Restaurant Sun Mar Poh, Ipoh

The aunt announced that she is treating us to dinner at Restaurant Sun Mar Poh. Good, can get free meal, heh, heh. We ordered the restaurant's signature dish - fried cuttlefish salad (chiu phai tiu phin). It was good with a sweet and sour sauce, onions and, my favourite, bits of chilli padi (bird's eye chilli) to give it some oomph. We also ordered stir fry "kwai tau miu" (can't remember the English name, sorry) with garlic, pork trotters in vinegar (chee kiok chou), potato shoots fried with belacan, fish head curry and kam heong lala. The "kwai tau miu'' were good. Nice and crunchy while the potato shoots were quite ordinary lor. The "chee kiok chou" was yum, yum. Got the thumbs up from everyone. I could just down the whole bowl myself, hah. The fish head curry was not to my liking though - too much curry powder. The kam heong lala, although not bad, could be better.
Restaurant Sun Mar Poh is located at Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan, Ipoh Garden. Same row as Maybank and KFC.

Chiu phai tiu phin

Stir fried kwai tau miu with garlic

Chee kiok chou

Fish head curry

Kam heong lala

Cafe Ray Of Hope, Ipoh

After reading about this cafe run by a charity organisation which provides training for people with learning disabilities, we decided to check it out one day. We were given a warm welcome the moment we stepped foot inside the cafe. Most of the front liners are special people and they are very polite and cheerful. The way they take their responsibilities seriously can easily put the rest of us to shame. Those in the service industry could learn a thing or two from them, I'd say. Now, for the most important part; the food. On that day, we ordered Thai Fried Rice, Cantonese Fried Koay Teow (which is actually Wat Tan Hor) and Hong Kong Fried Toong Fun (glass noodles). All were given the thumbs up by us. They don't scrimp on ingredients here obviously. A special mention is given to their apple juice and mix fruit drink (made up of carrot, apple and lemon juices) which are simply great. Deserving a special mention also are their pandan layered cake and cheese tart. The cake is light, fluffy, creamy and best of all, not sweet. Nice. The cheese tart is very creamy and cheesy. Ho chiak. I can easily eat half a dozen of this in one sitting, heh, heh. On my second visit with a colleague, I tried the Claypot Low Shi Fun. Tasty with lots of crunchy vegetables. I am thinking of trying either the fried wan tan noodles (a friend said it was good) or the fried mee sua on my next visit.
Cafe Ray Of Hope is a corner lot located at Persiaran Bercham Selatan 31, Taman Sri Kurau, Ipoh.

Hong Kong Fried Toong Fun

Cantonese Fried Koay Teow (Wat Tan Hor)

Thai Fried Rice

Simply delicious

I agree

Pamphlet taken from the cafe

Food For Thought (32)

A friend emailed these photos to me that made me cry and it got me thinking. Whenever any of you out there start complaining about all the wrongs in your life, remember that there are other people struggling to live with or overcome all the wrongs in their lives and these wrongs are hundreds of times worse than yours and mine put together. So, be happy with who you are and what you have and whenever possible, do something to help those that are not so fortunate aaand.........stop complaining. Stop complaining about your food as there are people who are dying for a scrap of food. Stop complaining about your family as there are people who don't have any. Stop complaining about your studies as there are children who would give or do anything for a chance to go to school. Stop complaining about your job as there are children who do work that is worse than yours. In short, stop complaining about anything and everything.
Have a look at these pictures and thank God you are not them.

Stop complaining about your food

Stop complaining about your family

Stop complaining about your studies

Stop complaining about your job

Stop complaining about anything and everything

Fried Oysters (Oh Chien), Penang

I have yet to come across fried oysters which can beat those served by my late grandpa. So far, I have only tried 3 fried oyster stalls in Penang and none of them made the mark. First up, the fried oyster stall located in  Kedai Kopi Seng Thor at Lebuh Carnavon. Very, very oily. Can practically see the oysters swimming in the layer of oil gathered at the bottom of the plate. Next, the fried oyster stall at the Gurney Drive hawker centre. Not oily; dry but quite stingy with the oyster (no extra oysters even if you requested for it). Service is quick even when the queue is long and I mean loooong. Finally, the fried oyster served at Northam Beach Cafe, Georgetown. This one would be quite good if it is drier. The oysters are quite big, though. Of the 3 stalls, I would say the one at Gurney Drive hawker centre is the best. But, you might think differently no?

Gurney Drive Hawker Centre

Kedai Kopi Seng Thor

Northam Beach Cafe

Koon Kee Wantan Mee, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

Since the hotel we were staying at over the weekend did not provide breakfast, we decided to eat in Chinatown. We settled for wantan mee and made a beeline for Koon Kee Wantan Mee. Wah....quite big portion, loh....the noodles, I mean. But, err....the wantan....only 2 leh. The wantan itself is nothing to shout about. But.....the noodles.....hah. The noodles are different from what is normally served up at other wantan noodles stalls. This noodle is fine and springy and fragrant. Yum, yum. The soup is flavourful. Good. The dry version is not to be sniffed at either. Equally good.
Koon Kee Wantan Mee is located at Jalan Hang Lekir, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur. They also have another stall inside Tang City Food Court opposite the shop itself.

The soup version

The 'kon low' (dry) version

Observations Of A Food Blob (5)

Have you ever wondered (if you haven't already), in this world gone mad, what safety precautions we can take to make it safer for ourselves and our loved ones? Well, here are some which hopefully can help :
1) Walk facing the oncoming traffic to minimise the risk of being caught unawares by snatch thieves. If you have to carry a bag or something, carry it on the side away from the traffic.
2) Be unpredictable. Do alter your daily routine so that whoever is observing your daily activities would not be able to predict your next move. Do not always use the same route to and from your work place so that you would not get "ambushed" on your way to and from work.
3) Try not to show clear and obvious signs that there is no one at home. Maybe you can leave the radio or television on if you are going out for a few hours or unplug the phone to make it look like someone is home chatting over the phone. If you are going to be away for a few days, try to arrange with your neighbour to collect your mail or newpapers. Heck, give them permission to hang their washings over at your front porch if they want to when you are away.
4) Arrange a set of special codes with your children so that when you call them up on their mobile phones, you will know their actual situation. Eg. : if your child says "I am fine" it means "I am in danger" or if your child says "I am coming home now" it means "I am alright".
5) Never ever leave your car keys inside the car unattended with the engine running and with your child in it. You may think it is only for a minute or two while you nip inside the store but a minute or two is all it takes for somebody to drive away your car with your child and your other belongings.
6) Always have your eyes on your child when you go out shopping or something. As far as possible, keep a firm grip on your child so that child snatchers would think twice about abducting your child.
7) If you are involved in a fender bender, do not stop and get out from your car (especially if you are a female). Instead, drive straight to the nearest police station and sort things out there.

Restoran Dan Nasi Ayam Kam Kee, Chinatown, KL

After checking into our hotel in the Bukit Bintang area, we decided to lunch in Chinatown. And, as it's been some time since we last had chicken rice of any sort, we popped into Restoran Dan Nasi Ayam Kam Kee for some. Oooh....'hou sik' nya. The steamed chicken is moist and tasty. Cuz also gave her roast chicken the thumbs up. The rice, too, is very fragrant. As for the 'suen choy', everyone agreed it is one of the best we've ever tasted. Just the right combination of spicy and sour. Can easily down a whole bowl.....or two....myself, heh, heh.
Restoran Dan Nasi Ayam Kam Kee is located at Jalan Sultan in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur.

Chung Hwa Curry Laksa Restaurant, Batu Caves

Since we happened to be in the Batu Caves area one fine day, we decided to stop at random at one of the coffee shops in Taman Sri Gombak for breakfast. Apparently, we made the right choice. We were hit by the most wonderful aroma the moment we stepped foot into the shop. Wow.....it's their very popular curry laksa. Not to be left out, we quickly placed our orders for the curry laksa, a noodle soup and a nasi lemak. Oooh.....the curry laksa tasted as good as it smelled. The curry was thick and creamy. Very fragrant. Big portion too. The noodle soup was equally good too. Flavourful. Ho chiak. The nasi lemak would be good too if the chicken rendang was fragrant enough. As it is, the chicken rendang was a bit of a let down. Looked good but doesn't taste as good lor.
Chung Hwa Curry Laksa Restaurant is a corner shop located at Jalan Sg 3/1, Taman Sri Gombak, Batu Caves.

The sedap curry laksa

The equally sedap noodle soup

The not so sedap nasi lemak

Food For Thought (31)

A child's debt to his/her parents can never be fully repaid in one lifetime. Agree with me?

Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur (2)

Huh???? Chinatown again? What can I say? I simply just love this place. Here are some snacks you can buy and eat while nosing around the place.

Dried candied fruits and vegetables

Tasty thirst quencher

Mua Chee

Try it

Roast Duck (Restoran Sun Yeong Wai, Ipoh)

Roast duck....ahhh.....one of my favourite food. The roast duck from Restoran Sun Yeong Wai, Ipoh is one of the best I've ever tasted. Very flavourful, yum, yum. The meat is not chewy (just nice for this old jaw of mine, heh, heh) while the skin is crispy. Can eat half a duck by myself. A bit on the expensive side when it comes to the price but.......still worth it.
One of the restaurant's branches is located at Jalan Medan Ipoh 6, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh near Tesco.

Food For Thought (30)

Free education. Is it a right or a privilege? I think free basic education (primary and secondary education) is a right but higher education is a privilege - a privilege that has to be earned. After all, did anyone say there is such a thing as a free ride or a free lunch? And did anyone say life is easy? Aaand.....would anyone appreciate something that lands on his/her lap just like that?

Ngap Kiok Pau, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

"Ngap Kiok Pau"........er........what's that? Direct translation - Duck Leg Pau. Actually, it is duck innards wrapped with the duck's leg. Even though it looks and sounds quite unappetising, it is really yum, yum lah. Erm....not quite the cup of tea for a person who doesn't eat innards of any kind lor. Can't exactly describe the taste here. Have to try it for yourself to know how it tastes like. And......Sze Ngan Chye at Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur sells the best "Ngap Kiok Pau" I've ever tasted. I can easily eat half a dozen of his "Ngap Kiok Pau" in one go. That's how much I like it, heh, heh. Hmmm......I think it would go very well with beer, leh.

The Ngap Kiok Pau 

The stall

Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur orrr.......to be more specific, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Petaling and Jalan Hang Lekir. Ah yes, one of my favourite places in Kuala Lumpur. Love the atmosphere, love the food....erm....well, most of it, anyway, hah, hah. Can sit out in the open at one of the many food stalls and restaurants that can be found here. Or can 'ta pau' (take away). Personally, we prefer to sit out in the open to enjoy our food and soak up the atmosphere.

Restoran Kim Lian Kee (Hokkien Mee)

Chinatown Seng Kee

Hon Kee Porridge

Penang Char Kuey Teow (Tang City Food Court)

Observations Of A Food Blob (4)

Have you ever wondered (if you haven't already), why some people insist on stopping their vehicle inside the yellow box and thereby messing up the already choked traffic flow? What difference does it make if they stop their vehicle outside the yellow box rather than inside it? Will stopping inside the yellow box enable them to reach their destination faster? Is this what is called 'kiasu'? I call it extremely inconsiderate, very rude and plain selfish on the part of the person doing it. Orrrr......perhaps they don't have anything between their ears????

Will stopping inside the yellow box get these people to their destinations faster?

Lumut Nasi Kandar, Lumut

On our way home from Swiss Garden Golf & Spa Resort Damai Laut, we decided to detour to Lumut town for a spot of shopping........for ikan bilis and stuff like that lah. As we were feeling peckish after all the shopping, we decided to hop in to our favourite spot for lunch whenever we happened to be in Lumut .........Lumut Nasi Kandar. Their tomato rice is good even without any dish to accompany it. Of course, the various curries are yum, yum although not spicy enough for us. Buut..........still ''ho chiak''. I especially like the ayam masak merah. Eaten with tomato rice and pickled cucumber......oooh sedapnya. The mutton curry is also equally good although erm sometimes, the mutton can be a tad chewy. By the way, their fried chicken is the best in the world.......according to me lah. You don't have to agree with me lor.
Lumut Nasi Kandar is located at 4159 Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Lumut.

Breakfast at Swiss Garden Golf & Spa Resort Damai Laut, Lumut

Swiss Garden Golf & Spa Resort Damai Laut.......aahh.......our favourite place for some relaxation. Always something to look forward to for us. We especially like the buffet breakfast which is included in the room rates. Quite a spread they have there.....although.....compared to a few years back, the buffet spread has shrunk somewhat. Still.......we like it and so far, we have not gotten tired of it. Erm....come to think of it....the breakfast buffet spread actually has a wider selection than the dinner buffet. Hmm.......why's that, ah????

A teeny weeny selection from the breakfast buffet selection

Another teeny weeny selection

Food For Thought (29)

Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. (Peter Marshall)
Yes, what's the use of planning great deeds that are not or cannot be done, hah?

Madam Kwan's, Pavillion, Kuala Lumpur

Somebody suggested dinner at Madam Kwan's in Pavillion. OK. Whatever. Wah......crowded. Maybe because it's a Saturday??. Erm...what to order, ah? Spaghetti Alfredo.......good. Creamy and tasty. Curry laksa...nope. Too lemak and nothing else. Prawn noodles.....also, no, no. Can smell the prawn but cannot taste it in the soup. Wonder why. Maybe should just let hawkers' fare stay where they belong ........ at the hawkers' stall????? Chicken chop....quite good. Big portion. Nasi Bojari......er.......what's that? It's rice accompanied by fried chicken, sambal prawn and beef rendang. Not bad lor. The brown sugar ice kacang is not so good......too much milk.

Not 'sedap'

Between quite 'sedap' and 'sedap'

Dessert and drink

Food For Thought (28)

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. (Mark Twain)
Agree 100%.

Yong Liu Noodles (Restoran K10, Ipoh)

One of our breakfast haunts during weekends would be Restoran K10 in Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh. We go there for the "yong liu". Service is quick even when the place is crowded. I prefer their curry noodles although the soup version is equally good. Don't like the "kon low" (dry version) though. Their "yong liu" is yummy. Flavourful and tasty. Quite a lot of varieties to choose from. If you are going during the weekend or the holidays, go early if you don't want to go around the place searching for a vacant table.
Restoran K10 is a corner lot located at Jalan Medan Ipoh 2, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, Ipoh. Can't miss the big green signboard.

A teeny weeny part of the "yong liu" being offered

The noodles (curry and soup version)

South Indian Curry, Woolley Food City, Ipoh

My favourite stall in Woolley Food City, Ipoh Garden is the South Indian Curry stall run by a Chinese man and lady. Business is brisk especially during lunch hour but service is quick. Our must haves would be the mutton curry, pickled cucmber with pineapple, ayam masak merah, tofu masak merah and stir fry potato shoots with belacan. But.....actually, all their dishes are just as good. They are only open for lunch, so don't go looking for them come dinner time but if you are there during this time of the day, can always go for the bak kut teh which is quite good actually.

Yum, yum mutton curry

Bak Kut Teh

Ho chiak ayam masak merah and belacan potato shoots

Observations Of A Food Blob (3)

Have you ever wondered (if you haven't already), why some people like to jump queue whether it is on the road or at a service counter, etc? What's the hurry here, huh? Who gave them the right to just cut in, in front of other people who have been patiently waiting in the queue? These kind of people always makes me see red. So, I was extremely happy one day to see a traffic queue jumper came face to face with the law, heh. This queue jumper was driving on the wrong side of the road to get to the front of a long line of cars waiting at the traffic light and who should be coming in the opposite direction on that side of the road? The traffic police. Yes, caught in the act of breaking the law, hah. Padan muka.