Friday, June 20, 2008

Restoran Ipoh Road

Spanning approximately 9 miles in length, Jalan Ipoh (Ipoh Road) has been the major route connecting Kepong, Selayang, Sentul and Batu Caves to the fringe of Chow Kit, just before Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (affectionately known as Batu Road) way before the existence of highways like Jalan Kuching. It acts as a pulmonary artery, sending workforce and leisure seekers to the pulsating beat of the city and vice versa, much like the function of the pulmonary vein.

Although it was never marked on the map of the Klang Valley as a significant gourmet trail, this good old friend does offer some rather interesting eateries. From Kari Kepala Ikan Sentul to Mee Boon Dim Sum to the few crowded Bak Kut Teh stalls to the endless mamak corners, one is never left hungry travelling along the road.

Bearing the same name, Restoran Jalan Ipoh is located at Jalan Batu Bernam, off Jalan Ipoh (Batu 4). Surrounded by clusters of eateries, this cornered breakfast spot is easily recognized as one of the most crowded coffeeshops in this area, with tables and chairs spilling out to the pavement, Malaysian style.

One of the favourites here is the Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun. Rice rolls filled with braised, diced turnip bits and dried shrimps, it is simply flavourful, albeit the inconsistent, slightly burnt taste. Add a few pieces of extravagance like beancurd skin, meatball and pig’s skin for enhanced texture and flavour. A drizzle of the sweet sauce is a must. For extra heat, add on some chili sauce and pickled green chilies. Delicious and reasonably priced as well.

At RM1, yes satu ringgit, the pyramidal Nasi Lemak is as good as it gets. The sambal ikan bilis is slightly sweet, with optimal heat. Wrapped in banana leaf, the coconut rice is fluffy and aromatic. What else can one ask for?

A glass of Teh-O-Ais to soothe the throat and cool the body before attempting the main course, maybe?

Judging from the endless orders and the mountainous, emptied ceramic bowls, the Seafood Noodle seems to be the signature stall of Restoran Jalan Ipoh. With prices ranging from a few ringgits to about RM15, this stall offers noodles and porridges with a choice of several types of seafood as accompaniment. They include clams, fishballs and red snapper fillets. A personal favourite would be just clam. With bee hoon and kway teow, served dry.

The clam soup is light, with seaweed and coriander for added flavour and texture. It might be a hassle detaching each and every piece of the clam meat from its shell, but the effort pays off once a couple of these morsels are eaten with the dry noodles. The bursting sweetness of the clam meat complements the savoury, dark soy sauce dressed bee hoon/kway teow combination very well. The generous serving of fried lard bits adds aroma and crunch to the ensemble.

Jalan Kuching may be a faster alternative, but if you have some extra time to spare, try taking the longer, more interesting Jalan Ipoh route. For all you know, you might bump into an interesting, unsung eatery.

Like this one.

21 comments:

♥ ♡ Alvin ♡ ♥ said...

i everyday need to pass over sentul->batu caves->selayang->kepong

my working place at selayang hehe.. sometime really no idea where to have my lunch and breakfast because already bored with the food there.

Lucky my dad and mom is a chef too! finally also go back to my dad or mom shop to fill my stomach!

1 big reason i went there because the food there FOC but only for me :P

Kenny Mah said...

Ah... nostalgia-nye. Jalan Ipoh was the first place I stayed in KL after graduating and coming up here. Midnight runs for supper...I remember it all too well. :)

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

hor fun n bee hoon..interesting combo..i spot zhu yau char..the miracle compliment to all food?

Ciki said...

so this restaurant is Restoran Jalan Ipoh at Jalan Batu Bernam, izit? ok.. must keep my eyes open when i am around that area.. good find! btw, was the nasi lemak hot??

Live2Talk said...

You mean we can still find Satu Ringgit punya nasi lemak in KL? Hmm ... no wonder you come back every weekend!

choi yen said...

Nic where is Jalan Bernam? got any landmark ar?

HairyBerry said...

alvin, you double lucky lar! hehe..firstly, you get to eat all the good food at jalan ipoh. secondly, both your parents are chefs! so nice! hehehe...

do you take indian curry rice? check out the stall next to the st. james church/kindergaten...near dynasty hotel...shiok!

kenny, is it??? wah, from jalan ipoh to nearby pavilion! you lucky city boy..hehehe...yeah, i forgot to mention the supper spots as well...hmm, perhaps i should blog about that...

joe, yupe, yupe...the glorious zhu yau jar. the dry noodle was so simple. no mince meat, no nothing. just the dark soy sauce and *drooling* the irreplacable zyj! crunchy somemore..hehe

cumi & ciki, check it out and let us know, ya! oh, the nasi lemak. unfortunately, like any of the bungkus type, it was already cold. then again, satu ringgit sahaja..so, it's ok lar...hehehehe...

live2talk, yupe, memang satu ringgit sahaja! i was not craing for nasi lemak but the price was too attractive lar! haha! i come back to see my friends. food is secondary...hehehehe

mimi, oh, if you are coming from kl, it's the 2nd left turning before the store (formerly known as gold supermarket) at batu 5. you'll pass by a mosque before the turning. let me know if you need more info ;)

Kenny Mah said...

Yes, yes, do blog about them supper places.

As for being a city boy, hello... I datang dari Melaka lah. And after Jalan Ipoh, I mostly stayed in PJ (first in Section 11, right behind Sri Paandi's, then SS2 opposite the road from Wai Sek Kai, lastly D'sara Perdana a stone's throw away from the Curve).

And now KL again. Close enough to the Food Republic at Pavilion. It's all about food when it comes to location, right? Lol.

Camemberu said...

Phwoooaaarrr!!! Look at that chee cheong fun!!! My gosh it's been such a long time. How come we can't get stuff like that in Sinkapore?? I really miss the extra lux ingredients like beancurd skin etc. Well if you DO know of some place that does sell these in SG, lemme know pleeease!!!

backStreetGluttons said...

yes indeed its a great long road which will take at least 28 days to savor fully. But din you see us there ?

Big Boys Oven said...

wow ! omg ! you pictures looks so awesome they look so good and strong each day! I think I will be full by just liking on them thro my screen! lol! awesome pictures!

choi yen said...

O...u mean mosque & The Store on my left? Passby mosque but before The Store? Sorry, I'm suck in direction...*sob*sob*

J2Kfm said...

Jalan Ipoh huh?
tried the BaK Kut Teh next to Dynasty Hotel (or whatever the name is). Not good la, though crowded. Paled in comparison to Klang's authentic ones.

teluk intan CCF! a nice twist to the usual one, the smoky flavour is essential, at least to me. :)
but the one in Teluk Intan no gravy/extras.

Xiu Long Bao said...

Duh...good food that are no where to be found in Sg. CCF over here is unbearable.

ling239 said...

i like Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun too... delicious !!

fatboybakes said...

this "Mile" reference, 5th mile ipoh road, PD 12th mile, isnt very useful for young people like me born in the metric era. so, where exactly is this place? is it nearer to the raja laut end, or towards ipoh end? near batu cantonment?

HairyBerry said...

kenny, i think subconciously, you are already a food blogger lar...hehehe...the most abstract one, at that...hehehe...i mean, you tease with names of places with good food but you dont delve into the descriptions of the food...hehe...wah, superior nyer!

that sums up your last statement about food and location lar. ;)

camemberu, ohhh, i agree...haha! if i can find a Teluk Intan-like chee cheong fun here in Singapore, i will blog about it the moment i finish mine...perhaps the style is different lar, here in sg. well, we cant find bak chor mee in kl either..hehehe...

backstreetgluttons, 28 days? it's been more than years and i still feel like a virgin here...hehehe...i shall lookout for the team when i makan at jalan ipoh again. in the meantime, lookout for a lumpy guy with goatee and a D40X. hehehe...

big boys oven, hey, thanks a lot for the compliment, guys! i guess the food was inspiring lar...hehehe...oh, i think i used the clams soup pic for my wallpaper. had to take it out cos it was too appetising...hehehe...

mimi, no worries ;) i am very bad with directions as well. therefore, i get myself a map. ohh..gprs are kinda happening now too! ohhh, the direction. yes, pass the mosque and turn left at your first turning (if you are coming from kl direction). it is before the store. hope it helps ;)

j2kfm, i think kl version is milder one. kinda like teo chew style while klang's more flavourful and dense, hokkien style. but ya lor, the one next to dynasty is not so good. go up further and there are a few more...leading to a few more along jalan raja laut. oh, opposite direction also got some. but normal ones lar..hehe... ;)

xiu long bao, wah, where you try ccf in singapore ar? i feel the ccf in singapore is similar to hong kong's. but they'g got bak chor mee! yay! btw, you have not tried the famous bcm yet, right?

ling239, it's a childhood eat that transcends time! i like it too!!! ;) the filling makes all the difference lar, hor? and of course, the rice roll is important as well, i guess...wah, so inviting just thinking about it! hehehehe...

fatboybakes,
1 km = 0.62 miles
so, i guess, 5th mile is 3.1 km from chow kit, PD (port dickson??) is 7.4 km from..errr...mana ar? oh, it's towards ipoh end. cantonment is about 4 miles (2.5 km). after cantonment (kl ---> kepong/selayang direction), go straight, pass a mosque and turn left at the first left turning. if all else fail, give me a call! ;)

Jun said...

eh how come only the first para has a bio reference and not the whole post? tsk tsk, nic, i was expecting so much more *shakes head in mock disappointment* ;p

(did u get ur inspiration from "after dark" for ur first para? hehe...)

HairyBerry said...

jun, gosh, i wrote this post in the wee hours of the morning...the only biological reference i could think of was a headache..hahaha! but ya lor, hope i'll be able to make more bio references.

oh, glad you mentioned that. it was after i wrote this post that i realised the resemblance to the first para of after dark. or was it bcos of the murakami discussion that we had earlier ar? hehehe...

choi yen said...

I knew where is it!!! Saw that day when I passby Jln Ipoh last Sat.

HairyBerry said...

mimi, glad you found it! let us know what you think of the seafood noodle, ok? ;)