Wok and Pan had fed hungry Malaccans and tourists since 2005.
Famous for their western repertoire, the Nyonya menu is often overlooked.

I thought that’s a shame, for some of the overrated Nyonya restaurants in Melaka couldn’t hold a candle to the Nyonya dishes Wok and Pan that I’ve had.
And Wok and Pan’s fish curry is touted to be the best there is in Melaka.

The Nyonya dishes here are likewise as generously portioned as their western offerings.
There isn’t a S, M, L portion but merely one standard size.

BELOW: Chicken Pongteh RM20 (standard).

The Chicken Pongteh goes for RM20, the Chap Chye RM18 and the Sweet and Sour Pork at RM15.

The Minestrone is cheap at RM5.00 though a bit watery for our preference while the Chicken Pongteh gravy was thick and savoury as it should be.
Every piece of chicken was tender with the flavours of the gravy well permeated into the meat. This standard portion consisted of 6 substantial pieces of chicken and easily sharable with 3 diners, alongside a vegetarian dish or another meat based dish.

For the 3 of us, the above was more than sufficient as even the Chap Chye was a monstrous portion as well.
Our only complaint was the sweet and sour pork was too little!

But of course that was because we love ku lou yok too much, and had to fight for the last piece.
Honestly the portion corresponds with the price and is pretty standard for a serving of sweet and sour pork in Melaka.

I love sweet and sour pork really.
It’s an appetizing dish due to the vibrant sweet and sour sauce but it is an art to be the sauce right, of which many establishments failed miserably.
Preferably it should be balanced (not just tasting like starchy ketchup) and bursting forth with sweet, tangy and sharp flavours. I disapprove of the goopy, sickeningly dimensional sweet sauce that is commonplace nowadays.

A great batter recipe also promises crispy and crunchy coating for the pork. The cornstarch coating should be thin enough for the sweet and sour flavors to seep into the meat and preferably coating chunky pieces of meat, not just measly thin slices.

Chef Lim dishes out of the best sweet and sour pork in Melaka; even better than most restaurants in KL too.
I’ve been to a number of Melaka dai chou (Chinese restaurants) in Melaka and his version is king.
However I must say that I would prefer the meat to be bigger.

From my previous visit (link HERE) I’ve tried the oyster omelette and it was one of my favourite order here.
To be frank the oyster omelette (RM10) didn’t have much oysters but I guess 4 oysters is ok for RM10?

But if you don’t think of it as an oyster omelette, but just an egg omelette WITH OYSTERS, then this is one of the most well-executed omelette we’ve ever had.
Fluffy, multi-layered and cooked to the perfect degree (no undercooked/wet or overcooked parts).

Wok and Pan Melaka serves excellent Nyonya food as well as pork ribs, burgers and pasta.
So if you are seeking a place to have the best of both worlds (Western + Nyonya) – Wok and Pan would be the place to go in Melaka.

The founder of the restaurant and his wife personally oversee the restaurant ops daily. Besides, the founder himself still reigns over the wok and pans in the kitchen so food is generally consistently good.

If you want to know more about Wok and Pan western dishes, do take a look here –>
http://www.rebeccasaw.com/affordable-western-food-pork-ribs-pork-burgers-and-steaks-in-melaka-wok-and-pan-nubacha/
I really enjoyed the ribs and steak and I find the prices value for money (compared to KL).

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Bits and pieces about Wok and Pan:
Wok & Pan East Meets West Cuisine Restaurant was established since year 2005.
The owner and also the chef of this restaurant was the ex-Executive Chef for Melaka Renaissance Hotel. His skills covers both western and Nyonya preparation and thus the restaurant is named Wok and Pan; with ” Wok” in reference to Asian style food while “Pan” is about western cuisine.

Wok and Pan
Address: 22G, Jalan Sultan Nuku, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
Contact: +60 17-673 8896
Hours: 12 – 3pm, 6 – 10pm
Off day: Monday.

Prices: RM10 onwards.
Pork-free/Halal: Serves pork.
WIFI: No.

Tax: 6%, no service charge.
Service: Don’t expect too much.
Your orders are served to you.

Ambience: Comfortable. Casual.
Aircon: Yes.

Outdoor seating: Yes for dinner.
Powerpoints for charging: NA.
Parking : Roadside.
Payment: Eat first, then call for bill to pay.

Fresh off my 10 sessions of Q-Switch Laser treatment at Clique Clinic, my skin (specifically the face) has achieved what I’ve requested Dr Lim for; radiant skin, even skin tone and a younger, lifted appearance.

You can read about my Q-Switched sessions HERE.
As I’ve explained in my post, for Q-Switched to be truly effective, you would need a minimum of 5-8 sessions, but fewer sessions is possible depending on your skin condition.

Following a rest of a few months, I thought my face deserved another rejuvenation so I paid the Clique familia another visit.

Josh being Josh was as usual intuitive to all his clients. He instinctively knew what I’m seeking for; rejuvenated skin, glowing complexion and clear skin.
It was opportune then as Clique Clinic had just launched their very own signature laser treatment for the face named Twilight Glow Pro treatment.

So, what does Twilight Glow Pro treatment (Clique Clinic’s PRP with Fractional CO2 laser) do?

Twilight Glow Pro Treatment by Clique is a ingenious combination of PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) with Fractional Laser.

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) itself is not new. This technology requires your own blood to be drawn and then spun in a centrifuge.
This process separate the platelets from the other elements of blood.

Only the platelet-rich plasma is used; usually by injection into the injured or healing- required areas.
The reason is; when PRP is used in injured or sun/ time-damaged tissues they can induce a remodeling of the tissue to a more healthy and younger state, thus promote healing and tissue responses including attracting stem cells to repair the damaged area.

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So, how is Twilight Glow Pro Treatment by Clique done and why is it different from the usual PRP?

PRP is usually done via injection in the cleaned anaesthetised skin in either small lines or tiny dots in the deeper skin layer.
This is administered on open wound or about the injured areas.

In Clique Clinic, it is pretty much the same way, EXCEPT that Fractional Laser is used to stimulate the “injury“.

Twilight Glow Pro by Clique is done on the face and the face wouldn’t have injuries on normal days correct?

So the fractional laser (using low laser energy) is used to remove the outer layer skin and the PRP (your own platelet rich plasma) is then massaged onto your face.
With the skin (epidermis layer) broken, the PRP can be absorbed directly into the skin and stimulate regeneration.

The benefit of using your own tissue is to eliminate allergies and there is the added intrigue of mobilising your own stem cells.

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STEP BY STEP procedure of Twilight Glow Pro by Clique :

Date: 4th March 2016:

1. BEFORE photos taken to record the/any differences.

2. I was told to lie down and had my face washed before a numbing cream was applied and left on for a total of 45 minutes.
During this time my blood was taken and the blood sample is spun in a centrifuge to produce the platelet rich plasma – PRP.

3. The platelet rich plasma (PRP) is then drawn from the tube into a small syringe.
Dr Bob then started the process using Fractional Laser and his assistant will simultaneously pump out and massage the PRP over my face and neck.
As I’ve mentioned above the role of the Fractional Laser was to remove the outer layer of the face/neck and prepare the face/neck surface to absorb the PRP.

There is no downtime at all and I could leave Clique Clinic immediately and go about my merry way.

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AFTER PHOTOS:

1 day after: Face and neck skin felt tender with slight redness here and there.
The redness disappeared after the 3rd day.

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HOW LONG DOES THE EFFECT LAST?

For me I saw the improved radiance and clearer skin in about 4-5 days.
The aftercare products that Josh recommended was Teoxane Advance Filler and RHA Serum so I applied that diligently from 4th March (date of Twilight Glow Pro by Clique) til today.

The application for both Teoxane products is simple.
Apply RHA Serum after cleansing and apply Advanced Filler AFTER the RHA Serum.

RHA Serum: (RM tbc)
For reactivation of skin’s natural mechanisms of deep regeneration: cell renewal and tissue restructuring.
High hydration power and instant tightening effect.

Advanced Filler: (RM tbc)
As anti-wrinkle cream.

2 months after (end of April):

Still looking clear and good!

With proper care and good products (sunscreen is a must) the glow and rejuvenated skin of Twilight Glow Pro by Clique should last 2-3 months.
The procedure can be repeated for long term maintenance.

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Differences between Q-Switched Laser and Clique’s Twilight Glow Pro treatment:

In a nutshell, 6 – 10 sessions of Q-Switched Laser is ideal to remove unwanted brown spots, sun freckles, scars or tattoos from your skin.
Q-Switch is an effective tool for combating hyper-pigmentation, provide facial rejuvenation and to minimize pores as well as to decrease the appearance of fine lines. All in all, it will helps to even out the skin tone.
Review HERE –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/review-results-clique-clinic-q-switched-laser-zo-medical-skin-lightening-system/

Price: Q-Switched is RM4200 for 10 sessions.

Clique’s Twilight Glow Pro treatment on the other hand focuses on instant rejuvenation and radiance.
The procedure prompts skin surface renewal via the regeneration of skin cells (as the result from the fractional laser) and reveals brighter, smoother and tighter complexion.

Both does not have downtime though depending on individual skin conditions, patients might experience redness and mild itchiness on the treated area (face/neck).

Price: is RM1800/session.
Package 8 times for RM8000.

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For consultation or appointment, call Clique at + 603-79601211.
Address: No. 4, Jalan 19/36, Seksyen 19,
46300, PJ, Selangor, Malaysia.
Waze for “Clique Clinic“.
https://www.facebook.com/cliqueclinic

A local Ipohan told me that commercially available traditional Hakka delights are few and far in between in Ipoh.

And thus when O Cafe opened its doors to welcome strangers to its cosy nest for home cooked Hakka fare it was well received by both the locals and tourists of Ipoh.

Positive reviews of its food went on its rounds both offline and online.
With such a unique proposition we just had to visit O Cafe during our time there.

Dining in O Cafe is like being invited into a friend’s home for dinner, albeit minus the owner presence at the table with you.
The dining takes place in an actual dining room in a lived-in house.

Walk in and you are faced with a cashier counter in front, a small dining space on your right and another dining space past the counter and on the left.
The interior is brighten up with some colors and home knick-knacks that could be charming or somehow uncoordinated, depending on your take.

The menu is kept simple but offers a compact selection of Hakka dishes with a few general Chinese dishes thrown in for variety.
Its signatures are the popular Chinese confinement dishes such as the chicken in rice wine and pork trotter in vinegar so that became standard order for many of its patrons, with our group being no different.
Instead of the common white rice, the rice served was of a healthier grain.

The Vinegar Pork Trotters (MYR12.90) consist of gently braised pork knuckles with thick crown of succulent fat. We are of opinion that a hard boiled egg isn’t necessary and the gravy could be sharper with stronger vinegar flavour. 
It was a small serving for the price but considering the scarcity of this dish the price became an afterthought for many.

Chicken Rice Wine (RM13.90).
I personally preferred this to the pork trotters. The heat from the ginger was very heady enough and the gravy tasty.   However on a separate visit my Ipoh friend said it was

Their Crabmeat Crispy Mishua (RM14.90) was a large portion easily sharable with 3 pax. Quite a generous bit of crab meat plus a few prawns were thrown in addition to slices of pork and vegetables.

Out of everything we crowned this Spicy Sour Spare Ribs our favourite for the night.
The portion is generous, the pork tasty and tender.

In summary, although there were some hits, there were more disappointments than hits for us.
The slightly pricier fares compared to the general Chinese restaurants can be forgiven with the reasoning of “true homecooked dishes” option but even then, the flavours are lacking in general.
Do visit if you miss your grandma’s cooking or authentic Hakka fare, but keep expectations low, especially if you happen to be lucky to have a very accomplished cook in your family.
Any comparison is futile.

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NOTE:
1. O Cafe’s exterior looks like any ordinary single-storey house and there is no significant signboard to market it as a food establishment safe for a big figure 2 at the front.
2. The outlet’s fully air-conditioned.
3. Parking is by the roadside outside of the house.

Ipoh Best Restaurants series:
Part I: Kedai Makanan Rasa Lain –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-for-dinner-part-i-kedai-makanan-rasa-lain-bercham-claypot-crab-fishballs/
Part 2: Ipoman Seafood Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipomanseafoodipoh/
Part 3: Restoran Cathay Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-3-restoran-cathay-for-old-school-pork-chopchicken-chopfish/
Part 4: Restoran Yum Yum Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-4-yum-yum-for-halal-delicious-nyonya-thai-food/
Part 5: Wong Koh Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-5-wong-koh-kee-a-classic-cu-char/

Yam Yam Seafood Restaurant was one of the restaurants that offers almost all my favourite food in one venue – homemade fishballs, frogs (yes!!), claypot lamb and sweet and sour pork.

Sadly, food turned out to be just about decent, definitely not one of my favorites or one that I’ll be keen to revisit.
But to be fair, it wasn’t terribly bad, just that we weren’t impressed with our dinner.

My yardstick for any Chinese restaurant is their sweet and sour pork.

Yam Yam’s version was good; the tomato gravy rich and tangy with decent amount of not overly fried pieces of pork (always a good thing!) plus there were added diced onions and capsicums, all in all a good deal for RM15.00, since that is pretty much the standard pricing for ku lou yok in Ipoh.

Another dish worth recommending is their Lamb with Fu Chok (RM18.00).

Braised until tender with the flavours of the gravy permeating to the bone, the only downside was the bony pieces.
For RM18.00, we expected substantial amount of meat, not just pieces of lamb that made up in numbers, but had barely any flesh on them.

For something out of the ordinary from the likes of chicken, pork and fish, Yam Yam happened to be one of the few restaurants in Ipoh that offers frogs on their menu.

They do it quite well too, judging from our order of Steamed Frog with Chicken Essence (RM35).
The amphibians were tender but firm, lightly steamed in chicken essence; a type of preparation method that is unconventional, even for an unconventional dish such as this.

Just a forewarning though; it can be pretty bland and one might find the essence diluted.
I thought a sprinkle of salt would help but I was told that for medicinal purposes, you should eat this as it is (minus embellishment).
I guess that’s the way it was meant to be, so do keep your expectations in check.
If you wish to chew on more flavourful frogs, I suggest that you request for a different method of preparation.

Another of Yam Yam’s signature is their homemade fishballs.
Now I’m one crazy fishball fan.
In fact I would travel and visit restaurants and dim sum outlets just for the purpose of eating fishballs!

Yam Yam’s version is served in a light flavoured soup with vegetables, wolfberries and mushrooms. A standard serving of 6 homemade fishballs is RM9.00.

While I had no issues with the soup nor the texture of the fishballs, I found them to be a bit too salty and that ruined the dish for me.

Well, it wasn’t a bad dinner per se, just that each dish could have been stellar, but marred by little details.

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Restoran Makanan Laut Yam Yam
9, Lebuh Raya, Ipoh Garden South,
31400 Ipoh.
No fixed off days.
Hours: 11:00am-3:00pm, 5:00pm-10:00pm
6% GST.

Tel: 012 5651 510.

Ipoh Best Restaurants series:
Part I: Kedai Makanan Rasa Lain –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-for-dinner-part-i-kedai-makanan-rasa-lain-bercham-claypot-crab-fishballs/
Part 2: Ipoman Seafood Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipomanseafoodipoh/
Part 3: Restoran Cathay Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-3-restoran-cathay-for-old-school-pork-chopchicken-chopfish/
Part 4: Restoran Yum Yum Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-4-yum-yum-for-halal-delicious-nyonya-thai-food/
Part 5: Wong Koh Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-5-wong-koh-kee-a-classic-cu-char/
Part 6: O Cafe, Canning Garden: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-5-o-cafe-canning-garden-ipoh/

Part 7: Yam Yam Restaurant: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-7-yam-yam-restaurant-for-dai-chow-in-tmn-ipoh/

As I prepare the 10 reviews for my “Best Chinese Restaurant in IPOH” list, Choy Kee was one that trailed at the bottom of the list.

It is inevitable for any meal in a Chinese restaurant to score hits and misses but it remained a big negative impression if all 3 dishes for dinner is bad.
For Choy Kee, it is either a stroke of bad luck or the food is truly of mediocre standard.

Our sweet and sour pork was acceptable at best, the salted egg yolk squids were rings of rubber and the pork ribs truly cloying sweet.

Our usual modus operandi has always been to test out a few dishes and add on to our orders if we find the earlier dishes to our liking.
For Choy Kee, we left as quickly as we could and I had to return to the hotel to munch on some tidbits as I could barely swallow anything during dinner.

Thankfully my dining companions finished the food since I hate wastage and I’m the one paying for the meal!

The restaurant is popular, the place is packed and the business has expanded from 1 to 2 shoplots over the last decade in business.
Their nearest competitor Yeh Lai Ong is literally next door but only Choy Kee pulls in the crowd. Yeh Lai Ong remained empty, night after night.
How and why is beyond the 4 of us, for our Choy Kee dinner was a let – down.

Perhaps we ordered the wrong items, but even then it is unforgivable to serve us tough, rubbery squids.

Or overly saccharine bony pork ribs.

As for dining condition, Choy Kee is your standard Chinese restaurant in a shoplot set-up.

You dine on wooden tables and sit on plastic chairs. Fresh chopped garlic and chilli padi plus the obligatory hot water basin are on the table for you to wash your utensils.
Ambiance is hurried, busy and every table features either a large group of friends or a family busy tucking into their meal.

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Conclusion:
I’ve lost the receipt but the bill came up to about RM60 for 3 dishes as above with 2 rice, non-inclusive of drinks.
All in all Choy Kee is NOT a restaurant I would recommend for NOW, but I’m open to hear from any Choy Kee fans if there are other dishes that warrants a revisit.

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Restoran Makanan Laut Choy Kee
111, Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan, Taman Ipoh,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
No fixed off days.
Hours: 6pm – 10pm

Tel: +60 5-549 9127.

Ipoh Best Restaurants series:
Part I: Kedai Makanan Rasa Lain –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-for-dinner-part-i-kedai-makanan-rasa-lain-bercham-claypot-crab-fishballs/
Part 2: Ipoman Seafood Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipomanseafoodipoh/
Part 3: Restoran Cathay Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-3-restoran-cathay-for-old-school-pork-chopchicken-chopfish/
Part 4: Restoran Yum Yum Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-4-yum-yum-for-halal-delicious-nyonya-thai-food/
Part 5: Wong Koh Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-5-wong-koh-kee-a-classic-cu-char/
Part 6: O Cafe, Canning Garden: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-5-o-cafe-canning-garden-ipoh/

Part 7: Yam Yam Restaurant: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-7-yam-yam-restaurant-for-dai-chow-in-tmn-ipoh/
Part 8: Restoran Makanan Laut Crab House: http://www.rebeccasaw.com

Part 9: Choy Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-9-restoran-makanan-laut-choy-kee/

Out of the many tai chou (Chinese big-fry) restaurants that I’ve been to in Ipoh, Restoran Makanan Laut Crab House easily clinched a spot in my “Top 5 Chinese Restaurants in Ipoh” list.

Service is brisk and the waiting time for dinner is short though the restaurant is packed.
I was informed that reservation is a must and after my meal, I understood why.

The restaurant is air-conditioned and the proprietor is seen serving diners and overseeing the operations throughout the night. Such a hands-on approach is admirable and it does bought fore a difference to the overall dining experience.
We observed that orders were timely, the staff working at efficiency level, diners were happy and every plate that I spied leaving the kitchen was nicely plated with the food looks fresh and delicious.

On our table that night was a meal worth RM200.
And I’ll say it was worth the price.

Total food bill: RM205.25, inclusive of GST.
Ribs (RM40), Chicken (RM48), Eggplant (RM15), Crabs (RM90.25) and Egg (RM12).

This RM90.25 fella is big. Chopped into 4 plus 2 big claws, the 7 of us shared this since we ordered many dishes that evening.
If you are a crab lover, it is entirely possible for you to finish one alone. But it was quite a meaty creature by my standards so if I were to only have this for dinner, I’ll be satiated.

See how meaty it was? It was superbly fresh and cooked just right. The sauce was just enough to flavour the crab, but neither too sweet or salty.
It was served with a saucer of spicy, creamy homemade dip so you have the choice of dunking the meat into it for extra flavouring if you wish.
I personally enjoy my crabs plain to savour its naturally sweet and tender flesh.

BELOW: Bottom left – sauce for the crab, bottom right – chilli for the chicken.

I thought RM48 for this specialty dish was worth the price considering the effort and time to create this.
The skin of the fowl were detached, stretched out and a homemade paste of meat and fish spread on it before it was cooked.

On the table it would be alike eating fishcake but padded with crispy chicken skin.
Each bite made me marvel at the skill and focus required to make one of this. Needless to say, there are limited portions available daily so reservations are encouraged.

A simple but wonderful dish; the steamed egg was perfect, wobbly, smooth and lightly seasoned with soy sauce.

Steering clear of the usual greens, we decided on the braised eggplant.
We found the gravy tasty but not salty, the amount of brinjals generous plus a good amount of minced pork added for RM15.
Not bad at all!

Our ubiquitous pork dish was the ribs. There were about 8 pieces of well marinated chunky pork ribs, thickly padded with solid, moist meat. A serving below is RM40.

All in all our dinner was excellent and I look forward to a revisit.

Admittedly the prices are slightly on the high side for Ipoh standards but I personally approve of the quality of the food here so for me it is a fair trade off.
Portions are generous, food is adeptly prepared and tasty and service is efficient.
Besides, it is an air conditioned outlet.

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**Other prices to note of:

RM7 -a pot of tea
RM7 – wet towels.
RM2 – per plate of peanut
RM2 – one BIG rice
RM3 – two small rice
RM21.90 in total for drinks – we had a pot of tea plus several herbal drinks.
Grand total: RM227.15

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32, Laluan Perajurit 1,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
No fixed off days.
Hours: 11.00am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm

Tel: +6012-565 7723 (Fanny).

Ipoh Best Restaurants series:
Part I: Kedai Makanan Rasa Lain –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-for-dinner-part-i-kedai-makanan-rasa-lain-bercham-claypot-crab-fishballs/
Part 2: Ipoman Seafood Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipomanseafoodipoh/
Part 3: Restoran Cathay Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-3-restoran-cathay-for-old-school-pork-chopchicken-chopfish/
Part 4: Restoran Yum Yum Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-4-yum-yum-for-halal-delicious-nyonya-thai-food/
Part 5: Wong Koh Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-5-wong-koh-kee-a-classic-cu-char/
Part 6: O Cafe, Canning Garden: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-5-o-cafe-canning-garden-ipoh/

Part 7: Yam Yam Restaurant: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-7-yam-yam-restaurant-for-dai-chow-in-tmn-ipoh/
Part 8: Restoran Makanan Laut Crab House: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-8-restoran-makanan-laut-crab-house/

Part 9: Choy Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-9-restoran-makanan-laut-choy-kee/

This Labour Day I had a reliable food guide in Peter who has been a Kepong resident for a long long time.

Kepong has always been an alien territory to me and the RM2.10 toll fare that we KL-ites/PJ people has to pay to even be able to cross over into this district is a total turn-off.
A return trip to Kepong cost RM4.20 in toll even before you take into account the distance and notoriously jammed roads, which is more often than not, a confusing maze.

But that whiny complaint I have aside, I got mildly interested in Kepong again recently after reading online about a few of its hawker offerings.
Apparently Kepong has pretty good food at pocket-friendly prices plus there are a few places that I’ve been eying for a while now like Chew Jetty and the night duck satay, all in all pushing Kepong up higher on my “must explore” list.

The only deterrent here now is getting my phobia of Kepong roads out of the way.

The solution was presented itself when Peter agreed to be my guide. So over a day, he took a bunch of us around Kepong and pointed out some places of interest.

We began the day with breakfast at Tuck Kee, an establishment almost like a restaurant with banquet tables, fans and even a boarded ceiling.
All in all it was just missing solid walls to be a proper shoplot.

This is my 2nd visit to Tuck Kee but my first was nearly 5 years ago.
There are some reviews that said the dim sum has gone down the drain in terms of taste but for our visit that day, we didn’t have much complaints – every item ordered was fresh, plump and tasty, none overly greasy or salty.

Obviously we didn’t try all the dim sum, but what was on our table were all above average and definitely edible.

But heck, this is THE big bao that will have me returning. And I’ll tapau (pack) some home too!

RM10. Packed to the skin with pork and chicken meat plus an egg and sliced radish and some mushroom.
The best part is the filling is not greasy or salty and the skin isn’t too thick (except for the top).

See how big it is compared to the standard bao?

As big as my face!

Take a look again. This is worth eating no?
I’ve always avoided ordering tai bao (big pau) since most are just thick dough encasing measly bits of meat (feel so cheated!), but this is a game charger. If only all big pau is like this one. And priced similarly too.

Notes on the other dim sum:
The Siu Mai is decent, admittedly nothing particularly outstanding but an edible version nonetheless.

The fried prawn roll actually has generous amount of prawns, almost hotel standards, but at a wallet-friendlier price.
The stewed pork belly consists of meaty chunks and isn’t overly salty while the porridge is a favourite of the regulars for a good reason; it is a light, watery version but lavishly loaded with ingredients.

PRICE:
RM3.20 x1
RM4.80 x 3 – RM14.40
RM5.50 x2 – RM11.00
RM10 x 1 – RM10 (must be the dai bao, it is the most expensive item)
RM6 – one pot of tea.
Total : RM44.60 total.

The staff were quite fast to attend to us so we had our food served pretty quick.
There’s a good variety available too and I’ll definitely return to try more!

So now that I got your stomach juices churning, where it Tuck Kee, Taman Bukit Maluri?

See the signboard below? Restoran Tuck Kee?
That was where it used to be; in a proper shoplot. But now it thrives on the pavement, right on the sidewalk of Jalan Burung Jentayu.
Just waze “Tuck Kee Restaurant”. 

Tuck Kee Dim Sum
No 39, Jalan Burung Jentayu,
Tmn Bukit Maluri, Kepong,
51200 Kuala Lumpur.
Hours:
5:00am – 12:00 pm (dim sum)
11:00am to 3:00pm (ala -carte)
Dinner a’la carte/dim sum : 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Sin Hup Kee is one of Ipoh’s most famous Chinese restaurant, popular with both locals and visitors from other states.
It is of course; a must-try in our list, since I’m compiling a list of Best Ipoh Chinese Restaurants.

Brian joined us for lunch and picked the recommended dishes.
We started with their signature stir fried chicken (“Kon Thin Kai“) which Brian forewarned us that “it used to be way better back in the days“.
Well, a lot of food were, as many restaurants started loosing their attention to detail or are cutting corners for commercial reasons.

Whatever it was, Brian was right.
It is nothing finger-licking good though I can see why many would like it; sticky, sweet, slightly crispy on the outside but not the deep-fried crispy.
It is an easy to like dish, great for kids and ideal for those who prefer non-spicy stuff. Besides, Sin Hup Kee can truly claim this as their own, and it is natural for anyone to order the signatures of a Chinese restaurant, especially if you are a first timer.

If you noticed, I’ve consistently ordered sweet and sour pork in almost every of the 10 restaurants that I’ve been to.
I’m just a sucker for it.
Sin Hup Kee’s version is pleasant enough with thick, not merely batter coated with thick tangy gravy.
RM8 (S) – as below. You can order RM12 (M) or RM20 (B).

For some greens, or rather fibres, we had a plate of fried beansprouts with salted fish.
This simple dish was adeptly prepared with the crunchiness of the beansprouts still intact. Besides, with Ipoh’s fat, juicy beansprouts, it takes an idiot to kill such an elementary dish.

RM6 (S) for this, else you can opt for RM8 (M) or RM10 (B).

I love this soup.
It was quite a large serving (as evident from the bowl size) and it was only RM4.00!
In the depths of the flavourful soup many slices of tender lean pork, fishcakes and assorted vegetables lurked within.

Salted Vegetable Soup. RM4 (S). RM5 (M). RM6 (B).

If you had noticed, the pricing at Sin Hup Kee is particularly competitive. Aside from fish (seafood is expected to be costly), most of the other dishes were below RM10.
This, in spite of the clean, comfortable seating and fully air-conditioned outlet that is supremely popular both for lunch and dinner.
It is worthy to note as well that the proprietor does not cut on portion for the sake of lower prices. I personally thought that the portions were pretty standard compared to the other restaurants in Ipoh.

All in all, a meal at Sin Hup Kee can be expected to be reasonably priced and good, not exceptional, but good.
For lone diners, there are many one meal dishes to choose from and that certainly explains the office crowd during weekdays lunch.

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Sin Hup Kee Restaurant
17 Jalan Leong Sin Nam,
Ipoh, Perak.
Tel: +605 2423128
Hours: 11:00am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00pm.
Close: Tuesday.
Waze : “Sin Hup Kee”.

Puchong branch:
I think it’s closed already? Tried calling but no answer.
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Ipoh Best Restaurants series:
Part I: Kedai Makanan Rasa Lain –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-for-dinner-part-i-kedai-makanan-rasa-lain-bercham-claypot-crab-fishballs/
Part 2: Ipoman Seafood Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipomanseafoodipoh/
Part 3: Restoran Cathay Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-3-restoran-cathay-for-old-school-pork-chopchicken-chopfish/
Part 4: Restoran Yum Yum Ipoh: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-4-yum-yum-for-halal-delicious-nyonya-thai-food/
Part 5: Wong Koh Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-5-wong-koh-kee-a-classic-cu-char/
Part 6: O Cafe, Canning Garden: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-5-o-cafe-canning-garden-ipoh/

Part 7: Yam Yam Restaurant: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-7-yam-yam-restaurant-for-dai-chow-in-tmn-ipoh/
Part 8: Restoran Makanan Laut Crab House: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-8-restoran-makanan-laut-crab-house/

Part 9: Choy Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-restaurants-part-9-restoran-makanan-laut-choy-kee/
Part 10: Sin Hup Kee: http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-chinese-restaurants-part-10-sin-hup-kee-jalan-leong-sin-nam/

My monthly trips to Melaka for both business and leisure gave me much opportunities to explore the bustling historically rich city, both culturally and much of its culinary offerings.

I’ve published an article on the best Nyonya chang, the best Nyonya kuih you can find in Melaka, the best cafes to hang out at and now, the best restaurant to satisfy your Nyonya cuisine cravings, which is of course, synonymous with the Melaka state.

After all, one of the frequently asked question is “Where is the best Nyonya restaurant in Melaka?”

I for one, won’t be able to say for certain which is BEST, though I can however, share what I think it’s best based on what I’ve eaten.

As with all food, bear in mind that taste is subjective and all outlets will experience ups and downs.
Constructive feedback/reports (if the food standards has dropped, service was bad on your visit) and recommendations are most welcome so drop me a message here (under comments) or fb.com/wackybecki or fb.com/RebeccaSawBlog.

I would like to add that I dined at these places with local Malaccan friends, I paid for my food and for some, I’ve visited a few times.

So here goes, 6 Nyonya restaurants that you should try, and another 8 that I’ve visited before and thus I’m including them as my own record.

My top choice (as of April 2016) goes to Samfu, Unicorn Cafe, Bulldog Cafe, Wok and Pan and for economical meals; Kafe Lin’s.
For HALAL, there is only one which is Seri Nyonya at Equatorial Hotel.

The rest – Makko, Nancy’s Kitchen, Donald and Lily, Amy Heritage, Aunty Lee, Ole Sayang, Nyonya Sayang, Song Nyonya Cuisine are the ones that didn’t impress us (based on what we had), though as foodies, we wouldn’t mind revisiting since food/chef could have changed since our last visit.

If I do revisit any, I’ll update on the verdict.

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This dim sum restaurant is particularly worthy to recommend and worth the mere 10 mins drive from Ipoh centre (where Plan B is).
Prices are cheap, dim sum is fresh and their lau sar pau/salted egg yolk bun is to die for; rich grainy custard of golden elixir, full bodied and sinfully thick.

Salted egg yolk bun – RM2.00 each.

For a while Zui Le Xuan was known for their signature colorful buns. Those has since been discontinued though.
That said, their baos remain to be one of the most popular items here. Besides the lau sar pau another crowd favourite is the one with glutinous rice and chicken meat.

We saw customers packing away as many as 10 – 20 at a go.
We skipped that since we were saving stomach space but if you’ll like to try it, look for the one that has a spiral pattern on top of the bao.
This is not to be confused with the dai bao (big pau) that is bigger and has pork. This “spiral top bao” is the only one that has glutinous rice within.

BELOW: See the one she’s holding? That’s the one with chicken and glutinous rice (spiral top).
The BIG one you see below is the “dai bao“.

Here is our RM27 meal. We enjoyed everything we had that morning.
Bear in mind that there are bound to be hits and misses in every dim sum outlet and our praises are for what we had as pictured below.
You can follow our cue, or try something else and if it’s good, do leave a comment so I’ll know what to order on my next visit!

The stuffed chee cheong is one of their specialties; smooth rice rolls wrapped over minced pork and fish meat.

Har kau: Skin is too thick but the prawns are fresh and plump.

Their fishballs are HUGE and lovely in taste!

I prefer steamed fishballs over the fried version anytime. As you can see from the image below, it is obviously handmade.
The texture is soft and bouncy and rest assured it is made using a high ratio of actual fishmeat.

This was another recommended item – the sweet and sour pork rolls. We were told we can either try the fried or steamed ones.
We settled for the fried version and while it is good, I personally found the sauce to be too sweet.

So will I return for more dim sum at Zui Le Xuan?
Oh yes, for sure I will!
I’ll be back for more salted egg yolk buns, the yong tau foo, the other fried items which we missed out today and the chicken + glutinous rice pau!

Zui Le Xuan Dim Sum Restaurant
28, A1 Jalan Tun Abdul Razak
Off Jalan Ng Song Teik,
Taman Pertama, 30100 Ipoh, Perak
Tel No: + 6016-549 2219, + 6 012-486 0883, +6016-510 9091

WAZE: “Zui Le Xuan“.
Business Hours: 6.30am – 1.30pm daily

If you are abstaining from pork, a Muslim or you are living in or a tourist in Ipoh, I would recommend Greentown Dim Sum Cafe for your dim sum fix.
If you not any of the above, then I’ll like to recommend much better dim sums in Ipoh, of which you can find the list HERE.

Meanwhile, let me go into details of our halal dim sum lunch yesterday.

For halal dim sum, Greentown Dim Sum Cafe is your best bet at the moment.
Most items are decent but hardly memorable.
Credit where it is due, none were particularly terrible either.

Our dim sum took a while to arrive, but the dim sum were fresh and the fried items were cooked upon order.

Prices wise I felt it was a bit costly for Ipoh standards (each plate is about RM5 – RM7 + GST), but as a trade off you get to dine in air conditioned comfort and it is an all day dim sum outlet.
Anyhow it is the ONLY HALAL certified dim sum outlet in Ipoh, so there isn’t really much of a choice.

And no, there is no WIFI (as of May 2016).

We settled for the juicy cempedak bun from the ‘new variety menu’, a number of items from the standard menu, steered clear from the har kau which I warned to be thick-skinned and one fried item to test the grease level.
The siew mai sets are helpful for those who prefer varieties (who doesn’t?) and lastly the egg parts since it is the sole pastry item available.

Juicy cempedak buns (3 pcs RM6.36). 
Acceptable cempedak taste and a bit sweet.

Siew Mai Set 2 – RM10 + for 4 pieces.
There are seaweed siew mai (2), fishball (2) and and chicken siew mai (2); all in all fairly edible.

The variations of siew mai (meat dumplings) available are quite extensive.
There are 4 sets altogether and besides the ones in the menu below, there are prawn and chicken version as well as mushroom, black pepper and ‘blue‘ dumplings.

Fried Beancurd Roll (RM6.00+).
The positive side of this dish is that the rolls were served piping hot. On the downside, it wasn’t properly drained so each piece was sitting on little pools of grease on the plate.

The most disappointing item we had were these egg tarts (RM5.80+). The custard is firm, overly sweet and the pastry stiff.

We had Sea Coconut and Longan (RM3.50+) and White Coffee (RM3.70+) to wash down our meal.
We were charged RM0.60 for an additional glass of iced drinking water.

In conclusion, our meal was acceptable for a halal version in Ipoh.

In KL, excellent pork free options can be found at Celestial Court, though as expected prices are higher too.
Other notable ones are MinMax PNB as well as Siang at Sogo KL. Another option is Dolly Dim Sum but our dining experience here was mediocre.

As of recent months Greentown Dim Sum Cafe had began offering set lunches. Additionally to that, their ala-carte menu for rice and noodle based dishes are extensive and based on fellow Ipohans’ feedback, those are commendably prepared.
Joanna particularly favoured the Kampung Fried Rice while I thought it was a waste that the nasi lemak isn’t served with coconut milk rice but plain rice instead.
No doubt they wanted to reduce potential wastage since there are only 2 nasi lemak items on the menu.

Greentown Dim Sum Cafe (HALAL),
10, Persiaran Greentown 4,
Pusat Perdagangan Greentown,
30450 Perak, Malaysia.

Phone:+60 5-255 2010
Hours: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm.
Off day: Tuesday.
WAZE: “Greentown Dim Sum Cafe”
** Note that they have a JAKIM certificate so it is HALAL, not just pork-free.

Li Yuan is sort of an spin-off from the established China Chuan Kwong (Qi Yuan) at Greentown Business Centre.
While the latter focuses on ‘Cantonese dim sum and Szechuan specialties (cue: Xiao Loong Bao, chilli oil in almost everything, Szechuan-style noodles), the former supposedly more for well, normal dim sum?

Anyhow here’s the menu (minus a page for the bao and fried items) for you to decide if a trip here is worth the ride.

Since there were some reviews on their standard dim sum already and the general feedback had been positive we decided to review their Sunday/weekend specials instead.

That means that the 5 items you see below are available only on Sundays and pre-orders are encouraged.

Frankly, after chowing down all 5 items, I would say it is only the “dai bao” and the ‘fishpaste pork balls‘ that are worth pre-ordering.
The yong tau fu though decent, isn’t something I’ll be having lingering dreams of. Neither was the “chok sang kwuin” – a type of pork roll with water chestnuts and carrots wrapped in bamboo fungus and steamed in gravy.

The ‘extra big har kau‘ is worth it if you’re a big fan of prawns as each of these 4 babies are impregnated with at least 4-5 prawns each.
For RM9.00, you’ll have to decide if it is worth it, or else settle for the ordinary har kau (RM5.00 for 3 pcs) from their standard menu.

Now for the dai bao.
Was it worth RM8.50?

I would say it is worth ordering to share if you have a bigger group than 3 pax.
This mighty fella was bulky with a quarter egg, half a mushroom, loads of radish, a large piece chicken, plenty of pork strips, vegetables (shreds of coriander and celery) and 2-3 slices of lap cheong (wax sausages)!

It was rather saucy so the bottom dough was all soggy. The bao layer itself is a bit thick, though admittedly for RM8.50 there were more than enough ingredients to justify its price.

My personal favourites are the fried fishpaste wrapped pork balls (RM7.00 for 2) and the ‘chok sang kuin‘ (paste wrapped in bamboo fungus), RM6.00 for 2 rolls.

Served hot, these balls were juicy and dense with minced meat with strips of black fungus, water chestnut and carrots.
Since this is something exclusive to Li Yuan, give it a shot if you are here on Sunday.

The ‘chok sang kuin‘ – I enjoyed it, but it won’t be something that I’ll rate as an absolute must-order for Li Yuan’s Sunday special. The earlier fishpaste wrapped pork ball yes, but not this.
It is one of those “Oh, I’ve tried it, it is ok, but no, for RM6 I’ll try something next time“.

The Yong Tau Foo (RM5.00).
All 3 items are well made and the sauce tasty without being overly salty. Order if you are a yong tau fu fan, skip if you are not.

All in all, I’ll rate Li Yuan at “good and worth a visit”.

Personally I regretted that we didn’t try the items from the main menu instead. The big bun filled us up and we were unable to stuff ourselves further. The homemade noodles sound promising too as I was told that the sauces are the chef’s own concoction.
Joanna’s personal favourite is the “C06 – Szechuan Hot and Spicy Noodles in Chicken Stock” and I trust her tastebuds so I’ll definitely be ordering that on my next visit.

Well, see you soon Ipoh.
There will be a “Li Yuan – Part 2” for sure!

Li Yuan Dim Sum Restaurant is an air conditioned outlet and there is complimentary WIFI for guests.
The dim sum trolley is absent here so orders are done via an order sheet. Our orders were served pretty quickly and service is competent.

Li Yuan Dim Sum Restaurant (behind Tesco Ipoh Garden)
27, Jalan Medan Ipoh 18/1,
Medan Ipoh Bistari,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel No : +605-545 7001
Business hours :
Daily from 7.00 am to 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm
Close on Wednesday.

Dynasty Palace is certainly one of the better dim sum restaurants in Ipoh.
I would rate it as one of my favourites, alongside Zui Le Xuan, Chooi Yue, Lok Hin, Sun Kim Aik and Sun Kok Kee.

This family-run outlet has been serving their homemade recipes in this air-conditioned double lots in Stesen 18 since 2013.
Service is efficient enough, dim sum selection is extensive with some unique house specials thus providing a different dining experience than your regular dim sum joints and overall the dim sum has a certain finesse to them, as compared to the coffeeshop variety.

That said, prices for the dim sum remained reasonable.

If you have read my post on the halal dim sum in Greentown Dim Sum Cafe, you will realize that prices are almost similar, but dim sum served here are of so much better quality.
Hence as I’ve voiced strongly before, unless you are a Muslim or abstaining from pork, there are many more superior dim sum choices in Ipoh.

The Dynasty Palace egg tarts came highly recommended by my reliable Ipoh guide Brian and these same babies enjoyed high regards on foursquare tips as well.

Granted, they were soft, creamy and wobbly, but a tad sweet for me. Nonetheless, the flaky crust was faultless; airy with a non- greasy feel.
RM4.80 for a set of 3 mini ones.

We inspected the har kau next.

The skin is a nice, chewy film enveloping firm, fresh prawns.
Only the top portion where the folds were was a tad thick. If you are not absolutely anal about such slight, then there is nothing to complain about these prawn dumplings. RM5.80 for 4.

My favourite dim sum fishballs were the humongous ones at Zui Le Xuan Dim Sum Restaurant but these came close.
Firmer in bite, but no less satisfying in the fish flavour. RM4.50 for 3. 

This was one of Dynasty Palace signature item; the Bean Skin Chee Cheong Fun, RM6.30/plate.

It is essentially beancurd skin cloaking a filling of fish and prawn paste with spices. After it is deep fried, smooth chee cheong fun are swiftly wrapped around each roll.
The roll is then quickly cut up and plated before it is served to the diner.

When this arrived at our table, the beancurd skin was still crackling crisp and hot. Accompanying the dish was a small saucer of their in-house mixed soy sauce as well as their homemade chilli paste.
Thus instead of serving the rolls in a pool of sauce which might effect the texture of dish, you are encouraged to dip each piece into the soy sauce and chilli as and when you are ready to consume one.

As usual I had a problem with the grease from the beancurd skin. This is one of the reason why I avoid ordering fried items at dim sum outlets.
That said, my dining partner had no issues.

My dining partner is also a fan of chicken feet. Here at Dynasty Palace she was delighted to bite into crunchy, bouncy chicken feet, devoid of bones and in a spicy, appetizing dressing.
Almost like a chicken feet salad, if you can call it that!

Thai Spicy Chicken Feet – RM5.90.

The lau sar pau boasted of thick and rich custard but pales in salted egg robustness compared to Zui Le Xuan. Thus Zui Le Xuan is still my pick for best lau sar bao (salted egg yolk bun) in Ipoh.

Nevertheless, this version is good too.  RM5.40 for 3.

We truly had a feast and left stuffed.
Last but not least was this Spare ribs with black bean sauce (RM4.80). Fairly meaty and the sauce wasn’t overly oily or salty so I enjoyed this!

Our bill for 7 dim sum plus a pot of tea and a glass of ice cubes (RM0.50) totaled up to RM43.45 after 6% GST.
All in all, I rate our breakfast to be satisfactory with more hits than misses, based on what we ordered.

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Dynasty Palace Restaurant
No. 16-18, Medan Stesen 18/11 (opposite the Aeon Mall, Station 18)
Station 18, 31650 Ipoh,
Perak, Malaysia.

Phone:+60 5-255 2010
Hours: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Off day: Monday.
WAZE: “Dynasty Palace“.

Alongside heavyweights such as Dynasty Palace, Zui Le Xuan, Chooi Yue, Lok Hin, Sun Kim Aik and Sun Kok Kee, Restoran Dim Sum BFB pales terribly in comparison, regardless of how proudly they inserted the words “Hong Kong” into their restaurant name.

With factors such as pricing, portion, taste, quality and distance from Ipoh centre taken into consideration, it was just not worth the effort.

Not to me at least, since I have 6 better options as listed above.

That said, BFB has its fans; for even on a Monday morning, it enjoys brisk business, but mostly locals (read: old folks).
I’m guessing that BFB is the neighbourhood kopitiam-style dim sum outlet that caters for the surrounding areas.

The outlet started out slow at 7 – 8am, but picked up pace from 8.30am onwards.
I left about 10:30am and the crowd was thinning out by then.

Although I may not sample the exact same items at each outlet, I will always order 5 – 8 dim sum per outlet.

For BFB I’ve tried a total of 7 items and there were just more misses than hits so I didn’t bother to order more.

For a start I was appalled at the siew mai. It looked though like it was yesterday’s leftovers and re-steamed for today.
Thankfully it tasted better than it looked, though undoubtably overcooked.
RM4.10 for 3 pcs.

In the absence of a good pork dumpling, I added an order of ‘pei dan quin’ (fried century egg roll) (RM4.30)  just to be sure.

This turned out to be satisfactory; meaty and not overly greasy. I like the taste of salted egg yolk with the pork. MY gripe? The rubbery pieces of century egg.

The fishballs (RM4.10) passed muster, so did the egg tarts (RM1.90 each), finally a wobbly yet not diabetically sweet version.
Their “recommended” smoked bacon pork rolls were not available when I wanted to order it, but I was informed later when it became available.
I gave it a miss though, since my meal was overall so-so.

Foursquare tips mentioned the char siew bao as a ‘must-order‘. I have high expectations of char siew bao in general so I’ve skipped ordering it entirely in dim sum restaurants. More often than not, the fillings are overly sweet and there are more sauce than meat.

True enough, I regretted my decision the moment I bit into mine. This one of the sweetest char siew bao (RM2.10) I’ve ever had!

The lao sar bao (RM4.80 for 3) was not bad though.
The first batch failed the molten lava test, but they reheated it for me, it flowed like the beautiful golden elixir it was supposed to be.
Perhaps the baos were not heated properly the first time, or I’ve left it longer than I should. Whatever it was, I was glad for these salted egg yolk buns!

First batch.

After reheating.

BFB dim sum aren’t the sort that leaves you craving for more or lingers on your mind long after your meal.
It won’t urge you to impatiently plan your next visit.

It is simply, an acceptable dim sum option in Ipoh.

Will I return?

Yes I would. Like I said, my experience wasn’t terribly bad. It just that I have better options in Ipoh, but should there be anyone else willing to accompany me for a 2nd visit, I’m all up for it.
Oh yes, service is good and both the young (2 guys) and old servers (old ladies) are helpful and friendly. The iced coffee (RM2.10) truly kick ass too.

The overall bill came up to RM24.10 inclusive of GST with each item between RM2.10 to RM4.80.

This meal could have fed 3 pax easily.

Restoran Hong Kong Dim Sum BFB

61, Persiaran Bandar Baru Tambun 16,
Taman Ipoh Impian, 31400 Ipoh.
Tel: + 6 010-2203812
Business Hours: 6.30 am – 1.30 pm.
Close: Tues and Wed.

Move As Young As You Feel Inside – that’s the key message from Anlene as Fronterra Brands Malaysia launched ‘Anlene with MoveMax™‘, a new formulation of the already popular Anlene range of milk products.

As of today, Anlene is the only milk in Malaysia with MoveMax™ formulation.
This breakthrough formula includes calcium, collagen, protein and a number of micronutrients for the well-being of bones, joints and muscles, as opposed to the standard formulation focused on nutritional needs for bones alone.

Thus with daily intake of Anlene MoveMax™ these nutrients work conjointly to maintain the health of bones, joints and muscles, which in totality are the key body parts supporting all movements of our body.

As Anlene MoveMax™ supports flexibility, dynamism, strength and vitality, all the components that enable youthful movement, the tagline of Move As Young As You Feel is indeed apt, for it empowers Malaysians to always keep moving as young as they feel, regardless of age.

At the launch I felt both amused and respect as I watched a bunch of energetic ladies move in ways that I myself might not be able to.
Shaking their ‘bons bons‘ to upbeat music, these ladies drove home the point of “Move As Young As you Feel Inside“.

Then Sheila Majid, resplendent at age 50, walked on stage much to the delight of the guests. A collective gasp was heard and scurried closer to the stage for a photo.

“I don’t let age slow me down, instead I keep moving to slow down age” she had declared. An advocate of the active lifestyle, Sheila revealed that Anlene plays an important role in fulfilling her nutritional needs.

Well, she certainly wowed her audience with her youthful appearance and exuberance!

The launch was likewise a spirited event.
Members of the media had a taste of youthful movement which featured fun joyful activities such as trampoline jumping, arcade dance moves and a tyre swing game.

In another section there was the Anlene Bone Health Check booths where participants were asked to perform a series of movements to evaluate their mobility.

I am glad to announce that I’m above average and at LOW RISK for my bone scan result!

The tests were simple and took less than 20 minutes. The data secured provides valuable insight into the state of bone health in you so do take bone scans annually to ensure you are at low risk.

I’ve been consuming Anlene regularly since I took the Anlene 21 day challenge.

Now it looks like I’ve got to stock up on the new Anlene MoveMax™ milk and yogurts ASAP.
Like Sheila, I’m not going to let age slow me down, but I’ll keep moving to slow down age!

The new Anlene MoveMax™ is available in all leading supermarkets nationwide and is available in powdered form (plain and chocolate) as well as in all 4 flavours of Anlene yogurts (plain, mango, strawberry and Mixed Berries).
The powdered form is sold in 1kg, 600g and 175g packs.

This is my favourite PORK ribs which I would happily and confidently recommend to friends. The meat was falling off the bones tender and devouring it only requires your hands and a hearty appetite!

While most pork ribs preparations tend to be slathered with overly thick or sweet sauce that overwhelms the meat, Sausage and Ribs Shack’s US spare ribs (RM85 for a full rack as shown here OR RM50 for half rack) was fortunately spared the same fate.

Lance, the owner, is obviously a master of his craft. The imported rack of ribs were done justice with a tasty marinade and cooked to a perfect uniformed tender and moist state.

The meat on its own was impressive and the additional sauce on the side wasn’t necessary for me (though the sauce itself merits a mention).
The 4 of us devoured this and collectively agreed that it is worth the price paid.

For one, there aren’t many outlets that offers US imported pork.
The taste and texture alone is superior over the locally bred ones and personally I preferred this over Iberico. But if you love your Spanish pork, Sausage and Ribs does offer Spanish pork ribs as well for RM40/half rack and RM68/full rack.

I’m aware that claiming this as “the best” might sound preposterous so I would urge you to try it yourself. For me, this is ‘my best‘ in comparison to the list below.

1. Naughty Babe Dirty Duck
2. Nambawan (Not bad & cheap!)
3. Flingstones Cafe
4. Ampersand Culinary Rebels – Uptown Damansara. (GOOD – Cocoa ribs.)
5. Morganfields
6. Ante Kitchen Publika
7. Ribs at Burgeon (GOOD but only available on certain occasions now)
8. Wok and Pan Melaka (GOOD & cheap!)
9. Nubacha Melaka (GOOD!)
10. Hungry Hog SS15
11. Piggy Tail Bangsar
12. Ribs by Vintry
13. Skippy’s – Uptown Damansara. (Terrible. Had the sticky pork ribs and we couldn’t even taste the meat as it was glazed with a thick, sugary coat).
14. D’Legends Bar TTDI
15. Iberico Kitchen at Oasis Ara Damansara
16. Interlude TTDI

16 places.
Have YOU tried as many pork ribs as I did?
I personally paid for and ate these ribs over 2015 -2016 (1-2 back to earlier years) and for now, this US Pork Ribs by Sausage and Ribs Shack reigned as my top choice for pork ribs in KL.

Surprised that I haven’t tried Naughty Nuri’s?
Well, there were a number of negative feedback from friends about it. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t try it.
I’ll get to it SOON.

Now, let me finish my tale on Sausage and Ribs Shack.
My first visit was in October 2013. 2 friends and moi shared a platter of sausages, a full rack of rib and a mushroom soup.

The meal was decent overall, but fell short of memorable. I did like the sausages though and bought quite a number of frozen packs home.

Fast forward 3 years later I was intrigued again with the consistent good reviews that went around online. I was also informed by a close friend that the owner had tweaked his recipes and thus the ribs could be different from what I had earlier.

Heck, I had thought. 3 years IS a long time.
Not long enough for me to abandon the urge to wring the neck of an ex-BF, but long enough for me to considering revisiting a food outlet.

So here I am, with a trio of 3 hungry men, ready to tuck into a rack of ribs.

The outlet hasn’t changed much and it was packed on a weekday night.
We were early so we enjoyed some “peaceful dining hours” before the crowd descended on us.

As you already know, we enjoyed the ribs. Our other orders were the Sausage Platter (RM37) and the Bacon Mushroom Pizza (RM25).

The sausages were as rotund, meaty and juicy as I remembered and tasted even better now. These 5 wieners sat on a bed of excellent caramelized onions, so delicious that there weren’t a filament of onion left on the plate by the time we were done.
The mash was homemade as well, and so was the sauce.

The thin crust pizza had a crispy, freshly baked base with benevolent amount of cheese. They didn’t cut corners on the other ingredients either so we enjoyed a fully loaded pizza.

The owner makes his own sausages and bacon and thus he is a supplier to many other businesses. Do FB their page if you would like to order some.

Meanwhile if you wish to enjoy a “lighter” meal Sausage and Ribs Shack does offer a lunch menu with manageable one pax portions.
Homemade sourdough bread is on their Saturday breakfast menu so head there for a swine-ful breakfast (think thick bacon, fat sausages and eggs) on Saturdays!

Sausage and Ribs Shack
9 Jalan 2/105, Taman Midah,
Cheras, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Waze: “Sausage and Ribs“.

Contact: 016-229 2168
FB: https://www.facebook.com/SausageAndRibsShack
HOURS:
Mon – Fri (except Thus): 12pm – 10pm
Sat: 9am – 10pm
Sun: 6pm – 10pm

CLOSE: Thursday.

Chokodok Reggae House
Jalan Sultan Idris Shah,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7521434 OR www.booking.com
Tel: + 6017-224 5847

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There is a dearth of budget accommodations in Ipoh for sure.

While the island of Penang and the historical city of Melaka suffers a glut of such “boutique“, nostalgia-themed, charmingly old and artfully decorated accommodations, Ipoh seems to be slow to catch up.

No doubt there are many big Ipoh hotels with over a hundred rooms each, and there has been a few new modern boutique hotels of late (namely M Hotel, Bali Hotel, Sekeping Kong Heng, Happy 8, Indulgence – used to be THE boutique hotel in Ipoh) but for a night stay for less than RM50, I’ve only found a few.

As you can see from the video that I’ve uploaded, Chokodok Reggae House Ipoh isn’t ideal for the dainty ladies and careful backpackers.

I managed to get this private double bed room for RM20 nett on booking.com for a Sunday night stay. This is a 50% deal of the usual rate of RM40.
Thank god it was RM20, for I wouldn’t pay RM40 for this!

As far as cleanliness goes, this is dirty.
This is the dorm sharing unit for about RM20/bed/night. Mine was a private room.

Safety? Well, I would say it is safe. You are provided a padlock for your room and there is a sturdy bolt from inside.
For the dorm sharing room, it is not locked.

Service?
Pretty good actually. The team managing the place and the cafe is your hipster young happy-go-lucky fellas, all men yes, but not threateningly so.
Just to clarify, what I mean is, if you are the careful sort, then do not consider Chokodok Reggae House for the time being. I was told there will be a renovation soon and things will improve.

Wifi is bad upstairs, and at most times, useless. I tethered on my mobile whenever I’m in the room, which was less than 8 hours during my stay.

Personally I didn’t know what to expect until I turned up at the premise. Images online had showed pretty decent pictures and being a frequent backpacker myself, I had not expected the sky and the moon.

BELOW: Common area for hanging out.

Sharing washroom.

However I didn’t leave not because of money (he showed me the place first and told me upfront that I should check and only stay/pay if I’m comfortable), but because my gut feel told me it is safe enough.
The fellas I spoke to was sociable and the team pretty much minded their own business.

Frankly, I just needed a place to stay for the night and I won’t be spending my time in the hostel much. Besides, I felt no threat. There was a lady guest as well during my stay, a foreigner who seemed pretty happy hanging around here.

In a nutshell, if you are a male and the sort to rough it out, then Chokodok Reggae House can be considered.
Do watch the video to understand what I meant.

Trust me, the images won’t convey the actual the feel of the place as well as a video might.

Else, do check out my list of other IPOH: Budget stays under RM50 here –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-cheap-stays-for-less-than-rm50night/

MORE PHOTOS:

The cafe on the ground floor.

The corner lot that is Chokodok Reggae House. Parking is a challenge. You would have to circle a bit on the few streets here.
I was here on a quiet weekend so I didn’t have any problems finding parking on the streets.

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Seeking Ipoh cheap accommodations for less than RM200/night?
Then check out these 5 hotels that I’ve personally stayed in. Most are less than RM150.
Book via Hotel Quickly using my code for RM40 off your first booking!
** CODE: RSAWN1

IPOH: Best hotels below RM150 – RM200 –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-hotels-via-hotelquickly-app-save-on-hotel-bookings/

IPOH: Budget stays under RM50 here –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-cheap-stays-for-less-than-rm50night/

If you are on budget and looking for a simple, clean bed over your head in Ipoh, here is a list of available hostels or cheap accommodation in Ipoh.

1. 1981 Guest House
26A &, 26, Jalan Market,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/1981GuestHouse/
Email: 1981guesthouse@gmail.com
Tel: 05-255 1981

Rate: RM25 / night can get bunk bed in dorm
Reservation:
Bookings can be made via booking.com or tripadvisor.com.

What to expect: It is an excellent choice!
Please find my review here –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/cheap-hostel-in-ipoh-video-review-1981-guest-house-ipoh/

2. Chokodok Reggae House
No. 175, Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah,
Ipoh, Perak.
Tel: + 6017-224 5847

Private room (for 2 persons): RM20 per head
Dorms: RM15 per head
Reservation:
Bookings can be made via booking.com or airbnb.com .

What to expect: Consider staying here only if you are the adventurous or easy-going sort!
My review here –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/cheap-stay-in-ipoh-review-chokodok-reggae-house-ipoh/

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I’ve listed 3 more below that suits the criteria or RM50/night (or less) as reference for my future visits.
I’ll definitely update this post after I’ve stayed in them.

Besides, my next Ipoh trip is in 2 weeks! Stay tuned folks!

3. Bed & Bike Backpackers Studio
2A-1, Jalan Sultan Yusuff,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/bbbsipoh/
Tel: + 605-241 1181

Dorms: RM30 onwards per bed
Reservation:
Bookings can be made via booking.com or agoda.com

4. Container Hotel
91, Jalan Sultan Yusuff,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Website: http://containerhotel.my/ipoh
Email: ipoh@containerhotel.com.my
Tel: 05-243 3311

Rates: RM50 / night
Reservation:
Bookings can be made via http://containerhotel.my/ipoh/rooms or booking.com

5. eloft Hostel
**Cannot reach via phone, dates are all unavailable on their booking calendar (probably closed down)
115 Jalan Sultan Iskandar, Taman Jubilee,
30000 Ipoh, Perak.

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My experience at 1981 Guest House:

1. 1981 Guest House – REVIEW

For RM25/bunk/night I have no complaints at all about this guest house/hostel.

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My experience at Chokodok Reggae House:

2. Chokodok Reggae House – REVIEW

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**********************************************************************************************************

Seeking Ipoh cheap accommodations for less than RM200/night?
Then check out these 5 hotels that I’ve personally stayed in. Most are less than RM150.
Book via Hotel Quickly (download app for iOS or Android) using my code for RM40 off your first booking!
** CODE: RSAWN1

IPOH: Best hotels below RM150 – RM200 –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-hotels-via-hotelquickly-app-save-on-hotel-bookings/

IPOH: Budget stays under RM50 here –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-cheap-stays-for-less-than-rm50night/

1981 Guest House
26A &, 26, Jalan Market,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/1981GuestHouse/
Tel: + 60 5-255 1981

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This is my first stay in 1981 Guest House Ipoh though I had visited before in October 2015 for a light snack at the Wheel Noodle Cafe downstairs.
The egg tart was overly sweet, the noodles decent (RM1.90 each) and the coffee thick and rich.
They are famous for their giant bowl of ramen which I haven’t tried.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve noticed that there is a dearth of budget accommodations in Ipoh.

While I prefer luxury accommodations with full service, there are times when I’m in Ipoh for 1-2 nights, alone and for work.
With the number of cafes around, there isn’t a need to stay in the hotel at all.

And thus, at times like these (or if you are on a backpacker’s budget) a clean, cheap hostel will do.

Seen the video?
It is a good deal for RM25/night right?

I stayed here on a Saturday night (not a long weekend) so that is a fair rate to me. To top it off, this is one of the most spacious bunk sharing dorms I’ve ever stayed in.

There isn’t much of a service here, but there is complimentary use of the internet and TV at the common area, washing machine, FREE WIFI that works, dedicated lockers, power sockets beside the bunk and clean bathrooms with hot shower.
Aircon is available in the dorm room from 9pm – 9am. Out of those hours, the fan provides ventilation.

Additional to all the above, 1981 Guest House boasts of a superb address where a mere 3 minutes walk will bring you to the heart of Ipoh where Plan B, Kong Heng and Thean Chun coffeeshops are located.

In conclusion there isn’t a cause for complaint really, especially if you are a backpacker.

I would suggest bringing a 3 way pin or an extension cord (which you should anyways if you are staying in sharing dorms) since there is only one powerpoint per bunk bed.

There is no breakfast provided, but hey, you are in Ipoh. Just walk out and feast on delicious local delicacies in Thean Chun or Kong Heng coffeeshop!

You can rent a bicycle too if you are looking to ride out further than the surrounding areas.
As for me, this is about 4 minutes walk to Taman D.R. Seenivasagam where I enjoyed my morning runs. 

Want to book? Here’s the address and contact:

1981 Guest House
26A &, 26, Jalan Market,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/1981GuestHouse/
Tel: + 60 5-255 1981

**********************************************************************************************************

**********************************************************************************************************

Seeking Ipoh cheap accommodations for less than RM200/night?
Then check out these 5 hotels that I’ve personally stayed in. Most are less than RM150.
Book via Hotel Quickly using my code for RM40 off your first booking!
** CODE: RSAWN1

IPOH: Best hotels below RM150 – RM200 –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-hotels-via-hotelquickly-app-save-on-hotel-bookings/

IPOH: Budget stays under RM50 here –> http://www.rebeccasaw.com/ipoh-best-cheap-stays-for-less-than-rm50night/

So what is happening over at Imbi Market after its relocation to ICC Pudu?

And yes, this is the ICC Pudu, looking ugly and unfinished.

And everyone’s favourite Ah Weng Koh is only scheduled to open on 25th of May.

As of today, 15th May (Sunday) the indoor, foodcourt-alike “food market” is as good as a badly designed and terribly ventilated version of any foodcourt in Klang Valley.

It is bare, it is ugly and it is a damn uncomfortable dining space.
Granted, the fans were at full speed, but hot air circulated within the space with no outlet.

The stalls are only 50% (or less) occupied and it is already stuffy as hell.
I have no idea what is going to happen when the stalls are fully taken up and the foodcourt is packed.

Someone has better get a medic team ready.

No proper signages were up for the stalls. They were barely identifiable from each other, unless you are a regular and able to recognise your favourite vendor on sight, you would have to walk a few rounds to locate them.

I struggled to find my favourite chicken with ginger paste noodles, Hokkien Char, Ann’s nasi lemak, steamed egg, and curry mee and failed.

The popular Ah Fook Chee yong tau fu is there of course and the queue was building up by 8.00am.

Recognise these?

At least the aunty that cooks the awesome ginger and wine soup noodles is still around, busy as ever over her big wok, with her identifiable mould of eggs at her side.
Her fish head noodles isn’t too shabby either.

There is a halal section now, while the others were free for all.

So here’s how you order your food and drinks at Imbi Market, ICC Pudu:

Tables are numbered so once you have found a table to your liking, take note of the table number so you can inform your chosen hawker fella where to send your order.

Depending on section you are at, you would have to order from the “drinks vendor” of the section.
Many of them offer ‘Hainan coffee’ so you can still get your Hainan coffee fix, though it is not Ah Weng Koh’s version.
Likewise the same stalls offer toast bread.

None of them looked particularly promising, so after feeling lost for a bit, I didn’t order any.

My breakfast was short of a disaster.
I never liked the char kuey teow (RM5.50) even back then when it was at the old market. My breakfast partner didn’t mind and thus I ordered a plate for him.
The Jawa Mee (RM6.00) was the best of the lot here. Thick, tangy and slightly spicy gravy with a full egg and other standard Mee Jawa ingredients.

The same stall offers Asam Laksa and Penang Prawn Mee as well.

This is the char kuey teow stall.

I bought these kuih for RM1.20 each from the Tong Kee stall.
The skin is super thick and the fillings meager.

Thankfully the popular Nyonya kuih stall is still here.
I couldn’t resist the colorful display of kuih and bought myself some to take home.

BELOW:
These are about RM2.00 – RM6.00 per pack, depending on your choice of kuih.

Oh, lest I forget to mention this point, there are proper and clean toilets in the market and parking is at the top floor.
I noticed there were quite a number of power sockets near the dining tables too, though I doubt anyone would find it comfortable enough to sit here for long to “work”.
Just in case you’re wondering, NO, there is NO wifi.

We couldn’t find the entrance, and ended up parking at the open air carpark besides it for RM5.00/entry.
There were no signage around and we found out later that the entrance to the parking is via Jln Seladang where the Pudu RHB bank is. From there is a series of turns.
As you could probably deduce by now, this isn’t a very properly managed building.

As much as you are tempted to illegal park, please do reconsider as the road is narrow and it will cause a lot of inconvenience for others if your car takes up more space on the sidewalk.

BELOW: Open air parking beside the ICC Pudu for RM5.00 nett/entry.

The fresh market is downstairs and not many stalls are open either.

Address:
ICC is located along Jalan Kijang right next to Pudu Plaza Hotel.
Not on Waze as yet.