Penang Trip #6 Day 2 - Food-Hunt in Ipoh and Penang

Wei Tze has always been adventurous with food hunting. On day 2, we took a 3-hour drive down to Ipoh for different and authentic Ipoh food.

We landed on an old street in the heart of Ipoh. There was a scattering of restaurants and shop lots. Since it was our first time there for a food-hunt, we randomly picked a restaurant and went in. It wasn't crowded and not all stalls were in operation.

Ipoh White Coffee

This was the first true Ipoh white coffee I had tried. It's so much different from the iced coffee that you could get in Penang as it had a nice bittersweet aroma that I found very pleasant.

Fried Flat Rice Noodle

Although this dish looked like the normal Penang Char Kuey Teow, it tasted somewhat different. It had a sweeter flavour than Penang char kuey teow, and the the noodle was slightly thicker.

Rice Noodle with Shredded Chicken (Sar Hor Fun)

This was one of the popular dishes in Ipoh. Flat rice noodle was served in dark coloured gravy with crunchy beansprouts, shredded chicken and prawns. When the plate was placed in front of me, the beautiful colours had already given me the urge to dig in before the aroma did.

Hua Nam Coffee Shop

From the information given by the seller at the previous hawker centre, there were more eatery outlets in the new developed areas in the heart of the town. We drove off again in search of more food and we chanced upon Hua Nam Coffee Shop which appeared crowded. So, we decided to give it a try.

Ipoh White Coffee

Again, we ordered two glasses of Ipoh White Coffee. This one was slightly bitter than the previous one but it was aromatic instead of overpowering.

Chicken Rice

It tasted like the usual chicken rice I tried so far. Nothing to shout about.

Deep-fried Yong Tau Foo

We tried a few types of deep-fried Yong Tau Foo, which was something quite different.

Curry Loh Shu Fan (Curry Silver Needle Noodles)

It was my first time trying Loh Shu Fan in curry. These white semi-transparent noodles were swimming in a bowl of curry with some bean sprouts and spring onions. The noodles were bland and the watery curry wasn't tasteful enough to enhance the dish.

Fried Dumplings

Although the filling was quite delicious, the skin was too thick for my liking.

On our way back to Penang.

About 3pm, we left Ipoh and made our way back to Penang Island, the Pearl of Orient.

T.G.I. Friday's

My friends had always been raving about T.G.I. Friday's - the atmosphere, the friendly services, and the food. Famous for its relaxing environment, delicious and generous American-style menu, T.G.I Friday's offers an ideal place for families and friends to have a wonderful dining experience.

Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich Milkshake

This was a thick milkshake that was blended with Oreo cookies, ice cream, milk and chocolate chips. It's so creamy and chocolaty, just the perfect drink for a chocolate lover like me.

Fried Mac & Cheese

This dish was an irresistible appetizer of cheese and elbow noodle golden-fried to perfection. It felt fabulous when the melted filling oozed out once you bite into it.

Cedar Seared Salmon Pasta

Wei Tze knew that I love salmon, so he suggested that we tried their new food item on the menu. This thick succulent pan-seared salmon fillet was lightly coated with cedar smoke seasoning, served over al dente fettuccine ribbons; tossed with zucchini and a blend of creamy Alfredo, bruschetta marinara and tangy lemon sauce. This dish definitely had my vote!

Jack Daniel's Steak

This dish was recommended by the waitress who took our orders. A thick 10-oz Australian chilled grain-fed steak, seared and chargrilled to perfect tenderness; served with seasonal veggies, cheddar cheese mashed potatoes and their homemada Jack Daniel's sauce. Both of us thought that the Jack Daniel's sauce was too sweet for our liking, but the I loved the creamy and cheesey mash potatoes.

Garlic Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops

Both of us are lamb lovers, so we opted for a lamb dish despite the huge amount of food we were about to consume. These lamb chops were nicely marinated with garlic and seared to perfection; served with red wine demi glace, crumbled beef bacon, seasonal vegetables and cheddar cheese mashed potatoes. We found that the beef bacon was a tad too saltish but overall the dish was good. I personally liked the smoky flavour of the lamb and the juicy flavoursome mushrooms.

It was a hearty dinner but I was glad that I finally got the chance to try out the food there. The service was excellent and warm, and the food was splendid. There are a lot more choices of food that have yet to try. So, I've decided to go back for more caloric and huge portion American food.