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 E & L @Tanjung Malim, Perak

E & L Restaurant is a place that needs no introduction to the locals in Tanjung Malim, Perak. This restaurant has been around for more than five decades. Previously, they were also operating the Rest House for many decades as well. 

The Restaurant Along The Old Slim Road

The Same Interior Since The Yesteryears

Hainanese Chicken Rice

They are famous for their Hainanese Chicken Chop. Besides that, their Hainanese Chicken Rice, Mee Hailam and Fried Rice are highly in demand too. Despite being a Chinese restaurant, they are Halal certified and that being the case, you get many Muslim customers here as well. They are located along the Old Slim Road, just after the traffic light and the same row as the famous Yik Mun Pau. 

Iced Lime

Cutlery & Butter

Toast

One thing that I have to forewarn is that it takes them a very long time to prepare the Chicken Chop since it is grilled over amber and that process takes a while. Sometimes, the wait time can go up to one hour. Nevertheless, it is worth the wait. In fact, this Chicken Chop was a favourite of three of the Perak Sultans; Sultan Idris, Sultan Azlan Shah and the present Sultan Nazrin Shah. As for the drinks, the top sellers here are their Fresh Orange and Fresh Lime. They were out of oranges this afternoon and so, I settled for their Fresh Lime. Still, it was so good and my rating for this shall be 9/10. All their Chicken Chops set comes with Toast and they give real Salted Butter. This combination of Salted Butter and the gravy from the Chicken Chop makes it a hearty meal. 

Chicken Chop @ RM 10.00

Over the five decades of their existence, the Chicken Chop from E & L Restaurant has been consistently good. Perfectly grilled chicken served with Fried Potatoes and Peas in a thick onion based gravy and it's just heavenly. Even after all these years, it is still priced at a very reasonable RM 10.00 . This is definitely another must visit restaurant in Tanjung Malim, Perak. 

Address: No. 5A, Jalan Slim Lama, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak.

Business Hours: 1100 - 1600 Daily

Nasi Lemak Opah Nab @ Behrang Ulu, Perak

Behrang Ulu is a small little town that is located north of Tanjung Malim. Most people may have drove pass this town without realising that there is actually a township there. Not to say a very huge one, but it's more like a small settlement not too far away from Behrang Stesyen. Those that have previously been to Diamond Creeks or even Sungai Bil, you would have surely passed this place. 

The Restaurant At The Entrance To The Town

They are located along the Old Slim Road and this restaurant draws visitors from even far away. The Nasi Lemak here is the top seller and they only do breakfast. Business starts as early as 6 am and mostly by around 10.30 am, they are sold out. Do expect to see a long queue despite being a very small set up. Besides Nasi Lemak, they do have other things like Fried Rice, Fried Mee Hoon, Fried Mee and Fried Kuey Teow. But again, most people would only go for those unless the Nasi Lemak is sold out for the day. 

Iced Local Coffee

We were here at around 7.30 am. It was a rainy morning and even then, the queue was so long. I easily had at least ten people ahead of me and more and more people started coming later on. So, one of us had to sit down and that too share a table because the crowd was really huge and I decided to stand in line. In fact, for those who came at around 8 am, they had to not only stand in line for the Nasi Lemak, but then again wait for a table. So don't expect to sit down and chit chat as it is only fair that you get up once you're done so that the other people would get some seating space. The drinks were fast and in a couple of minutes, our drinks were served. I ordered a glass of Iced Coffee and it was truly good.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak Opah Nab is so famous that you have to stand in a queue to get your orders and that wait is truly worth it. The rice itself was so tasty and their spicy anchovy sambal was just heavenly. In that short span of time that I was there, tubs after tubs of rice were being sold and that's how famous this Nasi Lemak place is. If you're passing Behrang Ulu anytime in the morning, this is definitely a place that is worth stopping for some excellent Nasi Lemak. Good food and very reasonable prices. 

Address: Pekan Behrang Ulu, 35900 Perak.

Business Hours: 0600 - 1200 Daily

Restoran Wai Chen @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restoran Wai Chen isn't really a new restaurant in Tanjung Malim. It was previously known as Restoran Uli and they had gone through a rebranding exercise and hence the new name. Even the owners are still the same. 

Restoran Wai Chen in Taman Intan Setia, Tanjung Malim

They are located away from town and it is along the old trunk road that heads to Ipoh. The good thing with Taman Intan Setia is that the availability of parking is relatively easy and that is an advantage that they have. 

I would not call them a full fledged Chinese Seafood restaurant as they have a limited number of dishes that they offer. Even when it comes to seafood, there is a limited number of things that they have. Being a friendly neighbourhood restaurant, most of their patrons are repeating customers that have been dining there over a long period of time. The owner cum chef who is fondly called by the locals as 'Panjang', is one that has been cooking for over three decades and most of his life has been in Tanjung Malim. 

Petai Mee Hoon (1 Pax) @ RM 8.00

Pork Spring Rolls (Small) @ RM 12.00

One of their top sellers is their Petai Mee Hoon. A signature dish that was invented by the chef and is fried with Sambal Belacan. That unique taste is one that is truly awesome. Another one that I would recommend here would be their Pork Spring Rolls. They are meaty, really juicy and is best to have it with a dash of lime and their dip sauce. These would be two dishes that is not to be missed here. 

Address: 87, Jalan Intan Setia 1, Taman Intan Setia, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak.

Business Hours: 1700 - 2300 Daily

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