Nam Fatt Ipoh for good "Liews"!

Growing up as a kid in a Chinese new village in Ipoh, I never had much pocket money to spend. In those good old days, 10 sen was a fortune. I remember I was only given that amount as pocket money to spend in school each day. Sometimes I would bring bread or biscuits to school and tried to save my precious 10 sen. You see, back then, 10 sen could buy you a bowl of noodles (5 sen) plus a piece of "liew" (5 sen). What we Ipoh people mean by "liew" is fishpaste-stuffed stuff - eg taufu, beancurd skin, fishballs, fishcakes etc. Anything that has fishpaste stuffed in it is called a "liew" and this "liew" is generally eaten with noodles. Over here, we call 'em "liews" Yong Taufu :-)


In that Chinese village where I lived as a kid, there'd be all kinds of mobile hawkers coming by with their "peee poh peee poh" horns, selling goodies like noodles, breads, sweets, tidbits etc. On the days when I didn't have any spare sen, I'd look longingly out to the road, wishing I was one of those kids who were happily clamouring round the hawkers. I particularly remember the noodles hawkers because they were my favourites. In those days, we kids were already practising "Save Mother Earth" - we used to bring our own plates & bowls to the mobile carts for our noodles. Happy was the day when I could scamper out eargerly with my tin bowl to get my noodles and "liew" from my favourite "peee poh" hawker!


So, you see, "liews" had been my favourite food since time immemorial. I never miss out on this whenever I balik-kampung to Ipoh. One of my favourite haunts for "liews" is of course the infamous "Tai Shue Geok" - Big Old Tree in Pasir Pinji. In my last trip back to Ipoh, due to the sweltering heat which has been hitting us relentlessly for the past so many months, the air-conditioned Nam Fatt seemed a good choice.


Located along Kampar Road, Nam Fatt Fish Ball Noodles Restaurant is known for being "higher priced" than most noodles shops in Ipoh. But then, what the heck, I needed an aircond place to get out from the scorching heat!


Looking through their rather extensive menu, Nam Fatt serves more than "liews". There are a variety of noodles (soup & dry versions), roast pork, vegetables and more than 24 types of "liews"!


LL & DL started off with their Curry Mee (RM5.50 per bowl) ...






While not as spicy & fragrant as that famous Police Station Curry mee, the roast pork, mint leaves & dash of lime in the bowls were enough to whet our appetite for more.






I think I made a good choice in selecting their Beef Noodles (RM6.50). The beef, tendons, tripe were deliciously tender, having been boiled in thick broth flavoured with white radish & spices. The coriander leaves gave added fragrance to the full-bodied robust soup - it was a great pleasure slurping that with the smooth kwayteow...






Next came the assortment of "liews"... there was this plate of yong taufu cooked with their "special sauce" - a thick brown gravy that hinted of oyster sauce, beanpaste and worcestershire sauce, I believe...






We also had a bowl of their "liews" in clear soup - beancurd, beancurd puffs and fishballs.






I love the taufu (beancurd) in Ipoh. It's true what they say about the water in Ipoh being enhanced by limestone (because the town is surrounded by limestone caves!) and it's that special added ingredient that results in smooth taufu and superfat beansprouts!

Steamed Taufu with Fishpaste (RM3) was of course, a natural choice for me. However, I found the white taufu not really up to mark. It cannot beat the supersoft supersmooth white taufu sold in a stall in the Pasir Pinji wet market. Nevertheless, it still beats any taufu here in the Klang Valley!







Beansprouts with Fish Paste (RM3) - see what I mean about the Ipoh beansprouts? Unlike the thin stringy ones we usually get here, the Ipoh ones are short, fat & sweet! Blanched for just a few seconds in hot water, the beansprouts retained their sweetness & crunchiness delighfully...







Then came the platter of fried "liews" - favourites of LL and DL! My favourite is the Sar Kok Liew (fried fishpaste mixed with sengkuang, on the bottom right of the collage). This particular item is just so-Ipoh! I mean, I have never found a decent piece of this anywhere in the Klang Valley all these years. This is definitely a Ipoh delicacy!






For want of some fibre, we ordered the Siew Pak Choy stuffed with Fishpaste (RM3.50). Generally the fishpaste in Nam Fatt is good - smooth, bouncy & full of fish flavour (unlike some other places where they use more flour than fish!). I suspect they use the "saito" fish (wolf herring, I think) that gives the paste that unmistakable lovely texture.


However, I was a bit disappointed with the Siew Pak Choy, which was over-blanched, as can be seen in the almost-yellow and limp leaves here...





Prices at Nam Fatt are definitely steeper. But then we get to enjoy a clean air-cond environment and most of the food items are above average. Another good thing is that they are open till quite late at night... so if I get my "liews" cravings at night, this is one place that's open!

The shop is located at:

Nam Fatt Fish Ball Noodles Restaurant
86C Jalan Kampar
30250 Ipoh
Tel: 05-253 6454
Open daily from 7.45am till 10.45am

Apple Strudel Demo @ Karl's Beisl

A few weeks ago, I was invited by the Bukit Bintang Girls' School Old Girls Association (BBSG OGA) to a Tea cum Demo on the famed Apple Strudel at Karl's Beisl. The demo was done by the man himself - Karl.

Prior to the demo, we had lunch there. LL and DL ordered the Pork Schnitzel after reading the positive review about this earlier. We tried the other version of the schnitzel too - with the mushroom sauce. Both went well with a pint of Hoegaarden!



We were ushered up to the Mezzanine Floor where the Tea & Demo took place. This part of the restaurant is perfect for private events. The ladies from the BBSG OGA are a close-knit lot and totally loyal to their old school. They started the function by singing their School Song, with great gusto, too!

Karl looked very dapper in his chef uniform brightened by a red scarf. He emphasized that his Austrian-style Apple Strudel does not use puff pastry. Instead, the pastry is made the old-fashioned authentic way...


Karl explained in great detail the proper method of making & rolling out the dough for the pastry. You need to place a piece of muslin cloth on the table to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface and makes it easier to roll up with the fillings!



The apple fillings ready to be rolled up in the pastry

Karl really made it look soooo easy!



We were treated to these yummy slices, fresh & hot from the oven...

Other dainty bites that went well with tea...

Email me if you want the recipe for the Apple Strudel :-))

Do get in touch with your old schoolmates if you were from BBSG - check out their site for more info.

Many thanks to Z and Kim for inviting me to that fun & lively event!

A taste of India in Maharaj

Exactly a week ago, I almost fell off my chair when I received a phone call from Eu Hooi Khaw. I mean, come on... Eu Hooi Khaw calling me??! And that call was to invite me to join her for dinner... at a place called Maharaj. The invitation was on behalf of the owner, Mr Ilan Govan who's a close friend of hers. Her directions to the place were: "it's along Jalan Gasing, PJ, in a bungalow lot next to a furniture shop".

I had a vague idea of where the restaurant could be. It was a rainy stormy night and somehow I made a turn somewhere and before I knew it, there's this huge lighted signboard by the road which said "59 Jalan Gasing" and I knew I had arrived at Maharaj! It was still raining when I parked the car and when I looked up after switching off the engine, there was this friendly service crew who had appeared instantly by my car bearing an umbrella! Such is the thoughtful and excellent service provided by Maharaj, as the evening unveiled later.

When I entered the restaurant, I was awestruck by this vibrantly colourful wall painting by their reception...



As I looked around, my senses were immediately struck by so much colours everywhere! Every imaginable hue of the rainbow had been painted on the walls, with paintings so alive and vibrant with details...




Our host, Ilan Govan graciously explained the passion behind his restaurant and I had such an education that evening, learning about the intricacies and history of Indian cuisine. According the Ilan, "Maharaj" actually means "Accomplished Chef", a prestigious title bestowed by the maharajas on deserving chefs. Maharaj serves a wide selection of dishes from all over India and that's a lot, considering that India is such a vast country! From Goa to Hyderabad, each dish is iconic in its representation of the history and culture of the place.

Our Appetizers started with this Chuchumber...




... a delightful salad of cucumber, carrots, capsicum, onions tossed in lime and a sprinkling of spices...

Another dish of almost-similar salad was served, but this was mixed with yoghurt and mayonnaise... a concoction that's bound to open up your palate for more...




Next came the Vegetable Kebabs... these had potatoes & cauliflower mashed, mixed with cottage cheese and spices and then grilled in a tandoori oven. Not overly spicy, these kebabs were delicious - warm fillings encased in a crispy "skin"!





The Platter of Mixed Kebabs which came next had scrumptious sticks of Hariyali Fish, Prawns, Minced Lamb, Chicken Tikka... all arranged nicely...




I found the Minced Lamb a tad too spicy... but no worries, a few mouthfuls of the Chuchumber and yoghurt salad allayed that! I loved the hariyali fish and prawns kebab - fresh succulent morsels that we could not get enough of... and the Chicken Tikka did not disappoint either.

Tawa Prawns. Ilan enlightened us that "tawa" means "hotplate". Medium-sized tiger prawns encrusted in a layer of masala marinade, grilled on a hotplate and this is what you get...



Thumbs-up were all around for this dish! The tiger prawns were suitably succulent, dripping with sublime juices and the masala crust was not overly spicy which had us cleaning up every crumb, hehe!




Thereafter, we were served with Squid Vindaloo... yummy rings of squids cooked in their signature vindaloo paste...




Kashmiri Mutton Rogan Gosht- tender chunks of mutton had been meticulously simmered in spices & herbs...




Chicken Hyderabadi - this was very mild. The gravy was thick from the concoction of blended cashew nuts with a tinge of sourish piquancy from the tomatoes added. This really went well with the naans and rice...




Talking about the rice and naans, allow me to show you how decadent we got with the carbs!

A beautiful pot of the most fragrant steamed basmati Garlic Rice...




... and an assortment of Naans, fresh from the tandoori oven - we had a choice of plain, garlic, stuffed and the sweet Kashmiri version (stuffed with chopped cherries & almonds)...




Royal Minced Mutton Briyani... I could eat this happily on its own.



With all the lovely crispy naans, we needed more gravy & spices to mop them up with... and so our wish was granted.

Enter the Black Pomfret in Spicy Masala! Black pomfret fish has been marinaded and deepfried with masala - a most appetising dish for rice and naans.

This was the most difficult item to photograph - every angle of it looked like a mound of orangey masala as the fish had been (almost) completely covered. OK, I managed to capture this part of the tail - so it still looks like a fish, no?




At this point, we were already full till bursting point (almost!) but our gracious and amiable host had more coming for us...

The Navaratna Kurma - something not very common, I must say. According to Ilan, 9 types of vegetables and dried fruits went into this vegetarian dish...



The Navaratna Kurma was served simultaneously with the ever-popular traditional northern indian delicacy Palak Paneer... smooth cottage cheese blended and married with spinach, resulting in soft tasty textures - I couldn't stop dipping my naan in this!



Finally it was Desserts time! When Ilan mentioned the desserts to be served - Gulab Jamun, Kulfi and Carrots Halwa, I could practically see A Whiff Of Lemongrass' eyes lighting up!

I generally find Indian sweets to be too sweet for me, but then these are great in cooling off the fieriness of spices... so we all dug in!

Kulfi - made from fresh cow's milk, almonds, pistachios and saffron (that explains the yellow colour) - all blended and chilled into this smooth ice-cream-like dessert.

Gulab Jamun - fried ghee balls, served soaking in syrup.

Carrots Halwa - grated carrots, almonds, cashews, pistachios, cardamoms cooked in sugar, milk and ghee.

All these certainly ended our meal on a sweet note :-))



Besides serving delicious authentic Indian cuisine - their chefs are all from India, by the way, Maharaj houses a good selection of arts and craft items - all of which are for sale.



Ilan's passion for this place is evident - it's not merely a restaurant, but a centre for Indian Arts, Culture + Cuisine.



The spacious restaurant can seat 1,200 people. There is a private room too, if you want to host an intimate party ;-)



Styled like an old elegant Jaipur mansion, this place is perfect for private functions.



Oh, they do catering, too. If you are planning a party for your guests to have a unique authentic taste of India, why not give Ilan a tinkle?

It was an evening of great food, educational for me too, fun lively conversations & laughter (with some monkeying around, hehe!) ... and I went home with a tummy filled with warm spices & sweets - what more can one ask for?

Thank you once again, Hooi Khaw and Ilan for the kind invitation.

Maharaj
59 Jalan Gasing
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7968-5515

I Lost & Found Mr Mak

For the records, let me declare here that I don't simply eat Fish-head Noodles.

What I mean is I'd never order that if I walk into any coffee-shop which has Fish-head Noodles in one of the many stalls. Simply because I find that generally most Fish-head Noodles are really not that nice... most of them throw together fried pieces of fish bones that pass off as "fish head" and add copious amounts of milk into the soup presumably to mar the fishy taste (which is not surprising, considering most of them use questionable types of fish!).

OK, coming back to the main topic here....

Allow me to introduce you to Mr Mak...



As you can see, Mr Mak is a very busy man - he does not smile much and he absolutely refuses to look into the camera. Can't blame the guy. Mr Mak is too busy cooking his stuff.

Delicious stuff, too...



Mr Mak's Fish-head Noodles is the only fish-head noodles I would eat by choice. And that's saying a lot, because, like I said earlier, I do not simply eat Fish-head Noodles one.



My acquaintance with the dour Mr Mak started many years ago... when his stall was in a coffee-shop somewhere tucked away in USJ16, amongst the residential houses there. Back then, we'd always go for our fish-head noodles fix there, at least once or twice a month. Almost like clockwork: we'd place our orders and wait patiently for 30-45 minutes for the noodles.

And then, one day, tragedy struck: Mr Mak has disappeared! We mourned for a while, not knowing whether he has fatt-tatt (struck the mega jackpot, so to speak), retired or simply moved elsewhere.

And I have not eaten fish-head noodles ever since..

Until... recently, through the food grapevine, we found Mr Mak again! Oh, that was a happy day.

He has now relocated his business to a coffeeshop in Subang Perdana Court 2 in USJ.



Mr Mak is never stingy with loading his offerings - you can find loads of fried fish fillet, fried fish-head pieces, tomatoes, kiam-chye and silky-smooth white tofu in your bowl of noodles. Curly meehoon is the new meehoon in town. I love it. It's a bit more chewy & springy than the normal ones. And the soup is amazing, none of the fishy smell that can be very off-putting!

And... oh yes, you definitely MUST order a plate of Mr Mak's Fried Fish Fillet. I read somewhere today that someone said Fish is good for you. Mr Mak uses only Ikan Jenahak and his fried fish fillets are the crunchiest, freshest, yummiest ones on this side of town. Believe me. You may not stop at 1 plate (RM5). So order 2, like what I always do... or else order a Big Plate (RM10).






If you have any more stomach space after the above, do try his Tomyam Seafood Noodles too...



At only RM6.50 per bowl, this is definitely Great Value! As you can see, the bowl is filled to the brim with big prawns, mussels, scallops, fishcake noodles, tomatoes! And the tomyam? It's certainly got all the ooomph in it - fiery, fiesty & unforgettable. Really one.



As you can see, Mr Mak is a specialist. His offerings are limited & focused. He does only what he's best at. Only 3 choices.



Mr Mak's amazing Fish-head Noodles can now be sampled at this coffee-shop with the very apt name: Kopitiam Que Up. Yes, you really have to que up if you go at peak hours, which is usually around 12.30-2.00pm. So, go early. Otherwise, be prepared to wait 45 minutes to satisfy your hunger.



Directions:
Kopitiam Que-Up is visible from the main road. If you are coming from Summit heading towards USJ/Puchong, the kopitiam is on your right - you can't miss it. Look out for it after you have passed the crossroads traffic lights after Summit. Just go further up to the next set of traffic lights and make a U-turn.

Mr Mak's noodles are available from 11.00am until all are gone, which should be around 3-4pm. His friendly Indon waitress told me that - Mr Mak doesn't talk much either.