A Jie Cafe Menu & Review · Ipoh White Coffee & Traditional Delights Hangout Locals Don't Want Tourists to Know 阿洁白咖啡茶坊 ☎ +6012 527 6771

Ipoh offers a different kind of cafe hopping experience with local characteristics which every visitor must try. The combination of dishes and coffee are uniquely Ipoh. During this trip, we went to A Jie Cafe in Taman Hoover which is popular with locals though relatively hidden from tourists.

Restaurant name: A Jie Cafe

Address: 61, Persiaran Tokong, Taman Hoover, 31650 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Tel: +6012 527 6771 

Hours: 9:30am - 5:00pm (Mon off)

Johor Jaya Restoran Swee Kee Chicken Rice · 水记海南鸡饭·炖汤

Met up with buddy KC in Johor Bahru for brekky and lunch. We haven't met since the Covid 19 lock down in Mar 2020. We lunched at Restoran Swee Kee Chicken Rice's Johor Jaya outlet which is located at Jalan Dedap 13 near to the RHB bank branch.

Restaurant name: Restoran Swee Kee Chicken Rice 水记海南鸡饭·炖汤

Address: No. 31, Jalan Dedap 13, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor, 81100 Johor Bahru

Tel: +607 357 0645

Hours: 8:30am - 6:00pm (Tues off)

Mei Ling Food Centre · Song Heng Fried Kway Teow & Hokkien Noodle 陈松兴

Today's food foray is costly in calories, carb and cholesterol. Finding myself in Mei Ling Market & Food Centre, I circled the 50 - 60 food stalls to decide which to bet my meagre calorie, carb and cholesterol budget on.

Stall name: Tan Song Heng  陈松兴

Address: Stall #02-40, Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

Nearest MRT: 10 minutes walk from Queenstown station

Hours: 10:00am - 1:00pm (off on 1st & 15th day of lunar month)

Pangkor Island Breakfast & Lunch Hotspots @ Sungai Pinang Kecil Village · Taste of Pangkor is the Taste of the Sea

Courtesy of Flickr

Pulau Pangkor (off the coast of Perak state, Malaysia) is a group of tiny islands which together is less than 3% the size of Singapore. About 20,000 people live on the islands. It is famous for its beaches, seaside resorts, and duty free shopping. Besides tourism, Pangkor's main industry is fisheries. So Pangkor Island is a seafood lover's paradise.

The Chinese in Pangkor Island have their unique cuisine which makes the best of the island's fresh seafood, especially fish. One of the best ways to experience hyperlocal Pangkor cuisine is to visit Kampung Sungai Pinang Kecil and join friendly locals for breakfast or lunch.

Kampung Sungai Pinang Kecil Village

Address: 32300 Pangkor Island Perak Malaysia

Chinese Seafood Dinner in Pangkor Island @ Restoran Pasir Bogak 高佬海鲜饭店

For our first dinner in Pangkor Island, Christine brought us to Restoran Pasir Bogak 高佬海鲜饭店 which is very popular with locals and tourists alike. I like it too as it is an authentic hyperlocal experience, ingredients are fresh, dishes are delicious, and prices are reasonable. Only drawback is the place is very crowded and often no tables are available for walk-in customers with no pre-booking.

Restaurant name: Restoran Pasir Bogak 高佬海鲜饭店

Address: 80 & 81 Taman Bogak Permai, Pasir Bogak, 32300 Pangkor Island, Perak, Malaysia

Tel: +6012 522 7757 (Agnes) 📞 +605 685 1733

Hours: 6:00pm - 11:00pm (Mon off)

Ex - Din Tai Fung Chef @ Sungai Pinang Kecil · Kedai Kopi Lam Ah · Pangkor Island

I was in Sungai Pinang Kecil in Pangkor Island looking for hyperlocal food, cuisine that defines this little fishing village off Malaysia's west coast. The last thing on my mind was global chain Din Tai Fung style dishes.

Stall name: Yi Ke Zhan 一刻站 in Kedai Kopi Lam Ah 南亚茶室

Address: 32300 Pangkor Island, Perak, Malaysia

Tel: +605 685 2495

Hours: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Famous Lao Er Hainanese Seafood Curry Noodle @ Sungai Pinang Kecil · Pangkor Island 著名老二海南海鲜咖哩面

Sunrise in Pangkor Island. 

We stayed with buddy Christine's family whose village home is perched at the top of a ridge off the main road at Sungai Pinang Kecil village on the eastern shore of Pangkor Island. In the morning, we can hear the call to prayer from Masjid Sungai Pinang Kecil, the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves shaken by monkeys, and the distant muffled roar of fishing boats going out to sea.

Stall name: Lao Er Seafood Curry Noodle

Address: Sungai Pinang Kecil, 32300 Pangkor Island, Perak, Malaysia

Tel: +6012 598 5278

Hours: Breakfast till lunch

Stalls I Like @ 127 Toa Payoh West Lorong 1 Food Centre · Small Hawker Centre Rich in Nostalgia

Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre is a nostalgic place for me as I past here literally a thousand times during my secondary school days - my school, First Toa Payoh Secondary was just across the road. I still come here occasionally as there are a few nice old hawker stalls at the food centre on the upper floor.

Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre (Lorong 1)

Address: 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310127

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Braddell station

Famous Ipoh Dry Curry Noodle, Curry Loh Mai Kai & Tan Cha (Egg Tea) @ Kedai Kopi Yee Fatt 怡发茶室

I requested buddy Gary who was born and now retired in Ipoh to show me some places off the tourist belt which he and Ipoh people love. Gary suggested a few names and we quickly settled on Yee Fatt as he mentioned a tea known as 蛋茶 or literally egg tea which I have never tried before. Christine chimed in which made me even more excited as I couldn't make out her description except that it is something very special 😬

Stall name: Kedai Kopi Yee Fatt  怡发茶室

Address: No. 39, Jalan Kampar 31650 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Tel: +60 12-520 3281 📞  +60 5242 1043

Hours: 7:00am - 2:00pm (Mon off)

Tian Xiang Wanton Noodle · Heavenly Fragrance @ Margaret Drive Hawker Centre 天香雲吞面

We gathered at the spanking new Margaret Drive Hawker Centre. I came early to survey the food stalls. Stalwarts from the demolished Tanglin Halt hawker centre like Thunder Tea Rice and Tong Kee Chicken Rice have moved here together with many others into the double storey hawker centre.

Circling the hawker centre, stalking the stalls, the divine aroma of lard and sesame oil from Tiang Xiang wanton noodle stopped me in my tracks.

Stall name: Tian Xiang Wanton Noodle 天香雲吞面 

Address: Blk 38A Margaret Drive, stall #02-41 Margaret Hawker Centre, Singapore 142038

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Queenstown station

Tel: 8181 8786

Hours: 7:00am - 1:00pm (Weds & Thurs off)