Food, glorious food in Ipoh

Posted on Jun 12, 2009 in Travel | 10 comments

So, this is only day two of the BRATs workshop in Ipoh and I’m all pigged out. Of course, I’m saying this at 11.51pm waiting for a colleague to finish some work so that we can go for supper. And I’m not even hungry!

Yes, BRATs workshops may be about journalism for the participants, but for the facilitators, it allows us to go to different towns and cities to explore the food! We usually try as much as possible to avoid hotel food because they tend to be yucky plain and common.

Local delicacies are great because food like these are sometimes only found in their respective towns/cities. So, after lunch at the hotel yesterday which kicked off the workshop, I haven’t eaten in the hotel yet (other than some pancake or tea).

This is chicken rice from Restoran Lou Wong Tauge Ayam Kuetiau. We come here quite often when we’re in Ipoh and I like the taugeh the most. Must be something in the water, I’ve never tasted such yummy taugeh in my life! I also like that you have the option of hor fun instead of rice to eat with the chicken, fishball soup and taugeh. Yummeh! Last night’s dinner was sorted! Well, two nights ago lah.

Later that night, after we had sent the BRATs to bed, we went out to look for supper. I had not eaten this before but a Facebook message and Tweet got me several suggestions – this one was from my sister. She suggested Restoran Nasi Lemak Ayam Kampung along Jalan Ali Pitchay in Ipoh (not too far off from the police station). The first thing to greet us was this heap of chicken – from the car, we thought that it was stacks of crabs!

Of course, being totally greedy, I wanted the sotong as well. I thought it was pretty yummy, better than Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa in Kampung Baru, KL.

As you can see, it was very yummy.

This was the next morning (yesterday). Like at all BRATs camp, I never wake up to eat at the hotel (I usually have juice and muesli bars in my room). Not surprising, after spending a few hours in the sun in the morning, I was pretty hungry by the time lunch came.

I took everyone to Kedai Kopi Yong Suan, along Jalan Yang Kalsom. There lies the famous (and very delicious) Nasi Ganja. Yup, “marijuana” or “cannabis” rice. I used to think it was Nasi Kandar until I was graciously corrected. I have had this several times and really enjoy it. Greediness set in and I took three dishes – sotong, fried chicken and prawn.

The damage: RM16 for this plate!

It was worth it thought, I think, and I definitely will head back. There has been more meals since, but that’s for a different post. I’ve definitely got to start my fitness regime when I get back to KL (so much for my June 1 resolution of healthy living).

After this meal, my Facebook status read: “Niki ‘s tombstone will surely read: ‘Death by gluttony’. I’m still alive, but I’m not sure what will happen from this moment on as we’re just about to head out for yet another meal (and there will be supper later too). *groan*

6.39pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)