When it comes to Ipoh food, Fook Kee Pan Mee in Ipoh is a hidden gem located in Chung Hwa Restaurant in Gunung Rapat Area (福記板面@中華茶餐室).  Visitors to Ipoh would often visit “famous” places like Lou Wong Bean Sprout Chicken, Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah, etc, and totally have no idea about this pan mee place. Even without the tourist crowd, the minimum wait time is at least 30 minutes if you you visit  after 6.30 pm.

I’ve been eating here for the past few years and I just never get tired of this bowl of noodles prepared by a team of family members that run Fook Kee Pan Mee.  There are two kinds of pan mee here – soup pan mee with broad noodles and dry pan mee with thinner noodles.  I’ve always eaten the soup pan mee, which consists of a generous portion of broad noodles, vegetables, tender pork slices, delectable meat balls and crunchy deep-fried anchovies.  The portion is so huge that it’s easily double the portion compare to other noodle stalls.  Two years ago, before the implementation of GST, the noodles used to be at RM 3.80 per bowl and Fook Kee was one of the very last few hawker stalls to remain their food at RM 3.80 per bowl when most stalls have already increased their prices to RM 4.50 and above.  Now these noodles are at RM 5 per bowl, but still totally worth it.

There was one time, I decided to try the dry version, and I regretted not having tried it earlier because I instantly fell in love with the dry version ! The dry pan mee uses thinner noodles which has similar texture to the Korean Shin Ramyu Instant Noodles, but 10 times better and 10 times healthier.  The noodle are quite simple in terms of flavor as they are just mixed with soy sauce and an aromatic oil.  But the texture, oh the texture is one of the best I’ve tried ! The texture is chewy, springy; I could easily eat a bowl of plain noodles like this !

The noodles are accompanied by a bowl of scrumptious soup that’s similar to the soup version of pan mee.  

Fook Kee Pan Mee is located in Restaurant Chung Wah, together with two other stalls (one sells fried chicken and the other sells roast pork).  But pretty much EVERYONE that you see sitting here is waiting for their pan mee to come ! If you don’t have the patience to wait, be there as early as possible around 5.30 – 6pm, that should help to minimise your wait time.  

More Info
Fook Kee Pan Mee Facebook (福記板面@中華茶餐室)
Address :  Taman Ipoh Jaya, 31350 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 5.30 pm to late.

Follow AlwaysTravelicious for more Travel & Food Stories !

The post Fook Kee Pan Mee @ Ipoh (福記板面@中華茶餐室) appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

Ipoh Old Town has undergone a makeover over the past few years (see this list of 34 Cafes in Ipoh and you would know what I mean !).  Hipster cafes and boutique hotels flourished when the old became the new fab. The Concubine Lane  (or Panglima Lima, “二奶巷” , “Er Nai xiang”) was the next to follow suit.  Other than the Concubine Lane that most people know of, there are two other related lanes in the vicinity – the Wife Lane (or Lorong Hale, “大奶巷”,”Da Nai Xiang”) and the First Concubine Lane (Market Lane， “三奶巷”， “San Nai Xiang”).  

These concubine lanes have history that goes all the way back to 1892, when parts of Ipoh Old Town were rebuilt after a fire in 1892.  The Concubine Lanes were part of the rebuilt and were owned by mining tycoon Yao Tet Shin.  He gave away the houses on the lanes to his three wives, and hence the locals named the lanes accordingly – Wife Lane, Concubine Lane and First Concubine Lane.  There’s another version of story where common folklore has it that these were also the lanes where rich men hid their second wives.

Today’s Concubine Lane is the most transformed lane among all three.   There’s probably only one house in Concubine Lane that’s in its original state, but the rest is history.

Concubine Lane is the most vibrant on weekends, holidays, where many pop-up stalls gather.  You’ll find cacti on sale, colorful ice balls, flower-shaped cotton candy and more.

It’s easy to get distracted while walking on Concubine Lane, because, how could you not ? With little pastel-colored windmills, sunflowers and unique signages, there are lots to marvel along this short, cheerful lane.

Oh and don’t forget to look up to see the amusing sight of teddy bear and giraffe gazing at you !

One of the stores on concubine lane, Meiko Kaiso Shop, has embraced the concept of vintage fully.  The downstairs section sells souvenirs which is very common, but the upstairs section is an awesome place to explore (and to take Instagram photos), with a RM 3 entrance fee.

If you have a thing for antiques, this would be the place for you.  I like the vibe of this place, where old TVs, ceramic teapots, vinyl records, and rattan baskets represent  a bygone era.

Even if you don’t love antiques, the store’s interior architecture  is worth checking out.  From the outside of the store, it looks like any two storey building, but once you get to the first floor, you’ll be surprised to see that there are a few internal lofty decks to climb to get to the top floor.  

If you are visiting Concubine Lane, you should definitely visit the other two lanes; both are much quieter compared to the Concubine Lane but just as charming.  The Wife Lane now has a proper signage; you can easily recognise it from the  lanterns and the fruit seller mural on a yellow wall.   

First Concubine Lane now also has its own signage, a sky full of red and white umbrellas, and a mural of people eating curry noodles.  The mural could not be anymore appropriate because it is indeed on the side walls of Nam Chau Kopitiam, which is famous for its curry noodles.  On the other end of First Concubine Lane is one of Ernest Zarcharevic’s murals of old man with trash .  

While it’s a good sign that Ipoh’s Old Town is attracting lots of visitors, and Ipoh is getting international attention as it has recently been ranked by Lonely Planet as No. 6 in a List of Best Places to Go in Asia for the Next 12 Months, I enjoyed Ipoh Old Town as is before it came under the spotlight; while merely 2 years ago Concubine Lane was a hidden gem with forlorn beauty where people rarely went.   If you appreciate little things and enjoy little places, it’s good idea to visit Wife Lane and First Concubine Lane as they are still relatively untouched and “original”, before they become too similar to Concubine Lane.

If you are traveling to Ipoh, consider booking your Ipoh Hotel with Traveloka.  I’ve been using traveloka.com a lot lately, for booking hotels and flight tickets because it’s excellent for comparing rates side by side, and it’s easy to filter your selections.  The best part is, it shows the Final Prices of the hotels /flights, as opposed to adding on taxes and any extra charges at the end and you realise it’s actually much more expensive once you decide to book.

If you happen to be travelling to Ipoh soon, have fun and bon voyage !

Follow AlwaysTravelicious for more awesome Travel & Food Stories !

The post The Concubine Lanes of Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

There’s a boutique homestay that opened in Ipoh recently – the Dream & Wander Homestay (旅行夢想家) that’s located strategically in Canning Garden.  It’s extremely specially because, well, I am running it ! Opening a homestay was something that never came to my mind.  
Then one fine day, my mother-in-law’s tenant did not renew the contract; I had just visited 2 homestays, and the idea of the homestay was born !

You may now book Dream & Wander Homestay on Booking.com  or on Dream & Wander Homestay’s Official Website if you are visiting Ipoh.  
Or get in touch through the homestay’s FB page : @DreamWanderHomestay or email admin@dreamwanderhomestay.com.  Rates start from RM330 per night for the entire home that sleeps 6 people (RM 330 for weekday, RM 360 for weekend and RM 420 during Chinese New Year).  The home can accommodate up to 2 extra people at RM 30 per pax; mattress, pillow, duvet, flat sheet and towel will be provided. 

The home was originally built in 1970 and we wanted to maintain the vintage vibe, yet not forgetting that people need the comfort of modern facilities such as wifi, TV and new bathrooms.  The living room is decorated with a greenish-blue feature wall and a poster featuring cassette tapes.  I wonder if youngsters these days still know what cassette tapes are ? The lamp and the clock are carefully sourced so that they match each  other.

The big sofa is super comfortable and you won’t want to get up after sitting on it !

The terrazzo floor with sparkles of green is one of the original elements of the house since 1970. 

Although the old electrical board is no longer functional, we kept it on the living room wall because we simply love the patina on the board.  The metal card that has the supplier’s information is interesting as the telephone number has only 4 digits – 2556.
Things get even more interesting as you walk into the dining room, which is the biggest room in the house.  I remember the very first time when I visited the house, I thought to myself “Wow ! 20 people could easily fit in this huge dining room !” The design is really not surprising after all because the 1970’s was an era when TV was a luxury.  Not many people had it.  Naturally, the living room wasn’t the main place for bonding.  It was the dinning room that people chatted over food, and it was especially important during festive seasons because it was the only place that could fit the big families back then !

At Dream & Wander Homestay (旅行夢想家), we want to recreate an awesome space for people to mingle. You are most likely not going to dine in the homestay so much since Ipoh has way too much good food, but it’s the perfect place for hanging out and to chill.  We kept the original green mosaic tiles and segregated the space into two living quarters.  The first is the dining area itself with an old-timer’s kopitiam table while the second space has old-fashioned ratten chairs and string chairs which we refer to as the  second living room.

The posters on the wall jive so well with the place because they are handpicked from the same era of 1960’s to 1970’s.  Many are memorabilia of Ipoh.  If you take a closer look, you’ll find Chow Yun Fat (Donald Chow) printed on an old calendar, old retro receipts from gold shops that were once located on Leech Street (now Jalan Bandar Timah in Ipoh Old Town), and old Maybank FD receipt that is amusingly gigantic.

The rooms are all air-conditioned with luxury beddings to ensure our guests have an unforgettable stay.  This is the master bedroom with a deep-blue feature wall, groovy swirly poster, open wardrobe and refurbished vintage dresser table.

This is room 2 with a geometric wall and open wardrobe.

Room 3 is elevated on a wooden platform and the original ventilation holes are sealed with bricks and turned into wall decoration that’s one of a kind.  

The kitchen is equipped with kettle, electric cooker, plates, bowls, utensils, pots and fridge for you to do some basic cooking (If you require Halal utensils, please request before when you make a booking) .

Instead of providing coffee and tea, we are providing Taiwanese drinks that my mother imported from Taiwan (you may purchase them from me as well if you like the drinks).

View of the dining room from the kitchen.

The two bathrooms are newly renovated with shower, heater, shampoo and shower gel.

Bathroom 1

Details in bathroom 1.

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 2

For booking and enquiries, you may

1. Book/Enquire from Dream & Wander Homestay’s Official Website.

2. Book or contact Dream & Wander Homestay directly from Booking.com ,

3.  Get in touch through Dream & Wander Homestay’s Facebook Page

4.  Email your enquiries to admin@dreamwanderhomestay.com

5.  or just leave your enquires & contact as a comment below this post and I will get back to you

6.  Get in touch with me through Alwaystravelicious Travel & Food Facebook page.

The post Dream & Wander Homestay @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

When it comes to Ipoh food, it is so difficult to decide what to eat because there is just so much good food and you just want to eat everything ! I’ve picked out 15 Ipoh Foods that you absolutely must try when you visit Ipoh.  The food on this list is as iconic as KLCC is to Kuala Lumpur; and as iconic as Eiffel Tower is to Paris.   That’s how iconic they are.  Many hawker places on this list have withstood the test of time and have been around for more than 40 years.  Your trip to Ipoh will only be complete by trying at least one item from the list, otherwise your trip to Ipoh doesn’t count.

If you need a place to stay during your visit to Ipoh, check out Dream & Wander Homestay on Booking.com The homestay sleeps 6 – 8 people and the rate starts RM 330 per night for the entire house.  See more pictures of Dream & Wander Homestay here, or you may contact them through Dream & Wander Homestay’s Facebook page,  via email admin@dreamwanderhomestay.com or via wechat : kuanju77

1.  Bean Sprout Chicken /高溫街芽菜雞，老黃芽菜雞，安記芽菜雞

There are a few places for Bean Sprout Chicken – Cowan Street, Lou Wong and Onn Kee.  Cowan Street’s bean sprout chicken is the best, as the chicken is the most tender while the soup that the koay teow is cooked in is also the most flavorsome.  It is also the one that’s the most beloved by Ipohas while Lou Wong seemed to be favored by those visiting from out station.  The only downside is that Cowan Street Bean Sprout Chicken doesn’t seem to have a consistent opening time, and when they are not open, Ipohans go to Onn Kee.

Cowan Street Address : 44 Jalan Raja Ekram, Ipoh 31450, Perak.
Lou Wong Address : 49, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Onn Kee Address : 48, 51, 53 , Jalan Yau Tet Shin, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Cowan Street Bean Sprout Chicken

Cowan Street Bean Sprout Chicken

Bean Sprout Chicken from Lou Wong.

2.  Ipoh White Coffee /怡保白咖啡 (Earliest record of Ipoh White Coffee is at 1937, Sin Yoon Loong)
The Ipoh White Coffee is smooth with a lightly charred scent and it’s super addictive.  Sin Yoong Loong and Nam Heong are two popular places to drink this famed coffee while there are also 7 other places to drink Ipoh White Coffee, such as Xin Xian Er Nong, Chang Jiang, Nam Chau and Ah Chow.  Find out more about these places in this article – 9 Places to Drink Ipoh White Coffee.

3a.  Chee Cheong Fun @ Canning Garden / 大和園豬腸粉

This chee cheong fun  store in Ipoh is easily one of the best in Ipoh and it has been around for at least 40 years. Many Ipoh folks love this place to death ! My husband who has been eating this since he was six years old is one of them. The noodles are silky soft with unparalleled texture.  The sauces and condiments include onion oil, crispy fried onion, sesame seeds , chili sauce, sweet sauce, mushroom sauce and green chilies. We usually just take a mix of everything, which is the best of all worlds ! Be careful though, because the uncle that runs the stall is grumpy sometimes.

Address : 27, Lorong Cecil Rae, Taman Canning, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
Opening Hours : Morning.

3b.  Chee Cheong Fun @ Pasir Pinji / 兵如港豬腸粉

This is another legendary chee cheong fun in Ipoh (although my favorite one is still the one in Canning Garden).  It’s located in a small lane in the Pasir Pinji residential area and it’s definitely not the usual place that you would expect to find chee cheong fun.  The chee cheong fun here is the dry version without any soupy sauces and comes in three sizes, priced at RM 3.8, RM 3.2 and RM 2.3.  Be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes because people tend to “tapau” (take away) 10, 20 packets at one time.  On the upside, the waiting system is quite organised and you will be given a waiting number.  All you  need is patience.

Address : Jalan Pasir Pinji 5, Taman Hoover, 31650 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours : 1 pm – 4 pm, closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tens of packets of chee cheong fun waiting to be taken away.

4.  “Gai Si Hor Fun” (Shredded Chicken Noodles) @ Thean Chun / 天津茶室雞絲河粉
Gai Si Hor Fun is something you’ll find in many kopitiams in Ipoh, but the one in Thean Chun is the most iconic and perhaps the oldest in Ipoh. Everything in this bowl is perfect.  The noodles are soft with a bit of chewiness; the chicken is succulent; the prawns are crunchy and the soup is just divine with fantastic flavors of crustaceans. With a dash of chives, this bowl of simple noodles is absolutely delicious.

The same stall also sells bean sprout chicken, which is also one of the best in town because the oil that’s used to drizzle on top of the chicken is the most aromatic.

While the gai si hor fun is extremely popular in Thean Chun, pretty much every single stall in Thean Chun serves excellent food, such as the custard, kangkong rojak, pork satay and popiah.

Address : 73, Jalan Bandar Timah, 31650 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 9.30 am – 2 pm.  Closed on Wednesdays.

5a.  Dim Sum @ Foh San (富山點心)
Foh Sun is the name that people automatically associate Ipoh dim sum with.  I still remember going to Foh Sun with my parents 25 years ago when it was still located on Osbourne Street in a classic kopitiam.  Even as a child, I knew the food was good.  Fast foward to 25 years later, Foh San has expanded and shifted to Jalan Leong Sin Nam, neighbouring 2 other dim sum places – Ming Court and Yoke Fook Moon.  Food has changed  over the years, perhaps due to expansion and training of new staff, the food is just not as good anymore.  The only thing that hasn’t changed is that you still have to wait for a long time.  Go there for the fame if you don’t mind to wait, as it is ultimately Ipoh’s most famous dim sum place.

Address: 51 Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours 6.30 am – 2.30 pm.  Closed on Tuesdays.

5b.  Dim Sum @ Ming Court (明閣點心)
The dim sum at Ming Court is delicately crafted.  You could feel their daintiness when you hold a piece of dim sum with your chopsticks.  Try the “Yu Mai” (fish paste) that’s superbly springy, Prawn Wrap (蝦捲) that’s wrapped with paper-thin beancurd and the chicken glutinous rice (lo mai gai, 糯米雞)   that has plenty of ingredients such as lup cheong, egg, bits of char siew and chicken.

Address: 32 Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours 6.30 am – 2.30 pm.  Closed on Thursdays.

5c.  Dim Sum @ Yook Fook Moon (玉福滿點心)
Dim Sum at Yook Fook Moon does not disappoint.  The portions are big with plenty of selections.  A few things I like include the “Har Gow”, the extremely bouncy “Yu Dan” (fish balls), and the “You Char Kway wrapped in Chee Cheong Fun”.  One plate of dim sum typically range from RM 4 to RM 10.

Address : 65-69, Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours : Daily.  6 am – 1.30 pm.  6.30 pm – 11 pm.

6a.  Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah (奇峰豆腐花)
Tau fu fah from Funny Mounntain is a long-time favorite for Ipohans.  It provides a special “drive through service”, where you could just park your car outside the store, and somebody will come and take your order.

Address : 49, Jalan Theatre, Ipoh, 30300, Ipoh, Perak, 30300, Malaysia
Opening Hours : 10.30 pm – 6 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

6b.  Woong Kee Tau Fu Fah (旺記祖傳豆腐花)
While Funny Mountain is the famous one, Woong Kee is fast winning the hearts of Ipohans.  I used to be the number 1 fan for Funny Mountain, but my heart changed when I met Woong Kee.  Woong Kee‘s tau fu fah is so smooth that you could even swallow it without chewing.  It also excels in creativity by the addition of ingredients such as red beans, cincau, peanuts, chrysanthemum sugar and pumpkin “tong yuen” (glutinous rice balls).

Address : 32-38A (bawah), Jalan Ali Pitchay, 30250 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opening Hours : Daily 1 pm – 6 pm.

7.  Yong Suan Nasi Kandar Ayam Merah /永泉茶室紅雞扁擔飯 ( Since 1959 )
Yong Suan Nasi Kandar’s history goes all the way back to 1959.  The most well known dish is its “ayam merah” (red chicken), which is deep fried till almost jerky-like at the outer layer while still remaining tender within.  It is even nicknamed “nasi ganja” (marijuana rice), meaning that people has an insatiable crave for it and it is as addictive as marijuana.  While there always seem to be a perpetual queue outside the shop but that’s for takeaways. If you are dining in, just walk in, find (or share) a table with someone, and your food will arrive very fast. Other than ayam merah, there are also other kinds of nasi kandar dishes available such as different kinds of curries and meats.  Our 2 plates of ayam merah and one plate of fish curry was RM 16.70.

Address : 2, Jalan Yang Kalsom, 30250 Ipoh
Opening Hours : 9.30 am – 4 pm.

8. Tuck Kee Fried Noodles /德記炒粉 ( Since 1963 )
Tuck Kee Restaurant is another restaurant that boasts with expertise of more than 50 years.   There are all kinds of noodles here – dai loke mee, yee mee, hor fun and bee hoon – all fried with an intense “wok-hei”, and the pork lard is the key ingredient to the bursting aroma in every plate.  Other than the noodles, the restaurant also serves braised chicken feet, blanched baby octopus and pork balls.

Address : Jalan Yau Tet Shin, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Opening Hours : 5 pm – 2 pm.  Closed on Tuesdays every fortnightly.

9.  Xin Quan Fang Curry Noodles (新泉芳咖喱面, Since 1949)
The curry noodles here come with heap loads of toppings that deserve an entire bowl on its own.  The toppings include chicken, roast pork, bean sprouts, prawns and char siew (the char siew is house made and the colour is dark brown instead of the usual red char siew that you would see).  The minimum wait time is 30 minutes, and that’s just on a typical day and not on any weekends or holidays.  You may drool over the video below.

Address : Jalan Sultan Iskandar, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 7.30 am – 1 pm.

10. Sin Eng Heong Kaya Puff /新榮香加央角

You don’t want to be here during holidays because you will have to wait at least 1 hour for these delectable treats.  Alternatively, you can also get these kaya puffs in their sister outlet Sin Win Hoe located in Pasir Pinji.  There is no wait there (the last time I checked).  Even if you have to wait, it’s worthwhile because after all, these kaya puffs have more than 50 years of history and its recipe refined to perfection. The kaya puffs are delicately flaky and crumbles a little bit in your hands.  Fresh batches come out at 1 pm and 4 pm.

Sin Eng Heong Address : 64, Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakry, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Perak.
Sin Eng Hoe Address : No.1267  Jalan Pasir Pinji ,31650 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 9 am – 8 pm.

11a.  Cheong Kee Wan Tan Mee @ Buntong, Ipoh /祥記雲吞麵
The folks behind Cheong Kee Wan Tan Mee has be on the job for more than 40 years.  Cheong Kee’s Wan Tan Mee is very different from others because they  use bean sprouts instead of leafy vegetables, and they use minced pork instead of the usual char siew.  Why bean sprouts ? Because bean sprouts is also produced in Buntong.  It’s local (more like right next door), and it goes well with the wan tan mee so why not ? As for the texture, I love the wan tans, which are delicious while the noodles are good, but not the best.

Address : 542 Jalan Sekolah, Buntong, 30100 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 7 pm – 12 am.  Closed on Sundays.

11b. Wan Tan Mee at Medan Selara Stadium Ipoh
If you are looking for a plate of classic wan tan mee, I would like to recommend the one in Ipoh stadium, store 22.   The noodles are fantastic because of the springy texture.  If you’ve eaten wan tan noodles at Canton-i, the noodles from stadium have a similar texture to the ones from Canton-i.  But consider that Canton-i uses imported flour (from Canada I think, as stated on the menu),  the hawkers at stadium have done a great job !  And as for the wan tans, simply fabulous.

Address : Jalan Ghazali, Ipoh, Perak.
Opens from 6 pm onwards.

12.  Seng Kee Heong Peng /成記香餅
Ipoh is famous for “Heong Peng”, especially in the area of Gunung Rapat.  Many residential homes have a “heong peng” sign (in Chinese) on their doors, indicating that they have Heong Peng for sale.  But it is Seng Kee Heong Peng that still makes these crispy biscuits with decadent filling the traditional way.  The biscuits have a distinctive smoky flavor because they are roasted in a small kiln by using coconut husks.  It’s a fascinating experience if you can visit the place at about 10 am when the manufacturing process takes place, that’s when the smoky scent permeates the room with a savory aroma from the deep-fried shallots.

Address : 177, Lorong Gunung Rapat 3, Gunung Rapat, 31350 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours 9 am to 7 pm. Closed on Wednesdays

13.  Yong Tau Foo from Big Tree Foot in Pasir Pinji (“Dai Shu Geok”, 忠記兵如港大樹頭炸料粉)
The stall got its name because it used to operate underneath a gigantic tree for the past 20 years. It has recently shifted to a food court next door, so technically it’s not under a tree anymore but the name “Dai Shu Geok” is already deeply ingrained.

The yong tau foo here is big in size and irresistible. My favorite piece is the “Sar Kok Liew” (deep fried shredded turnip wrapped in bean curd sheets) as the outer layer is deep fried till crisp, while the inner turnip stuffing remains juicy.  Plus, you don’t get “sar kok liew” anywhere else besides Ipoh so if you are visiting from outstation, be sure to eat this specialty found #OnlyInIpoh !

Address : Jalan King, Pasir Pinji, Ipoh, Perak.

14.  Yee Fatt Curry Mee
The sight of the famed, piquant curry noodles isn’t the prettiest because it is pretty much just a scoop of curry gravy dunked onto the noodles without much presentation.  But I assure you, the curry is  resplendent with spices and because the curry is so thick, it coats every strand of noodles evenly, making every bite memorable.

Address : 39 Jalan Kampar, Ipoh, Perak.

15.  Pak Kong Chicken Rice (White House Chicken Rice, 白宮雞飯)
Just look at the picture below, do I need to say more about how good the chicken rice is at Pak Kong Chicken Rice ? The chicken is delectable, and immersed in a generous concoction of shallot oil and soy sauce.  Other than chicken rice, the store also has other side dishes such as char siew, siew yok, salted vegetables and asam pedas.

Address : 27 Jalan Theatre, Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 11 am – 3 pm.

Lastly, don’t forget to book your stay with Dream & Wander Homestay in Ipoh

The post 15 Iconic Ipoh Foods You Must Try in Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

For those of you that have been to Taiwan, you would notice that Taiwanese are very health conscious and that if you visit the super market, a stunning array of beverages for overall well-being is available.  One of the most popular ones is the Taiwan Ginger Tea (台灣薑母茶).  You would see this pretty much everywhere; whether you are strolling about in Jiufen (九份), or catching a train at the Taipei MRT station. 

One of the oldest ginger tea brand in Taiwan is Hongji (洪記薑母茶).  Honji has been making Taiwan ginger tea for the past 20 years  and now we are fortunate to be able to buy this directly from Malaysia, from queena.com.my !

Honji Taiwan Ginger Tea comes in a packet of 600g which should be the biggest packing available in Malaysia (others are typically packed at 400 – 500g), and the 4 in 1 “superfood” ingredients consist of ginger, red dates, black sugar and dried longan. Each packet has 15 individually packed cubes (You may purchase here –> http://www.queena.com.my/hongji-taiwan-ginger-tea at  RM 39, or a package price at 2 for RM 70 here –> http://www.queena.com.my/2pack-hongji-ginger-tea).

Well-known Singapore singer Kit Chen is also drinking Hongji Taiwan Ginger Tea to maintain her overall well being !

Ginger Tea is popular in Taiwan for many reasons – such as to help improve body types that tend to have cold feet and cold hands, to keep warm when your office is freezing cold with air con on full blast, and most importantly,  ginger tea is typically drank during every women’s most uncomfortable time of the moth – the menstruation period to help ease discomfort.

The first time I drank it， I was on first day of period, which is always always my most terrible day every month.  The pain sets a fine line between taking sick leave and going to work.  Most of the time, I’ll drag myself to work, but the whole day I’ll be pale, lethargic and grumpy because of the pain.

I followed the instruction and used 400 ml of water, which was too much for a standard mug so I cooked it in a small pot.  Not too much stirring was needed because the cube dissolved very quickly. The 400ml of Taiwan Ginger Tea was enough to fill up 3 small tea cups. 

When I sipped Hongji Taiwan Ginger Tea, the ginger’s intense flavor took me by surprise because I really didn’t expect too much from a tiny little cube.  Then, there was a medley of sweetness from the red dates, the black sugar and the dried longan.  In terms of whether it helps to ease discomfort, the answer is a definitive yes. I think it’s due to ginger’s inherent “womb-warming” (暖宮) nature, my overall discomfort was reduced.  In terms of pain, the pain was was still there but slightly more bearable.

The ingredients used are clearly visible on a table spoon (the tea spoon was too small to fit). 

The second time I drank it, it was day 2 of my period.  By day 2, my pain/ discomfort /fatigue level is usually 40% less than day 1 by default.  Upon drinking the Hongji Ginger Tea, there was also an overall ease in discomfort but not too much in terms of pain level because the pain level was already much less compared to day 1. When I drank it the second time, I was too lazy to follow the instruction and I just put the cube in the mug and poured hot water into it (about 180 ml).  A little more stirring was required to help the cube dissolve faster  (compared to the above method) but other than that it was easy peasy. The flavor was even stronger this time in terms of aroma, the piquancy of the ginger and the sweetness.  So it all depends on how you like it – if you love a strong ginger flavor, drink it this way; if you love it not too sweet, drink the tea by using more water.

I found Hongji Taiwan Ginger Tea to be beneficial for me, especially during the menstrual period but of course there are much more benefits than that. Each of Hongji Taiwan Ginger Tea‘s ingredients has their own benefits.

The benefits of ginger include :

• Relieves menstrual pain and discomfort.
• “Warm” in nature. It helps to “warm” body types that always have cold hand and cold feet.
• Improves blood circulation.
• Boosts the immunity system.
• Relieves nausea / vomiting / morning sickness during pregnancy.
• Suitable for mummies during the confinement period.
• Prevents cold & flu.
• ​Beneficial for the digestive system.

The benefits of red dates include :

• Natural source of vitamins : Vitamin C, A, B1, B2.
• Enriches the blood.
• Improves sleep.
• Good for skin.
• detoxifies liver.

The benefits of black sugar  include :

• Unrefined sugar made from sugar cane.
• Improves menstrual flow.
• Natural source of minerals such as iron, calcium and potassium.
• Improves Metabolism

Black sugar is not a common ingredient seen in Malaysia, but it is popularly used in Taiwan and Japan.  Black sugar is unrefined, as opposed to white sugar, so it is very rich in minerals and has a distinctive charred & caramelised taste. The production is tedious, using 16 kg of sugar cane to only produce 0.45 kg of black sugar.

The benefits of dried longan include :

• Rich in Vitamins A & B.
• Replenishes “Qi” and blood.
• Anti Aging.
• Beneficial for the heart and spleen.

Again, dried longan is something that’s not commonly used in Malaysia because Malaysia doesn’t even grow longan to start with.  Longan is grown in Taiwan and whether fresh or dry,it  is a common thing to eat in Taiwan.

If you just want something simpler, another type of Ginger Tea from Taiwan Sugar Corporation  (台糖薑母茶) is available. Taiwan Sugar Corporation’s history dates back to early 1900’s.  It was Taiwan’s pioneer in the sugar industry and today it is one of the biggest company in Taiwan that has multiple business ventures including food & beverages, frozen foods, farming, convenience stores and hotels (You may purchase here –> http://www.queena.com.my/ginger-tea-by-taiwan-sugar at RM 29).

Each box of ginger tea contains 12 sachets of ginger powder, and each sachet is 20g.  

Only two ingredients – ginger and cane sugar are used in making this so the taste is much simpler than Honji Taiwan Ginger Tea.  The ginger powder dissolves fast when you pour it into the hot water.  The ginger flavor in Taiwan Sugar’s Ginger Tea (台糖薑母茶) is pleasant and easy to drink.  

If drinking ginger tea is too much of hassle for you, bring ginger candy on the go with you ! The ginger candy is conveniently packed in a packet of 210 g and it is (RM15 –> you may purchase from here http://www.queena.com.my/taiwan-ginger-candy ).  

If you are just not a big fan of ginger, one of the ingredients is also available for sale as a standalone – the black sugar cubes.  Black sugar helps to improve blood circulation and hence it it’s really good for women especially during the menstrual cycle.  But seriously, these are so addictive so whether it’s during the menstrual period or not, you might find yourself popping one after another ! Each box is weighs 220 g and has about 30 + pieces of black sugar cubes (you may purchase here –> http://www.queena.com.my/black-sugar-by-taiwan-rich   at RM 15).

More Information :

To Purchase on Queena.com.my (Shipping fee is flat rat RM 7 for peninsular Malaysia.  Free Shipping for purchase for RM 150 and above)
1.  Honji Ginger Tea RM 35 http://www.queena.com.my/hongji-taiwan-ginger-tea
2. Taiwan Sugar Ginger Tea RM 29 http://www.queena.com.my/ginger-tea-by-taiwan-sugar
3.  Ginger Candy RM 15 http://www.queena.com.my/taiwan-ginger-candy
4.  Black Sugar (220g, not individually packed) RM 15 http://www.queena.com.my/black-sugar-by-taiwan-rich
5. Black Sugar (300g) RM 19 http://www.queena.com.my/3in-1-black-sugar

The post Hongji 4 in 1 Taiwan Ginger Tea appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

Not too long ago, I wrote  a list of “15 Iconic Ipoh Foods You Must Try in Ipoh” that’ll serve well as a beginners’ guide to Ipoh food.  These foods are the most iconic and they are pretty much what everyone wants to eat when they are visiting Ipoh for the first time.  But of course Ipoh has much more to offer than these 15 things.  In this new list , I’ve put together 17 hidden food gems in Ipoh that are not too well-known by visitors but are absolutely  loved by Ipohans, and you wouldn’t want to miss these 17 incredible things to eat in Ipoh. 

If you happen to need a place to stay in Ipoh for this epic food trip, check out the new Dream & Wander Homestay.  The homestay sleeps 6-8 people and starts at RM 330 per night.

1.  Cheong Kee Beef Noodles @ Tong Sui Kai /糖水街章記牛腩粉
Cheong Kee Beef Noodles has been around for decades in Ipoh.  The bowl of noodles is a scrumptious treat that consists of very basic ingredients – koay teow noodles, beef, cow stomach, broth and chili sauce. The light broth makes the biggest impression because it has a hint of sweet taste with an alluring beefy flavor. The chili sauce is unexpectedly exotic as it is not the typical Malaysian chili sauce that you would expect in a hawker stall.  It contains spices that are commonly used in Sze Chuan cuisine and has a bit of nutty flavor.   You might want to visit the stall soon because  the owners that run the store are getting old and they are already not opening as regularly as they should.

Address : Jalan Sultan Ekram, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh.
Opening Hours : from 5.30 pm.

2. Chee  Kong Roast Pork @ Kwong Chow Coffee Shop /第一花園廣州茶室淅江燒肉一支骨
Peak lunch times are typically between the hours of 12 pm to 2 pm. At Chee Kong Roast Pork, the store defines its own hours because it opens at an odd hour of 2 pm, when most people would have already taken their lunch.  Patrons that visit the coffee shop are obviously regulars and are well aware of the opening hours because at 1.50 pm, the coffee shop has almost no people in it but by 2 pm sharp, the queue starts to form in no time. As for the pork, the crackling skin and lean, succulent meat are obvious reasons for the dedicated crowd.

Address : Kedai Kopi Kwong Chow, 59 Lorong 11, Taman Pertama, 30100 Ipoh.  (Silibin area)
Opening Hours : 2 pm onwards.  Closed on Mondays.

3. Fook Kee Pan Mee @ Chung Hwa Restaurant /福記板面@中華茶餐室
The stall located at the Gunung Rapat Area only serves two kinds of pan mee – dry or with soup.   Not many people know about this place except for locals living in the area. I have always eaten the soup version at this stall, which is a hearty bowl of flat noodles with generous ingredients of crunchy anchovies, tender pork pieces and sayur manis (RM 5).  Then one fine day (after many years of eating at the place), I decided to try the dry version, then there was no turning back.  For the dry version, round noodles are used and the texture is one of the best I have tried – springy, chewy – I could happily chow down the noodles on its own.  If you are there after 6 pm, expect to wait at least 30 minutes.     Find out more about Fook Kee Pan Mee here.   

Address: Chung Hwa Restaurant, Taman Ipoh Jaya, 31350 Ipoh.
Openign Hours  : from 5.30 pm.

4.  Lai Kee Chop Rice @ UTC  Perak/ 近打 UTC 黎記扒飯
Established in 1983, Lai Kee Chop Rice is a place where many Ipohans have been eating since young.  The chicken chops and pork chops are coated in an eggy batter and deep-fried till golden, creating little air pockets in the deep-fried batter that soak up the gravy and the tomato sauce effortlessly. Perhaps the older generation try their best to keep prices low, our meal of one pork chop, one chicken chop, two rices and two Chinese tea was at only RM11.  The flavors of the chicken chop and pork chop remain unchanged for the past 30 years and some even refer to this as flavors of childhood.  A visit to Lai Kee Chop Rice always brings one on a trip down memory lane, when there was no UTC, when Super Kinta was a favorite hang out place, and when there was still Mc’Donald’s across the street.

Address : Bangunan UTC Perak，Off Jalan Dato’ Onn Jaafar 30300，Ipoh.
Opening Hours : 10 am – 5 pm.

5. Nasi Pandan @ Restoran Kam Wan (Dong Gu Ting) / 金山冬菇亭香葉飯
Normally I control myself and I don’t eat too much rice for dinner.  But all that self control was lost when I ate the Nasi Pandan at Restoran Kam Wan (also known as “Dong Gu Ting”). The rice is laced with coconut milk and as you can see from the picture, the rice is green from shredded pandan leaves, resulting in an amazing pandan aroma.  The stall operates on a economy rice model, where you line up, wait for your turn and choose the dishes you want.  The fried chicken is the popular one in which most people chose before me.  I went for the pedai, mutton curry and sambal (RM 13). The mutton is melt-in-your-mouth tender; the pedai is superb, while the sambal has hints of refreshing lemongrass.  Be there early because it’s sold out by 8pm.

Address: Restoran Kam Wan, Ipoh Garden, 31400 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 6 pm onwards.

6. Mixed Fruit Ice on Tong Sui Kai / 糖水街雜果雪
Many drink stores at Tong Sui Kai serve this mouth-watering dessert and each store has its own variation of fruits, jelly and ice cream that they use.  Regardless of what ingredients are used, the end-result is always a delightful bowl of instagram-worthy fruit-tower on shaved ice.

Address : Jalan Sultan Ekram, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh.
Opening Hours : 6 pm to 2 or 3 am.

7.  Hong Kee Mah Chee Chee & Peanut Soup @ Pasar Pinji (芳記麻糬&花生糊)
Hong Kee’s business began at the roadside of Jalan Queen in Pasir Pinji as a hawker pushcart more than 30 years ago. Business is obviously going well for them as now they have upgraded to a permanent kiosk.  Everything is house-made, from pounding the glutinous rice into chewy mah chee to the grinding of the peanuts to make the creamy, rich peanut soup.

Address : 550A Jalan Queen, 31650 Ipoh.
Opening Hours : 1 pm to 6 pm.  Closed on Thursdays.

8. Curry Noodles @ Nam Chau / 南州茶室咖喱面
Nam Chau serves both dry and soup version curry noodles, with the dry version easily being one of Ipoh’s best.  A big scoop of viscous curry paste smothers over the plate of noodles, ensuring that there’s a fiery curry taste with every mouthful.  I’ve also pushed away some of the curry paste so you could see what’s buried underneath – chicken, char siew and prawns.

Address: 54, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh.
Opening Hours: 7 am – 3pm.

9.  “Golden Noodles” @ Sin Lean Li, Ipoh Old Town / 舊街場新聯利”炒金粉”
This noodle stall has a glamorous name for its noodles – “Golden Noodles”.  These noodles are full of “wok hei” and are very similar to char koay teow .  The only difference it has is that the egg is laid on top of the noodles like an omelette instead of being stir-fried into smaller pieces.  Amusingly, locals sometimes mock the noodles as being literally made of gold because the noodles are pricey for the small portion served.

Address : 21, Jalan Panglima, 30000, Ipoh, Perak
Opening Hours : 7 am – 3 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

10. Cathay Mee Stall’s Mee Goreng @ Restoran Dan Rumah Tumpangan Beauty Baru / 新麗都茶餐室旅館印度炒麵
My friend SF introduced me to Cathay Mee Stall’s “die-die-must-eat” mee goreng.  True enough, the noodles are impressive with a smoky flavor; they are also extremely spicy that I needed to keep drinking water to reduce the spiciness.  The mee goreng is not your typical mamak mee goreng; it is more like rojak mee goreng, using potatoes, tofu, prawn fritters with a squeeze of lime.  The prawn fritter is the best part because it is super-crunchy !

Address: 97 Jalan Yang Kalsom, Ipoh.
Opening Hours : 11 am – 8 pm.  Closed on Sundays.

11.  Cong Yin Pork Noodles  @ Ipoh Garden South/ 怡保花園狀元及第粉
For a meal of pork noodle extravaganza, Cong Yin would be the place to go.  At RM8, the noodles are prepared with an abundance of ingredients including lean pork, pork patty, pork liver, bamboo fungus, konjac and pork lard.  If you are looking for an even more lavish bowl of pork noodles, abalone pork noodles are available at RM 22.80.  On Sundays, there is also a special edition of pork stomach noodles.

Address: 39, Lebuh Taman Ipoh, Taman Ipoh Selatan, 31400 Ipoh
Opening Hours : 7.30 am – 4 pm.

12. Curry Noodles @ Yat Yat Seng Restaurant / 日日升茶室咖喱面
Would you just look at this plate of curry noodles ? Every ingredient on this plate is top notch – fresh prawns, shredded chicken, and “siew yok” (roast pork) that has just the right amount of fat with crunchy skin.  If you compare this to Nam Chau’s curry noodles, the curry flavor is not as intense but go for it if you love chunky siew yok in your noodles !  The same stall also serves Hainanese chicken rice that’s worth trying.

Address: 83, Lebuh Ipoh (off Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan), Taman Canning, 31400 Ipoh.
Opening Hours : 11.30 am onwards.

13.  Guan Heong Biscuit Shop / 源香餅舖
Guan Heong began its business in 1918.  Can you imagine, this biscuit shop will be 100 years old next year in 2018 ! The biscuit shop carries loads of traditional biscuits, such as wife biscuit, chicken floss roll, almond cookies, brown sugar “heong peah” and more.  The signature biscuits include bean cake, macadamia cake and various kins of meat floss / “bak kwa” biscuits.  My favorite one is the meat floss biscuit with salted egg yolk, as the combination of savory egg yolk, fluffy meat floss and sweet lotus paste is simply scrumptious, not too mention that salted egg yolk makes everything better !

Address: Jalan Sultan Iskandar, Taman Jubilee, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 9 am to 7 pm

Floss with Salted Egg Yolk

Floss With Lotus Paste Biscuit

“Bak Kwa” with Lotus Paste Biscute.

14.  Banana Leaf Rice @ Sri Asoka Corner, Medan Selara Stadium / 體育場蕉葉飯
The tiny Sri Asoka Corner located in Medan Selara Stadium serves great banana leaf rice.  The rice is served with three kinds of vegetables, fresh crackers and your choice of meat ( chicken, mutton and fish).  I went for the fried fish, which had a crispy outer shell and a generous coating of chili paste.  Together with teh tarik served from the same store, my banana leaf rice was at an affordable price of RM 9.50.

Address : Medan Selara Stadium, Jalan Ghazali, Ipoh.
Opening Hours : Lunch time.

15.  Hoong Too Restaurant / 鴻圖酒樓
Established in the 1950’s,  Hoong Too Restaurant in old town seemed to remain unchanged.  Items of the yesteryear such as  hardy teakwood cupboards, portraits of Sun Yat Sen, mosaic tiles on the wall and old grandfather’s clock fit in perfectly well. The restaurant specialises in noodle dishes such as “wah tan hor”, yee mee, while the signature dish is “Seng Har Meen”, or noodles cooked with fresh water prawns.  The char siew wan tan mee is special edition that’s only available on Thursdays.  The restaurant also offers other items such as fish balls, fried dumplings and “sui kow”.

Address: 20, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh.
Opening Hours : 10.30 am – 3  pm, 6 pm – 9.00 pm. Closed on Tuesdays

16. Porridge @ Hun Wang Kedai Makanan / 漢元餐室潮州粥
Hung Wang has been dishing out delectable home-cooked food and Teow Cheow porridge for the past 40 years.  Dishes such as braised pork, egg omelettes, deep-fried-fish and various kinds of stir-fried vegetables are nothing fancy, but they are the kind simple dishes that you would crave for.  For the fish, I would recommend the steamed kampung fish – because it is always remarkbly fresh, best eaten with the fermented bean sauce provided.   It’s interesting to see how the efficient family members that run the place work.  They are dedicated, and each has a specific role – a few are stationed at the counter, one is dishing out porridge, while one is a “human-calculator” that calculates the cost of your meal by mental arithmetic.

Address: 7 & 9 Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Ipoh.
Opening Hours : 11.30 am – 4pm. Closed on Thursdays.

17. Ching Han Guan Manufacturing Co /鐘漢元餅舖
Established in 1949, Ching Han Guan Manufacturing Co is the go-to place for locals for wedding biscuits.  It has similarities to Guan Heong in terms of the variety of biscuits that it carry.  Uncle Ching that has been running the store for the past 60 years proudly recommends the walnut candy (胡桃糖), meat floss biscuits (肉絲蓮蓉餅), “hiong peah”(香餅), and cashew nut egg cookies (腰豆核桃酥) for first-timers to his store.  The images below were taken a few years ago, and are perhaps the original decor of the shop.  They have renovated since then and the shop now has a modern appeal, though I still prefer the old decor.  See more photos of Chin Han Guan Manufacturing Co here . 

Address : 145, Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Hugh Low Street), 30000 Ipoh, Perak
Operating Hours: Mon – Sat 9am -6.30pm.  Sun 9am – 12,30pm.

Follow AlwaysTravelicious for more awesome Travel & Food Stories !

The post 17 Hidden Food Gems You Must Try in Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

I am back in Ipoh for a few weeks and at a friend’s suggestions we decided to go and try Facey Noodle House’s pan mee ( 辣一辣怡保馳名辣椒板麵), which is particularly known for its chilli pan mee.  I’ve tried a few places in Ipoh for chilli pan mee before but I haven’t really found anything remarkable.  

That perception all changed we we tried Facey Noodle House’s chilli pan mee.  The ingredients in the noodles are very simple but all done to perfection – the deep fried anchovies are crisp; the minced pork is marinated well; and the chilli has a hint of umami from the dried shrimps.  Mixing up the noodles is the best part, poking through the poached egg and watching the egg yolk ooze. If the level of spiciness is not enough for you, simply add in a few more spoons of chilli placed on every table.  Be careful there, because you might become addicted with the chilli pan mee !

While there is the traditional soup and dry pan mee, Facey Noodle House is adventurous in creating unconventional pan mee, such as the Japanese CEO Pan Mee and the Korean Kim Chee Pan Mee.  The Japanese CEO Pan Mee is similar to Japanese ramen, using ingredients such as chashu, minced pork, egg, wood-ear and miso-based broth, but only much more value for money as it’s only for about half the price of Japanese ramen.

The Kimchi Pan Mee comes with poached egg and fried pork nugget.   The broth is pleasantly spicy with a tad of sourness from the house-made kimchi.  The bowl of noodle is as good as kimchi chigae (kimchi soup) being served in Korean restaurants so do go for this if you are a Korean-food-lover !

Besides being a pan mee expert, Facey Noodle House also offers side dishes such as Thai-style paku pakis salad, meat balls , fried dumplings, red oil dumpling, fried fish cake and Japanese wakame.  Try the sweet & sour paku pakis salad , which is not only appetising, but also refreshingly cold.

Price wise, everything is mostly kept at a below RM 7 .  In case you have not heard, hawker food prices have been going up in Ipoh, especially for  places like Ipoh old town.   In comparison, Facey Noodle House offers good value with generous portions so definitely come here for a noodelicious feast !

Facey Noole House is located in Greentown Business Center, directly opposite from Maxis Office.

More Information
Facebook : 辣一辣, 怡保馳名辣椒板面 aka Facey Noodle House
Address : 25, Psrn Greentown 7 , Greentown Business Center, Ipoh, Perak 30450
Tel : 010-770 7907
Opening Hours : 8.30 am – 5 pm.
Get there using Waze : https://waze.to/lr/hw0zfhmrbd

The post Pan Mee @ Facey Noodle House， Ipoh 辣一辣怡保馳名辣椒板麵 appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

WEIL Hotel in Ipoh has recently revealed their secret weapon – the Concept Floor on the Top Floor.  The Concept Floor is distinguished as a “Boutique Hotel Within a Hotel”.  The 52 rooms on this floor have the perfect amalgamation of Asian and European influences; at the same time, elements of local culture are also incorporated.  

Every room comes with a stunning view of Ipoh’s skyline and limestone mountains, so you don’t have to specifically ask for a room with a view as you’ll get one by default !

The Concept Lounge on the same floor is exclusive to the guests that stay on the Top floor.  The guests can enjoy premium breakfast buffet from 7am – 10.30am or evening canapés from 6 – 8pm, while complimentary beverages are served here throughout the day.  We were able to do a speedy checkout at the lounge too (like within 3 minutes !).

There are three different categories of rooms : Suite, Studio and Cosy Room ; and there are  four types of rooms by design : Brewster, Summer Bliss, Telegraph and Miners.  We stayed in the Brewster Studio.  The name “Brewster” is  an integral part of Ipoh’s history as E J Brewster was once the district officer of Kinta; there was also a road named after him in Ipoh.  Inspired by Malaysia’s colonial past, the majestic suite is elegant in shades of grey and royal blue.  Besides the nostalgic terrazzo flooring and dark wood paneling, the most notable feature is definitely the Jacuzzi for two with red-marble surround.

We’ve also had the chance to look at the other rooms.  The moment we stepped into Summer Bliss, the nature inspired studio felt soothing with its fresh green carpeting and floral wall.   I can so imagine myself in this room – read a book on the big comfortable arm chair (or just fall asleep in it !), followed by a Jacuzzi session !

The Summer Bliss is also available as a Cosy Room ( without Jacuzzi).

The Telegraph Cosy Room caught us by surprise as we didn’t expect such pop of colors ! The furnishings are eclectic with a 1920’s European vibe.   The deep turquoise bedhead board, the red carpet, the blue chair and the purple chair each have such distinct and bold colors yet they are the perfect match for the room !

The Miners Cosy Room is inspired by Ipoh’s past, when many Chinese immigrants were involved in the once-thriving-activity of mining .  Oriental elements such as the porcelain lamp and the red door are immediately recognisable.  Even the bathroom is in sync with the oriental theme by the use of blue porcelain tiling.  The best part ? The marble finishes that you see in this room are from Ipoh !

Lastly, complete your stay at Weil Hotel by taking a dip at the infinity pool, or sip a glass of cocktail at The Deck Gastrobar, both of which will give you a fabulous view of Ipoh city beneath you.

More Information
Website :  www.weilhotel.com
Facebook : Weil Hotel Facebook Page

Book Through Agoda

Book Through Booking.com

Book Through Expedia

The post Hotel Review : WEIL Hotel @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

怡保辣一辣@有面子板麵的鎮店之寶必屬辣椒板麵無疑。辣椒板麵好吃的關鍵就是裡頭的乾辣椒，是一碗板麵的靈魂所在。老闆親自手作的乾辣椒可是大有來頭，連選辣椒碎都是一門學問 ; 辣椒太細吃起來像咖喱；太粗又吃起來纖維過多、口感粗糙。火候的控制也很重要；火候太大乾辣椒容易焦掉，焦了就前功盡棄。只有準確的掌控火候、不時的調整火候大小才能讓乾辣椒均勻受熱。經過約一個小時的翻炒，辣一辣@有面子板麵的乾辣椒香氣撲鼻、辣而不嗆，是10種秘製材料的完美結合。

辣椒板麵一上桌時，最開心的那一刻莫過於用筷子把蛋黃戳破、看著那邪惡的蛋黃流出來的時候了 。板麵裡頭的配料有：酥脆江魚仔，滷的入味的肉碎，帶點鮮味的辣椒碎以及滑溜的水波蛋。當所有食材配上蛋液混拌在一起時，一碗順滑完美的辣椒板麵就出現啦！也有食客太愛這裡的乾辣椒，每次來吃都是把桌上另外放的乾辣椒一掃而空 ！

除了傳統的清湯及乾撈麵，老闆也很有創意的推出了以日式湯底搭配豐富食材的CEO日式大板麵，以及韓式湯底搭配肉餃的泡菜板麵。

吃了板麵還嘴饞就再來吃小吃吧！有魚餅，豬肉丸，紅油餃子及海帶多種選擇。最推薦的是冰鎮芭菇菜；芭菇菜淋上泰式酸辣醬真是冰涼又開胃！

各種板麵及小吃的價位都維持在很合理的範圍之內，大多數是在RM 7 以下。老闆配料大方，很值得哦。

More Information
Facebook : 辣一辣, 怡保馳名辣椒板面 aka Facey Noodle House
Address : 25, Psrn Greentown 7 , Greentown Business Center, Ipoh, Perak 30450
Tel : 010-770 7907
Opening Hours : 9 am – 4.30 pm.
Get there using Waze : https://waze.to/lr/hw0zfhmrbd

The post 怡保辣一辣@有面子板麵 － 挑戰味蕾的辣椒板麵 appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

The post SK Native – 怡保重量級雞絲蓮蓉餅 appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

When it comes to Ipoh food, Fook Kee Pan Mee in Ipoh is a hidden gem located in Chung Hwa Restaurant in Gunung Rapat Area (福記板面@中華茶餐室).  Visitors to Ipoh would often visit “famous” places like Lou Wong Bean Sprout Chicken, Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah, etc, and totally have no idea about this pan mee place. Even without the tourist crowd, the minimum wait time is at least 30 minutes if you you visit  after 6.30 pm.

I’ve been eating here for the past few years and I just never get tired of this bowl of noodles prepared by a team of family members that run Fook Kee Pan Mee.  There are two kinds of pan mee here – soup pan mee with broad noodles and dry pan mee with thinner noodles.  I’ve always eaten the soup pan mee, which consists of a generous portion of broad noodles, vegetables, tender pork slices, delectable meat balls and crunchy deep-fried anchovies.  The portion is so huge that it’s easily double the portion compare to other noodle stalls.  Two years ago, before the implementation of GST, the noodles used to be at RM 3.80 per bowl and Fook Kee was one of the very last few hawker stalls to remain their food at RM 3.80 per bowl when most stalls have already increased their prices to RM 4.50 and above.  Now these noodles are at RM 5 per bowl, but still totally worth it.

There was one time, I decided to try the dry version, and I regretted not having tried it earlier because I instantly fell in love with the dry version ! The dry pan mee uses thinner noodles which has similar texture to the Korean Shin Ramyu Instant Noodles, but 10 times better and 10 times healthier.  The noodle are quite simple in terms of flavor as they are just mixed with soy sauce and an aromatic oil.  But the texture, oh the texture is one of the best I’ve tried ! The texture is chewy, springy; I could easily eat a bowl of plain noodles like this !

The noodles are accompanied by a bowl of scrumptious soup that’s similar to the soup version of pan mee.  

Fook Kee Pan Mee is located in Restaurant Chung Wah, together with two other stalls (one sells fried chicken and the other sells roast pork).  But pretty much EVERYONE that you see sitting here is waiting for their pan mee to come ! If you don’t have the patience to wait, be there as early as possible around 5.30 – 6pm, that should help to minimise your wait time.  

More Info
Fook Kee Pan Mee Facebook (福記板面@中華茶餐室)
Address :  Taman Ipoh Jaya, 31350 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : 5.30 pm to late.

Follow AlwaysTravelicious for more Travel & Food Stories !

The post Fook Kee Pan Mee @ Ipoh (福記板面@中華茶餐室) appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

Ipoh Old Town has undergone a makeover over the past few years (see this list of 34 Cafes in Ipoh and you would know what I mean !).  Hipster cafes and boutique hotels flourished when the old became the new fab. The Concubine Lane  (or Panglima Lima, “二奶巷” , “Er Nai xiang”) was the next to follow suit.  Other than the Concubine Lane that most people know of, there are two other related lanes in the vicinity – the Wife Lane (or Lorong Hale, “大奶巷”,”Da Nai Xiang”) and the First Concubine Lane (Market Lane， “三奶巷”， “San Nai Xiang”).  

These concubine lanes have history that goes all the way back to 1892, when parts of Ipoh Old Town were rebuilt after a fire in 1892.  The Concubine Lanes were part of the rebuilt and were owned by mining tycoon Yao Tet Shin.  He gave away the houses on the lanes to his three wives, and hence the locals named the lanes accordingly – Wife Lane, Concubine Lane and First Concubine Lane.  There’s another version of story where common folklore has it that these were also the lanes where rich men hid their second wives.

Today’s Concubine Lane is the most transformed lane among all three.   There’s probably only one house in Concubine Lane that’s in its original state, but the rest is history.

Concubine Lane is the most vibrant on weekends, holidays, where many pop-up stalls gather.  You’ll find cacti on sale, colorful ice balls, flower-shaped cotton candy and more.

It’s easy to get distracted while walking on Concubine Lane, because, how could you not ? With little pastel-colored windmills, sunflowers and unique signages, there are lots to marvel along this short, cheerful lane.

Oh and don’t forget to look up to see the amusing sight of teddy bear and giraffe gazing at you !

One of the stores on concubine lane, Meiko Kaiso Shop, has embraced the concept of vintage fully.  The downstairs section sells souvenirs which is very common, but the upstairs section is an awesome place to explore (and to take Instagram photos), with a RM 3 entrance fee.

If you have a thing for antiques, this would be the place for you.  I like the vibe of this place, where old TVs, ceramic teapots, vinyl records, and rattan baskets represent  a bygone era.

Even if you don’t love antiques, the store’s interior architecture  is worth checking out.  From the outside of the store, it looks like any two storey building, but once you get to the first floor, you’ll be surprised to see that there are a few internal lofty decks to climb to get to the top floor.  

If you are visiting Concubine Lane, you should definitely visit the other two lanes; both are much quieter compared to the Concubine Lane but just as charming.  The Wife Lane now has a proper signage; you can easily recognise it from the  lanterns and the fruit seller mural on a yellow wall.   

First Concubine Lane now also has its own signage, a sky full of red and white umbrellas, and a mural of people eating curry noodles.  The mural could not be anymore appropriate because it is indeed on the side walls of Nam Chau Kopitiam, which is famous for its curry noodles.  On the other end of First Concubine Lane is one of Ernest Zarcharevic’s murals of old man with trash .  

While it’s a good sign that Ipoh’s Old Town is attracting lots of visitors, and Ipoh is getting international attention as it has recently been ranked by Lonely Planet as No. 6 in a List of Best Places to Go in Asia for the Next 12 Months, I enjoyed Ipoh Old Town as is before it came under the spotlight; while merely 2 years ago Concubine Lane was a hidden gem with forlorn beauty where people rarely went.   If you appreciate little things and enjoy little places, it’s good idea to visit Wife Lane and First Concubine Lane as they are still relatively untouched and “original”, before they become too similar to Concubine Lane.

If you are traveling to Ipoh, consider booking your Ipoh Hotel with Traveloka.  I’ve been using traveloka.com a lot lately, for booking hotels and flight tickets because it’s excellent for comparing rates side by side, and it’s easy to filter your selections.  The best part is, it shows the Final Prices of the hotels /flights, as opposed to adding on taxes and any extra charges at the end and you realise it’s actually much more expensive once you decide to book.

If you happen to be travelling to Ipoh soon, have fun and bon voyage !

Follow AlwaysTravelicious for more awesome Travel & Food Stories !

The post The Concubine Lanes of Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

The post 怡保源香餅舖-百年傳承的好味道 appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

The post Ipoh Must-Eat : Guan Heong Biscuits appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

It is all about rice noodles (a.k.a “mi xian” (米線)) at Little Meet Fresh in Ipoh. The noodles are a specialty from Yunan Province in China, known for their smooth texture.  The noodle outlet has been around for a few months and already they are winning the hearts of Ipohans.  You’ll find the restaurant packed during lunch and dinner hours, but don’t worry, service is fast and prompt. 

The noodles are made of very simple ingredients of just rice and water, yet they go through more than 10 preparation steps to become the way they are.  The broth that’s used at Little Meet Fresh is made by simmering anchovies, pork bones, and fish bones for more than 8 hours, resulting in a broth full of umami.  Furthermore, the broth has just the right amount of shao xing wine so it’s just enough to enhance the  flavors of the broth without becoming too bitter.

The noodles come with a good selection of ingredients – such as pork slices, fish paste, fish slices, prawns, pork balls, premium beef slices, beef balls and vegetables.  Little Meet Fresh has already put the best combinations in the menu and there’s always an option if you wanted to add more toppings.

For the indecisive ones, go for the most popular combination which comes with pork belly slices, home-made fish paste, minced meat cake and vegetables (RM 9.30).

If you love clams (“lala”), don’t miss out the clam noodles because the umami-ness is simply doubled ! Double umami, double joy !

For a seafood extravanganza,  go for the “Sea Food Platter” with a hint of ginger flavor.  The impressive bowl of “mi-xian” consists of fish paste, fish slices and fresh prawns.

For chilli lovers that would like an extra oomph in the soup, there’s an option to add extra chilli to spice up things more for you !

While “mi xian” is the noodle that you should try when you are visiting Little Meet Fresh, other types of noodles such as bee hoon and yellow noodles are also available.  The portion at Little Meet Fresh is of decent size but if you are looking for something extra to nibble on, there’s side dishes like acar, dumplings, fish cake and pork balls to satisfy that craving.

Little Meet Fresh’s interior is simple, no fuss and with a vintage vibe.  If you can read Chinese, check out the decorations on the wall as it’s quite humorous !

More Info
Facebook : Little Meet Fresh Ipoh
Tel : 010-7707907
Address : 17 Jalan Medan Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh, Perak (on the same row as Restaurant 1919).
Opening Hours : 11am – 8.30pm. Closed on Tuesdays

The post Little Meet Fresh @ Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

When it comes to traditional biscuits or pastry in Ipoh, Guan Heong’s name would definitely come to mind.  They’ve been around for a 100 years and it’s great that they are continuing to innovate. Their latest addition to the pastry collection is the “Thousand Layer Pastry” (千層酥), which comes in 4 flavors (RM 6.80 per piece) :

1. Yam + Yolk
2. Yam + Mochi
3. Green Tea Mochi
4. Sesame Mochi

These new pastries are available in store or you could purchase them from their website at guanheong.com as well.

My personal favorite is definitely the Yam + Yolk , for very obvious reasons because anything with salted egg yolk is just to-die-for.

For the yam used in these pastries, you might notice that the texture is so creamy that it almost melts in your mouth.  The secret to the texture is not due to the way it’s prepared, because for certain types of yam, no matter how long you cook it, it still tastes somewhat fibrous.  The secret is due to the type of yam used.  The yam is carefully selected, using imported yam from Taiwan, so don’t play play oh ~ And you might just get the impression that you are eating some street food from Taiwan !

For matcha lovers, definitely go for the green tea mochi flavor, because the combination of macha crust, smooth red bean paste and mochi is an irresistable combination !

For flavors that are more traditional, the Sesame Mochi with mochi would be the one for you.

Since the Moon Cake Festival is just round the corner, Guan Heong has a good selection of moon cakes as well ! I am going to start with the cutest moon cake – the piggie mooncake that comes in a little basket.    The piggi mooncakes have great details where you could see the nose and the tail ! It’s a bit difficult to find piggie mooncakes these days as they are quite troublesome to make so grab them while you can !

For the signature mooncake, be sure to try their unique “bak kua” mooncake, which is scrumptious with that additional sweetness and smoky flavor from the bak kua.  These mooncakes come with or without yolk, and no prizes for you if you made the right guess for my preference ! (RM 15 without yolk, RM 16 with yolk).

If you are just looking for some classic mooncakes, Guan Heong has them as well, like the Shanghai Moocake, Five Mixed Nut Mooncake, Lotus Mooncake, Teo Cheow Mooncake; these mooncakes range from RM 8.50 – RM 19.  And did I tell you that they have the “Emperor Mooncake” which comes with 7 egg yolks at RM 87 ? I haven’t had the chance to try this but I think I would be in yolk-phoria if I ever had the chance to !

ps: If you looking at what other types of biscuits Guan Heong has to offer. see this post here for Guan Heong’s Traditional Biscuits , such as the meat floss biscuits.

More Information :

Tel: 05-2412399
WhatsApp: +6010-2262657
Facebook : 源香 Guan Heong Biscuit Shop
Website : http://www.guanheong.com
Address : 160 Jalan Sultan Iskandar , 30000 Ipoh , Perak.
Opening hours : Daily 9am – 7pm

The post Thousand Layer Pastry @ Guan Heong Ipoh appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

這裡的米線有超多種配料如：五花肉、魚圓、鮮蝦、石斑魚片、特級肥牛片、牛肉丸、自製魚滑及自製肉餅；店家也很貼心的幫你搭配好了！

基本上menu可以隨便翻一頁，隨便點、隨便好吃，想吃米線，找他們就對了, 價位也很平民，在RM8.30 – RM17.90之間。

另外順便隆重介紹小線肉的新品殺手鐧 – 啦啦三鮮米線！湯頭都已經夠鮮了，再加上啦啦，那種鮮美度是鮮到…. ！不知道怎麼形容，吃就對了！

More Info
Facebook : Little Meet Fresh Ipoh
Tel : 010-7707907
Address : 17 Jalan Medan Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh, Perak (on the same row as Restaurant 1919).
Opening Hours : 11am – 8.30pm. Closed on Tuesdays

The post 怡保米線餐廳－小線肉 appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

怡保源香一直不斷地精益求精，推陳出新，開發出4色千層酥，四種口味都很獨特，有鹹蛋芋頭酥、mochi芋頭酥、抹茶紅豆酥、芝麻蓮蓉酥 (每粒RM 6.80)。（外坡的朋友可去源香的官網訂購 https://guanheong.com/）

千層酥裡用的芋頭可是由台灣遠道而來的進口芋頭才能做出香滑綿密口感，一咬下去芋泥直接化在口裡，心也一起化掉了～不管是配合鹹香蛋黃還是q彈mochi , 整個很對味就是了～

特別推薦綠茶口味給抹茶控；抹茶、紅豆、mochi ，這三樣經典搭配別走寶咯～ 這幾種餅都不會太甜，記得多吃點

他們的香烤肉乾月餅也很少見，而且還榮獲2014年度十大月餅的獎項～傳統月餅有鮮甜的肉乾加持，多了豬油香，讓中秋節來點不一樣的口味～ 除了招牌香烤肉乾月餅，也是有很多傳統月餅的選擇如上海月餅、金腿月餅、翡翠蓮蓉 （RM 8.50 – RM16).

參考源香其他餅類 （肉絲蓮蓉餅，香餅，etc) : https://www.facebook.com/alwaystravelicious/posts/902135176632834

在怡保的朋友很幸福叻，可以第一時間嚐到源香的新品，外坡的朋友不怕，也可動動手指上 https://guanheong.com/ 訂購，好料的直接送到你家咯～

店家資訊
Tel: 05-2412399
WhatsApp: +6010-2262657
Facebook : 源香 Guan Heong Biscuit Shop
Website : http://www.guanheong.com
Address : 160 Jalan Sultan Iskandar , 30000 Ipoh , Perak.
Opening hours : 每天 9am – 7pm

The post 怡保源香餅舖新品：4色千層酥 appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

Ipoh continues to surprise me with its awesome food.  Yin Fei Kee (源暉記小食館) may seem like your typical “ju char” place, but once you’ve tried their dishes, seafood dishes in particular, you will be hooked ! The chef of the restaurant has been running the restaurant for more than 40 years, and a lot of things he still insists on doing the old way, like frying his own “ju yau cha” (pork lard), planting his own curry leaves and salting duck eggs in specific ways. 

The salted egg crab is my favorite among all the dishes.  The amount of salted egg yolk that was given was so generous ! The salted egg yolk was minced by hand for extra texture and the flavor was so intense, as opposed to sometimes the flavor of the salted egg yolk could be diluted by too much milk. (RM 13/100g).

For oyster lovers, you have to try their “oh chien” (oyster omelette).  I was delighted to see the big, fat oyster as each of them was almost as big as my spoon (RM 19) ! If you just want oysters alone, you could get freshly shucked oysters here as well.

Typically I am not a big fan of razor clams as most of the time they taste bland.  Not at Yin Fei Kee as they use fresh razor clams.  The clams were amazingly juicy, and of course with the kam heong sauce and home-grown curry leaves, the dish is perfect to eat with rice (RM 19).

From the “ju yau char dai loke meen” (pork lard noodles) , it is evident that the the pork lard is house-made as the pork lard pieces were so chunky.  The taste ? anything with pork lard gets two thumbs up from me, not to mention that the noodles were topped with fresh, crunchy prawns (RM7).

The big bowl “wat tan hor” has a substantial amount of seafood and it is THE dish for instagram.  The dish is one size, and the proportion of hor fun and seafood will be adjusted according to the number of pax (RM 39).  Don’t forgot to drizzle some black vinegar while you are at it !

Lastly, Yin Fei Kee has an unusual vegetable dish – “ice vege” with sesame dressing and bacon.  You hardly see this vegetable in any restaurants.  If you look at it closely, it has tiny little water droplets on its leaves, making it extremely succulent.  Go for the bacon for that extra tad of pokilicious flavor (RM 25); a bacon-less version is also available for RM 20.

Yin Fei Kee has an open kitchen for you to see what’s going on inside.  The restaurant’s usual seating area is downstairs.  The upstairs section is open for small groups (about 5-6 tables) if you wish to hold any private functions.

More Info

Yin Fei Kee (源暉記小食館)
Tel ： +60125086639

Address : No 2 Jalan Leong Sin nam, 30300 Ipoh, Perak.
Opening Hours : Daily from 6.30pm.  The restaurant is closed for 1 day every two weeks. 
Chinese New Year Hours : They are closed from CNY eve until the 3rd day of CNY, they reopen on the 4th day of CNY.

The post Restoran Yin Fei Kee @ Ipoh (源暉記小食館) appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .

源暉記是怡保40年煮炒老字號，仍由擁有40年經驗老板以傳統手法掌廚。他們的招牌菜是【鹹蛋蟹】、【大碗公海鮮滑蛋河】、【猪油渣大碌麵】。主廚對食物的要求很高，被許多人認為多工費時的手續，老板依然堅持，只為了給食客最好的；例如：豬油是自己熬的、咖喱葉是自己種的，鹹蛋也是以特製手法醃的 ！！

看到這麼多令人流口水的菜，是不是心動了～ jio 家人朋友一起去吧！

源暉記小食館每天準時6.30pm開店，樓上另有冷氣房承接小型宴席 ～

More Info

源暉記小食館 / Restoran Yin Fai Kee
Tel : 012 5086639
Address : No. 2 Jalan Leong Sin Nam, 30300 Ipoh, Perak.
Waze : https://waze.com/ul/hw0zfhhzw5
Opening Hours : 每晚 6.30pm 開始，每個月不定期休息兩天。

The post 怡保源暉記小食館 appeared first on Always Travelicious ! .