Restoran Ibrahim Ghani @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restoran Ibrahim Ghani.... this is a restaurant that is very close to my heart. For me, this is the best place in Tanjung Malim for a number of dishes, namely Rojak, Mee Rebus, Roti Canai and the Roti varieties including Murtabak. There is absolutely no other restaurant in town including Restoran Ghani which is currently being run by his father, that can come close to Khaleel's preparation. I have brought many of my outstation friends here and they simply loved his preparation.

Restoran Ibrahim Ghani in Taman Wangsa Utama

Interior Of The Restaurant

Interior Of The Restaurant

This restaurant has the very same design as the original restaurant in town and is almost a copy of their other sibling's restaurants. As usual, I placed my orders with the son who is a close friend of mine. It was almost closing time and some of the workers were seen busy cleaning the restaurant. One thing that I very much like about this restaurant is the lighting. It's so brightly lit up and that creates such a lovely ambiance. 

Rojak @ RM 3.50

Rojak @ RM 3.50

Their Rojak has always been one of those consistently good dishes. Just look at the colours, that itself should speak volumes. Filled with goodness and nothing but goodness, it's a treat to Rojak lovers. Slightly on the spicy side and served in a thick and delicious broth, I would rate this at nothing less than a 10/10. Definitely the best Rojak in Tanjung Malim!

Mee Rebus @ RM 3.50

Mee Rebus @ RM 3.50

Their Mee Rebus is no less either. He uses a combination of two different broths to make this delicious dish. Besides that, he's never stingy with the extra prawn cakes. One glance at the dish and you should realise how good it is. I have tasted all the Mee Rebus in town and none can come anywhere close to this one. Another dish that deserves a 10/10 and surely the best Mee Rebus in town!

So, here's the best place in Tanjung Malim for Rojak and Mee Rebus. Mee Goreng used to be good when Khaleel used to prepare himself. Now, his Uncle from India is doing it and it's quite disappointing. Their rice and curries are selectively good. My suggestion would be to solely stick to these dishes that I have mentioned here and rest assured, you'd return a very satisfied person. 

Address: No. 3, Jalan Wangsa Utama, Taman Wangsa Utama, 35900 Tanjung Malim,

                Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 2100 Daily

Restoran Hijau Daun @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restoran Hijau Daun isn't a new restaurant in Tanjung Malim, Perak. It has been around for more than 10 years now and they are famous for their lunch spread serving some authentic Malay dishes. Easily twenty plus dishes are prepared daily and the food is very good and it tends to sell out quite fast. In the evenings, not many are aware that they also do Malay style Chicken Rice which is very tasty as well and that is something that I have blogged about in the past, some time in June this year. And now, they have introduced another dish also available only in the evenings and that is their Nasi Kukus and Ayam Goreng Berempah. I am a huge fan of this dish and when I got to know that they have started selling this food item, I had to give it a try.  

The Restaurant With The Frying Area Set Up Outdoors

Inside the Restaurant

Generally this restaurant is quite deserted in the evenings. The problem is that many are not aware that they also do other dishes post lunch hours. Today was no different. When I arrived, I was the sole customer and that was to my benefit as I got things done rather fast. I ordered what I wanted and also asked for a glass of Iced Water which was priced at RM 0.50 per glass. 

Chicken Is Fried As And When The Order Is Received

Fried Potato and Anchovies @ RM 1.00

I ordered my dish and the guy went outside to fry the chicken. It is good that they have that small tent like stall set up outside the restaurant as now more people would be aware that these dishes are available. Another good thing is that the chicken is fried only when an order comes in. That's really great as the chicken has got to be crispy when served and this can only be achieved if it is just recently fried. While waiting for it to be ready, I went over to see if any of those lunch dishes were still available and the only thing left was the above Fried Potato with anchovies. Potatoes are my favourite and since I was already hungry, I decided to munch on these while waiting for my main course. The preparation was very good. Sweet and spicy and the mixture of the soft potato along with those crunchy anchovies were just splendid. They charged me RM 1.00 for this and I felt that it was worth it. A good one and I would give this a 8/10. 

Nasi Kukus with Ayam Goreng Berempah Set @ RM 5.50

The set looked good for the price of RM 5.50 . It came with a good portion of white rice, a reasonably big piece of chicken, some chicken curry, a little bit of sambal belacan and a few slices of cucumber. 

Loved That Spicy Topping

Chicken Curry

The rice was good and it came topped with some of those crispy, spicy little bits that I just love. However, the Chicken Curry was a little disappointing. It was too oily, in fact you could see a thick layer of oil right on top. I also felt that the spices in the curry were rather mild. It would have been better if the gravy was really thick and rich in spices. And not to forget a little less oily as well. Overall, that oily feel and the mild tasting curry didn't go well with me. I would only give their curry a 6/10.  

Ayam Goreng Berempah

The Ayam Goreng Berempah was really huge and it had a lot of meat to it. Great that it was very crispy and juicy as well. However, I felt that the chicken was a little over done. Should have taken it out a little sooner. Still, it wasn't really a big thing. The fact is I thoroughly enjoyed the Fried Chicken and as such, I'd give this a 8/10. 

Sambal Belacan

This Sambal Belacan was one potent stuff. It was super spicy and being one who loves spicy food, I was having a gala time. Just a little bit of that and the rice was such a wonderful combo. Honestly, this Sambal Belacan was the one that had saved the dish since the Chicken Curry was pretty bad. If not for this, then I would not have been able to finish the rice. Absolutely loved it and I would give this a 9/10. 

If you're a fan of this, I would definitely recommend you to try the preparation here. I am not saying that it was excellent so much so you must give it. What I meant to say was that you could give it a try. Moreover, this is the only restaurant in Tanjung Malim that does this dish. 

Address: Along Jalan Chong Ah Peng, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1030 - 2030 (Monday to Friday)

Restoran K.P. Gani @ Hulu Bernam, Selangor

Many of my Tanjung Malim friends have always been asking me where's the best Indian Muslim Mee Goreng and Mee Hoon Goreng in town and so here's an entry just for you guy's. Restoran K.P. Gani is located in Taman Nakhoda, just a few doors away from Pasaraya Bernam Jaya, once again on the Ulu Bernam side of town. This restaurant is part of the Ghani Restaurant legacy and belongs to one of the son's. 

The Restaurant in Taman Nakhoda, Hulu Bernam

The Air Conditioned Section

This restaurant is much smaller when compared to the others in town but the business here is very good. All throughout the day, the restaurant is continuously crowded and they have a good flow of customers. The layout is an exact replica of the other restaurants which is part of the same family. I am not surprised if their suppliers are the same too. This is a no frills restaurant, just like any other typical Indian Muslim restaurant, except that in recent months, they have added an air-conditioned section and that would make them the first Indian Muslim restaurant to do so in Tanjung Malim. This shall also speak volumes in terms of their revenue. As always, I place my orders with Ali Bhai, the guy who does the Mee Goreng as he knows exactly how I like my dish to be. In fact, he's got such a good memory that he remembers all the specific details that the usual customers prefer. The service here is nothing much to shout about but these boys are surely efficient and continuously on their feet. Once the order is placed, one is rest assured that the dish is to be delivered in not more than 10 minutes.

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

This menu thingy is one that has been added specifically after opening the air-conditioned section and is placed on the tables in that section only. The reason for this is simply because the price for those who dine in comfort is slightly more. For food items, it's fifty cents more and for drinks, it's thirty cents more. I heard that there have been some disputes in the past and so they have introduced this practice. Good in a way to inform the customers before hand.

Teh Ice @ RM 1.80

The tea here is excellent. We all know that Indian Muslim restaurants do fix a good cup of tea but I find these guys to be a step above the rest. Really good stuff and I would give this a 10/10. 

Mee Goreng @ RM 4.00

Their Mee Goreng was once again a perfect dish. It was dry, not too spicy and packed with some fantastic flavours. A perfect preparation! Not a single thing that I am able to comment on this dish. Thoroughly enjoyed it and I would rate this at 10/10.  Definitely the best Indian Muslim Mee Goreng in town! Just for information sake, there is another version of Mee Goreng here as well and that's like an extension of this. I do not really enjoy that but there's a huge crowd including my brother that solely goes for that. Wondering what that version is? Well it's a plate of charred Mee Goreng. Yes, you read it right. This same preparation in cooked further till the chili paste and the noodles get somewhat really dry and burnt. I understand that taste is subjective but I don't really enjoy that version. I have tasted it though and found it overdone as it was but there are so many people who just go for that. Anyway, just wanted that share that that is available too. Oh, another point that I would like to add, if you sit at the non air-conditioned section, then this same dish is priced at RM 3.50 . 

Mee Hoon Goreng @ RM 4.20

Just like the Mee Goreng, this too is excellent. A completely different taste to the Mee, this Mee Hoon tastes more creamier in texture. What can I say, you need to taste it in order to experience that heavenly joy. Another one that would score a perfect 10/10 and indeed, this is the best Indian Muslim Mee Hoon Goreng in town!

Besides these, they do have rice and curries which is quite decent. But please do not go for their Mee Rebus and Rojak here, it is pretty bad. If you're at this restaurant, do stick to the above only. I shall come up with another entry soon on the best Mee Rebus and Rojak in town. 

Address: No. 9, Jalan Nakhoda 1A, Taman Nakhoda, Jalan Besar Ulu Bernam,

                35900 Hulu Bernam, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 2100 Daily

                           Closed From 1300 - 1400 On Fridays

Dee' Lizz Corner @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Dee' Lizz Corner is literally tucked in one corner of town in Tanjung Malim, Perak. I do not think that this is a new restaurant, it should have been around for at least a year plus now. It's just that I hardly come to this side of town. This restaurant is located in Taman Malim along Jalan Malim 2, in fact it's right at the very end of Jalan Malim 2 which is parallel to the Old Slim Road, a road that not many people use these days. As a matter of fact, that entire stretch is rather spooky at nights. It was just that I came here to meet a friend who lives in this residential garden and since it was rather late, I had my dinner at this restaurant. 

Dee' Liz Corner in Taman Malim, Tanjung Malim

A Simple Set Up

Despite being in a remote area, this restaurant seems to be famous among the people living in this part of town. It was a rather late night and even then, there were quite a number of tables that were occupied and they were mostly seated outdoors. The above photograph merely shows the indoor dining area where I was seated. It was a little dark to take photographs outside and that was the reason I sat indoors. Otherwise, it would have been just awesome sitting outdoors as this restaurant is located close to a stream and some secondary forest and that being the case, the weather is mostly cool and nice over there. 

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The menu was a rather standard one, the same dishes that you get at all if not most similar restaurants. The prices however seemed a little lower but again, I'll have to wait for the dishes to see the portions to justify this. The guy taking the orders was a rather chatty chap. He kept on asking a lot of questions as if it was a job interview. Anyway, I know that he was just trying to be friendly and I just went along. So, the ordering process that should have been five minutes got dragged to around fifteen minutes. When it was over, I was sincearly thankful that it was over. 

Kailan Ikan Masin @ RM 3.50

Cooking did take a little longer but it was bearable and my dishes were served in about 20 minutes from the time of order, and that is from the time the waiter had left my table. Their Kailan Ikan Masin was decent. I loved the taste aspect but disliked the quality of veggies used. The dish tasted really good, they didn't skimp on the ingredients and that's a plus point. On the other hand, the Kailan leaves seemed not fresh and most of it in the dish were the stem itself. This I feel they should improve. Overall, I would give this a 7/10. 

Telur Dadar @ RM 1.50

The Telur Dadar wasn't impressive. It was soaked in oil and the amount of onions used weren't much. Based on the quality, I felt that RM 1.50 is a little too much for this. Some places in town charge RM 1.00 for the same and these guy's should just charge the same. I would give this a 5/10. 

Ayam Masak Pedas @ RM 5.00

There are a number of things that I want to say about this dish. Firstly, the price. For the quantity of chicken bits given, RM 5.00 is a little too much. If you look at the dish, it's mostly the sauces that's covering the entire dish. On the other hand, if I were to comment taste wise, this is the best Ayam Masak Pedas that I have tasted in Tanjung Malim. It was so deliciously spicy and I enjoyed every bit of it despite the fact that I was profusely sweating. Yes, this was just fantastic and because of the taste, I am willing to depart with RM 5.00 . This deserves a 10/10 and that's solely based on the taste of the dish. 

Cendawan Goreng @ RM 3.50

Cendawan Goreng was quite a disappointing dish. The mushrooms were all fine, in fact they were fresh and chewy. However, the base sauce was rather bland. Supposedly, this is stir friend with Sambal Hijau but the cook had used too much water and diluted the taste and that resulted in a dish that ended up being bland and tasteless. A big no to this dish and I would give it a 3/10. 

To sum up my dining experience tonight, the only dish that I had enjoyed was the Ayam Masak Pedas. The rest that I had tried were just not up to the mark. I doubt that I would be returning again. 

Address: Jalan Malim 2, Taman Malim, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1800 - 0300 Daily

Restoran Fu Man @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Besides Ga Onn Restaurant and Garden Seafood, Restoran Fu Man is another favourite restaurant among the locals in Tanjung Malim, Perak. This restaurant is located in Taman Universiti which is along the old state road heading towards Kuala Lumpur. It's been a while since we came here. If I am not mistaken, the last time I was here was in June this year. Yes, that long it has been and for a change, we decided to do lunch here today. Actually, the local Chinese prefer this restaurant more than Ga Onn and as such, the place is full house most of the time. Sometimes, you'd have to make prior reservations to get a table. It was pass 2 pm when we arrived and even then, we had to wait for 10 minutes before having gotten ourselves a table. To add to this, they also get quite a number of tourist buses dropping by and that should give you an indication as to how good their business is. Food is good here, no doubt about it and they have a number of signature dishes as well which are loved by many. As for today, we won't be doing any one of those signature dishes as those would require a larger number of people and here we are just the four of us. So, just some usual dishes that we love at this restaurant. The service here is very quick and all their staffs move around so quickly attending to customers needs. I guess they are so used to running full house most of the time.

Kangkung Belacan @ RM 8.00

Kangkung Belacan is a staple dish that we have to order every time we eat out at a Chinese restaurant. Somehow, I didn't quite like the preparation here and felt that the one that we get at Ga Onn Restaurant, is far superior.  The reason, was the lack of belacan and dried shrimps. Otherwise, it was decent. I would give this a 6/10 only. 

Sour Tofu & Tomato Soup @ RM 15.00

This dish was prepared using pickled vegetables, tofu and tomatoes. The soup itself was quite sour in taste, mainly contributed by the pickled veggies but I loved it. The portion was huge and the price seemed reasonable. I would give this a 8/10. 

Kam Heong Clams @ RM 20.00

The Kam Heong Style Clams were excellent. The clams were huge, not the small sized ones that are commonly found in restaurants and the sauce was divine. It was so good that we literally wiped the plate clean. Generous usage of belacan and it came with lots of dried shrimps. I would rate this at 10/10.

Steamed Tilapia Fish with Ginger @ RM 26.00

Steamed Tilapia Fish with ginger. This is one of the dishes that I love here. It's just amazing how they prepare them without skimping on the ingredients. Just see the amount of ginger used. The fish was steamed and topped with ginger and bird eye chili's. The generous topping of ginger seeped in well into the fish meat and that gave it an all round taste. Super good it was and for this style of preparation, these guys are the best in town. It would be a shame if I rate this anything less than a perfect 10/10. 

Butter Prawns @ RM 22.00

Another good dish here is their Butter Prawns. Reasonably large prawns were used for this dish. The prawns were delicious and the flesh was still sweet in taste. . Another good preparation and I would rate this 9/10. 

Ma Po Tofu @ RM 15.00

Their Ma Po Tofu was nice but I felt that it could have been better. This should have been a spicy dish since it originates from the Szechuan province. Here, it tasted quite sweet and that wasn't to my liking. Nevertheless, it was still a decent dish and I would give this a 7/10. 

With an exception to the Kangkung Belacan, the rest of the dishes were just awesome. Overall a good lunch and my tummy was happy. Reasonable prices, good food and excellent customer service. Definitely a place that I would recommend. 

Address: No.39, Jalan U1, Taman Universiti, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Telephone: +605 4597 620

Opening Hours: 1130 - 1430 & 1730 - 2230 Daily

Gerai Jagung Bakar Rizal @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

All this while, we the people of Tanjung Malim, Perak are only used to getting corn on Saturdays at the night market and this is a practice that has been going on for more than a decade now. The good news is that you can now get them daily and that too the American Sweet Corns!

The Stall in Kampung Berop

Jaging Bakar Grilled Upon Order

Reasonably Priced

This stall is located along the state road heading towards Ipoh just opposite MSV Auto and Kg. Berop. A brightly lit up stall that is hard to miss and beside them, there's another stall selling burgers. The variety that we get at the Saturday Night Market is the Taiwanese Sweet Corn and this one is the American Sweet Corn, a huge difference in taste and texture. In fact, Rizal the proprietor, offered me to taste a raw corn and yes, it was so sweet and almost edible just like that. 

Grilled Corn @ RM 2.50 each

Almost Done

The grilled corns are priced at RM 2.50 each. The same variety would be priced at around RM 3.00 each in Kuala Lumpur and this is based on my own experience. This variety of corn also takes a much shorter time to be grilled and for those who do not prefer the grilled version, you could also go for the steamed one. Both are priced at RM 2.50 each. 

Nasi Lemak @ RM 1.50 per packet

RM 1.50 each

Besides the grilled corn, they also sell prepacked Nasi Lemak that is priced at RM 1.50 each. The specialty here is the Quails Eggs Nasi Lemak. Unfortunately, that was not available for me to try this evening and so I had to settle for the usual one that comes with a piece of fried egg. 

Spicy and fragrant Nasi Lemak

Based on the many Nasi Lemak Bungkus that I have tried in town, this one was the best among the lot. The rice was extremely fragrant and it was so good to eat on it's own. The Sambal was extra spicy and went so well with the rice. For those who can't really take spicy food, then this would not be for you. When I meant spicy, I meant really spicy and being a spicy food lover, this was just perfect for me. For the price, I would say that the amount of rice was more then the usual. However, I felt that the sambal was a little less. Maybe they had deliberately made it extremely spicy and reduced the volume thinking that people would have a little of it each time compared to the usual ones. Nevertheless, I would give this a 9/10. Both the rice and the sambal deserve the same ratings. A good one!

And the great news is that they open till 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays. I wonder if people do go out to buy corn at that hour but that's what they had informed me. So for all of you who are planning to stay up late to catch your favourite football match, here's something for you that you could be munching while watching your favourite teams in action. 

Address: Kampung Berop, Jalan Slim Baru, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 1800 - 0100

                             Friday & Saturday 1800 - 0300

Telephone: +6019 448 6270 Rizal