[ closed ] Kahve: plain food in the house

i must remind myself, there is seldom, rarely good food in shopping complex. the only nice food that comes to mind was chatters cafe's roti canai... though with that price, i could easily get better ones in any morning. but during shopping trip to jaya jusco, we were too tired to go else where, so we settle in Kahve.

in the spot where the last Deli France was, here, in the middle of the shopping complex, was a white-house like structure. it supposedly gives u the home feel. n it really was successful in tat. though not a original ideas ( i could easily name a few in Klang Valley), but it does breathe some new breath. the service was swift, the waitress would be more than eager to place u in their seats.

the menu was the usual pseudo western-asian-local fusion type of food. chicken chops-fried rice- noodles-nasi lemak-bit pastry/ sandwiches... u get the ideas.

we decided to try the set lunch cause that would be the fastest. we were hungry so the first few bites was fooling our taste buds.

the nasi lemak was ok. the sambal was slightly different, and boy, it was spicy. so i liked it.

the grilled chicken with the chicken from my rendang was basically the same marinated chicken, with different sauce. now, that is lazy! after half the meal, it just taste the same across. feel like MSG taste. was not satisfy in the end... so in the end, i end up cooking myself a Ramly burger at home... aiiiiiiiii.....

ratings: 2 poinks!

comments: IF u do not want to walk anymore, probably this is more reasonable choice compare to some restaurant in the same floor. if not, there are plenty other choice.

Restoran Haji Ghani: candidate for the best roti canai!

Roti canai: one of the most forgettable food, always taken for granted. maybe its because of the cheap ingredients? the low price? BUT the simpler the food, the more difficult to master it...

mamak joint had been the fav hanging out place everywhere, so again, it will be taken for granted. and then again, there was so many around, in all the corners, the most inconvenient to the most convenient place. it had become part of our lives.

so rarely would i want to review any mamak joint for its roti canai.... it will be like reviewing bowl of white rice. ... then again, would it? roti canai had come a long way, from the humble beginning of roti kosong to the modest roti pisang, planta, bom, tisu, to the slightly more extravangant roti salad (which actually is coleslaw) to now, tens of tens of different variety.

here in Restoran Haji Ghani, in Bandar Baru Kampar, which boast so many types of roti canai that they practically had few pages on the menu just dedicated to rotia canai... until i cant recall the number. was it 70? it is just behind the Grand Kampar Hotel. if u r turning in from the main Kampar-Ipoh main road, just turn right after Petronas. the crowd will show u the exact location.

it is an extension to Restoran Ghani, i presume, which situation more deep in Bandar Baru. service here is the norm for any mamak stall. few fellas running around taking order, settling the bill. the ordering part is ok. but it takes relatively long time for the order to come, n even longer for the fella to come to settle the bill.

however, the roti canai makes the service bearable. the range would be from slightly more than RM1 to Rm 5-6 depending on the type of roti u order. it could be the simple roti to the usual fare. feel free to be more adventurous and order some roti like roti vietnam. my personal fav would be roti masala with masala potato wrap in roti canai. took roti maggi the other day, with practically maggi mee wrap in roti canai, cut into bite-able size with mayo on top... well, the possibility are endless. n wat it makes it all out of this world is the roti canai. its one of the best one done. crisp, not so oily, and the consistency is perfect.

wat about the other food? forget about it. its not worth it, u can definitely find better ones.

ratings: 4 poinks for the roti canai, but if u r here for the other food, it will drop to 2 poinks.

comments: the roti canai is just out of this world. must try.

Lelio Popo: like the actual real life DJ show

i got a soft spot for local production. probably because local chinese film did not get the support they deserve so i am rooting for the underdog. previous production such as ice kacang puppy love was really good, so i did have a higher expectation for this film. then again, i am no fan of KK and Luke's daily 988 radio show so that lower down my expectation...

Lelio Popo, like the name suggest (lelio= radio), is a show about 2 cocky DJ who got fired because of their bad attitude. due to lack of job, they had to make up as old ladies to work in another radio station. they met up with a primary school fren who became their supervisor, n KK fell in love with her. the rest of the show basically tells how they were change into the good side. throw in a mild villian who was the girl's scorned boyfren, and there u have it....

there is so many problem with this show. like the real life radio show, i find KK and Luke talk too much, the joke is too low... come on, the main protagonist name is actually refers to Big Anus (kong mun da) and Long Penis (luke ye cheong), plus there was so many reference to those kind of jokes. acting wise is good, the editing is using lots of panning/ cross fade, there was some scene which dun serve any purpose at all (eg. P Ramlee scene), the story is so cheesy, and the script is so generic, and the whole film did feel like singapore's Jack Neo's earlier film which shove the moral story down your throat: please love and respect the elderly.

BUT, i did love the jokes, as low as it is.... and i did have a good laugh. not a bad effort, but to consider the recent standard of film by Aniu, this is far from perfect....

ratings: 2 poink!

comments: good laugh, but forgettable film

Mojiupai: no frills pan mee

this used to be my parents favourite joint for panmee. situated in new town, the same row as the original Haji Ghani, next to Just-to-eat bakery. the shop is weirdly named miss cafe. Miss cafe? as in miss mr or miss out? none the less, the literal translation would be "mojiupai" which meant no signboard. weird, but better than another shop in the area.

the main selling point here is pan mee. the shop itself is nothing to shout about. simple deco, airocon, simple plastic chairs and cheap tables. and FULL of students. many students. then again, in new town, everywhere is students.

the menu is limited, then again, like airasia, this is no frill food. nothing on the fancy side, just the things u want to order to make urself full. panmee is supposedly to be good, and the noodle did live up to expectation. the dough was ok in consistency though not the best ive seen. the soup based is variable though, from the normal conventional anchovies plus meat, to the chicken soup, curry chicken, dry pan mee or "fugua" based soup. the mee itself is rather simple but ok, with the anchovies sweetness in it. dun expect fanciful things, the bowl is just the meal with soup plus bit of anchovies and meat. as i said, no frills. like eating on top air asia. other food included waffles (though not the best, but one of the better ones in Kampar), and nasi lemak. the sambal in nasi lemak is nice, but then again, the same mistake with lots of place, the nasi is not "lemak" enough. tasted like plain rice though. the rice in nasi lemak is equally as important as the sambal also. the curry chicken was run of the mill, nothing to shout about.

price is rather hefty for some simple food. the pan mee would cost RM 4-RM4.50 depending on the soup base. waffle is RM 2 which is ok. plain nasi lemak cost RM2 which is the price expected on most place.

would i come again? i ve been here numerous time. the amount of students here is also a testimony on how good the biz is. but personally? i prefer my pan mee at times to be more fanciful with more meat, and stuff, like the ones we always go in Bercham, Ipoh. but IF i wanted something simple, no frills, i know i can always come here.

ratings: 2 half poink!

comments: simple nice pan mee, but still bit expensive for my likings.

Weng Wo: Taiwan breakfast in Ipoh Garden

Since mum dad was in Ipoh for followup, we decided for some different breakfast. Taiwan snack seems ok. i began to notice this shop since Motormouth highlighted it long long time back. surprise that it still stand.

WengWo soya milk is situated in medan bistari, Ipoh Garden, the same row as Kajang Satay. it situated rather subtly so dun miss the shop in the middle of the row.

food is rather different from the usual breakfast. remember the food here is rather light, so dun expect too much. ranging from RM3 onwards, the snacks would make up for good breakfast, simple light lunch, or tea time.

the drink was rather special with the soya milk on top of the list. the rice milk or combination with soya milk is something that i personally like, though not many share the same thought. taste bit really like baked rice, but thicker than the rice tea u find in jap restaurant. it would cost bout RM2 per cup but worth it. there was this salty soya milk which looks like porridge and eat with "chakui"

food was nice also, with the egg rolls,

rice rolls, buns as base. u can add multiple options inside such as ham, eggs, floss etc so the price range from wat is the main ingredient. egg roll or crepe is rather light but nice, the rice roll on the other hand was filling and taste like pulut udang. another nice offer is the radish cake which is not special locally but nicely cooked here. simply fried, without the tauge and onions, it was cooked the way i like it.

nice thing also about this place is, of all the time i've been here, not many patrons so not much of problem looking for a place to sit. deco is rather simple, but without aircon. the only drawback was the waitress seems to be foreign so ordering was bit of using sign language instead.

i would definitely come back for light snack, but too light for a proper meal though...

ratings: 3 half poink! (additional half for my fav drinks)

comments: for the guys, the food here maybe too light, for the gals, this would make up for a great lunch!

phone: 05-5456318

opened: 9am - 6pm

add: 7, Jalan Medan Ipoh !E, Medan Ipoh Bistari, Ipoh.

Shilin Taiwan Street Snack: Shilin in Malaysia

having went to a trip to taiwan recently had waken my interest in taiwanese food. n it had been nice to see the franchise had finally come to Ipoh. had seen it many times in kl/ pj.. in fact pass it so many times in tropica shopping complex in PJ but yet to try it once.

so recently go find Shilin Taiwan street snack, in Ipoh Parade, first floor, same as Popular bookstore. nicely situated above the concourse area, u cant miss the big red stall like corner.

the menu is rather limited, which i think is an advantage so that u would roughly know wat to order. so this is rather different from the real Shilin in taiwan. u c, shilin is THE KING of nite market in Taipei, u can easily get lost in it. so many food choices around that anyone could get headache from choosing each gastronomic delight. so, unlike the real nite market, this franchise only offered few food or snack that probably would suit local tastebuds.

we really miss the "digua" or sweet potato in Taiwan so that is the first thing we ordered here. cost only RM4 which didnt differ much from the price in Taiwan. it is really just deep fried sweet potato with sour plum powder as seasoning. the sour plum is the one that set the difference n it really suit the sweet potato well. the ones in Taiwan was really a taste to kill for, but here, the MSG taste was bit too much. rendering the mouth the be really dry after finishing it. but the taste was still great. the XXL chicken chop costs RM 6, the size appeared bigger than the one found in Taiwan, but it is less thick though. the seasoning was not tat prominent here, or probably eating it after the "digua" shadowed the taste. bit plain for me. but still a good bite. the only drawback was it was not boneless.

other food which is there included "meesua", which is not my fav even in Taiwan, Happy rice box, egg crepe, tempura, etc. something definitely different to try for.

ratings: 3 poinks! (added points because of all the fond memories from Taipei, less points because we tasted the real deal there...)

comments: service was bit slow, for fast food, but since it opened not long ago, didnt take tat into account.

Nasi Vangey: nasi ganja anyone?

there was a legend of nasi kandar that was so nice that the competition spread the rumours that they put cannabis/ grass into the rice. and that remained a legend.

Nasi Vangey is one of the more famous nasi kandar in Ipoh. situated in greentown biz centre, next to mike's place, its just beside the road. wont miss it.

the crowd is steadily flowing in, even though it was weekday. the place is rather wat u would expect from a nasi kandar place. big, huge tv. plenty of workers running up and down to entertain the customer.

menu wise is the standard food. range of dish to accompany the rice. the typical fried fish, chicken, beef .... and limited range of prawn. the nan, roti canai and the magi goreng are the standard fare. drinks also is wat u expect, the usual teh tarik or neslo...

we ordered nasi kandar with something which look like rendang chicken. nan with tandoori set and took one packet of nasi lemak on the table. nasi kandar was a bit of let down. the curry was hot, but not spicy enuf for me. frankly, i prefer the Pelita's curry. the chicken was bit on the dry side. the nan, although plain nan, was bit burnt, and it was the most oily nan i ever seen. however, the oil was just put on top, so tat did not do much damage to the caloric scale. the tandoori chicken was also dry... looks like it was put on the sun to dry up. BUT, the taste of tandoori was one of the better ones. taste was too salty to eat it on its own...

the saving grace was unexpectedly comes from the nasi lemak. it was one of the nicest one ever. the "lemak" taste was good. the sambal was spicy and hot, and that's how curry should be made like. too bad tat kind of taste was missing in the rest of food.

price was rather standard, nasi kandar with a piece of chicken and 2 other vege would set u back about RM5, same with a plain nan and tandoori chicken. standard price.

in the end, it was ok, not bad for a nasi kandar. but deep down, i prefer Pelita. and this is definitely far from nasi ganja.

ratings: 2 half Poink!

comments: actually, it was not bad, but too many nasi kandar shops around. the only reason i would wan to come here again is the place was rather comfy...

Pau Loong: great steam boat buffet in Teluk Intan

it was a long journey to Teluk Intan but when it is to celebrate one of our frens bday, no choice lor...

we followed LingSim's car all the way, and if i were to go on my own again, i would definitely could not find this place.

Not very sure where it is, but it is not very far from town centre. The restaurant is just beside the main road, called PaoLoong. Huge from the outside. when we just step into the place, practically most of the tables are full. busy waitress and waiters running up and down, and not to forget, they were wearing santa's hat oredi to celebrate Christmas. that is awful early to do so, dun u think?

the main menu is steamboat buffet, which cost about RM 23 per person. worth it? IF u were comparing to other buffet then it is definitely worth it. if u are talking strictly on how much the food is worth, then all the steamboat buffet is just made to make money.... that is how the biz survive. anyway, service was not too good. it took a while before they actually served the soup for the steamboat. by then we oredi had much of the other cooked dishes.

BUT the food itself is impressive. the range of steamboat ingredients are the usual seafood with range of fishes, sotong and other stuff. we had lots and lots of cockles. by the end of the day, i swear to myself for the coming month will not touch any. the usual fish and meatballs were there. nothing to shout about but definitely whole range is there. be it the prawns and the crab were ok. dun expect to see abalon or fresh oyster here.

it is the range of other cooked dishes that are impressive. depending on time, there are different cooked dishes. we had black pepper chicken when we arrive. later there were deep fried chicken and right before we left, there were fried fish head. those were the hot dishes. outside the restaurant were grills and teppanyaki. all included in the bills. ingredients include the usual chicken and lambs. plus there were sausage and ham. the chicken were sort of marinated well, but in the process of cooking, it was too salty for my taste. more like better to eat with rice. dessert included the usual pastries such as tarts, fruits with different dressings. there were also free ice cream with limited choices and ice kacang. kids would love the popcorn too. drinks were aplenty with soya bean, ice lemon tea and free flow of tongsui. did i mention there actually shark fins soup also? though probably there were only 1-2 slice in each bowl. the fact it is free flow is nice.

overall, it is a very nice outing, though far, worth the trip. the fact that we ate for 2half hours (excluding travel time) would prove the point. though the steam boat was not the most impressive one we seen but the range of other food was good. it became not steamboat buffet but rather buffet with choice of steamboat.

ratings: 3half poink! (cut poink due to the price..)

comments: long drive. make sure fast before coming.

Harry Potter 7: hairy potty...

imagine teaching your child bout toilet training... hairy potty...

dun worry, the franchise is far better than tat. however, the same cant be said bout the film.

Harry Potter 7 : the deathly hallows opened yesterday, and we managed to catch the movie. due to the unpopular GSC in ipoh, we were able to get ticket with good seats while in TGV ipoh the movie is sold out early.

It picked up where the last movie/ book ended. Dumbledoor is dead. Harry Potter continued his fight with Voldermont, who grew powerful and control even the ministries of magic. the whole movie...well, cant think of any significant moment, the whole show is about Harry and his gang searching for The holcrux, which is part of Voldermont and trying to destroy it in order to kill Voldermont. and in the process, the tiny house elf died. worrrrrr.....

that is the problem in this movie. nothing much seems to happen. the pace is slow. real slow. even TheStar reviewer agreed that someone can fall asleep inside the cinema. the atmosphere is definitely better, the cinematography is excellent. i like the harry potter movie darker and more mature. but that doesnt warrant the movie to be slow and uneventful. acting was ok. but stil feel weird watching the leads trying to churn out emotions. totally believable.

anyway, i seldom get restless in a movie. but 2 hour plus plus is definitely more than wat i expect. too bad it is not at home, if not i would have watched it in 2x the speed.

ratings: 1 half Poink! (give face d...)

comments: if u are a HP die hard fans, go watch it. if not, just ask someone to tell u the story or just google the story. then wait for part 2.

Reign of Assassins: sweet kill

First thing: the show is good. not brilliant, not great, just good.

still showing in the cinema i think, this story portrayed a retired assassin wanting to lead a normal life, so change her face via face off style... got married before her past caught up with her. why? she was keeping half of a dead monk's body that was believed to grant their wishes.

cliche. not big deal on the story.... though there are lots lots of holes in the story. like how did some character who was supposed to be murdered in the show become so "geng" in kungfu.

the theme is simple, even assassins are human, the story is about chance for a change. if u can look past the logic of certain things, the story are quiet nice. forget how the surgeon can perform face change surgery using "worms".

the acting was solid, backup by Michelle Yeoh. the only thing is they stupidly change her voice to someone young and sweet. ouch! y change something like tat, the whole show i was snickering when she speak. come on, if they can change the face, surely they can use worms to eat bit of the vocal cords too to make her sounded different. Big S provide decent performance here, but all she did was take off her clothes. Better than the girl from 14 blades la.... Shawn Yue was nice in his "i am so ambivalent" mode...

the moves? swift, and fluid. clean. though u can clearly tell there are place where they used wires. i still prefer donnie yen style... ouch, that hurts.

overall, nice show, enjoy it! Malaysia boleh!

ratings: 3 poink!

comments: nice show for the weekend. no need use much of brain, got naked lady, and people killing each other....and top of that, nice kungfu swordplay.

Pakeeza: North Indian fare

it was rather unusual that the family wanted to try something for dinner from Chinese style, so why not try Indian style... and wat better to try North Indian dishes....

We arrived to Pakeeza, and it was nice to find the place was renovated, and it did look more posh now. Really clean, and the funny thing is they got so many waiter/ waitress, enuf for each per table. Not so cost efficient but then again, i'm not the boss, so who am i to comment. it is situated just across the road from Tower Regency, some where near greentown, excelsior n Hosp Ipoh

I had been to India, including North side, so I tot i could tell the authenticity there.. lol, rather proud of me to do so... we order simple dishes, the alor gobi masala was my favourite, surprisingly. i am not a vege lover, but the cauliflower cooked with potato was really genuine delicious. something like wat i did have when i backpacked in India. the tandoori chicken was nice too, though bit on the dry side. For a quater chicken u only get 2 pieces. wow, that is rather "kedekut" lor.... the sambal sotong is definitely something from local... and seriously, it was a disappointing. the portion was big but they never cut the sotong, and it tasted weird. i suspect they didnt dry the sotong before cooking so it tasted bit "hanyir" so to speak, smell fishy..they were nice enuf to throw in curry free of charge, then again, they charge it to the rice..

overall, the price for all those and drinks come up to RM 50 for 3... not too bad. so u b the judge, would u want to come here....probably for the vege, chicken not the seafood....

ratings; 2 half poink!

comments: nice if u wan some real Indian fare with comfortable setting. if not, might as well go to any nasi kandar place... but they seldom have the other authentic dishes....

Sidewalk: sidewalk take centre stage

according to my wife, this place existed since she was still very young. hmmm... i do believe that.

there is not many ice cream palour u can find in ipoh. probably the other that cross the mind would be crazy ice cream, but it was not as near to the taste of sidewalk.

sidewalk is just on the row of shop opposite Wooley food court and "mushroom stall" in Ipoh garden. u have to look for the shop in the middle of the road as the sign may not be that clear. look for a music equipment shop and u cant be far. the problem is the shop is only open at nite (i think) so dont come too early.

the deco is rather homely, with a small fountain in the middle. magazines are around although bit old. the place is just enough to make u feel comfortable to enjoy the ice cream.

the menu is just concentrated on ice cream combination. different themes are there. my favourite is butter scotch while my wife order crunchy gravel. others also have funny names and different presentation. the toppings are rather fresh and suit the theme. im not very sure whether the ice cream are home made or not, though i suspected otherwise.

only on the last 2 pages of the menu u would find other food, which are the basic sandwiches or pasta. then again, u wouldnt come here for other food.

prize is rather pricey though. it would cost bout RM 6-10 for the ice cream combo depending on the topping and scoops. given how "kiam" i am, i would still say it is worth it.

every outing here would leave me with a smiley face.... who doesnt love a good ice cream?

ratings: 4 poink!

comments: do come here for the ice cream, u can always have other food across the road first....