De Classroom: still lots to learn

Eating out for valentine is not an easy task. Fine dining? Some are fully booked, most would only serve their special designed set menu. And with the crowd, I doubt the dishes would be worth the price. Call me cheap skate but I would still enjoy the dinner with my wife no matter what the food may be. So, we decided to try some new places which we have not been.

Ipoh old town boast of many newly set up eateries, including pubs, boutique restaurants, cafe and even fine dining. And one can even have a nice dessert here, all within walk-able distance from each other. We actually came across De Classroom many times, mostly while catching pokemon last year. Situated opposited Happy 8, it is in one of the side roads in old town area of Ipoh, within the vicinity of Plan B.

Entering the restaurant I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the cheesy name, the place appears comfortable, with a tinge of class. Ample space occupying 2 shop lots, with high seats providing some privacy to most of the tables. There is even a small electronic bell on each table to ensure attentive service without waiters/ waitresses hovering around.

Obviously with the setting, we can easily guess the menu would be mostly kopitiam derived eastern and western offering. We were happy with the selections but had mixed feeling about the food though. The first dish to arrive is our all time favourite mashed potato (RM5.90). The potato is obviously pre-mixed, as most restaurant would use, for convenience. We would not fault that, but what differentiate some from others would be the gravy. Here, the mushroom gravy has a heavy taste of umami inside, coupled with the sesame on top, it boast an oriental feel to it. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I would say it is quite pleasant. My creamy chicken pesto pasta (RM17.90) is a huge surprise. The portion is humongous, even for someone my size. The whole dish is too heavy on the cream which is a double edge sword. The first few bites was heaven, but finishing the last half was a tedious task. At the end, there was this feeling of "jelak" and I do not think I would touch any creamy dishes for the next few weeks. Lyn's garlic creamy butter chicken (RM16.90) was a contrast to my pasta. The chicken portion was just right. The butter garlic sauce, however, also felt heavy. There was adequate garlic taste to it, but the butter cream taste was too overpowering. I missed this small stall in the old Astrol hawker centre in Ipoh which made the best chicken chop with golden sauce.

Although with all my criticism, eating here is still a pleasant experience. The price is really affordable with the this type of menu and settings. The ambiance is truly comfortable, but in the food department,there are more to learn.

ratings: 3 half poink~!
comments: worth a try. at least the food is better than some so call fine dining which burn a hole in the pocket and the stomach as well.

De Classroom Restaurant and Cafe
55-57, Jalan Market,
30000, Ipoh
05-2412140

Fresco: ready to eat option in midst of shopping

choosing from the menu

Had it been that long since I last written an entry? Yup, it has been a lazy 2 months. And probably I did not eat out as frequent as I used to. When I do, I ended up eating in the familiar places. And finally after so many months procrastinating, me and Lyn decided to try Fresco. 

different ready-to-eat dishes

bake maccaroni cheese

The new Ipoh Parade do boast a totally new uplifted clean and sleek image. To replace the old Cold Storage is the new Fresco Grocerant. The price of the grocery there is marginally higher in view Fresco focus on imported item instead of the local produce. The higher end spending is also reflected in the small diner inside the grocer. Yup, for those who actually still haven't heard of Fresco (which means you are living under a coconut shell/ tempurung): there is a diner inside the grocer. This is not a brand new idea, there are some Giant/ Tesco with small dining place inside the hypermart. However, what makes Fresco stands among the rest is that it functions as a real western restaurant. There are a whole list of options to choose from, and there is even option of buying fresh produce from the grocer to be cooked there. And as I said, the higher end crowd it caters to is reflected on the price. It is not cheap, but the price is not astronomical as some fine dining in Ipoh (ahem... those who knows me would know which of the few diners I frequently refers to)

the roast chicken

roast chicken

I had noticed as well, with time, there are more and more ready-to-eat options available which are relatively economically priced compare to the higher end ala carte dishes. And it did not disappoint at all. The list is still mainly western but there are options of the ever popular local nasi lemak. Lyn ordered a quarter roast chicken, served with mashed potato (RM17.90). The chicken meat, although may not be freshly roasted, is nice without being too dry. The gravy, on the other hand, is impressively done, with adequate taste of herbs. I chose the bake maccaroni cheese served with ice lemon tea (RM14.90). The maccaroni is obviously pre-cooked and reheated from the microwave oven, but the cheese blended well with the pasta after the initially baking. If it is eaten fresh, it could have been perfect. 

I am not sure how the ala carte dishes would fare, but the ready to eat ones are satisfying in the taste department. Do not expect the dishes to be fresh, since it is ready-to-eat, but it did not disappoint at all. With its consistent taste, we would definitely come back for the freshly cook ala carte dishes. 

ratings: 3 half poink~!

comments: one of the better choice of dinner while shopping in Ipoh Parade

Fresco Gorcerant

Lot B01A, Basement 1, 

Ipoh Parade, 

105, Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil

Greentown, Ipoh

MIlk Cow Ipoh: very milky dessert

I was wondering what is the hoo hah regarding Milk Cow. I love ice cream, and I would love to try something new. After trying froyo and gelato, I would still prefer the good old ice cream. With many positive reviews on Milk Cow, I decided to give it a try since I was in the area.

Milk Cow Ipoh is situated in Old Town, in the same row as Plan B. There are quite a number of boutique café in the area, so just follow the crowd and you would not be lost.

The deco is nice, simple and sweet, with cow as the theme. There are different desserts here, but since I did not try it since my main aim was the ice cream. The basic milky ice cream starts at RM8.50 with many choices going from RM11.50 onwards. There are plenty of choices, with many interesting names to go with it. Oreos, honey, red bean are some of the choices available.

My verdict? The ice cream is very very creamy and milky. Not everyone’s favorite though. Some may not “tahan” the milky after taste, but for me, I simply adore it. It is very smooth and melts in my mouth. I would prefer the substance over Hello Elvis, but I had a problem with the price/ amount factor. It is not a cheap dessert. Yes, this is a franchise, and the ice cream is lovely. But I would think twice before coming here often, it is not pocket friendly. Everyone knows that I eat a lot so there are more economical choices around.

It is still a nice reward to myself once in a while. The ice cream here is nice, and the varieties of choices would entice me to come again.

Ratings: 2 half poink~!

Comments: ice cream for supper, who would say no?!

Milk Cow

1, Jalan Panglima, 

Ipoh

05-2414742

Open 1100-2000

Hello Elvis: great place to hang out

I had lost track of all the new makan place around in Ipoh, with all the new boutique eateries, dessert huts mushrooming everywhere. So, thanks to a good friend who recommended a new dessert place, we ventured into Ipoh town at night to look for this gelato dessert.

Hello Elvis is situated along the main road heading from new town to old town section of Ipoh. Just keep on the left side, drive slower after the junction towards UTC (do not turn in, just go straight) and you would not miss the bright sign along the row of old shops. Stepping into the shop, with the minimalist design with some tributes for the king of rock and roll, I still do not understand why there are equal amount of tributes to the Beatles. Do not be mistaken, I like dining here. It is spacious, the design is comfortable, yet retaining the traditional feel of the shop. Service is at the counter where we ordered our gelato.

There are other offerings, but of course, we came here for the gelato. It is funny that I still do not know truly how to appreciate gelato. Yes, we know that Italian frozen dessert is suppose to have lower content of fat, but it actually felt like eating froyo.  There are lots of selection of gelato here, each with its quirky names and descriptions. Since Lyn is drawn to chocolate, she chose " I dream of Choco" (RM8.50), which is rich with chocolate gelato. The focus is definitely the chocolate gelato with minimal accompanying tit bits. I, on the other hand, followed the chef's recommendation and went for " Curious Churros" (RM9.50). Initially I had no idea what is churros, and I ended up surprise with the orang putih style chakui. Surprisingly, the fried pastry with sugar sprinkle actually tasted very nicely with the gelato. The pastry gave the substance which the gelato may lack because of the low fat content.

All the gelato are served in a taller cup, filled with dried ice to give the smoky presentation. Gimmicky, I prefer my dessert to be more straight forward. The real amount of the dessert is only half the cup of the whole presentation. Before anyone can complain, I actually can understand, since gelato is not cheap to begin with. Do not expect the usual day to day ice cream which we scoop out from the tub which we bought in our nearest hypermarket. But does this mean I really like it? I still am undecided whether would it swing me to become a gelato fan. The place is comfortable, but sometimes, I do prefer scoops of ice cream with a heavy dose of nuts. But Hello Elvis would definitely be a healthier alternative to consider when I need a break from the fattening dessert.

rating: 3 poink~!
comment: extra poink since there is still dessert under RM10, although the amount is not huge.

Hello Elvis
124, Jalan Sultan Iskandar
Ipoh

Hungry Joe's: no longer hungry after this

It really surprised me that the town area of Ipoh is filled with new shops and restaurants. And to be frank, they look more affordable than the ones sprouting in old town area. With Ong's recommendation, me and Lyn decided to go for burger last dinner. Located in new town, we found Hungry Joe's in one of the side roads along the main road after police station. For those who are familiar, it is parallel with the tauge chicken shops, and in the same row as the old FooShan (or Purple Cane). It may need some time to locate as the red hexagon sign may be tad small to notice.

mash potato & Sloppy Joe

The shop is simple, much to my liking. The seats are arranged spaciously, and coupled with the attentive, but not too intimidating staff, dining here is really enjoyable. The menu is a simple, with limited versions of burger, croissant and sandwiches. Funny that beside the dessert which are localized, the rest of the main dishes and side dishes are typically western. Do not expect the burger list to be long, but it still offer more than burger ayam, special and cheese.

Cheesy Melt

Big Joe's cheesy melt (RM11.90 set) is simple burger with their own patty. Surprisingly, as simple as it is, every ingredient work together for a satisfying experience. The lettuce is fresh, and the cheese is simply delicious. Add in the patty, and you have a near perfect simple burger. I choose Sloppy Joe's (RM11.90 set), which appears like mince chicken in between 2 pieces of bun. Eating it (quoting Ong) like a barbarian as things could get really messy, but it was worth it. As sloppy as it get, the mince meat patty is seasoned perfectly with a balance taste of herbs and pepper. Well, this is my first sloppy Joe anyway, so I may exaggerated there. The portion may appeared small, but it does filled our tummy nicely without going hungry. The ala carte burgers would cost less than RM10, but the set comes with nachos and drink. However, with high expectation, the mash potato is a bit of letdown. It felt bland compare to the main dish. Not to say that it is not good, but after palate is tuned to the flavorful burger, the mash potato simply could not catch up. It is rather good; in fact, I loved the blandness which highlighted the creamy and mushroom taste. However, to fully appreciate it, I would savor it in the beginning before the burgers as appetizer rather than after dinner as dessert.

Finishing our last bite, we were very happy still, and no more hungry. It was a nice dinner, and I would come back again to try the rest.

ratings: 4 poink~!
comments: bias to my sloppy joe and rather affordable price~! And when compare to other burger joints around (not the burger ramli or burger bakar though), Hungry Joe shines.

Hungry Joe's
70 Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri
Ipoh
10am-10pm

Plan B Ipoh: dining experience that may yet to catch up

Looking at the dining scene in Klang Valley and other bigger cities, one will see the mushrooming of all these boutique restaurant which provide better dining experience for a higher price. People are willing to pay more for a nicer environment, tastier food, and in the end, a better experience.

Back to Plan B, Ipoh. Finally I had the reason to visit to celebrate a friend's birthday. Situated in the old part of Ipoh town, one just need to drive around the alleys before the road to Ipoh court, and it is easy to locate the new and nicely decorated building among old row of shops. Frankly, from outside, it is very impressive with modern design incorporated with much green foliage. The service is impressive as well, attentive without being too pushy.

Next come the food. Expect western style of cuisine leaning towards fusion with Asian buds. Pastries and cakes are available as well. Expect to pay RM30 per person for a decent outing. Since there were many of us, we were able to try a fair choice of food offered here. I opted for a spicy duck spaghettini  (RM30) which tasted with generous amount of spices. As Colleen pointed out, it felt like pasta cooked with Thai recipe. Hmm.. how true. The pasta was nice, though bit on the oily side. The duck, however, felt dry and probably did not stand out among the dish. Colleen opted for fish burger (RM 30) which was cooked with halibut fillet with homemade tartar sauce. The bun was nice, but the patty was bit small for such an expensive dish. Quite a different approach from Ben's burger. It was the turkey ham and cheddar toastie (RM21) that took us by surprise. Though it was a simple dish, it comprises of a perfect combination of ham and bread.

Undeniably, the food was great here. However, it is may not be impressive enough for people to pay an extra ringgit to come here. Then again, one may argue that the main reason to come here is for a great dining experience, not just the food alone. If that is the case, it will turn into a niche market instead, as most of the local (one may differ on this opinion though) may be satisfy with just eating nice food in a roadside stall.

rating: 3 poink~!
comments: do come here for a relaxing dining experience. Yet to try the rest of the BIG group branch. Heard they are quite nice as well.




 PLAN B IPOH
No. 75, Jalan Panglima
30000 Ipoh
Perak Darul Ridzuan
+605-249 8286
Daily
10:00am - 12:00am

Tricycle Bistro Studio Lok Lok 三轮碌碌: reinvent the way of eating lok-lok [ENDED]

Mention lok lok to any of us, we will have the image of a road side stall, people standing there and dipping their selected satay stick into a common boiling pot. Though sound rather unhygienic, considering that the soup used to boil is shared and there is always a risk of under-cooking the selected sticks, it did not stop people from eating from this type of stalls. However, this is definitely not a place to lepak or to hang around. The idea is select your picks, cook it, dip it into the sauce (a must!), eat it, and leave the place for other patrons.

Tricycle Bistro Studio 三轮碌碌 will probably reinvent the way to enjoy lok-lok in Ipoh. Situated in Ipoh town, it may not be easy to locate, but with patience, it is not difficult to find the shop. Just locate Sri Maju express station in town, and head away from town centre in Jalan Bendahara. Look for a big crowd behind the row of shops slightly further down the road. If failed, there is always google map or waze.

The concept is rather easy. Just move lok-lok into a shaded shop instead. Move the boiling pot into individual tables, similar to satay celup in Melaka, and that's it. The service is homely, and attentive. The environment still maintain the crowds and the sense of "热闹" of any good lok-lok stall. Though there is option of cooking the sticks in individual table (with different price for the soup, ours was chicken soup, costing RM3), there is always the choice of the conventional; standing there with a common shared boiling pot of soup as not all the tables are equipped with the stoves.

For those who still do not know what is lok-lok (which basically means boiling in Cantonese), it is just a simple selections of different raw food skewered in satay stick which are subsequently cooked individually in boiling pot of soup. Imagine satay celup in Melaka, minus the boiling satay sauce. Selections here are just OK, with the usual fish balls, tauhus, the must-have-cockles, sausage, and other selections as well; which are found in other stalls as well. The price, however, is a stand-out as each stick cost only RM0.40. Of course, one could not expect a big portion for such a price. Expect to eat approximately 20 sticks per person on a good day. The food is fairly fresh, I have not much to complain. The sauce, however, is really awesome. The satay sauce is special with its addition of dry prawns (my guess, again) though I would prefer more peanuts in it. Even the usual chilli sauce is nicely mixed, with a tinge of citrus taste.

Overall, it is a very nice place to sit down and really enjoy lok-lok. There is no hurry to rush our food, and a nice place to enjoy friends company with good food.

ratings: 3 half poink~!
comments: come early for good seats. it could get crowded at times.

三轮碌碌

Lot 25973, Ground Floor, 

No 8, Jalan Bendahara,
Ipoh
014-3013808

Bougainvillea City Cafe: quiet hidden place, great escapade for hanging out

Ipoh is flooded with young hip eating and drinking joints.  A bulk of these are the mushrooming boutique cafes. Funny to see most of these shops always full despite people complaining about poor economics.

I was introduced to this cafe by Hans who invited me over for a borak-borak session prior to Christmas. Bougainvillea City Cafe is situated in Jln Lau Ek Ching, exactly across Bricks and Barrels ( which is always full as far as I observed). For those who are not familiar (as how I search for rather long time before located the street), this is one of the small side alley in between Pakeeza and Exelsior Hotel area. Blink and you may miss the place. The road may look deserted at night, but just follow the crowd and you would be able to locate the place (or at least Brick and Barrels).

Hazelnit Latte (RM8.90)

As with other boutique cafe, this is a nicely decorated old building. Complete with a few one of a kind art piece, the place have a homely fell to it. It may not be heavily decorated but far from minimalist approach. In both my visit here, there is no big crowd, which is a good thing. The staffs are friendly and not pushy at all.

aloha parfait (RM 8.90)

Napoleon (RM 12.90)

The menu is typical western with few pasta and meat main dish selections. Had not tried these so cant say for sure how good it is. But the breakfast selection with different eggs choices did tempted me to order. The menu seems to highlight Vietnam coffee but again, I ordered the ordinary ones in view I am not a coffee person and I would not able to discern it anyway. As expected in any cafe, expect to pay bit more for coffee here (Hazelnut latte: Rm8.90). There are a few dessert selections though the choices are not extensive. Napolean (RM 12.90) served with much cream, nuts and chocolate could be shared between two. The aloha parfait (RM8.90), though small serving, is just nice in balance of the sour (pineapple inside, my guess) and cream. To me, both the dessert is nice and not too sweet, though Colleen felt that there are a overuse of cream. Well, you cant please everyone.

Again, with any boutique cafe, expect to pay bit more for the food and drink but with the price, we pay for the comfort and experience. Bougainvillea City Cafe, though may not please everyone with their  dessert; is definitely a great place to hang out and chat quietly.

ratings: 2 half poink~!

comments: this review coming from a non beer person, so I may be bias-lah..

Bougainvillea City Cafe

21, Jalan Lau Ek Ching

Ipoh.