Mention the words “Malaysia” and “Food” in the same sentence, and people usually think of Penang, or perhaps Kuala Lumpur. Well, the next time you are visiting Malaysia and driving from KL to Penang, why not make a stop at Ipoh? This quiet town has, surprisingly, much to offer, especially in terms of food. At practically every turn and junction, you will find quaint coffee shops that are crowded throughout the day. The local dishes offered at these places are quite generic, but having tried several places during my stay, I can vouch for the overall high standard of food at cheap prices throughout Ipoh.

Amongst the numerous dishes we tried, the following is a list of the 5 best eats in Ipoh.

Nga Choi Kai (Bean Sprouts Chicken)

This dish consists of three separate parts: the beansprouts, soy sauce chicken, and a bowl of the famous Ipoh hor fun (rice noodles). This dish appears plain and unimpressive at first glance, but good nga choi kai will leave you highly impressed. Rumour has it that the minerals in Ipoh’s pristine water make the beansprouts so juicy and sweet. Alongside this is the tender, slightly salty chicken, together with the silky and smooth hor fun. Even the soup has a subtle delectable taste to it. This simple dish appeals to everyone, and will most definitely leave you craving for second servings.

Curry Noodles

This is another noodle dish not to be missed. It is somewhat like Laksa, but relatively less milky. The aroma of spices wafting from the bowl is immensely appetizing, but the taste of the curry itself is even more flavourful.

Tau Fu Fa (Bean Curd)

While the pudding-type bean curd craze goes on in Singapore, the traditional-style bean curd in Ipoh is simply out of this world. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth, and not overly sweet, it can be enjoyed as a snack at any time of the day. And the best part? It’s unbelievably cheap. At RM 0.90 for a bowl, it’s definitely a dessert not to be missed.

Chee Cheong Fun

Most of us are accustomed to the rolled up rice noodles known as chee cheong fun, but Ipoh’s version uses its famous thin hor fun, the same one used in nga choi kai. Given the high standards of Ipoh hor fun, I had high expectations for this dish, and was most definitely not let down. The same thin and smooth noodles feature here with copious amounts of sweet sauce on top. My verdict is that it’s even better than the traditional chee cheong fun!

Kaya Glutinous Rice

You may be thinking: “What?! How could Kaya and Glutinous rice possibly go together?” Well, I too, had the same reaction. To my surprise, the subtle saltiness of the sticky rice complemented the sweet kaya perfectly in a somewhat “sweet and savoury” fashion. Upon chatting with the stall owner, I found out that the coconut jam (otherwise known as kaya) is usually homemade, unlike the ones found on supermarket shelves. This unique dish was probably the most interesting find on the trip, and I loved the kaya so much that I purchased two jars to bring home.

Having gone on a gastronomic adventure, it is probably advisable to take a walk and perhaps explore one of Ipoh’s many caves and limestone formations. Also, the mountains in Ipoh are beautiful and comparable to those in Guilin, China. Those of you willing to make the climb up will be rewarded by the breath-taking views offered at the top of these mountains. While Ipoh may not have many large shopping malls for entertainment, there is still much to see and do. In my opinion, it is the perfect place for a quick respite from the hustle and bustle of city life, and I would definitely recommend visiting Ipoh when you are in Malaysia.

About the writer:
Amanda is a Singaporean with a passion for good food, fashion, and travelling. She is currently attending boarding school in the United Kingdom, and looks forward to many such new experiences after she begins university next year. Follow her adventure on instagram.

Good Chinese food and restaurants are aplenty in London, but I have always found a general lack of variety in the food they serve. Whilst the food are tasty, finding the same few items on the menu in most restaurants can leave one relatively bored of Chinese cuisine after a while. So, you ask, where can one satisfy a Chinese cuisine craving and be pleasantly surprised by the meal at the same time? Well, if you are willing to splurge a little, I’d definitely recommend HKK London.

Opened by the international Hakkasan group of restaurants, HKK serves modern Cantonese cuisine that errs on the edge of fusion cuisine, but yet manages to retain its strong Asian flavours. HKK has adopted the concept of a blind-tasting menu, with 15 courses for dinner at £95 per person and a shorter 8 course version for lunch at £48. If you wish, you can ask for the menu beforehand, but the anticipation of the next dish definitely makes the meal more exciting.

The menu changes regularly, but for ours, we were presented with a total of 7 appetizers, 1 palate cleanser, 4 main courses, and 3 desserts. As with most tasting menus, certain dishes stood out more than others, but the overall standard of food was very high. Out of the fifteen dishes we had, these, in my opinion, were the highlights:

There is usually a certain guilty pleasure involved in eating Peking duck because of the unhealthy layer of skin and fat. With HKK’s version of the Cherry wood roasted Peking duck, however, the sinfulness was worth every bite. The duck meat was well roasted, and the sauce was not too sweet.

The Dim Sum trilogy comes up top, perhaps only second to the wagyu beef. Served in a bamboo basket, the waiter told us to use the paintbrush to coat the dimsum sparingly in the soy sauce. Think dimsum reinvented: notes of truffle were infused inside the different types of skins (one in pastry and another in fried skin) and each had a distinct taste from the others. I can safely say this is the best dimsum I have ever had.

Many people have tried lobster noodles in London, but HKK’s Wok-fried lobster with pan-mee takes the cake. At first glance, it looks more like lobster pasta, but they actually use the kind of yellow noodles you would find in wanton mee. I finished the noodles in a few mouthfuls, and was left imagining how wonderful it would be to have this lobster noodle served in full size portions as per other Chinese restaurants.

One word to describe the Jasmine tea-smoked wagyu beef: perfection. It is hard to explain how stellar the beef was. Simply saying that it was tender, fragrant, and flavourful, hardly does the dish any justice. I definitely wished that I could have had a second portion of it, or maybe even a third.

At the end of our meal, the head chef presented each of us with a stamped copy of our menu that night, as if to congratulate us on the completion of the meal. Indeed, a fifteen-course dinner may sound daunting, but with miniscule portions, we left the restaurant deeply satisfied, but not overly full. Dining at HKK was indeed a remarkable experience, and I would highly recommend it for a memorable night out.

HKK London
Broadgate West, 88 Worship Street
London EC2A 2BE
Tel: 44 (0) 20 3535 1888

About the writer:
Amanda is a Singaporean with a passion for good food, fashion, and travelling. She is currently attending boarding school in the United Kingdom, and looks forward to many such new experiences after she begins university next year. Follow her adventure on instagram.

Yet another pancake shop has popped up in the neighbourhood. This time, it’s Little Pancakes, located in the Upper Thomson area. What sets these pancakes apart, as the shop’s name suggests, is their size. Serving miniature pancakes that are about 3 inches in diameter, Little Pancakes offers both sweet and savoury options on the menu.

Interestingly, they also have an ‘Asian’ section in their menu, with choices such as Singaporeans Unite (pancakes served with local toppings such as kaya, butter condensed milk). My dining partner and I were in the mood for dessert, so we shared two sweet options.

The first was Gimme S’more Oreos ($8.20). The toasted marshmellows, oreos and chocolate ice cream were relatively ordinary, except for the maple syrup, which I found to be excellent.

Our second option was Mr. Bean Turns Red ($8.50), served with green tea ice cream and a side of Azuki red beans. Combining Asian dessert with western pancakes is a refreshing idea, and made for a surprisingly good dish. Most importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed the pancakes, as they were fluffy, buttery, and easy to eat. Do visit Little Pancakes if you are in the neighbourhood, but come early, as seating is limited and fills up quickly!

Little Pancakes
200 Upper Thomson Road
#01-04 Thomson Imperial Court
Tel: +65 6258 8515
Mon: 1pm – 11pm
Wed to Fri: 1pm – 11pm
Sat: 11am – 11pm
Sun: 11am – 9pm

About the writer:
Amanda is a Singaporean with a passion for good food, fashion, and travelling. She is currently attending boarding school in the United Kingdom, and looks forward to many such new experiences after she begins university next year. Follow her adventure on instagram.

No matter which part of the world you’re in, having brunch is always a decadent affair. The simple joy of being able to wake up late and fill your stomach with delectable food is an essential part of any lazy weekend. Especially in a place like London, where the weather is often gloomy, there’s no better place to take refuge from the rain, cold, and wind than a warm restaurant serving a good weekend brunch.

Luckily, for those of us residing in the city, the list of places to have brunch in London is extensive. With the company of a few fellow brunch enthusiasts, I have recently set out on a mission to try as many of these popular brunch spots in London. Here are the ones I have visited so far:

Do leave a comment and let us know your favourite brunch places in London.

NOPI

Owned by the same company that opened the famous Ottolenghi cafés in London, NOPI is a contemporary all-day dining restaurant serving Middle-eastern and Asian fusion dishes. While lunch or dinner here can be slightly pricey, I am glad to say that the breakfast/brunch is very affordable, with most dishes under £10.

I enjoyed the Shakshuka (£11), consisting of braised Italian eggs, piquante tomato sauce, and smoked labneh. In a way, it reminded me of Wild Honey’s Tunisian breakfast in Singapore, and we all know how good that is. Be sure not to waste a drop of the tomato sauce by dipping the perfectly toasted focaccia into it! For those who looking for something sweeter, the French Toast (£8.50) is served with star anise sugar, berry compote, and perhaps the most stellar orange yoghurt you’ll ever taste.

21-22 Warwick Street
London W1B 5NE, United Kingdom
Tel: 020 7494 9584

Lantana

Situated near Goodge Street, this Australian brunch place is popular and often talked about. After eating here twice, I’d say it does indeed live up to the hype. I would recommend coming earlier as they do not take reservations, and the queue can be very long nearing midday on weekends.

My personal favourite here is the Toasted Banana Bread (£6), served with spice mascarpone and passion fruit. I know people will protest, “Anyone can bake banana bread!” But believe me, this is one you do not want to miss. A must-try savoury dish is the Corn Fritters with Streaky Bacon (£10.50).

Combined with roasted tomatoes and salsa, this dish will fill you up all the way to lunch! Lantana also offers muffins, cakes, and other pastries for take-away. I’ve heard the Crack Cake is very good, but have yet to try it. Definitely will come back for it.

13 Charlotte Street
London W1T 1SN, United Kingdom
Tel: 020 7637 3347

The Riding House Café

I visited this place on a cold and wet Sunday morning, and it was packed! Fortunately the service was good; even without a reservation, I was able to get a table for three within 15 minutes. There are two sections under their breakfast menu, the fruits and the savoury section. I would have loved to try something from the fruits section, but opted to have the Eggs Hussard (£9.50) instead. With tomato, ham, and spinach, I like to think of it as the perfect cross between an Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine, both of which are also on the menu. The one thing on the menu that truly impressed was undoubtedly the smoothies (£4.50 to £5.50). Served in cute recycled glass bottles, these smoothies come in four different flavours and are very delightful. You have been warned though, they can be very filling!

43-51 Great Titchfield Street London
W1W 7PQ, United Kingdom
Tel: 020 7927 0840

Bill’s

Located conveniently in Covent Garden next to Jamie’s Italian, this place serves classic brunch dishes such as Eggs Benedict, Eggs Royale, and Eggs Florentine. However, one dish I’d definitely recommend is the Bill’s Vegetarian Breakfast. Wow, if all vegetarian meals were like this, I definitely wouldn’t mind becoming a vegetarian! Be prepared to be filled with poached eggs, hearty tomatoes, and baked beans. Definitely opt to add on the bubble and squeak, a traditional English dish made with fried potato and vegetables.

The French toast is another excellent option. Unlike some other restaurants where the French toast can be overly filling, I found this rendition of the right sweetness. Plus, the fresh strawberries and bananas make you feel slightly less guilty about indulging!

St Martin’s Courtyard
3 Slingsby Pl, City of Westminster
Tel: 020 7240 8183

About the writer:
Amanda is a Singaporean with a passion for good food, fashion, and travelling. She is currently attending boarding school in the United Kingdom, and looks forward to many such new experiences after she begins university next year. Follow her adventure on instagram.