Of The Land of Food: Ipoh, Penang and Me...
I have been in Penang for almost a year-and-a-half, and I have always loved food! Oh, what's new?
So, having the best of both worlds has been great for my stomach (although not for my weight or cholesterol!)...
I thought I'd compare some simple Ipoh and Penang food today...I'm sure you already know that different states have different versions of the same food, right?
Well, anyway, here goes...
Ipoh Obese Taugeh vs Penang Anorexic Taugeh...
Seriously, Ipoh taugeh all fat-fat and short-short, while Penang taugeh all skinny-skinny and long-long...And don't be surprised if you go and have lunch and the lady tells you "Oh, this one Ipoh taugeh, more expensive"...
Import, hor?
The verdict? Ipoh taugeh is extra crunchy, so I prefer the Ipoh one...
Ipoh Curry Mee vs Penang Curry Mee...
The Ipoh version is always redder (more colouring?) and creamier, and somehow spicier...The Penang version, is very pale, comes with the chilly on a spoon, and has frozen blood (which I don't take)...
The verdict? Both good, in a different way!
Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun (with mushroom sauce) vs Penang Chee Cheong Fun (with shrimp paste)...
You know, the first time I ate Chee Cheong Fun in Penang, I nearly threw up...Sorry, but I didn't know that the black sauce was shrimp paste (the one they use in laksa)...Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun also comes in other varieties, like with curry chicken...
The Penangites sure love their hae-kho (shrimp paste), cos they also put it in their (Chinese) Rojak!
The verdict? Don't like hae-kho, unless it is in laksa...So, Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun ler...
Dim Sum...
Ipoh and Penang have the same varieties, in general...
The verdict? Both good!
Penang Char Koay Teow...
Penang wins this one...Although I have to say, the Char Koay Teow would be a whole lot better
with Ipoh Taugeh! ;)
Somehow, the Penang version is slighly 'more lemak', and I heard it's because they use more eggs!
Ipoh White Coffee...
Needless to say, Ipoh wins hands down for this...Enuf said!
Chicken Rice...
This too, whether roast or white or whatever...The Ipoh version is always soft and fluffy, while the Penang version, er...hard and tough!
Nasi Kandar!
Penang wins hands-down! Seriously, even when they are the same branch (eg: Pelita Ipoh vs Pelita Penang)...
Ipoh Laksa vs Penang Laksa? None! I prefer the Malay version and Sarawak Laksa...=) And for the record, I love Malay food too! Two favourites are the Thai-Malay tomyam, and the Nasi Goreng Paprik!
I love food, and I don't make any apologies about it...In fact, writing this post was a bad decision, because I'm hungry now...=(
Note: Pictures taken from the web...
Comments
I don't like Penang chee cheong fun...I'm not sure whether I've tried Ipoh chee cheong fun, the one I usually eat is supposedly the Hong Kong one, with prawns or meat inside...*drools* :P
Surprisingly, we don't really miss all that as most of the Malaysian wives here from the different States cook their State's specialities, i.e. Penang, KL, Ipoh, Singapore, etc dishes. And some had worked in restaurants in Penang etc.
Also there are Malaysian, Singapore foodcourt stalls here, as well Banana leaf rice, Indian guy speaks Malay too, "suma pun tarok".
When you are here, there are stores selling wonton noodles, their wonton larger than golf balls, Penang laksa in bowls bigger than those in Penang...
BUT? Penang poh pia will always be Penang poh pia, or oh Chien.
So enjoy the local foods before you say 'goodbye', ha ha.
You have a nice day, Daphne, UL.
ps, it's -12c now, snow has turned to solid ice, outside every home snow up to 4 feet high!
Forgotten what grass looks like as we've had snow since X'mas! Might snow again later. L.
Ok so Ipoh chicken rice gets your vote but i tell ya, here in ss2 PJ, there's this stall that serves the best CR i've ever tasted. the stall's called Tiam's ipoh chicke...
Oh...
hehehehe...ipoh's CR's the best then. agreed.
kl_gal
I personally like the Ipoh hor fan quite a lot, but for char kuay teow i think Penang's is one of the best still...
I think I really need a glorious food escapade .. Ipoh should be fine, I guess!!
Care to be my guide?! :) :)
Uh-oh...Heh...I can't help you here ler...Any Malaysian restaurant wherever you are? =)
Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun is available in Ipoh, and I think in Penang too...I like the prawn one actually!
Yeap, Sarawak laksa is good...About worshipping Penang laksa, well, I guess if you grew up eating it (and liked it), your chances of liking another version is less?
But yeah lor, different people have different taste...Once, my friends took me to Balik Pulau to eat this Penang laksa which they say is the best, and which I was soooo looking forward to, but one mouth, and I was already regretting it...
Cos, yeap, it was very Chinese laksa which is alllllll sour and dilute...
I sure couldn't understand how the entire table was sooo happy to eat it...
Haha...That's exactly what my aunts and cousins say about Canada! They have almost everything from Malaysia, and some even better!
That's bad news for me, in a way, cos I love all Asian food, and I also love Western dishes, which means, I am so going to have problems with keeping my weight...=(
Especially since Western dishes use lots of cream, cheese and meat, while Eastern ones use lots of milk/santan, and oil...
Wahlau...Disaster waiting to happen...
*Slaps head*
When I come Canada, we gotta meet up! You promised to teach me to dance, remember? And we can go play snow too...=) And we can both moan about how much we miss Malaysian weather ;)
Aya, you doctor ma...All you gotta do is do some emergency tracheostomy and you'll be fine...No more drowning ;) Hehehe...Sorry ler...
"Ok so Ipoh chicken rice gets your vote but i tell ya, here in ss2 PJ, there's this stall that serves the best CR i've ever tasted. the stall's called Tiam's ipoh chicke...
Oh...
hehehehe...ipoh's CR's the best then. agreed."
Haha! All also you say wan...
I rest my case...=)
Hey! I looking for the pictures also meleleh my air liur...So, thanks for sharing in the 'activity'...Hehe...
Sounds a bit wrong, no?
Ala, I pun tak tahu whether I've tasted Johor laksa...
Haven't kot...You wanna cook for me when you come back ;)?
Na Na Na Na...
Ala...At least I gave you an idea on what to cook ma...=)
I had curry laksa (in my post, noted as curry mee) just the other day too! Wish it had been spicier...The type that makes you cry and sweat and sniff...
Eh! Tak payah recce one, you just come to Ipoh, I will meet up with you, and I am sure Kak Pi will too! We can paint the town red, orange, yellow and blue together-gether...
Ipoh coffee is definitely good...Steaming and creamy, but too sweet though...=)
Come, come! If you come Penang, er, susah ler, cos I takda kereta...=(
Hey Sharlydia,
Heh...Another hungry reader, eh?
Ipoh hor fun is of course good, I guess cos of the taugeh, the soft chicken and the slippery hor fun (oh well, that's everything, eh?)...
I agree with you about char koay teow...Penang one is good, good...
Very wangi, you know? ;)
Yes, food escapade sounds good! Come, come! I will be most honoured and glad to be your food guide...When you wanna come? Let me know, ya? You have my number...=) Looking forward to meeting ya!
Time for my midnight snack of cereal and milk. So so kasian! :-(
Eh.. Penang CCF where can eat one?????
And Penang's CKT is lemak because of the lard they use la.. just add more oil = lemak..
Where's the eggs to do in that?
Penang taugeh is really quite hopeless and don't you realise their tau fu has an odd soury taste/smell???
Char ho fan remains unbeatable to me and wan tan mee and :P you know la.. the list of food I miss now that I'm stuck here with the horribly rubberbandish like Hong Kong wan tan mee!!
I personally don't believe that anyone can ever live a fulfilling life without staying in Ipoh and tasting its glorious food
Oh.. and I think Penang's dim sum is crappish too.. London's isn't any better though :'(
Penang = food heaven? - nahhh..
Oh well.. less people stopping by Ipoh just means more food for me!