Restoran Cathay @ Ipoh, Perak

Restoran Cathay is a Hainanese Restaurant that has been around for many decades in Ipoh. Located along Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar (Osborne Street), this restaurant has been serving delicious Hainanese food for years now. I have always wanted to visit them but never got the opportunity. This afternoon, I made it a point to find this restaurant and to head there for lunch. 

The Restaurant Along Osborne Street

Located Opposite This Building

Finding this place was quite a challenge using Google maps as it was marked in a different location and it kept taking me around in circles. It was when I always gave up, I thought of using Waze instead and fortunately, it brought me here right away. So, if you're using Google Maps to locate this restaurant, my suggestion would be to switch to Waze. Despite the address being correct, still it takes you to a different site altogether which is nowhere within a walking distance. The street where this restaurant is is pretty much an office area and if you're coming here during business hours, parking can be a challenge. Nevertheless, you should be able to get a bay not too far away. 

Cutlery

The place was typical old school Hainanese restaurant. Marble tables and chairs from the yesteryears and the deco was like a journey back to the 70's. They serve breakfast right up to dinner and are closed on Saturdays. If you're wondering what's famous here, it's their Hainanese Chicken Chop, Hainanese Pork Chop, Hainanese Fish Chop, Hailam Noodles and Toast. Since there were only the two of us, we ordered their Hainanese Chicken Chop and Pork Chop. 

Hainanese Pork Chop @ RM 12.00

Hainanese Chicken Chop @ RM 12.00

Both the Chicken Chop and Pork Chop comes in a Tomato based gravy and with some onions, peas and fried potatoes. The meat cut was huge for both and the price of RM 12 was definitely cheap. The meat was very tender and both were coated in eggs. The flavours were generally quite light and that's good as the sauce did not overpower the natural flavours of the meat. Definitely a place that is worth visiting for Hainanese food when you're in Ipoh. 

Address: A17, Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar (Osborne Street), 30300 Ipoh, Perak.

Business Hours: 0730 - 2000 Sunday - Friday 

Martin Food Caterers @ Ipoh, Perak

Martin Food Caterers is a multi cuisine caterers that is based in Ipoh, Perak. They have been around for ages and they even do royal functions in Perak. This afternoon, we had a function in Ipoh and they had engaged Martin Food Caterers. To be honest, it has been at least two decades since I last tasted their food and my last experience with them had been very good. 

The Truck

Contact Details

Lunch was at 12 noon and the truck was already there by 10.30 am. By 11 am, they had neatly set up the entire place including setting up of the tables and buffet area. That was very impressive to see and I am glad that their efficiency is still up to the mark. The waiters were all dressed well and neat and that's another plus point that shows their experience in engaging with high profile customers. 

My Lunch

The above are the items that we had ordered for this afternoon. They were all South Indian vegetarian items and do note that they are Halal certified as well. We had ordered Ghee Rice, Vegetable Kurma, Vegetable Cutlet, Brinjals Perattal, Ulunthu Vadai, Fried Brinjals, Potato Masala, Meal Maker Sambal and Paruppu Kadaiyal with Ghee. 

Ghee Rice & Vegetable Kurma

Brinhals & Vegetable Cutlet

Ulunthu Vadai

Their Ghee Rice was good and the flavours were satisfactory. I shall rate this at 7/10. Similarly, their Vegetable Kurma and Vegetable Cutlets were good as well and both deserves a rating of 8/10. Their Brinjals and Ulunthu Vadai was quite good and for these, my rating shall be 9/10. 

Paruppu Kadaiyal with Ghee

Meal Maker Masala

Potato Masala

Their Paruppu Kadaiyal with Ghee was awesome and that I shall give 10/10. Potato Masala and Meal Maker Sambal were good as well and for these, I shall give it 8/10. Generally, still quite happy with the overall preparation. 

Payasam

Lime Juice

We had also ordered some Payasam and Lime Juice and both were super good. Seriously, it was so good that I cannot give it anything less that a perfect 10/10. 

If you're looking for a good multi cuisine caterer to work with in Ipoh, my vote shall still be for Martin Food Caterers. Their punctuality and work ethics were impressive and the food quality was still good. 

Address: 53 & 55, Jalan Silibin, Taman Lim 30100 Ipoh, Perak. 

Contact Details: +605 527 4184

Restoran Ipoh Kong Heng @ Ipoh, Perak

Restoran Ipoh Kong Peng that is located along Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh is one of the oldest Kopitiam's that is still in existence in Ipoh. They are located along Jalan Bandar Timah and this coffee shop has a number of delicacies that is still sought after by the locals. 

The Restaurant Located Along Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh

Closed On Wednesdays

Ipoh White Coffee

This is my first time here and I basically came here as the place came highly recommended. They have a number of stalls inside this coffee shop that is famous in it's own way. Firstly, I wanted to try their famous Egg Caramel but was told that it was sold off already. Sad that we came for a late breakfast and missed this lovely desert. So, I ordered a cup of White Coffee and subsequently tried a number of stalls there. Another stall that is famous here is the Chee Cheong Fun Stall and unfortunately, those guys too were closed for the day. Coming back to the White Coffee, it was really good. Lovely aroma and the blend of flavours were awesome. 9/10 would be my rating for this drink. 

Very Famous Popiah Stall

Mixed Popiah @ RM 5.00

The Popiah Stall here is very famous and that you can see from the number of newspaper write-ups that are pasted on the stall. This stall is operated by an elderly aunty and her daughter. The main items that they sell are the Wet and Fried Popiah which is what most people come here for. Besides that, they also do serve Assam Laksa as well. Being a fan of Popiah, we decided to go for one each and it was priced at RM 5.00 for the platter. Both the Fried as well as the Wet Popiah was awesome. It has been a long time since I had a Popiah that was this good. 10/10 would be my rating for this. If you're at this coffee shop, their Popiah is a must try. 

Hokkien Prawn Mee Stall

Hokkien Prawn Mee @ RM 6.50

This was just another stall that was there in the Coffee Shop and since the Chee Cheong Fun stall was closed for the day, we decided to give these guys a try too. The mix of ingredients were good but to be honest, the broth was very disappointing. It was almost tasteless and it tasted somewhat like plain soup. The entire flavours that you would expect in a bowl of Prawn Mee was lacking. My recommendation would be to avoid this stall, to at least this particular dish from this stall. If I were to rate this preparation, I would only give it 2/10. 

Fried Noodles Stall

Duck Egg Char Kuey Teow @ RM 7.00

This was another stall that seemed to be having lot's of customers and despite Tham having a number of noodles and fried items dishes, most people were going for their Duck Egg Char Kuey Teow. Seeing that, I too ordered a plate of Duck Egg Char Kuey Teow and it was priced at RM 7.00 . I would say that it was pricey for Ipoh as the pricing was comparable to the ones that we get in Kuala Lumpur. Despite that, I would not complain as the Char Kuey Teow was so good. Seriously, it was one of the best Duck Egg Char Kuey Teow's that I have tasted. A highly recommended preparation and they were quit generous with the ingredients. The entire preparation was so good that I was contemplating if I should order another one. 10/10 would be my rating for this dish.  

Restoran Ipoh Kong Heng is one of the old school Coffee Shops that is still going strong in Ipoh. Based on what we had tried this morning, I would recommend going for the Duck Egg Char Kuey Teow, Fried & Wet Popiah and White Coffee. Unfortunately the Chee Cheong Fun stall was closed this morning and that too seems to be quite popular which I think would be worth trying. Please do go early as it tends to be quite crowded later on and there are limited seating. A must visit Coffee Shop when you're in Ipoh. 

Address: 75, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.

Business Hours: 0700 - 1700 Thursday - Tuesday

Restoran Gou Lou Prawn Noodle @ Ipoh, Perak

I have tried many Prawn Mee places in Ipoh and most of them were quite mediocre. When I Google'd recently, this restaurant came up and they seemed to have so many positive reviews and this is a place that I have not visited before. Based on those reviews, we decided to head there for lunch this afternoon.

The Restaurant Located Along Jalan Bharu Off Jalan Kampar

Business Hours

Finding the restaurant was quite easy and that's all because of Google Maps. Traffic is heavy since this restaurant is located right in the middle of town and parking too can be a challenge here. Nevertheless, after going around in circles, we finally managed to get a bay not too far from the restaurant. Their business hours are from 7.30 am till 3.00 pm and they are closed on Mondays. 

Primarily, this restaurant only sells four dishes and they are Prawn Mee, Loh Mee, Kuey Teow Th'ng and Curry Mee. You could choose various add on's depending on your preferences. It is good that they keep to their specialisation as that would ensure the quality of the dishes served. The restaurant was crowded for sure and the crowd turnover was very good. 

Classic Prawn Mee @ RM 6.30

Kuey Teow Th'ng @ RM 6.30

I wanted to try their Loh Mee too but unfortunately, that was already sold out. So we ordered a bowl of Prawn Mee and Hor Fun each. Their Prawn Mee reminded me of the Prawn Mee that we get in Taman Kok Lian, Kuala Lumpur. It was really good and the broth was on par with the best Prawn Mee's that I have tasted. Very generous with the add on's and it was one that we totally enjoyed. My rating for this shall be 10/10. Similarly, their Kuey Teow Th'ng was excellent as well. Lots of add on's were added to the dish and the soup was flavour rich. 9/10 would be my rating for this dish. 

Restoran Gou Lou Prawn Noodle definitely serves an excellent bowl of Prawn Mee. Thus far, this is the best Prawn Mee that I have tasted in Ipoh and it's equally on par with my favourite place in Taman Kok Lian, Kuala Lumpur. The other top sellers here are their Loh Mee and Kuey Teow Th'ng. A place that I would recommend visiting. 

Address: No. 124, Jalan Bharu, Off Jalan Kampar, 30250 Ipoh, Perak.

Business Hours: 0730 - 1500 Tuesday - Sunday

Meng Wa Seafood @ Ipoh, Perak

Each visit to Ipoh is never complete if we do not pay a visit to Restoran Kamwan Aneka Selera which is located in Canning Gardens, just behind the Shell petrol station. This time however, we arrived quite late, almost at around 11 pm and by then, most of the stalls were already closing. 

The Food Court Near Wooleys

Meng Wa Seafood Stall

Since most of them had closed, the only one that was willing to take our orders was Meng Wa Seafood. This stall occupies units 17 & 18 in this food court and they have been in business since 1975. I would have dined at this stall almost a hundred times and the food has been good. Having had that assurance, we placed our orders at this stall. Moreover, at that hour, we were not really in the mood to go our and look for other food places. 

Stir Fried Clams In Spicy Sauce @ RM 15.00

Oyster Omelette @ RM 15.00

Since we were the only remaining customers, the food was served very quickly. The first dish to arrive was the Stir Fried Clams in Spicy Sauce. This one was really good. The clams were perfectly done and the sauce gave a wonderful taste to it. My rating for this dish shall be 8/10. Their Oyster Omelette however was just okay. The oysters used were a tad too small and that being the case, it did not give the desired taste and the omelette overpowered the dish. My rating for this shall be 7/10. 

Deep Fried Prawns @ RM 30.00

Steamed Fish in Spicy Sauce @ RM 27.00

The Deep Fried Prawns were good. Fried just to the right level and the accompanying sauce was superb. Slightly on the spicy side but it was really good. 9/10 would be my rating for this dish. Their Steamed Fish however was just okay. I felt that they could have done it better and my rating for this shall be 7/10. 

Meng Wa Seafood stall that is located in Restoran Kamwan Aneka Selera does offer some good seafood at very reasonable prices. The variety that they have is also good. If you're at this food court, it's definitely worth giving this stall a try. 

Address: Stall 17 & 18, Restoran Kamwan Aneka Selera, Lengkok Canning, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Business Hours: 1700 - 2300 Daily

Restoran Canning Garden Chee Cheong Fun @ Ipoh, Perak

The Chee Cheong Fun stall from Restoran Canning Garden is a place that needs no introduction. This stall has been around for decades and draws customers from all over Ipoh. It is quite easy to locate this restaurant. They are located right at the end of the row of shops, just opposite the Canning Garden Wet Market. 

The Restaurant

Customers Waiting In Line

The Son Runs The Business Now

In order to enjoy this fantastic plate of Chee Cheong Fun, I would recommend coming early in the  morning. Even as early as 8.00 am, you would definitely witness a line of customers queuing up to place their orders. Previously, this stall was run by the father and now, the son has taken over the business. Food is surely good and the queue speaks for itself. Waiting time does take a while but most often, it would not exceed 20 minutes.  

Chee Cheong Fun (Small) @ RM 3.50

Lovely Colours And Mix Of Ingredients

All Stirred Up

The Chee Cheong Fun from Restoran Canning Garden would never let you down. Despite having got to queue up to place your orders, the wait is totally worth it. The flavours are so unique and deeply satisfying. If you're in Ipoh, this would be a must visit place for a good plate of Chee Cheong Fun. 

Address: 27, Lorong Cecil Rae, Canning Garden, 31400 Ipoh, Perak.

Business Hours: 0730 - 1130 Daily

Prawn Mee Stall in Ipoh Garden East @ Ipoh, Perak

Earlier in October, I posted an entry about the Popiah stall in this restaurant and now, here's another entry from this restaurant that's located in Ipoh Garden East, Ipoh. Having been satisfied with the Popiah the other day, I revisited this restaurant to have the same item again, but this time it was for lunch instead of tea time.

Kedai Makanan & Minuman Taman Timur in Ipoh Garden East

One of the prominent food court concept restaurants in Ipoh Garden East is this restaurant called Kedai Makanan Dan Minuman Taman Timur. To get to this place is fairly simple. Assuming that you are coming from the North South Highway, once you turn left to get into Ipoh town, keep going straight till you sight Jusco on your left. At the traffic lights, turn left and keep going for about 1 KM. Once you reach the residential area, look right and this restaurant would be the corner unit. They occupy two shop lots and from around 2 pm onwards, majority of the stalls are open and by 4 pm, they would be fully functional. Parking can be a hassle here but it is okay to just park by the side of the road which is exactly what we did today. 

The Prawn Mee Stall and The Available Variety

This time around, I was with my Dad and he is a huge fan of Prawn Mee. Without fail, everytime we go to a Chinese food court, this would be his first choice followed by Popiah if available. Since I had not tried this stall from the last trips, I too decided to go for the same. They have a variety of Prawn Mee dishes available and this comes with the add on's of your choice. Besides that, they also have some dry noodles, not many but six varieties to choose from.

Prawn Mee @ RM 5.30

Both of us went for the basic Prawn Mee without any extra add on's and this was priced at RM 5.30 per bowl. This basic one came with noodles, bean sprouts, pork, shrimps, egg and fried onions and these were served in a delicious soup. For the price, I would say that the portion was actually quite huge and is good for one heavy eater. 

Generous Pork Slices

One would be able to choose the kind of noodles they would like to have as well and as for me, I went for the Mee and Rice Vermicelli combination which is my prefered choice when having this dish. They were also very generous with the pork slices and I was surprised to see so much of them in this 'basic' bowl of noodles. The shrimps were also very fresh and that gave it a springy and sweet texture. 

The Prawns Were Fresh Too

Regardless of the number of ingredients added into this bowl, the most important thing for this dish would be it's soup and that was excellent here. Not one of those watery versions, this one showed true love for this dish and it was prepared with that one fact in mind. As a result, the preparation was excellent. I have tried this dish in a number of places in Ipoh and based on those that I have tried, this is definitely the best. I would definitely give them a 9/10. 

If you happen to be in this area or even visiting Ipoh for that matter, do give this place a try. After all, it is so close to the highway exits and a mere 3 minutes drive from Jusco. 

Address: 59 & 61, Jalan Perajurit, Taman Timur, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 2200 Daily

Ipoh Mushroom Sauce Chee Cheong Fun Stall @ Ipoh, Perak

Earlier in October, I posted an entry about the Popiah stall in this restaurant and now, here's another entry from this restaurant that's located in Ipoh Garden East, Ipoh. Having been satisfied with the Popiah the other day, I revisited this restaurant to have the same item again, but this time it was for lunch instead of tea time.

Kedai Makanan & Minuman Taman Timur in Ipoh Garden East

One of the prominent food court concept restaurants in Ipoh Garden East is this restaurant called Kedai Makanan Dan Minuman Taman Timur. To get to this place is fairly simple. Assuming that you are coming from the North South Highway, once you turn left to get into Ipoh town, keep going straight till you sight Jusco on your left. At the traffic lights, turn left and keep going for about 1 KM. Once you reach the residential area, look right and this restaurant would be the corner unit. They occupy two shop lots and from around 2 pm onwards, majority of the stalls are open and by 4 pm, they would be fully functional. Parking can be a hassle here but it is okay to just park by the side of the road which is exactly what we did today. 

Mushroom Sauce Chee Cheong Fun Stall

Just like the last trip here, I went for their Popiah first and since it was lunch time, I wanted to have another food item as well. So, I kept it to just one slice of Popiah. Having done with that, this Chee Cheong Fun stall caught my eyes. She has four different varieties of Chee Cheong Fun. The original Ipoh famous Mushroom Sauce Chee Cheong Fun, Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun, Penang Style Chee Cheong Fun that comes with pork ribs and Curry Chee Cheong Fun. If I was capable, I would have tried them all but alas, I was alone this trip and I had to just go for one. Since it is Ipoh that I am talking about, it only made sense for me to go for a dish that originated from this town and so, I went for just that.

Mushroom Sauce Chee Cheong Fun @ RM 3.50

In a matter of minutes, my order was served. For RM 3.50, the portion was good, really good. There were lots of Chee Cheong Fun, generous amounts of mushroom sauce, sliced mushrooms, chili sauce, pickled green chili's and topped with a dash of sesame seeds.

A Huge Portion

Mix it all up and you get a heavenly plate of Mushroom Sauce Chee Cheong Fun. The sauce itself was so good, creamy and just the right texture. The addition of the chili sauce and pickled green chili's took the dish to a different level. I was so surprised to see real mushrooms in the dish, this is something that we would never get in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, this dish is so rare in the central region so much so I have only come across this in Damansara Utama. Taste wise, I was so good. Sometimes you wonder how a simple dish like this could be so satisfying. Among the ones that I have tried in Ipoh including those famous one's in Menglembu, this I would say was a good preparation and I would give this a 9/10. 

If you happen to be in this area or even visiting Ipoh for that matter, do give this place a try. After all, it is so close to the highway exits and a mere 3 minutes drive from Jusco. 

Address: 59 & 61, Jalan Perajurit, Taman Timur, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 2200 Daily