Vintage draws: Part 1

I'm an old soul in certain ways.

Vintage and antiques,
I find pleasure in adoring.

Stained glass.
Absolutely, absolutely in LOVE with them.

I'd look at those in my bedroom, tracing the intricate designs on the colourful slates till I fall into deep slumber. It's inexplainable how much comfort I find in them.





Mosaic tiles are another favourite of mine.

Sharing some that I traced my steps on in Ipoh and Taiping, Perak.

These black and white ones are rather contemporary.

I like these because... they're identical to the ones at grandma's.

Very coffee shoppish. Kopi kau, satu! :)

Blues... blues..... blues~~~

Randomly placed orange pieces but still so pretty.

During one of my previous Penang trip, I found some lovely mosaics too....

Earthen and light grey paired with blush pink mosaic...

Note the 3D effect. Charming.

Monotone yet psychdelic.... intriguing.

There were so many others that i regret not taking now.

Well, there's always room for a next trip. :)

Foh San: Oh Screwww!

A rustic sight that greets upon welcome...

Hustle and bustle -
A common sight, given its multitude of years of steaming in dimsum vapour.

BUT WAAIIITT!!!

This is what you would not expect from Foh San.

To the undiscerning eyes, how'd you like some screw beef rice?

I really do wonder how screwed beef tastes like. hmmm...

Now now... let's get back to the more virginal creations, shall we? *winks*

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Okay, these are what you'd actually expect from Foh San.


I thought this friendly auntie deserved the honorific 1st photo coz..
she was kind, not haughty and ALSO didn't treat us like flies...


Her pretty wares. Ouch. Sounds. so. salah.
But they look so yummy la. All of em.


Ta-raa~ I'm addicted to these so much I come back for 'em everytime.

Bouncy balls to die for.
Though the more apt word should be springy, I presume.

Deep fried prawn dumplings with dubious cum-looking sauce.

Yummy dumplings filled with "kuchai"

Siew Mai. You don't go dimsum and don't eat this.

Har Kow. Again. You don't go dimsum and don't eat this.



Flaky egg tart that didn't impress. Unfortunately.



Buns. I grabbed.
.
.
.
.
.
.

for takeaway.

Polo buns.

Meh... wotcha thinking, perv? :x

Mmm... you might think its looks are nothing fancy schmancy like those tediously pleated har kows. nothing fantabulous. erm, perhaps even to the extent of bordering on P.L.AI.N.


Was it THAT good?


Warm, soft and pillowy exterior...


... with fresh and tasty fillings to boot!

Pineapple as base, with a mixture of well marinated meat and mushrooms.

Skeptical on initial sight, but a convert upon first bite.

You really really really shouldn't miss these lovely buns.


Next,

So sweet and dainty...

After you so gently peel off their leafy garments...

... you'll find that it's lotus paste wrapped with glutinous rice layer.

Let's just say if you're wearing dentures, steer clear.
Texture-wise, bukan main-main/ calang-calang sticky.

I tried talking while chewing and it made me sound like a warbling gorilla.

Overall, NICE.
just. very. sticky

I guess it still made a nice workout for my jaws.

Now, if only I could lose my double chin with that.....


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An appetiser to the beginning of the year. Apologies for the long absence. Cheers to all~

Ipoh Nam Heong Coffee Shop

While we observe more and more of Ipoh Old Town Coffeeshop mushrooming everywhere like nobody's business, let us not forget the authentic brew from the town itself.

Our gracious hostesses brought us to this bustling little coffeeshop, named "Nam Heong"... loosely translated into Southern Fragrance.

Their Ipoh White coffee is the real thang, bay-beh! It's so full of oomph that you'd never want to touch those watered down generic java again. Exaggerated? Maybe. But hell it's good.

Tucked at the shop front is a Char Kway Teow stall with a winning recipe that will keep you asking for more. Fried to perfection, the kway teow was neither too oily nor too dry. The wok hei wasn't too overwhelming and really whets the appetite. I have no qualms going for seconds even if it's a code red dish (read: cholesterol laden).

Give me more... give me more!

Ipoh Ngah Choi Kai

What's a trip to Ipoh without a taste of it's acclaimed Ngah Choi Kai (beansprouts and chicken) and Sar Hor Fun (flat rice noodles)?

This time round, I had the opportunity to savour this dish from a shop at Cowan Street. Locals claimed that this shop beats Ong Kee and Lou Wong hands down.

The shop is relatively easy to locate with its shop name emblazoned in green over a white signboard, "Restoran Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau".

To eat it is not exactly easy either. The proprietors only open the shop whenever they want to, meaning you need to be seriously lucky to catch 'em in action.

For the first 2 nights during our stay, it remained closed. On the 3rd night, Colleague gave a yelp when she drove past the street and exclaimed "We're having our dinner there tonight!"

Having tasted Ong Kee's fare the last time I visited Ipoh, I found Cowan Street's preparation of this delicacy delightful.

I absolutely enjoyed the silken strands of noodles here compared to Ong Kee's. There was no rice flour smell evident as compared to the former. Broth wise, it is a bit sweet for my liking. But perhaps it is one of the thing that makes this shop stands out from others.

You can't find any beansprouts fatter and juicier than Ipoh (just a personal opinion, lol).

The chicken was succulent and tender to the bite. I have no complaints. Colleague said it tasted more tender than the 2 more popular shops. Well, I can't make any judgement as I haven't tasted Lou Wong's before and just tasted Onn Kee's once.

All in all, I certainly wasn't disappointed with Cowan's as it does live up to its name. Hope to get more chances to visit this old town so I can taste more of its food!