Ipoh Curry Mee

Many Ipoh-nites have been known to drive all the way back to Ipoh for a day trip just to eat.  Although Ipoh is well-known to tourists for its 'Taugeh Chicken' aka 'Nga Choy Kai',  this dish is never on my or any Ipoh-nite list of 'Must Eat'. It is more of a tourist 'thing'. I have to admit though - Ipoh beansprouts are the best - short, juicy and crunchy!

For Ipoh-nites, it is the mouth-watering curry mee (called 'curry laksa'  in KL which sounds very alien and strange to Ipoh-nites as the word 'laksa' connotes the dish that originates from Penang - sweet, sour and fishy white noodle). One of the hallmark of Ipoh curry mee is the mint leaf which enhances the aroma and taste of the curry.

One of our crazy friends who is also a Ipoh-nite has compiled a list of curry mee stalls that he has sampled and graded according to his 'refined-curry-mee' taste.
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If you happen to be in Ipoh, this is a 'Must-Not-Miss' dish.

1. Nam Chau – Started in old town (Jalan Bandar Timah) of Ipoh, famous for the dry curry noodles (for best effect, try a combination of yellow mee + kuey teow/flat rice noodles). Good also for the half-boiled eggs on toast, and creamy milk tea, white coffee or ‘cham’ (mixture of both). Location : Old Town of Ipoh.

2. Yee Fatt – A true-blue Hainanese classic, no frills here. Pure thick, robust and spicy curry paste on noodles with char siew and chicken. Some people swear by their ‘Lor Mai Gai’ (glutinous rice with chicken and mushroom) too, but beware of their diluted milk tea/coffee. Try the herbal egg instead. Location : Opposite of MGS (Methodist Girls’ School) on Jalan Kampar.

3. Yat Yat Seng – This ain’t too bad, but the lady owner may be a little obnoxious. And this stall serves a reputable chicken rice for lunch as well. Location : Facing the Ipoh Garden roundabout; opposite of post office.

4. Xin Quan Fang – The infamous “Ma Da Liew” (police station) curry mee in town. Decades of legacy, and the pungent side of spicy sambal paste with lard oil is a must! Just don’t walk over and rush for your orders, unless you’re itching for some smackdown. Location : Hugh Low Street (Jalan Sultan Iskandar)

5. Woh Heng – Opposite of the former Foh San dim sum on Osborne Street, this stall has a following too. Not as spectacular, but take note of the wantan mee stall next to this. Good with braised pork noodles, chicken feet and mushroom noodles, etc. Location : Opposite of old Foh San.

6. Twin Sisters Food Stall – Amazingly, these feisty ladies are still there! Try the bite-sized fried ‘liew’ (stuffed fish paste and meatballs), though the curry itself is forgettable. Location : Jalan Ali Pitchay; off Hugh Low Street and Yang Kalsom Road.

7. Tim Shun Loong – Though I can’t attest to this curry mee here, many are head over heels in love with this. Even then, come night or day, you can see hordes of people eating at this coffee shop. Location : Off Jalan Tokong/Jalan King, walkable from Tuck Kee Restaurant.

8. Sun Seng Fatt – Another old town classic; they used to export their curry paste over to Hong Kong! Was miserable before, but the last few times we tried, the curry mee actually improved. Remember to grab a plate of the chili paste and the prepared lime juice in a squeezer bottle. Nifty ideas? Location : Old Town, Jalan Bandar Timah. Somewhere between Nam Chau and Kong Heng.

9. Ipoh Garden Curry Mee – One of the better ones in Ipoh; originating from the famous stalls named “Tung Koo Thing” (Aneka Selera) in Ipoh Garden. The rojak stall here used to be good, but wonder if it’s still around? Location : Jalan Pasir Puteh

10. Leong Kee – Situated a stone’s throw away from Mee Kari Ipoh Garden, you will not believe that Leong Kee used to be, and still is a famous eatery for porridge, bean sprouts chicken and curry mee. Very rundown, but then again … this IS street food at its finest, no? Location : Jalan Pasir Puteh.

11. Keng Nam – I prefer the glutinous rice with egg jam (kaya) instead, and that’s a MUST order. The curry mee was mediocre, but still you will be surprised by the popularity of this. Location : End of Cowan Street before Tower Regency Hotel.

12. Kafe Tim – A relatively new stall; in Medan Ipoh Bistari where the Japanese restaurants are. Probably the least notable of the group, but some still proclaim this as the best. Maybe a serious dearth of good ones around Ipoh Garden East? Location : Medan Ipoh Bistari, a corner coffee shop.

13. Foo Kwai – With delicious cuts of caramelized char siew, and tonnes of ‘yeung liew’ to go with the noodles. Bear the wait, and you shall be rewarded. Location : Bercham; same row with Maybank.

14. Chuan Fatt – Another classic in Pasir Puteh, this stall is famous for the fried chicken, assam chicken, etc to complement the curry noodles. Spicier than most. Location : Jalan Pasir Puteh, almost right by the traffic lights connecting Jalan King and Jalan Pasir Puteh.

15. New Weng Fatt – Popularly known as ‘Fei Lou’ curry mee, this stall was from the opposite coffee shop named New Hiong Yuen before the restaurant was closed. Not as good as I had imagined though. Location : Ipoh Garden South.

**And there you have it! 15 of the more prominent curry mee stalls in Ipoh. I have missed out a few, most notably Merdeka Garden Curry Mee that opens only at night, the real “Tung Koo Thing” curry mee at Medan Aneka Selera in Ipoh Garden, etc.

Article Contributed by ~ Skunkworks@23 in collaboration with SH Foong ~