodles @ New Weng Fatt, Ipoh

Some might be wondering why there's a vacuum, a dearth of sorts, in posts on Teluk Intan food. While Sitiawan's/Manjung's food got the MOST coverage as of late (for reasons undisclosed), even Ipoh's very own lip-smacking goodies took a backseat.

Come to think of it, there's probably NO post at all on Teluk Intan's food here on Motormouth From Ipoh. Hmm ... I gotta repent for my sins. Someday.

Meanwhile, feel free to submit your recommendations for any yummy Teluk Intan food (EXCEPT for Gulam Rasul, THAT famous Liew Kee Chee Cheong Fun, Ah Chai Rojak, and Mastan Ghani) that I may not have knowledge of.

Here's KC in action. Glorified.

That's why I'm making it up with this combination of a post. Killing two birds with one stone, if you will. Firstly, hands up anyone who have heard about Teluk Intan Nasi Pulut (Glutinous Rice) with Prawn, Barbecued Pork (Char Siew), and Curry?

If your hand (or hands, in fits of excitement) shot up faster than Schumacher's adrenaline-charged acceleration, then I can almost guess your age. LOL. I said almost, ok?

Glutinous Rice with Prawn, Char Siew (BBQ Pork Slices), and Curry @ RM3.00

With a strong, long-standing history of dishing out hundreds, thousands, and probably millions of packets of this Nasi Pulut since ~50 years ago (yup, FIFTY!), the stall in Teluk Intan opens daily for business for a mere 2-3 hours only.

From 4am-6am, no less. UnGodly hours eh? Who in the right mind would wake up THAT early to get their fix of sinful glutinous rice?!! But KC (the proprietor for this stall in Ipoh) mentioned that the Nasi Pulut there usually get snapped up within a blink of an eye, literally.

Fried Bihun (Vermicelli Noodles) with Curry Chicken and Char Siew @ RM2.50

Thankfully, this much-loved but under-rated Teluk Intan's delight came to Ipoh not too long ago. Location? Restoran dan Kafe New Weng Fatt in Ipoh Garden South. Sounds familiar? This is also the place for good yet reasonable Western fare come night time, and the capati stall was even featured in the Star last Saturday (click HERE for Alexandra's guilt-free indulgences).

Crispy Fried chicken from KC's stall as well

The first visit to this stall was an un-fruitful one. The Nasi Pulut got sold off real fast, especially on weekends, as it's served for breakfast only. Perseverance paid off, and I went for a second visit not long after, and rewarded with an opportunity to try almost everything KC has to offer.

The Nasi Pulut is served with accompaniment of his brand of caramelized barbecued pork, a whole prawn, and the whole ensemble drenched/drizzled (your call) with curry. Most praiseworthy is the Char Siew here, being a little sweet and roasted to perfection. But more to lean cuts, rather than melt-in-mouth fattier (sinful, albeit unhealthy) versions. The glutinous rice is unlike the sweet nor savoury version, being a cross between both, in fact. Without the curry, the rice is rather bland, therefore the gravy's a must.

KC also serves "Economy Bee Hoon", to be served with curry chicken, with/without Char Siew, or even an extra side serving of fried chicken. Which was no mere pushover itself, being crispy and fragrant, bearing resemblance to Poh Lee's version.

Famous Buntong Beef Noodles

For breakfast at New Weng Fatt, you can also opt for the famed Buntong Beef Noodles (seemingly a branch of the popular one in town; Srimaju Beef Noodles). The wait may be relentless come peak hours (breakfast on a Sunday, for example), but rest assured you'll be served as they're rather organized with their ordering system.

Hearty, warming, and downright Beefy !!!

Sorry, forgot the pricing for this one, but should be in the realm of RM4, if I'm not mistaken. Flavourful broth, with tender slices of beef, and offals, one bowl of this and definitely your day will be perked up in an instance!

Still craving for more? Their Yong Tau Foo (stuffed fish paste) is rather commendable as well, priced from 50cents onwards.

Grab them while you Can!!!

To down all the grease, the guilts, and for that shot of caffeine to start one's morning, go for the Teh C Special, or 3-Layered Milk Tea. A Sarawak import of sorts, I still think the version served here is the BEST, amongst all the others around Ipoh. For RM2 per 'shot', you get a layer of tea, a layer evaporated milk, and a layer of Gula Melaka segregated; awaiting their fate. Of being mixed, and of being slurped. Very milky, a little sweet, and satiate that craving for a good glass of cold milk tea.

But be warned, as there were times when they messed up the tea, sometimes too little milk, sometimes overly sweet. Therefore, cross your fingers and hope for the best. :)

Restoran dan Kafe New Weng Fatt (MAP)

Next change ..... Cameron Highlands Getaway - A Lethal Combination of Work + Play !!!

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 Pre-CNY Post : (Not The) Teluk Intan's Famous Chee Cheong Fun & Lana Tea House

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR !!!! Ushering in the Year of The Ox, let's hope all things auspicious come our way, and may there be an endless slew of fantastic restaurants opening soon in good ol' Ipoh ......

Or I can be delusional. But still, one can be hopeful, ya? ......

The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Not!!!

Still embracing the holidays in all its glory, I'm suffering from writer's block. Thus, might as well write bout something recent, to minimize diminishing of my already declining grey matters.

Suddenly ... we felt so out of place.... =P

The other day our excursion (1st REAL travelling for 2009!) took us to Teluk Intan, and Hutan Melintang. Never heard of them? The former may ring a bell with most, as Teluk Intan is one of Perak's larger town, aside from Ipoh, Taiping, Seri Manjung and Sitiawan. And foodies will relate the town with its famous Chee Cheong Fun (stuffed with dried shrimps, and liberately drizzled/doused with oil), Hiong Peng (courtesy of Sin Joo Heong, with a branch in Ipoh even), Ah Chai rojak (famous for its sweet sauce, yet nothing spectacular), Gulam Rasul and Mastan Ghani (both being Malay-Mamak outlets), etc etc .....

Chee Cheong Fun - NOT the famous Teluk Intan one from the factory, but different from Ipoh's nevertheless

Bear in mind Hutan Melintang is NOT a forest, nor it's beyond civilization. It's a small town, right after Teluk Intan, on the way to Sabak Bernam, Sekinchan, and Kuala Selangor. Any idea? But foodwise, I faltered, hence the breakfast and lunch in Teluk Intan instead.

Initially planned for breakfast at Teck Kee Foodstuff (on Jalan Raja) that supposedly serves the REAL deal, CCF from the famous factory, which btw, opens ONLY from evening onwards. But due to the CNY season, Teck Kee chose to display ornaments and festivities galore, than seating area for food. No CCF. =(

But all's not lost, as opposite the road at a corner houses a classic coffee shop named Keng Heng, with patronage from mostly the elder ones. OK, so maybe it's a working day, and who else got time for a cuppa other than the retired ones, and (loyal) civil servants like us. =)

The broth's so clear, you'd be thinking this bowl of noodles would be perfect for one feeling under the weather

The shop houses 3 stalls; One selling Wantan Noodles, another selling erm, Noodles in Soup with Condiments (refer pic above) and a third one dealing with ... what else? CCF!

I was initially stumped as the auntie was packing up and preparing to close. FINISHED?!!! Shucks .... But auntie was kind enough to let me have a packet of CCF, that she's packed for someone, I guess. Hahaha ...

It's different from the usual CCF. And yet, different from even the Teluk Intan's famous one. Instead of rolling the rice noodles up to be served, the noodles are served just like how Ipohans have them; merely chopped up, and with green chillies, fried shallots, and lots (I mean, LOTS!) of dried shrimps. That's it. No sauce at all, aside from soy sauce. A bit dry to be taken, hence I requested for chilli sauce. Not bad, but the noodles is not as smooth as I like them though.

TallGal's bowl of noodles in soup, with Char Siew, Siew Yoke and Chicken looked .... a little too healthy. But I didn't hear her complaining, so should be good as a tummy-filler, before lunch.

Location : Keng Heng Coffee Shop @ 42, Jalan Raja, 36000 Teluk Intan.

And talkin bout lunch ......

Lana Tea House @ Taman Indah Jaya

Rather secluded, behind a row of shops off Jalan Sultan Abdullah, is this quaint tea house-cum-cafe-cum-restaurant. It's pitch black inside. OK, maybe not as dark, but the dim lighting was a huge contrast to the sunny weather. You can't even determine whether this place is open or closed, judging from the non-existent of signs on the outside. Just push your luck, and push the doors open. ;)

Spaghetti with Chicken Meat (RM6.50)

Seafood Fried Rice (RM6)

Sambal Squid Rice (RM5)

Prices are dirt cheap. For less than RM10 per pax, one can get a satisfying meal plus drinks. The choices varied from the usual fried rice and noodles, to spaghetti and salads, as well as chops and desserts. All reasonably-priced, and the quality ain't too shabby either.

The fried rice was surprisingly good, each grain fried with sufficient 'wok hei', maintaining the fluffiness of the grains. With ingredients such as squids, prawns, etc, the portion's not stingy either. The sambal squid was spicy, unexpectedly. The squids were good, fresh, bouncy and served generously. The spaghetti was .... well, like the norm. Don't expect the sky when you're paying rockbottom prices.

*Pardon the pics as the interior was way too dark for my phonecam.

Location : Lana Tea House @ No 1, Jalan Teratai J4/8, Taman Indah Jaya, 36000 Teluk Intan, Perak. Tel No : 605- 621 8996.

Motormouth wishes those who celebrate, and those who 'tumpang' holidays, a very, very Happy Chinese New Year !!!

Eat more, Snap more, Blog more !!!