Ipoh – HEALTH FREAK MOMMY

A Heartwarming Encounter

During my recent trip back to Ipoh to celebrate my parents’ birthdays, Cass and I had a heartwarming encounter with a kind and generous old man that left a lasting impression. This encounter warmed our hearts and rekindled our faith in humanity.

In the evening, Cass and I took a long walk to the roadside stalls in the neighborhood. We made a stop at the pandan coconut water stall to get two packets of coconut water. Before the seller, a sprightly 76-year old man began chopping the coconut, I asked if he accepted eWallet payment as I didn’t bring any cash with me. I assumed that in Ipoh, most roadside stall vendors would accept payment via eWallet apps like how it is in KL, but it’s quite different in Ipoh. Many small traders and hawkers in Ipoh still accept cash only.

When the seller told me that he didn’t have an eWallet app, I told him that I didn’t want the coconut water anymore. However, he proceeded to skillfully and swiftly chop a fresh coconut and pour the water into a plastic bag, displaying a level of generosity that touched my heart.

I explained that I would be returning to Kuala Lumpur the next day and that my 80-year-old father would help me pay him. In response, the old man simply stated that he didn’t want to trouble my father who’s already so old. He said that my father could pay him at his convenience, and even if he happened to forget, that’s OK too. His willingness to trust a stranger, even one he might never see again, spoke volumes about his character.

As we stood there waiting for him to chop the coconuts, I engaged in a friendly chat with the old man. I couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of gratitude for the kindness that permeated this unexpected encounter. It was clear that this elderly vendor valued human connections more than any monetary transaction.

After we walked home with the coconut water, I asked my papa to drive me back to the stall so I could pay the coconut water seller. However, when we arrived, the stall was empty, and the old man was nowhere to be seen. He had told me just now that he would be leaving soon. A pang of guilt washed over me, but I was determined to make amends.

The following morning, amidst the hustle and bustle of preparing for our departure, I had completely forgotten about my debt to the old man. It was my 80-year-old papa who reminded me and handed me RM10, just enough to cover the RM9 cost of the coconut water. With gratitude in our hearts, we made a quick stop at the coconut stall on our way to the train station.

When I handed the old man the money and told him to keep the change, his eyes twinkled with a warmth that words cannot capture. In that moment, he became a shining example of the kindness and generosity that still exists in this sometimes harsh and unforgiving world. His act of generosity and faith in strangers serves as a beacon of hope and a testament to the enduring power of kindness.

No. of times viewed = 43

Exploring the Charm of Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village in Ipoh

Nestled within the majestic limestone hills of Gunung Rapat in Ipoh, Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. This remarkable cultural park offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural experiences, making it a must-visit tourist spot for anyone exploring the vibrant city of Ipoh. During my recent visit with Cass and my parents, we were captivated by the serene surroundings, picturesque scenery, and the touch of nostalgia that this village evokes.

One of the first things that struck me about Qing Xin Ling was its breathtaking location. Set amidst the famous Ipoh limestone hills inside a residential area in Gunung Rapat, the village offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the splendor of nature.

As we strolled through the park, we were greeted by a massive pond teeming with fish and cute ducks. The tranquility of the setting provided a sense of peace and serenity, making it an ideal escape from the bustling city life. Outside the entrance of the park, there’s a huge replica of the Titanic and under the ship is a little farm with running chickens, roosters, ducks and turkeys.

For a mere RM12 per entry for Malaysian citizens and RM20 for non-citizens, Qing Xin Ling offers outstanding value for money. Once inside, visitors can explore a wide range of activities without any additional charges. One of the highlights of my visit was the opportunity to ride on tandem bicycles, traditional rickshaws, and trishaws. It was a delightful experience to pedal through the village and take in its picturesque views.

I paid the entrance fees using my Grab Pay eWallet. You don’t need to bring a big wallet with lots of cash stuffed inside. All you need is your phone (and eWallet), a small bottle of water and a little cash. Don’t forget to apply your sun cream, bring along your sunnies and a hat if you wish. It can get really hot.

Visitors can pay a nominal fee of RM3 to get a red ribbon, write down your wishes on the ribbon and throw it up the Banyan Wishing Tree.

If you’re a photography enthusiast, Qing Xin Ling is a dream come true. The village boasts numerous Instagram-worthy spots, each more enchanting than the last. Whether it’s the intriguing limestone hills and greenery or the serene ponds, there’s no shortage of captivating scenes to capture with your camera. The village’s rustic charm and natural beauty make it a paradise for photography enthusiasts.

Papa pretending to pull mom who’s seated on the rickshaw.

One of the most memorable aspects of Qing Xin Ling is the replica of vintage stores from Ipoh’s past. As I walked along this street, I felt like I had been transported back in time to the old Ipoh town that I grew up in the 1970s through 1980s. The attention to detail in recreating these vintage storefronts was impressive, and it allowed me to reconnect with the city’s rich history and heritage.

Down memory lane – bus tickets from the 1980s through 1990s.

My mum and late granny used to have these potties under their beds back in the 1970s – mid 1980s as there were no attached bathrooms in the bedrooms back then.

For those seeking adventure, Qing Xin Ling offers the option to climb uphill to the peak. Lined with replicas of vintage stores as you go uphill, this jungle-walk not only offers a nostalgic journey but also breathtaking views of the limestone hills and jungle. However, I must caution that the climb can be challenging, with steep and slippery steps at certain spots towards the peak. It’s advisable for those with difficulty climbing or health issues to take precautions or opt for other activities within the village.

Vintage stores lining up the jungle walk path, all the way to the peak. The jungle walk uphill is my most favorite part of the entire park.

Jungle walk up to the peak. Some of the steps here are pretty wet and slippery from the water droplets dripping down the limestone hills.

At the peak. The walk uphill reminded me of my camping and jungle trekking days back in my carefree teenage years.

A well with water inside and an outdoor toilet from the olden days.

While Qing Xin Ling offers an abundance of natural beauty and cultural experiences, it’s important to note that there are no cafes or eateries inside the park. However, you can enjoy refreshing drinks, ice creams, and light snacks from vendors. Exploring the village is bound to work up an appetite, so be sure to plan your meals accordingly.

Our visit to Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village in Ipoh was an unforgettable experience filled with natural beauty, cultural immersion, and a touch of nostalgia. For the affordable entry fee of RM12, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities and explore this picturesque village. Whether you’re an avid photographer, a history buff, or simply looking for a peaceful escape into nature, Qing Xin Ling has something special to offer. I wholeheartedly recommend this charming cultural park to anyone visiting Ipoh—it’s a journey you won’t want to miss.

No. of times viewed = 890

Ipoh Trip (13 – 15 March 2023)

I’ve not had a chance to celebrate my birthday with my parents for the last few years because of the darn pandemic. This year the timing was right – It was Sherilyn’s last day of SPM and Cass still had a few more days of school holidays, so I booked two train tix and hopped onto the ETS for a short stay in Ipoh.

I’d wanted to visit my mum when she had a bad fall in early January this year and fractured her right arm. But I was unable to make a trip back to Ipoh as school had just reopened and Sherilyn had an important government exam to sit.

Cass told me that for this trip to Ipoh, she wanted to do the touristy thingy at the Concubine Lane vicinity. She wanted to visit the Harry Potter Cafe again (the last time we went for just before the lockdown in February 2020), Book Xcess and see all the wall murals in that vicinity. I was reluctant as the weather had been burning hot lately but I gave in to her request anyway.

I’ll let the photos do the talking here:

We started off with tucking into our favorite ‘kai si hor fun’ at the famous Thean Chun coffee shop. This is the best-in-the-world ‘kai si hor fun’ with a taste like no other and the super fresh, fat and juicy Ipoh bean sprouts. I also ordered some fish balls, meat balls and fried turnip cake.

Yummy bowl of piping hot ‘kai si hor fun’ in rich and flavorful orangy broth.

Luckily we got a table almost immediately when we arrived. Within minutes, people started to stream into the crowded coffee shop.

We passed by this quaint little coconut shake shop and I ordered a cup of cold and refreshing coconut shake to cool down after walking under the scorching sun.

Iced coconut shake from Baby Coco. So so good!

We’d passed by Lam Fong Biscuit many times in the past but never bought anything from the shop. This time, since we were doing the touristy thingy, I walked in and got some snacks.

Bags and bags of famous Ipoh peanut candies on the floor. I ate so much of these years ago till I needed a long break from them and now they don’t appeal to me anymore. They were only available in Ipoh back in the day and now they’re available in KL, as well as from Lazada and Shopee.

I bought a jar of lime and honey concentrate. I like mixing a spoonful of it with apple cider vinegar.

Delicious assorted famous Ipoh pastries and biscuits. I was very tempted to buy some to bring back to KL but the girls don’t really fancy them. I always end up giving them to Maria.

The famous Lam Fong Biscuit shop. They’re also available online on Shopee and Lazada.

We passed by this tattoo bar and stopped to have a look. Have I told you that it’s been my dream to have a tattoo inked on my arm or leg? 🤭 But I have low pain threshold, thus always chicken out. And I always choose the kiddie way – patching tattoo stickers on my arm.

Gorgeous pastries at Chloe.Co yelling out to us.

Cass was intrigued by the revolving door at Chloe.Co

I ordered a matcha canelé and matcha biscuit.

I love canelés. They’re quite challenging to make, requiring patience, practice, attentiveness, and perseverance.

Cass’ goal was to check out all the wall murals in the vicinity of Concubine Lane area @ Ipoh Old Town. But I was not allowed to photograph her nor to post in on social media 🙄

Since I wasn’t allowed to take pix of Cass, we had reversed role. She took pix of me instead. Cass is a good photographer – just one take and she managed to capture me in the air.

I was born and bred in Ipoh but doing the silly touristy thingy in my own hometown.

Cass loved this alley with long tree fringes hanging.

We walked round and round the vicinity but couldn’t find Book Xcess. Suddenly I remembered my good friend, Barb wrote about this on Facebook a few years ago and I told my stubborn girl that the book store is just next to Thean Chun and there wasn’t any necessity to use GPS. This silly girl didn’t listen to me and used GPS and the silly GPS brought us walking a few thousand steps to God Knows Where.

Book Xcess Ipoh is housed in a shop house that was previously a bank (United Asian Bank Bhd). The books are creatively placed on Safe Deposit Boxes inside a vault.

These metal filing cabinets look all too familiar. The label here is dated 20 November 1982 – I was in Standard 3 that year.

My loot from Lam Fong Biscuit shop. This is the limit that I could lug back by train to KL. I didn’t want to carry too much weight and reactivate the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pain on my right hand.

No. of times viewed = 35

Ipoh Trip (13 – 15 March 2023)

Day 1 – Monday, 13 March 2023

Our usual pre-Ipoh-trip SOP since the pandemic. A test to make sure that we don’t bring the Virus back to my elderly parents. I always prefer the nasal swab as it’s so much easier and faster to collect the sample.

My trip to Ipoh to visit my parents was only confirmed on Saturday, which was pretty last minute. Luckily there were still tickets available on the KTM booking app. But we were seated separately (separated by the aisle), though Cass was just on my right side.

Too bad Sherilyn couldn’t follow us back this time as she still had one last paper (Add Math) to sit for on Monday.

I was hoping that I won’t be seated next to a burly man but just as luck would have it, a very big burly man came and sat next to me. I politely asked if he could swap seats with my daughter but he said no. Fine.

The moment he sat down, my left hip was squashed by his right hip 🙄 even though I was already inching away towards my right to avoid us touching. The train seats are not separated by any arm rest. I wondered if he felt embarrassed because I was. I got up and adjusted my butt on the seat again, to be further away from him. Throughout the ride, Mr Burly had loud labored breathing and I felt even more awkward, like why TF is he breathing so heavily and loudly 😅 . At one point I dozed off and I was jolted up when I felt like my head almost touched his shoulder. I tried so hard not to doze off again in case my head really touched / rested on his shoulder 🤪

Finally when the passenger next to Cass alighted at a station somewhere in Perak, I quickly moved over to sit next to her.

Our very late lunch at Woolley Family Food Court at Lengkok Canning. This food court has been around for over 40 years. It’s my favorite food court since my teenage days. We had popiah, peanut + dried oyster porridge, Wan Tau Long or Aiyu jelly (jelly on a bed of shaved ice with lime juice) and Ice Kacang.

Some 3 hours later, we had dinner at Choy Kee Seafood Restaurant @ Ipoh Garden. Papa ordered all our favorite dishes — braised Garoupa fish with bitter gourd and fermented beans, stir-fried yau mak, salted egg yolk French beans and stir-fried Koong Po eel.

No. of times viewed = 99

Ipoh Trip (8 – 10 June 2022)

After 2 years 4 months I finally made a trip back to Ipoh with Cass. We took the 8.47 a.m. ETS train from KL Sentral to Ipoh. Traffic was super duper bad and we really thought that we would miss the train. Gawd, I was so so tensed throughout the journey from our house to KL Sentral. I was blaming the hubs coz he had to make a dump in the toilet and we left the house late.

Thank God after the initial stretch of the 24-hour-congested road on the KL-Seremban highway, traffic was quite smooth all the way to KL Sentral and we stepped into the train at 8.40 a.m. PHEW!!🥶

Cass has been looking forward to taking the ETS. The last time we boarded the ETS back to Ipoh was more than 3 years ago.

Sweet reunion with my parents and older brother and his family from Singapore.

We had a great time bonding with my brother’s 3 kids. The twinnies really missed us and we miss them very much too. They’re really adorable.

How I wish I could join my brother’s family and my parents for their holiday in Penang and Camerons next week. Too bad the school holidays is only for a week.

The twinnies stuck to Cass the whole day.
Time really flies. The twins are going to be 5 this year. They were only 2+ when we met over 2 years ago.

Cass showing Rayzen my mom’s lady’s finger plant.

Rayzen and Raeanne on our 50-year-old swing. My brothers and I used to sit on this swing when we were little.

I’m always in awe with my parents’ edible garden. It’s replete with edible herbs, flowers, spices like turmeric, ginger, sand ginger and much more. Can you tell which is ginseng veggie, turmeric, kafir lime, sweet basil and mugwort?

There’s a potted pineapple plant too. Awesome! My dad uses kitchen scraps as fertilizer and organic soil for the plants.

After 2.5 days in Ipoh, it’s time to leave. It’s always so hard to say goodbye. My papa will be 79 this August.

No. of times viewed = 91

Nancy Chong’s Butter Icing Butter Cake

A good friend of hubs went to Ipoh and got him the much raved about Nancy Chong butter icing butter cake as Christmas gift. I’ve heard and read so much about Nancy Chong’s cake but never had the chance to try it until today. And it’s really delicious, although we find the icing too sweet.

The cake is made of pure butter and elegantly laced with melt-in-mouth icing that’s buttery with a fine sandy texture coming from the icing sugar. The taste and texture of Nancy Chong’s cake reminds me of the first time I tried butter cake with butter icing at a classmate’s 8th birthday party in Ipoh. I got hooked on the cake and told my mum about it. I asked mum to find the bakery that sold the butter icing cake but she didn’t really understood what her 8-year old daughter was describing to her. Now that I’ve finally tasted Nancy’s cake, the cake that I ate at my friend’s birthday party 39 years ago could have been Nancy Chong’s butter icing butter cake as it tastes very similar, with the traditional piped flower icing. Nancy Chong’s cakes have been around since 1958.

So happy that after 39 years, I finally tasted the cake that still makes me think about it all the time. The closest that I’ve tasted is Wondermilk butter icing cup cakes. I’m now already thinking of getting a Nancy Chong’s butter icing cake to celebrate my homecoming and reunion with my parents in Ipoh when we have the chance to go back to Ipoh. Currently, we dare not go back to Ipoh as my parents are high risk folks with high blood pressure and mum has weak lungs and asthma. Well, the agreement with the various vax firms have been inked and would be enough to cover about 80% of our country’s population (but children are not included yet). Hopefully the pandemic will be controlled by the first half of 2021! 🙏

No. of times viewed = 1200

Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS), Ipoh

After lunch at the celebrated Thean Chun kopitiam, followed by a walk down the famed Concubine Lane, we went on a jaunt around Ipoh city, with no specific destination in mind. There were 9 of us in the MPV. Whenever we’re back in Ipoh together, hubs and I love going for a spin in the car traipsing the roads of Ipoh to see what’s new in town and to go down memory lane in our beautiful hometown.

After buying pomelos at Tambun, I casually mentioned to the hubs that since March this year, entrance fee into the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) in Meru has been free. And he said OK, why not have a short visit to MAPS then since we are now on holiday and there’s nothing to rush?! The girls were thrilled! What was supposed to be lunch has now turned into a fun-filled half-day adventure at a theme park. We were all so NOT prepared, wearing only slippers and sandals with no sunscreen lotion and all.

Poised as Asia’s First Animation Theme Park built at the cost of RM520 million in Ipoh, Perak, Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) was set to be the most exciting dream destination for everyone. With over 40 attractions in 6 thematic zones, MAPS was opened in 2017 with an initial entrance fee of over RM100 per pax. Due to the choking entrance fee and the fact that not all the attractions are opened yet, the turnout was tepid, resulting in the entrance fee being scraped off effective March 2019. However, you’ll need to buy coupons for all the rides in the theme park.

On the day that we were there, which was a Sunday, we had expected a mad crowd like Sunway Lost World Of Tambun. But there was surprisingly no crowd. Just moderate number of visitors but not crowded. If you’ve been to Universal Studio Singapore and you’ve given it a 5-star rating, you can expect to give MAPS a 3-star rating. This is a place where you’ll only give it a one-time visit unless all the attractions are open and unless it’s more ‘lively’. The place is very clean and spacious but it just lacks the animation, vigor and oomph factor.

The very first ride that attracted the girls when we walked into the theme park was the electric bike. At RM15 for 15 minutes, the girls went on the electric bikes many rounds. But for noob electric bikers, the girls found it hard to maneuver the bikes initially.

Koong koong teaching Sherilyn where to place her foot on the bike when she first shared the bike with Alycia.

They just couldn’t balance themselves on the bike and finally they got a bike each and problem solved!

Sherilyn performs a hand stand in front of the upside down building.

The girls and I got excited when we saw Tealive in the theme park! Boba tea (sans the pearl jelly for me) is one of my guilty pleasures currently 🥤😉

MAPS entrance

Our RM150 worth of coupons were not fully utilized though the girls went on umpteen number of electric bike rides, roller coaster rides, fun rides, bumper car ride, game stalls, etc and we had to give away the unused coupons to two lucky visitors when we left the park. Again, we were caught in the rain towards the evening and had to leave abruptly. This seems to happen to all our theme park visits from Ocean Park Hong Kong to Sentosa Island Singapore, Gardens By The Bay Singapore and Lost World of Tambun! It just had to rain on our parade every.single.time. 😟

No. of times viewed = 141

Trip Back To Ipoh (16 – 18 June 2018)

Our stay in Ipoh during the mid-term school holidays this time was a short 3 days 2 nights trip. We couldn’t go back at an earlier date as mum, papa and Roy were still in East Europe. When they returned, it was already the end of the first of two weeks of school holidays. We could only stay in Ipoh for 2 nights as Alycia had a dental appointment for her braces to be fixed. But the 3 days were precious. We had a great time bonding and it was the first time we could celebrate Father’s Day in Ipoh on the actual day with papa and the hubs together. Really wished that we could have arranged for a short trip to somewhere near. My wish and plan now is to organize a holiday together during the year-end school holidays to Langkawi, Thailand or some neighboring states or countries. I’m full of hopes that this holiday will materialize.

On our last night in Ipoh, we had dinner at Tung Koo Teng (Mushroom Hut) food court @ Ipoh Garden. The hubs is happiest when he is back in his hometown digging into all his favorite childhood hawkers fare. Who is not? I’m happiest too when I am back at my parents, being a princess again, for a short few days before my princessy days turn into long Cinderalla days and nights 🤭

Our favorite picks:

Curry laksa (SO yums!) and Hong Kong style chee cheong fun:

Ipoh style ‘kai see hor fun’ and popiah:

Chicken and beef satay; grilled curry stingray fish:

Ice kacang and ‘wan tau long’ jelly (aka Aiyu jelly):

Aiyu jelly is rarely seen in the Klang Valley or other parts of Malaysia. It is only in Ipoh that we get to savor our favorite childhood dessert. Writing this post is already making me miss all my favorite food in Ipoh. I can’t wait for the next school holidays for our next trip back to home sweet home ❤

No. of times viewed = 100

Tour Of Gua Tempurung, Gopeng

Today papa drove us to Gua Tempurung, one of the largest limestone caves in Peninsular Malaysia. Ever since the North South Highway was opened over 20 years ago and Gua Tempurung made visible to all who travel on the highway, I’ve been wanting to visit this magnificent cave with a breathtaking view.

We left the house at 9 a.m. for Gopeng. Our first stop was at the Gopeng food court, situated next to the Gopeng wet market to have breakfast.

Hawkers food in Ipoh and Gopeng are so much more cheaper than in KL. A plate of standard (with no add-ons) chicken rice, fish ball noodles and curry noodles only cost RM4 in Ipoh and Gopeng while they cost a minimum of RM6 or RM7 in KL.

Alycia who doesn’t like noodles ordered an Indian apam which costs RM1.20 each. The apam tastes like Chinese ‘pak tong koh’ (steamed white sugar rice cake) in the middle while the sides are crispy. All of us pecked on her apam and in less than a minute was done to none. She ordered 2 more pieces later. Love it. Something so simple and affordable can taste so yummy! Real comfort food.

On our way to Gua Tempurung, we dropped by at Gaharu Tea Valley, Gopeng just to have a look-see at this tourist spot. Mum who had been here before told us that there is a buggy to bring visitors up the hills to the tea valley for sight-seeing. But we decided not to do the short tour as our main purpose was to go to Gua Tempurung.

We reached Gua Tempurung at about 10:45 a.m. Papa bought us the tix for Tour 2 (Top of the World) which would bring us to Platform 5 of the cave. Tix are priced at RM9 for adults, RM4.50 for children aged 6 ~ 12 year old and RM3 for senior citizens aged 60 and above. The estimated time for this tour is 1 hour 45 minutes from entrance to Top Of The World and return. But we managed to complete it within 1.5 hours. Without time spent on camwhoring and admiring the caves, it would only take us an hour to go up and down the caves.

So glad that papa (74 this year) and mum (71 this year) managed to climb up the steep steps inside the cave. Some of the steps are very steep and can really exhaust you to the point of gasping for air. Thankfully papa and mum could climb up without any problem, albeit mum had to climb up and down slowly. The steps are quite slippery at certain points where there is water dripping down the steps.

At the start of the climb inside the cave:

Participants of the wet tour ending their cave exploration at this exit, which is a stream with crystal clear water:

Our 3 hyper girls climbed up so swiftly that I could not keep up with them.

Tell me what this rock formation looks like? A teenage boy ahead of us commented that it looks like a ‘thumbs up’ but I think it looks somewhat similar to a errr, penis. Depending on which angle you look at the rock, it may look like a thumbs up at an angle and another image at other angles.

Platform 2:

By the time we reached Platform 3, all of us were sweating buckets from all the strenuous stairs climbing, though it’s pretty cool inside the cave.

Platform 4:

The rock formation here looks spooky. Can you see what I see?! Staring right at you:

Finally at Platform 5 a.k.a. Top Of The World, all sweaty and sticky and stone faced:

This locked gate will be unlocked for participants of Tour 3 and Tour 4, which involves an underground river adventure:

Exit from the cave tour and admiring the stream view and crystal clear water with fishes swimming in the water:

Papa could not resist the cool stream water and washed his face with the water.

Though a short trip, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the cave exploration. Our next visit to Gua Tempurung will be to partake in the wet tour, hopefully with the hubs too. That would be really exciting and adventurous. The girls are looking forward to it.

No. of times viewed = 380

Pancakes And Hakka Noodles To Die For

And these are available right smack in my hometown of Ipoh, a few minutes drive away from my parents at an unassuming coffee shop named Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Taman Timur.

Whenever we are back in Ipoh, we, especially the hungry big man often gorge ourselves silly like a glutton. It’s as if our metabolic rate went on an overdrive. I will put my army strict diet and exercise regimen on hold and sacrifice my svelte figure in exchange for some short-lived hedonistic pleasures.

Everyone in our family look forward to at least a pigging out session at this coffee shop. Our favorite delights are Hakka noodles, crispy Chinese pancakes, curry noodles and fish noodles.

The day before we left Ipoh, we had our cravings satisfied at this coffee shop – just the 3 girls and me. We had these:

Curry noodles at only RM4.50 a bowl. What a steal and it’s so yummy too. In KL and PJ, the cheapest for a bowl of basic curry noodles is RM6.50.

Hakka mee with fish balls and meat balls. I ordered 20 balls in the first round but they were not enough for my 3 hungry piranhas, so I ordered another 10 balls after we were done eating the noodles. It’s pretty addictive popping the balls dipped with special chilli sauce and pickled garlic into our mouths.

The Hakka noodles stall:

A trip back to Ipoh will not be complete for Alycia if she does not get to tuck into Tomy Crispy Pancake. I ordered three types of pancakes in the first round and as expected, someone did not get enough of the pancakes and I ordered another 2 pieces minutes later.

Tomy Crispy Pancakes have super thin and crispy crusts with filling of crunchy peanut, grated coconut, fresh banana slices and melting corn oozing out at first bite. One bite will send you to paradise. *Swoon*

There are many other ingredients like cheese, egg, crabstick, ham, pineapple, etc. that you can mix and match to create your favorite pancake. The stall owner is a lady who has a slight resemblance of Hong Kong superstar Karen Mok. I’m not sure though if her name is Tomy.

This time we did not overeat. Neither did we have food wastage. Had we gone there with the foodie hubs, he would have ordered everything double or triple the quantity.

I can’t wait to go back to Ipoh again soon to tuck into all our favorite hawkers delights.

No. of times viewed = 33

Deepavali Holiday (Ipoh – 20 Oct 2017)

Activities on the 3rd day in Ipoh:

Cass helped around the kitchen. She peeled a pile of pink Barlotti beans for making soup…

… and helped her granny bake an Ogura pandan cake.

It was the first time my mum baked Ogura cake in pandan flavor and it did not turn out as well as she had expected it to be like when she baked the original flavor one. Nonetheless, the cake was very, very yummy and cottony soft. The beautiful green color is pure pandan juice, extracted from pandan leaves grown in the garden.

Feeling challenged and determined to bake a perfect Ogura pandan cake for us, my mum got up at 4:30 a.m. today to bake another Ogura pandan cake. That’s truly a labor of love, from the best mum in the world, thanks mummy!

And the cake turned out beautifully this time – no burnt top and no dampness on parts of the cake. She cut the cake into slices and placed them into containers so that we could snack on them in the train.

To beat the 38C heat, we chilled at Ipoh Parade @ Uniqlo and Popular book store:

While waiting for me to shop, Cass worked on her Crossword Puzzle book, her latest obsession.

Dad cooked our favorite dishes for dinner:

Braised chicken with homegrown sand ginger, braised pork ribs with wood ear fungus and carrots in claypot…

Pan-fried turmeric fish with curry leaves, ginger and onions and blanched ice-berg lettuce with garlic oil.

No. of times viewed = 65

Trip Back To Ipoh (18 Oct 2017)

I got up at 4:45 a.m. on a very lovely Wednesday today. We have a mission and that’s to reach the KL Sentral station by 8 a.m. to have breakfast before catching the 8:30 a.m. ETS to Ipoh.

After 2 rounds of laundry and some house chores, I woke the girls up to get them ready.

I could not resist the magnificent colors of sun rise splashed on the sky and snapped a couple of pix. Can you spot the crescent moon and star? The moon and star are aligned beautifully for us today.

Thank God we were on time and managed to hop onto the train at 8:28 a.m. The train departed at 8:30 a.m. on the dot.

We were warmly greeted by my dearest papa and mummy who were already at the train station half an hour before we arrived.

My papa took us to Thean Chun @ Ipoh Old Town for lunch. This part of Ipoh is the most popular place in Ipoh where tourists and locals flock to savour the best ‘ngar choi kai’ (bean sprout chicken) in the world. Bean sprouts from Ipoh are the crunchiest, freshest, fattest and juiciest in the world.

Beef balls, beef belly with radish, satay, ‘kai si hor fun’, bean sprouts…

Wanton mee with chicken fillet (best in the world!) and ‘sui kow’ (meat dumplings).

Beads of sweat were dripping down our head and body while we tucked into our piping hot bowls of ‘kai si hor fun’. The weather today has been scorching hot and the sea of people at the coffee shop and the entire stretch of road made me dizzy. It’s definitely not a good idea to visit this place during public holidays.

After a satisfying and sweaty lunch, we adjourned to Concubine Lane, located just opposite Thean Chun coffee shop. It was our first time visiting this tourist hot spot.

Concubine Lane on Lorong Panglima is known to locals as ‘Yi Lai Hong’. Rich Chinese tycoons in the past were known to have kept their mistresses on this lane.

Image may contain: 3 people

Concubine Lane is a 120-year old lane in Ipoh Old Town. It is part of Ipoh Heritage and one of the icons in Ipoh. Concubine Lane is most vibrant on weekends and public holidays where many pop-up stalls sell souvenirs, candies, desserts, refreshing drinks, toys, handmade crafts, etc.

Below – Drama Queen shopping for souvenirs of cute pencil cases for her school’s upcoming canteen day.

Below – dream come true for Drama Queen and Cass when they came across a stall selling DIY dream catchers.

Below – the ever indulgent koong koong bought these fruit popsicles for his precious grand daughters. At RM8 each, these ice fruit popsicles sure don’t come cheap.

Below – I spotted this concubine wannabe walking down the Concubine Lane.

Below – Cass and Drama Queen checking out drinks packaged in light bulb bottles. And no, I did not succumb to Cass’s plead to me to buy her one bottle to try.

No. of times viewed = 11