Nested in the cosier side of Ipoh Garden East is Ola Ola, a homey styled western grill. My mom discovered this shop one day and decided to bring the family to sample the food there, telling us that it's good since she has already visited beforehand. They have permanent lunch and dinner sets at affordable prices.

The sets come with a customary creamy mushroom soup with garlic bread, it's decent. We also get to choose a glass of juice and I always go with the umbra juice. For main course, I had the steak with garlic butter. Although the slice is thin, it's nicely marinated and grilled. And when it's medium, it's the medium that I want. Cooked in the outside, reddish in the inside. The garlic butter adds a very nice salty mix into the meat as well. I had the chicken chop before and I love how they do the skin, it's so crispy that it looks something like a Peking duck roll's skin. Crispy and delicious. For something below RM20/set, I'd say it's a steal.

Old town is full of food gems. One of it is Yik Sun's Hakka beef noodles. There are a few things that make it the best in class.

The noodles is moisted and topped with minced meat, you can ask the uncle to add more if you want. The best part of this which you can hardly get in KL is the 'yu lou' (fermented fish oil/sauce). It's salty and to be added in the hakka noodles for that extra oomph. I will sure to have yu lou in my hakka noodles. Next comes the beef tenderloin. It's so good that it's addictive! And the soup that comes with it, filled with aromatic beefy smell. Before that, grab a sauce plate and make my own chili+garlic concoction. Dip the beef into the sauce and you get an explosion in your mouth. The tender beef which just barely cooked, is to dip into the pungent chili sauce to make it impeccable. I normally would only take 1-2 of the meatballs as I find they are delicious but not the highlight of the shop. But others would like them and the beef tendon meatballs as well.

Couple with a good cup of white coffee, what a way to start the day!

Welcome to my hometown, Ipoh, the place full of quality, good food. Now this infamous place is a definite place to venture when you are in Ipoh. Everyone in the country/overseas is talking bout it. Let's see what makes it so desirable.

Situated in the heart of Ipoh town, bracing the corner unit of a shop lot, this restaurant have to extend it's business to the road side. It's a given that the road will be jammed up during the weekends especially. Some of the time, you'll have to stand and wait for your turn to get a table. But it's a common practice here. For environment, you get a hyped-up, busy place with lotsa people enjoying their food by the roadside. 'Ah Beng' songs will be played nearby as there are 1-2 shops selling CD/DVD. It's also hard to find parking as there are a few famous eating shops around the vicinity. And when you actually found a parking spot, illegal collectors will come to 'hustle' money from you.

Don't expect it to be a clean place as the food waste is often wiped off the table into the roads. Even after wiping, the table will appear greasy too...The waiters are impatient and rude. Thus, it's advisable to know what you want to order before they come or you will risk them going to another table first, or worse, be scolded for wasting their time. Now why would you choose to eat here?

Here's why. Number 1, the kuey teow noodles in soup that Ipoh is so famous of, is served here. The noodles are thin, translucent, smooth and soft, cooked in murky chicken broth that has been brewed for hours.
Number 2, one of the popular products of Ipoh, bean sprouts, is served here too. I'm proud to say that Ipoh produces the BEST bean sprouts in the country. They are thick, fat, crunchy and juicy. It's one of the times where you can actually taste the bean sprout's goodness. It's served with a good layer of soya sauce and oil, topped with spring onions and chili for that extra zest.Number 3, the steam chicken. The ladies in Ipoh are described to have fair and smooth skin. What do you know, this applies to the steam chicken as well. Again, soaked in a layer of soya sauce and oil, the steam chicken is guarantee to be smooth and tasty not only at the chicken thighs but at the breasts as well, and goes very well with the prior 2 dishes. Again, spring onion and chili is added for the extra taste
If these still does not convince you, grab a bowl of meat balls too. They are packed with meaty, pork goodness.

And imagine all these for a mere 50 bucks for a family meal. Not only does lou wong food is top notch, it's also very affordable.

That said, this is considered second best to me as my favourite chicken taugeh shop is not this one. This is merely for travellers who want a taste of what Ipoh has to offer. Locals/Hardcores would probably visit Onn Kee or my favourite, Cowan St. chicken taugeh.