This year we are unable to have a year-end overseas trip due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The whole world is combating this deadly virus. A little fortunate for us that we manage to get our little outstation retreat for our little family. Alvin decided to go to Ipoh for a short weekend trip.
We woke up early at 5.30 am and started our journey around 6.00 am towards Ipoh. We planned to have breakfast at Ming Court Hong Kong Dim Sum. Sadly the restaurant was filling with people by the time we reached there around 8.30 am. People were waiting in queues outside and due to follow the SOP too.
We ended up at this forever popular dim sum restaurant – Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant 怡保富山茶樓, which is just opposite the Ming Court Dim Sum, for our Ipoh food trail first stop.
Foh Sum restaurant has a nicely constructed premise with two to three floors. There is no queue needed here. After scanning the QR code for the MySejahtera app and taking the body temperature for every customer, we choose to sit on the 2nd floor and be seated.
We just ordered what we want for the steamed items, whereby the fried and baked food items are already in the self-service counter. We kept our order on the menu – Siew Mai, Har Gao, Pai Guat, Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice, Milk Custard, Char Siew Pau, and the pumpkin porridge.
After we had our breakfast, we went to drop luggage at our hotel – The Tudor. After that, we drove to D.R. Seenivasagam Park.
The park is situated nearby where we stay. It is considered the most famous recreation park in Ipoh. It is also the biggest and well-developed park among the others.
It has all the facilities to suit the needs of every walks of life. There are recreational fields, an artificial lake, roller-skate lane. There is a Japanese Garden in the park. Unfortunately, it is under renovation, so we are unable to go in.
We noticed there is a big old Ipoh Tree in the parking area. That was how Ipoh town got its name.
We cycled the rental bicycle and rode for a ride in the park. We spent about 30 minutes, and we left for our early lunch.
It was almost 11.00 am when we reached Restaurant Haji Gany and tried out the Nasi Ganja. Nasi Ganja actually is Nasi Kandar in Penang.
We ordered two plates of Nasi Ganja. It indeed tastes good. We planned to come back for a second time before we leave Ipoh.
It comes with a serving of white rice, splashed with two types of curry, a dollop of coconut chutney, a piece of fried spiced chicken, half a salted egg yolk, and some Ar-Char.
After our lunch, we headed to the Ipoh iconic railway station, as its design is a typical colonial architecture building by the same architect who built Kuala Lumpur’s famous railway station too.
We were strolling around the corridor are. We did not go into the main lobby. There was a notice mentioned, only the travelers who want to buy the tickets or boarding to a train only allow to go in. Thus, we just took some photos outside.
After taking some photos, we left the area and decided to go to Ipoh Parade Shopping Mall so that we can able to feel some air-conditioning cooling environment due to the hot weather.
We were window shopped for some time. At nearly 2.00 pm, we went back to the hotel to check-in, before we headed out for our afternoon food trails.
We had our early dinner at Ipoh old town Restaurant Onn Kee (Tauge Ayam) for the famous Ipoh Nga Choi Kai.
To eat chicken rice or Sar Hor Fun in this town, we must order a plate of fatty juicy Tauge (bean sprout). The reason being is because their Tauge grows in natural mineral water flowing from the mountain. It is so fat, juicy, and crunchy.
One of our favorites is the pork balls and fish balls. The pork and fish balls are delicious to chew and dip onto their chicken meat sauce.
A must-order is the Nga Chooi Kai. The texture of the chicken is tender and juicy, and of course, what stood out is their sesame and soy sauce base make them more delicious.
We ordered an additional braise pork fungus too. Fortunately, we manage to have a table for ourselves. Some so many customers came later were waiting and queue for a table. The restaurant can only accommodate 50% of its original seating space due to the SOP in this pandemic time.
After our dinner, we went further down the street and wanted to look for Funny Mountain Tau Foo Fah. Unfortunately, the workers were already doing the cleaning when we arrive. He kindly to ask us to come back tomorrow morning. He told us that their Tau Fu Fah would be selling finish from 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm.
We just walked into another nearby tau foo fah shop – Lai Kee Soya Bean. This tau foo fah shop also is the first tau foo fah shop which I tried in Ipoh. This time we were fortunate that there are still two tables for us so that we were able to dine in and sat down.
It was a big full bowl of Tau fu Fah, and it tasted smooth and soft. However, the soya taste was not strong. They do serve three types of sugar-white sugar, Melaka sugar, and ginger sugar. It tastes not bad, even though not as famous as Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah.
After our dessert, it was almost 5.00 pm. Across the street from the Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah, a renowned selling salted chicken shop named Feng Weng Salted Chicken. We bought one for our supper later in the hotel. After which, we head back to the hotel and rest for the day.
