Tai Woo Dim Sum @ Ipoh Garden South

This dim sum shop is run by a Hongkie couple. With a variety of Hong Kong style cuisine in their menu, their dim sum is slightly different from the type found in most local dim sum restaurants. In the absence of Canton-i and Dragon-i outlets in Ipoh, and while the taste is considered quite decent, I do not mind visiting this shop in the near future when I crave for xiao loong bao (Shanghainese dumplings) and lao sa bao (Lava buns).

Loong bao (Shanghainese dumplings) @ RM5.50

Thick-skinned xiao loong bao served in a mini aluminium tray, a marvellous way to avoid wastage of the concentrated stock in it. 

Arriving late for lunch, I ordered the Wonton Noodle set which comprises a bowl of noodle, the Mango and Pomelo Dessert, and the Tonic Medlar and Petal Cake @ RM13.80

I'd not recommend their Wonton noodles which has a gooey texture.

Lao Sa Bao (Lava Bun) @ RM5.50

Alright, this is real additive. Being neither too sweet nor watery, this dainty treat has put a smile on my face.

Yeung Chi Kum Lou (Mango and Pomelo Dessert)

Kwai Fah Gou (Tonic Medlar and Petal Cake) 

Ipoh White Coffee

TAI WOO HONG KONG DIM SUM
22, Tingkat Taman Ipoh 11,
Ipoh Garden South,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, 

Malaysia.
Tel: +6017-256 1115, 6012-237 8297 
Business hours : 7am – 3pm daily.

Disastrous dining experience @ Royal China

My family loves eating Dim Sum. Every time we gather, we usually eat at the dim sum restaurant in Ipoh namely Foh San, Ming Court, Kok Kei etc. Been to almost all the dim sum  places in Ipoh, we began to get tired of the same type of dim sum served in most restaurants and hoped to explore new dining places. Since the opening of Royal China Restaurant at the Coliseum a couple of years ago, we had always wanted to try it out but was held back by the odd operating hours. 

We were finally granted the opportunity of eating at the Royal China but the outcome was horrible. We all swore and cursed by the dim sum which was almost inedible. We had never tasted such lousy dim sum before. Even the night market dim sum is far better than the Royal China.

Prawn Dumplings / Har Kau

I

Barbecued Pork Buns / Char Siew Pau

Steamed Pork Ribs / Pai Guat

Minced Pork Dumpings / Siew Mai

Custard Lava Buns / Lau Sa Pau

Steamed Egg Cake / Ma Lai Koh

ROYAL CHINA RESTAURANT

Ground Floor, Coliseum Square,
No 8, Jalan Raja Dr Nazrin Shah,
30250 Ipoh, Perak, 

Malaysia.
Tel: +605-241 3088.
Business Hours : 

Mon-Sat (11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.00pm – 10.30pm)

Sun (7am – 2.30pm, 6.00pm – 10.30pm) 

Public Holidays (9.00am – 2.30pm, 6.00pm – 10.30pm)

Autumn Stroll in Hong Kong - Lin Heung Tea House 蓮香樓

Being the oldest dim sum tea house in Central, Lin Heung Tea House (蓮香樓) is another notable place which deserves a visit.  The overall taste of the food is hardly impressive but it still worth a try as traditional dim sum of those days can still be found at Lin Heung. Imagine eating siew mai topped with pig stomach, pig liver, and even quail eggs!!! If you have not heard of cotton chicken, wai san (a type of Chinese herb) chicken roll etc., perhaps you should come here to gain some extra knowledge on dim sum. 

Lin Heung Tea House
蓮香樓

Hot water is poured into a large bowl with lid, which contains tea leaves of your choice.

Tea Bowl 茶盅

Pig Stomach siew mai
豬肚燒賣

Wai San Chicken Roll
淮山雞扎

Char Siew Pau

Loh Mai Kai

Lotus Puffs

Chee Cheong Fun

Golden cake

Minced pork filled rice roll 

Pig Liver siew mai
豬膶燒賣

Quail egg siew mai
鵪鶉蛋燒賣

Fried Wonton

Salted puffs

Ma Lai Koh
馬拉糕

Chinese sausage siew mai
干蒸燒賣

Lin Heung Tea House

蓮香樓160-164 Wellington Street, 

Central,

Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2544 4556

Autumn Stroll in Hong Kong - Tim Ho Wan, the Dim Sum Specialist

We left Macau before noon to catch the ferry to Hong Kong. Arrived at Shun Tuck Centre in Sheung Wan after 2 p.m. and the hotel shuttle was already there waiting for us. We checked in Dorsett Regency Hotel, a newly opened 4-star hotel in Kennedy Town, the tip of the Western District. Upon settling down in our rooms, we walked out of the hotel and boarded the tram in front of our hotel. The tram took us to the Central MTR station where we purchased our Octopus card and boarded the train to Mongkok. In fact, there was a mini bus service from our hotel to Mongkok but we would like to experience taking a tram ride since there were still hours before dinner time.

We had our early dinner at Tim Ho Wan, the Dim Sum Specialist which has won the One Star Michelin award for two consecutive years. Dim Sum was decent, fresh and appealing to the eyes. Every time I travelled to Hong Kong, Tim Ho Wan is the only dim sum restaurant I would patronise. My all-time favourite is of course the baked Char Siew Pau with sweet flaky topping.

Tim Ho Wan, the Dim Sum Specialist (Mongkok)

 添好運點心專門店 (旺角)

Chee Cheong Fun with pork liver filling
黃沙豬潤腸

Traditional Loh Mai Kai

古法糯米雞

Fresh translucent prawn dumplings

晶瑩鮮蝦餃

Prawn Siew Mai

鮮蝦燒賣皇

Fried salted puff

家鄉咸水角

Baked Char Siew Pau with sweet flaky topping

酥皮焗叉燒包

Wolfberry and sweet olive jelly

杞子桂花糕

Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists

 添好運點心專門店 
Shop 8, Taui Yuen Mansion Phase 2, 

2-20 Kwong Wa Street, 

Mong Kok, Kowloon,

Hong Kong.

Tel: (852) 2332 2896

Recalling Taste of Yesteryear

Taiping has never been famous for dim sum. However, there is a traditional dim sum restaurant in town which is still preserving its the tradition of making olden days Chinese pastries. The taste of these pastries may not be too impressive as compared to those made by more prominent dim sum places but it is definitely worth trying by merely paying a ringgit for the sake of recalling the taste of yesteryear.

Chinese Pastries

clockwise from top: Lotus Paste filled Glutinous Rice Ball, Butter Crust Egg Tart and Nam Yue Pork Pie 

@ RM1.10 each

 Steamed Egg Cake / Ma Lai Koh @ RM3.00

Anytime is breakfast time!

KUM LOONG DIM SUM RESTAURANT

45 - 47 Jalan Kota,

34000 Taiping, Perak.

Malaysia.

Dim Sum at Yoke Fook Moon

Another popular dim sum joint situated along Leong Sin Nam Street a.k.a. Dim Sum Street - Yoke Fook Moon, arguably one of the pioneers serving the best dim sum of all. 

Yoke Fook Moon Dim Sum Restaurant

Prawn dumplings

Fish balls 

Pan-fried spinach and prawns pancake

Steamed salted chicken meat

This flavourful chicken chunk is a result of infusion of angelica sinensis (dong kwai) and Lycium baarbarum (wolfberry)

Steamed barbecued paus

Melting salted egg yolk custard paus

Piping hot custard oozing out in a thick flow

Mochi with black sesame filling

Ooo... it just melts in your mouth.

YOKE FOOK MOON RESTAURANT

No 67-69, Jalan Leong Sin Nam,

30300 Ipoh, Perak,

Malaysia.

Tel: 605-241 6589

Business hours : 6am-10am, 6.30pm-11pm.