Updating Ipoh December 2015

This year end, unlike the previous years when reunions meant going overseas, we decided to visit nearby Ipoh.

My intrepid sister-in-law, Ju, did all the bookings for the travel and hotel. The www didn't yield as much information as I would have liked, so we had to ask friends and friends of friends who have been to Ipoh.

Oh yes, the To- Eat list was extensive, and so were the crowds that thronged the popular eateries. 

I could reproduce the names of these places here, but that would just add on to the expectation and then the disappointment sets in, when you see the long queue snaking twice around the block or cannot find seats. 

The truth is that these popular eateries must be very good to have earned such a recognition. But the problem with being famous is that food quality can get compromised because of the huge crowd or the establishment itself just getting to be complacent. Do observe the closing days and operating hours.

Whichever the reason, the expectant hungry diner is turned away to another lesser known eatery and have his fill. Which happened to us.

So here are my recommendations to a full-filling trip to Ipoh minus the crowd.

It has been said that Ipoh produces the softest-as-silk flat white noodles, something to do with the quality of the water.. which legend has, breeds beautiful ladies. Dato Michelle Yeoh is one.

The competition among eateries is so thick that you will come across an eatery with almost the same name as the legendary one. Chances are that you will find seats and the beansprouts will taste just as crunchy and the noodles, softer than anywhere in the world. These eateries, may not be on the "best' list but they are good and deserve some recognition.  

1. Be brave and walk into any eatery that advertises the same dishes, look respectful and clean.

2. Buy biscuits at the Ipoh airport on your way home, the chinese sweet/salty biscuits are as good as any in town. Minus the crowd. 

3. Make a bee-line for the kaya puffs at the notorious bakery in town and be prepared to wait for 2.5 hours in the searing sun. My conclusion of the puffs: nice when fresh out of the oven, but how many can one eat at one seating? After queueing for so long, it is only logical to buy 25 pieces and more.

The kaya is nice but nothing out of the extraordinary. The plus point is the fluffy, light puff pastry which can be replicated with a good recipe and some tweaking.

4. It isn't about great Chinese cooking all the time, do try out the Western offerings at Plan B. The food, service and ambience is great and their flourless chocolate cake is out-of-this-world. Another discovery is Brick & Barrel, which offers good beer,  generously endowed cheese encrusted pizzas and other International dishes in big portions.

5. Seafood can be notoriously expensive since we all know that tourists flock to Ipoh for its food. Public Pusing Seafood on the recommended list, had most of the seafood dishes with prices unlisted, which can be unnerving. 

6. Forget Funny Mountain for its over-rated Tau Fu Fah (soft bean curd pudding), any self respecting Ipoh taxi driver can point out a better one that the locals go to.

8. Take to the limestone hills instead and visit Lost World. The kids and adults will love the themed park.

9. Or visit Cameron Highlands to see the tea plantations and quaint Tudor houses. Pick up strawberry jams, strawberries ( best in the morning ) and fresh vegetables. Cameron Highlands is crawling with weekend and day tourists, so avoid the weekends.

10. Go on a Heritage trail to see the old stately buildings and burn a few calories along the way.