IPOH, Nov 16 — A typical scene at any Chinese restaurant or chu char place in Ipoh is a family walking into the premises with no prior reservations (unless it’s a crazily famous place), finding a table and then and taking a glance at the walls for specials of the day. (That is usually where these “specials” are displayed... the walls as menus, as it were.)

More often than not, there would be NO menu, and the recommendations are fired off like a Gatling gun by the wait staff who have committed the menu to their memory.

They are well-trained to rattle off a list of seafood or meat dishes, vegetables, beancurd/egg and then a soup. No selling skills necessary, since most are not incentivised to sell the items with the highest returns, or paid for creativity. This is what I term a very orthodox or conventional experience.

At some point, you can almost expect to hear sweet and sour pork, gung pao chicken, signature bean curd, steamed fish, and steamed egg being mentioned.

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The predictability comes off as a disincentive to some locals who would then prefer to cook at home, or settle for hawker fare instead; although still not out-of-the-box, at least there is variety.

Now before you pass judgment, allow me to introduce you to some “odd” selections that I have eaten over the last few years.

1. Finger-licking good crispy fried frogs @ Wong Kee Restaurant

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To reach this place, you will need to drive a short distance out of Ipoh city, towards Chemor/Sungai Siput. Located off the main road, Wong Kee specializes in a few not so common dishes that may qualify for use in a Fear Factor episode!

The crispy fried frog sounds a little bit scary on paper, but this was a dish executed so perfectly that you won’t forgive yourself if you did not at least try a piece. The succulent and sweet flesh of the amphibian was still retained despite the deep frying process; accentuated by slices of fried ginger and nothing else. You don’t even need to dip this into any condiment (although chili sauce is provided). If there’s one dish that will entice you and change your mind about eating frogs, this could be it. If you are still hesitant and squeamish, don’t fret. Wong Kee does an amazing gung pao eel as well with a delectably sweet and spicy sauce coating the boneless fillet of eels.

The deep fried frogs at Wong Kee are crispy and finger-licking good if you are daring enough to try one! (left). Wah Chai Restaurant in Menglembu is a household name for seafood, and you can easily find the best soft shell crabs here (right)
The deep fried frogs at Wong Kee are crispy and finger-licking good if you are daring enough to try one! (left). Wah Chai Restaurant in Menglembu is a household name for seafood, and you can easily find the best soft shell crabs here (right)

2. Sweet, crunchy and hassle-free soft-shell crabs @ Wah Chai Restaurant

Although this is a rather common item now, especially in Japanese diners, soft-shell crabs are still not a staple in Chinese seafood restaurants due to the price, scarcity and the general crowd still preferring fresh mud crabs rather than paying almost the same price for the deep fried version of the molted crustaceans.

However, if you have not visited Wah Chai in Menglembu before, then you probably should as this place is known for its affordable yet delicious seafood dishes. The soft-shell crab is one of their most stellar creations in my opinion and they have been serving this dish for a good decade or two, as I still remember having this back in my school days.

Coated in a light batter, then deep fried and served with its own sauce which is a blend of chili sauce, tomato sauce and possibly a dash of Worchestershire. This is a real delight to savour. So far, I have not tried a version of soft-shell crab that is in the same league as Wah Chai in Ipoh yet, but let me know if you have.

3. Chewy, savoury and hearty delight — claypot pig’s tendon and trotters @ Sam Poh Restaurant

Nestled within the neighbourhood of Ipoh Garden East towards Sunway City, Tambun is this hidden gem that is no longer a secret with folks in Ipoh.

Claypot pig’s tendon and trotters may not sound appealing — at least to the younger generation — but at Sam Poh, the aroma is enough to sway any detractors!
Claypot pig’s tendon and trotters may not sound appealing — at least to the younger generation — but at Sam Poh, the aroma is enough to sway any detractors!

Not to be confused with the cave temple Sam Poh Tong, this chu char restaurant opened to much fanfare; their tantalizing array of dishes defy most expectations. The most interesting item and one that has kept us going back for more is the claypot braised pig’s tendon and trotters.

Served warm in a claypot, the mix cuts of tendon and fatty trotters are stewed to a soft consistency; not overly-chewy but just the right texture to give one’s jaw a tiny bit of exercise. The gravy begs for copious amounts of steamed rice to partner with, slightly-thickened (from the gelatinous tendon), and savoury with a faint hint of spices. Utterly delectable.

4. Stir fried fish intestines @ Chemor Village Restaurant

A second Chemor restaurant on the list? Yes, rivalling Wong Kee in terms of popularity, Chemor Village is one of those locals-only establishment that is even more hidden than its counterpart.

This place is renowned for their rendition of snakehead fish (ikan haruan or sang yue in Chinese) cooked in a variety of ways; most notably in soup or stir fried with ginger and scallions. However, the availability is highly dependent on the season, or fresh catch of the day.

Chemor Village Restaurant whips up a savoury plate of stir fried fish intestines with lard fritters, onion, chillies, dried shrimps and minced garlic
Chemor Village Restaurant whips up a savoury plate of stir fried fish intestines with lard fritters, onion, chillies, dried shrimps and minced garlic

No fear, if fish is what you’re after, rest assured that at Chemor Village, you won’t be left unattended to. But in a rather twisted way, you will get served with fish intestines (!), one of their most famous delicacies, stir fried with a handful of lard fritters, dried shrimps, onion, chopped celery, garlic and chillies.

You can imagine how flavoursome every spoonful of this is, the marriage of crunch from the lard fritters and dried shrimps contrasting with the small, macaroni-like chewy intestines and sweetness from the caramelized onions and pungency of the garlic. The entire ensemble is a winner in my books, though you can’t really tell what they are from the first look at the intestines.

And there you have them; four peculiar, unorthodox yet delicious dishes that you can include in your to-eat list in Ipoh if you have grown a little bit weary of the routine ones. Bear in mind that I have not even gone to the extent of introducing exotic game meat from eateries in Lawan Kuda, a town near Gopeng and requiring only 25 minutes of drive time from Ipoh city.

WONG KEE RESTAURANT
24, Laluan Sinaran,
Desa Chemor Sinaran,
Chemor, Perak.
Tel: +6012-5182686, +6019-5561870
Business hours: 10.30 am — 2.30pm & 5.30 — 11.00 pm

WAH CHAI SEAFOOD (MENGLEMBU)
53,55,57, Jalan Besar, 31450 Menglembu, Ipoh, Perak.
Business Hours: Lunch from 11.30am — 2.30pm and Dinner (from about 6pm onwards)
Tel No: +605-281 1399

SAM POH RESTAURANT
17, Persiaran Bandar Baru Tambun 16,
Desa Tambun Indah,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Dinner only.

CHEMOR VILLAGE RESTAURANT
20, Hala Chemor 1,
Taman Chemor Mutiara,
31200 Chemor, Perak, Malaysia
Tel No: +6012-588 5939, +6012-434 3923
Business hours: 11am — 10.30pm everyday.

James Tan loves good food and blogs at Motormouth From Ipoh (www.j2kfm.com)