The Malaysian Food Review

Once in a while, when you just feel like you have eaten a whole lot of meat, you’d like to have something light.  So, i found this wonderful Restraurant in Ipoh serving Lui Char, a dominantly vegeterian dish.  Restaurant Chor Kee is also rather famous for it’s Bak Kut Teh, but that is for another day when i feel more carnivorous.  The restaurant itself is tucked away in Ipoh Garden East.  One of the most popular residential areas in Ipoh town itself.

It is a traditional Hakka Dish.  Served normally in two seperate bowls, one with the rice + ingredients and the other with the sauce/soup.

The rice here comes with a whole lot of ingredients.  From what i could remember, it included, peanuts, onions, cabbage, four-angled beans, long beans, two other greens and fried dried prawns (the only non-vegeterian ingredient). The sauce/soup is more often the make or break part of the dish.  The soup is made of boiled tea, vegetables i don’t know their names and a bit of mint.   

You eat Lui Char by mixing the it all into something close to a mush.  It’s a dish you either like or hate and nothing in between.  This particular stall is managed by a guy with spiky hair and his father.  I haven’t found a place in around KL serving this dish that is quite as good as this one.

Other than Lui Char they also serve other Hakka delicacies like Yong Tau Foo and Cakes.  The Yong Tau Foo filling is slightly different from the norm.  It has pork mixed with the normal fish paste in its filling, which is claimed to be the most authentic way.  Of course when in Ipoh, you always have to try the white coffee too. 

How’s the Food?  Lui Char (8/10); Yong Tau Foo (6.5/10); White Coffee (6.5/10)

How much is it? Lui Char RM3.00; Yong Tau Foo RM 0.40 per piece; White Coffee RM 1.10

Will I return?  Definitely, well worth it.

[Ratings]

After a gluttonous day of eating, what better way to top it all of but with excellent desserts. Across the street from the bean sprout chicken triangle, we spotted a small little shop serving tau foo fah and soya bean drinks.

Where is it?
?It is right opposite the bean sprout chicken triangle, where the daily night market happens everyday.

We decided to take it easy and have some common dishes at night, after our exciting adventure at Lawan Kuda. We are always told, Ipoh has the best bean sprout chicken and kuey teow. So we decided to try it out for dinner. The famous Lou Wong in Ipoh has already exported this dish to KL with multiple branches around Klang Valley. Being the anti-favourites, we decided to try out Onn Kee instead.

Where is it?
It is located in downtown Ipoh. Ask for directions if you are totally clueless. Every respectable Ipoh citizen will know where it is. It is located in what is a bean sprout chicken triangle.

What is it?
Bean sprout chicken is a dish made famous in Ipoh. The bean sprouts are cooked in boiling water till just cooked. Served in a sauce of soy sauce, seseame oil, garnished with chilli, spring onions and deep fried onion.
The chicken is bak-zham-wat-kai style or white smooth chicken. It is also cooked in boiling water till just cooked to preserve the natural taste and juice of the chicken meat. It is served with soy sauce, seseame oil, and spring onion.
Kuey teoy soup goes best with this combination. Ipoh’s kuey teow is the smoothest around. Served in a clear soup, it is a great alternative to rice.

How was it?
1. Bean Sprouts (8/10)
The bean sprouts were almost twice as fat as those you’d find over in KL but somewhat shorter as well. It was crunchy and not overly oily at all.

2. Chicken (7.5/10)
The chicken was juicy, and the sauce was light and complemented it really well. It was served hot as the chicken was scored with boiling water before being brought to each table. The chilli paste complemented
the chicken well. But I personally would have liked some ginger paste, but apparently only shops in KL served chicken with ginger paste.

3. Kuey Teow Soup / Hor Fun (6.5/10)
The kuey teow was the smoothest ever. But it was to be expected when you are having this in Ipoh.

4. Pork and Fish ball (5/10)
This was perhaps the most dissapointing of all dishes. When restaurants diverse their menu to attract a wider crowd, the quality of their food suffers. Being a dished pushed to all tables, i was expecting it to be better. It was nothing more than mediocre. The shop at Jalan Gasing PJ definitely serves better pork ball.

How Much was it?
The whole feast came up to about RM12.00 per person. Minus the Pork and fish ball soup, it was definitely worth it.

Will you return?
Definitely. Make your way there the next time you go to Ipoh.