Food Journey To The Town Of Everlasting Peace With 8FM!

"Hello everyone! "

"This is 8FM once again! Pack your bags and tag along with us to the town of everlasting peace, TAIPING for a scrumptious food feast! We promise that this food trip that will leave your taste buds craving for more!"

Our Mr.Taxi for this trip, You Hong!

To our readers who are planning to go on a food trip to Taiping, the most important thing is to first find lodging! Thus, we recommend you a nice, comfy place with a breathtaking view from the Lake Gardens.

Location: No. 1, Jalan Samanea Saman, 
34000 Taiping, Perak.

Map link:
 http://www.flemingtonhotel.com.my/images/locationmap.jpg

 Looking for a 3-Star hotel in Taiping with reasonable price? This is the place for you!

The Flemington hotel, which is just a stone's throw away from the hawker centres that we are going to introduce! 

Convenient and easy right? 

LET'S MOVE ON AND GET SOME FOOD!

First up, we chose a bustling hawker centre in Jalan Kota (right beside Taiping Town's KFC outlet) which is known to the locals as "Pasar Siang Malam". 

When we interviewed the lady boss of the drinks stall (lady with dark green/grey shirt in the middle), she said that in the past, this place used to run 24 hours, day and night. Therefore it was given this name which translates into "Day and Night".

Besides, this "Siang Malam" is also the oldest market/hawker centre in Malaysia, with a history of more than half a decade long! This is why many Chinese, Indians and Malay customers go there for their meals daily, as it can be said that they grew up with it since they are young.

FOOD TIME!

The nasi lemak we tried really brought a surprise to us! Being able to choose from a wide variety of side dishes, it is a treat for spicy food lovers!

Daphne [8FM] : "The chilli is especially fragrant and I can taste the 'belacan' used to enhance the taste. I love it!

After tasting the nasi lemak, we decided that we had to know more about it. So, we asked the lady boss regarding how this stall and its nasi lemak came about.

She has been selling Nasi Lemak in the hawker centre for five years already, and now her son has come to help her out.  Providing over 20 types of side dishes which are all home cooked, she reveals that she has used some of her traditional family recipes in her cooking, which is why they taste so good and different from other stalls!

From shark fish meat to assam prawns, you can also choose either chinese-style curry, malay-style curry and indian-style curry to go with your rice. The many types of curry can cater to people of different races, so no matter what race and ethnicity are you from, feel free to choose the one that fulfil your tastes!

Do not worry as it is halal!  =)

[Price: Starting from RM 2.80, additional cost for add-ons]

[Rating 8/ 10]

Next, we gave the Pasembur (Indian Rojak) a try.

Topped with shredded cucumbers and crunchy sengkuang, the rojak also consists of bean sprouts, tofu, hard boiled egg and "kuih tepung". It was slightly sour, but not really spicy, just a light tinge of chilli powder. 

[Price: RM 2.70]

[Rating: 8.5/ 10]

The Pasembur was simply too delicious, so we went back to the stall for more!

However, this time we opted for the Mee Rebus.

The springy noodles were made even more tasty with the smooth, flavourful gravy. The gravy tasted similar to that of the Pasembur, but it was sweeter. Besides, the crisp prawn fritters were not oily. 

To our readers! You can choose to request for more sambal if you prefer it to be spicy, as there are two types of sambal. One is spicy, while the other tastes more fragrant and is slightly salty.

Vivien [8FM]: The mee rebus is my favourite! Even though i do not usually take spicy food, but this was truly an exception! I can eat the whole plate without a doubt!

[Price: RM 2.70]

[Rating 9/ 10]

After our satisfying meal, the lady boss of the drinks stall gave us some local recommendations to try out.

She said that Siang Malam was famous for its coffee, which are available in many different flavours.

First up, the Hazelnut Coffee has a rich taste and the coffee had a thicker texture. It is not at all bitter though. Instead, it is a bit on the sweet side. We would recommend it to our readers who would like to enjoy their daily cup of thick coffee without the bitterness.

Next, we tried the Green Coffee. What caught out attention was that this cup of coffee actually smells like cookies! YES, COOKIES!

 It definitely was the most peculiar drink we've had in a while. But compared to the Hazelnut Coffee, its taste was a bit bland and plain. For those of you who prefers coffee which are less sweet, do try out this Green Coffee!

Moving on to the next one, we have the Blue Coffee (The coffee in Taiping are so colourful!). To be honest, this one tasted like our usual Nescafe. 

The last recommendation caught us by surprised when the lady boss announced its name. It is actually called "Hor Ka Sai" (meaning 'tiger bite lion' in hokkien dialect)! We were puzzled by the name of this seemingly normal coffee drink. However, the lady boss continued to tell us that it is actually the local version on Mocha Coffee in Taiping. The drink gave off a fragrant smell as it tasted like a mixture of coffee and our beloved Milo.

[Price: RM 1.70]

[Rating 7/ 10]

Not enough food yet?

Get a break while we take you on the road for DESSERTS!!

We actually heard of our next stop from a local, and he proudly told us that if we were to ask around Taiping for "Si San Ice Stall", most of the people could tell us where it was.

Located on Jalan Iskandar, an iced desserts stall has been selling its trademark "Snow Mountain" since 20 years ago. 

Landmarks: The stall is on Jalan Iskandar, just beside the Taiping Chinese Methodist Church.

After being interviewed, the stall owner told us that he had taken over this business from his family and has been selling iced desserts for many years since.

Despite being a small roadside stall, the stall had an entertaining atmosphere as we discovered this old-school jukebox standing proudly beside the counter. 

Besides all that, the ice stall sells a variety of drool-worthy desserts that are bound to cool you down! Ranging from "Bubur Cha Cha" to "Chocolate Mountain", these treats entice you in for a cooling experience.

The Lychee Ice Mountain was sweet without any colouring. Surrounded by lychee, jelly and fruit cubes, it is a burst of fruity freshness! Also, the height of this dessert is taller than our usual ice kacang!

Bubur Cha Cha, one of the local favourites. The sweetened ice, kidney beans and sago jelly make a perfect combination for us young people who prefer desserts with stronger tastes.

Finally! We had the long-awaited Chocolate Ice Mountain. The one with strongest smell and taste of thick Milo, the ice was further decorated by watermelon cubes, nata de coco, peanuts and kidney beans at the base. We give it a thumbs up for the yummy mixture of ice-cold freshness and sweet flavours.

Mr. Nathan, a regular customer at this stall gives us positive reviews on the ice desserts.

Summing it up, our 8FM crew had a wonderful food trip in Taiping thanks to the good location of the hotel, which was just in the same area as all of our recommendations! Try to plan your Taiping trip soon, and give us YOUR FEEDBACK about how the trip has been for you!

We hope that you have enjoyed following us around Taiping for good food and great fun, this is 8FM and we wish that our readers may be able to give full support to us wholeheartedly, so that we can bring you even more fun food in the future! Thank you for tuning in!

Leaving No Stone Unturned In Our Food Search : IPOH!!

"Welcome back, people! You're tuning in to Malaysia's number one food station, 8FM! Grab your GPS and get your car ready, because we bet you'll be drooling and hungry by the time you finish reading!"

"This time, we want to peek into every hole and corner of Ipoh city in order to find out more good food, so please do keep up with us!"

FIRST STOP, Breakfast!
Our 8FM crew arrived at Nam Heong Coffee Shop early in the morning to catch a very interesting find.
Location: Persiaran Bijih Timah

Landmarks: UMNO Apartments in Ipoh Barat, also nearby Little India


The main highlight of our breakfast journey is this:

[Price: RM 1.50 each]

[Rating: 8.5/ 10]

Ta-daa! Egg tarts!
You may be thinking maybe this is nothing special because truthfully, who hasn't had egg tarts before?

However, this is indeed an eye-opener for us food lovers as it is really the yummiest egg tarts we have ever tasted!

3 crisp outside layers complemented with smooth jelly-like inner filling, the egg tarts are available for takeaway.

Freshly baked on the spot, the tarts arrived on our table piping hot!

Besides egg tarts, there are also dim sum and other little snacks suitable for breakfast.

We interviewed the lady boss and she told us that she started out this business since her great-grandmother makes delicious tarts which were famous in the neighbourhood, and it was passed down to her.

Other than egg tarts, the lady boss told us to give the chicken puff a try. It did not disappoint us! Also baked on the spot, it was very hot and steamy. The fillings were soft, flavourful and does not taste oily.

[Price: RM 1.50 each]

[Rating: 8/ 10]

Feel thirsty after eating so much crispy food? Try ordering the pride of Ipoh, its renowned white coffee. 

Hot or cold as you like it, both are thick and smooth.
[Price: RM 1.40 (hot), RM 1.60 (cold)]
[Rating: 7/ 10]

To sum it up, the Nam Heong Coffee Shop is a perfect spot for working adults who want to take a quick breakfast and senior citizens alike as it hosts a variety of snacks and drinks suitable for them.

As usual, if you would like to stalk this location, here's the address!

No.2, Persiaran Bijih Timah

30000 Ipoh

Perak

NEXT STOP, Brunch!

Right after we ate the egg tarts, our 8FM crew discovered another delicious recommendation nearby which is the Shredded Chicken Hor Fun in Restoran Ipoh Kong Heng.

The restaurant is located at, No. 74, Jalan Bandar Timah.

The price was very reasonable, that's why the restaurant enjoys a full house most of the time.

The noodles fully absorbed the flavours of the soup, resulting in a mouthwatering combination of taste and texture. However, health-conscious readers do take note as it is a bit oily!

[Price: RM 4.00 (small), RM 5.00 (big)]

[Rating: 7 / 10]

THIRD STOP, Lunch!

For our lunch, we headed off to the Big Tree Food Garden (affectionately known as "Dai Shu Giok" to the locals). The restaurant is famous for its "Yong Tau Fu", and this is the second branch of the Big Tree Restaurants.

Stalk this place at:

652, Jalan King

Pasir Pinji

31650 Ipoh, Perak.

The owner clarifies that the restaurant is named "Big Tree" as the shop is at the foot of a very big tree. Besides that, the area is also surrounded by big trees, thus the derived name.

We enjoyed choosing from the various types of "Yong Tau Fu"!

[Price: RM 0.60 per piece]

[Rating: 6.5 /10]

The "Yong Tau Fu" were crispy and its inner ingredients brought out a different taste with crunchy bits. They can be eaten with laksa, clear soup noodles, curry noodles and dry noodles.

[Price: RM 2.60 (laksa and curry), RM 1.20 (clear soup).

[Rating: 8/10]

The second man from the right is the young owner of the restaurant. He graciously gave 8FM an offer for the food that our crew ate! We found out that the attitude of the staff were very polite and also courteous.

In short, we had an enjoyable meal at the Big Tree restaurant. The interior of the shop was very cooling and comfortable as there were trees and a light breeze all around us. 8FM strongly recommends this shop to our readers!

FOURTH STOP, Night Snacks!

At night time, our 8FM crew were itching for something to bite on. So, we went on our hunt for snacks!  

Location: Kam Wan food court , the area is otherwise fondly known as "Dong Gu Teng" to the locals.

Landmarks: Just beside Woolley Food City.

Contact number: 0165009348.

Did you know that this food court has been in the business for the longest period in Ipoh? The good news is, it is still active and providing locals with good food to enjoy every day!

Here, we decided to try out the 'Popiah' stall which we had heard of.

To our delight, the stall sells Popiah which are pork-free! To our Malay readers, you may enjoy this snack without the need to worry at all.  =)

Tended by the friendly lady boss, the stall was crowded with customers as she takes their orders with a smile. Everything is prepared in front of the customers, thus freshness is guaranteed!

Regular Popiah:  Indulge in the good old popiah. It has so many fillings that your taste buds do not know which ingredient it likes the most! Is it the soft tofu, the crunchy prawn biscuit, or the fried onion?

Crispy Popiah: Fried to a golden perfection, the outer layer 

gives a good crunch, matched with sweet sauce.

[Price: RM 1.80 per piece]

[Rating: 8.5/ 10]

When we asked the stall owner, she explains that the Popiah are served with a sweet sauce (which is a little bit on spicy side) if the customer did not specify which type of sauce they want. So, if you are planning to buy this back for your kids, do remember to request for a non-spicy sauce!

LAST STOP, Dessert!

For our final stop, we dropped by the well-known "Tong Shui Gai", literally meaning "dessert soup street".

To get rid of the queasiness caused by our main meal, we decided to take some light dessert, which is the Mixed Fruit Ice.

Location:

Just behind Ipoh Parade

Bursting with fun, natural colours, the fresh mixed fruit brings sweetness to the cooling ice.

Topped with ice cream, it brings out a different type of feel from other desserts.

[Price: RM 4.50]

[Rating: 8/ 10]

We feel happy and content after indulging in the vibrant-coloured dessert.

It lightened our mood and also pampered our taste buds with the freshness of the fruits and ice. The special point of this dessert is that the fruits were not cubed like usual, but in round shapes which were even more attractive! It is definitely the number one choice for bad days as it will bring your mood up!

Are you ready for more? 

Stay tuned and follow us closely as we recommend more delicacies for you the next time! Our 8FM never rests in the mission to eat up the good food in Perak, so rest assured that we will continue to provide the best information and reviews of the food that you may enjoy!

That is all for this broadcast, and we hope that you have enjoyed tuning in to 8FM! 

Keep your eyes glued to us and you'll never regret it!  =)