HUMBLE FOOD OUTLET IN IPOH WHICH CONCOCTS RELISHING DISHES

Calling all Malaysian gourmands of Chinese food………I want to declare that I recently discovered a down-to-earth food outlet in Ipoh which concocted seemingly simple dishes but greatly satisfying my taste buds. 

On Aug. 2, I drove from Kuala Lumpur (KL) to Ipoh, which is known for its “brand name” culinary varieties, or shall I call them delicacies. I thought it was a good idea to visit the city – where I was born, bred and even worked in my earlier career ears – once again, just for a “makan-makan” (feasting) spree.

I was introduced to this outlet, which I had never patronised before, by close buddy Dr. Michael Chong in the evening of my second day stay. He assured me beforehand that I would relish the dishes although not served in a posh environment. (Thanks to Michael for his hospitality)

Choon Keng Seafood Restaurant, sited among other stalls in Ocean food centre at Jalan Lim Bo Seng, is operated by a former chef of a renowned Chinese restaurant chain who wanted to venture into his own signature dishes. 

We had five dishes. including a dessert. Unlike the cuisines of posh restaurants, the servings looked ordinary and non-exquisite. “The difference is in the taste, not in the presentation style,” said Michael. Sure enough, each dish exuded a lingering sensation rapturing my taste buds.

Instead of wordy narratives, I prefer to let my snapshots and the captions describe the dishes below:

 (Ingredients: Baby squids, fish slices, shrimps, long beans, spicy assam gravy. Cooked inside a tin foil so that the aroma was contained in the contents.We had to cut open the tin foil to savour the dish. The aroma lingered in my palate for quite a while. Good blend of sour and sweet spicy gravy)             
(Vegetable stew Cantonese style. It was a balance between gravy and soup. Raw eggs and cut pieces of century eggs spiked up the slightly starchy texture of the gravy-soup)
(Fresh  fish head meat braised with ginger strips and a tinge of rice wine in a clay pot. The soupy gravy was very tasty. It gave me a feeling of warmth in my body within 5 minutes)
(Large size toufu or beancurd with fried minced pork and spring onion gravy. Simple but splendid)
(Chinese pancake is a common dessert in Chinese restaurants. However, the difference of this one in the picture was how it was fried. Thin, crusty and very crispy skin on the surface covering a full body of lotus paste inside. The rich taste spread and lingered in my palate at each bite)
  

Food was great but what about the cost?  Allow me to equate the relativity in terms of average pricings charged by similar type of food outlets in the KL area. In my estimate, such dishes for four customers served at a food centre in KL and its vicinities like Petaling Jaya may levy approximately RM160 to RM180, or even RM200. The bill from Choon Keng (excluding drinks) was much lower by far margin (I do not think it is fair to quote the exact bill without the prior consent of the operator and my host). Yes, you can guess it was below RM100……..how much below, I will not say.

If you are a gourmand residing around KL or Penang, you may want to venture out by taking a two-hour leisurely drive to Ipoh (Ipoh is in between KL and Penang) just to try out this outlet. After all, Ipoh has many “brand name” foodstuffs for you to explore at the same time, like the popular juicy taugey (bean sprout), succulent chicken meat, crunchy chicken "spare parts" (internal organs), soft chicken feet and smooth sar hor fun served by Restoran Cowan Street, which is one of my favourite spots too. See pictures below:

(Pictures extracted from websites. Top to bottom: Juicy fresh bean sprouts, succulent chicken meat, crunchy chicken "spare parts", soft chicken feet and smooth sar hor fun)

Note: I also like to extend my thanks to another buddy Tan Choon Kiang for hosting dinner at Restoran Cowan Street in the first evening of my visit.