Remember Ngan Yin, the Menglembu groundnuts we all loved to snack on when we were young? Due to those, Menglembu from Ipoh became known for peanut production. There is even a peanut sculpture in the town! But do you know what else Menglembu is known for? Of course food lah! Specifically the wai sek kai, otherwise known as “Glutton Street”. Not only is it filled with shops, some of them have been operating as early as the 70’s or 80’s. So, we bring you 9 shops whose food is so good it will surely make you go nuts.
This is a good shop if you’re looking to have something that will set your mouth on fire. Started from a street stall selling laksa and curry mee and now here we are with a noodle shop! Their laksa is exceptionally spicy and sour; we’re sure it’s something spicy food lovers would fall in love with. You can also stuff your orders with some of their fried goods; we highly recommend adding some to your laksa to complete the meal. Looking for something sweet instead? Looking for something to quench your throat in the hot weather? We bring you…
Located in Kafe Diamond Kopitiam as well, their menu includes the standard local desserts, such as ais kacang, mango jelly topped with slices of mango, corn-flavoured shaved ice and rojak. Perfect for anyone looking to savour something light, cooling and sweet.
3. Restoran Wonderful Honey Chicken
Just as the name suggests, this restaurant is known for their honey chicken. The recipe for the honey chicken was developed by three sisters that operate the restaurant. The chicken is deep fried in honey marinade which gives it a sticky sensation. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. One bite and you’d understand why they have “wonderful” in their shop name because we’re sure it’s the word you’d be screaming. It’s also cheap — only RM8 for a whole leg!
Ask yourself — have you ever want to customize your own plate of chee cheong fun? If you answered yes, you might want to drop by Restoran Ma Chai and give their Ma Chai Chee Cheong Fun a try. The staff will get you a fresh plate of chee cheong fun and you get to choose what kind of ingredients you want to have on it — tomyam, curry pork skin, curry wild boar, curry chicken, stinky beans, etc. You name it! The one that stood out to us the most would be the black chicken — chicken meat cooked with more than 20 kinds of Indian spices.
5. Rojak @ Fusan Kopitiam
One look at the stall and you’d probably be wondering: What makes this stall different from other rojak stalls? The recipe for this rojak is handmade. Not only is the sauce original, the owner also adds shrimp, shrimp crackers, sprouts and nuts. The stall only opens at 1:30pm and there’s often a queue on weekends and holidays, so if you want to have a taste of this homemade rojak, we hope you have the patience to wait in the line!
This shop offers a very unique menu. They sell original Hainanese bao, coming in a variety of flavours. What really takes the spotlight is their glutinous rice — eaten with kaya! Besides that, they also offer Ipoh white coffee filled with cincau. A very interesting take on the drink. Did you know they have been around since 1937? That means 8 decades! The shop is also traditional-styled, so if you’re wondering what kopitiam was like back in the days, let Restoran Choy On Yoon take you back in time!
7. Menglembu Cendol
When you look at the cendol they serve, it’s no wonder why there are queues every noon. Their cendol is served with red beans and glutinous rice. While the flavour isn’t very strong due to not having much coconut milk, the glutinous rice is the icing on top of the cake, especially since it’s eaten cold!
8. Menglembu Apam Balik
Let me start by saying they have been selling apam balik for over 20 years now. If you’re an apam balik enthusiast, you have to give this a try when you visit Menglembu! Their apam balik is very thick, juicy and soft; coated in sugar followed by a thick layer of butter, then finally filled with peanuts. You’d know it’s special when you take a bite. Their opening times differ at times — usually around afternoons or evenings.
Operating for 17 years by a married couple, their dishes are cooked with techniques they inherited from their family. Their signatures include mala pan mee, rat noodles with scrambled eggs and curry mee. Their most unique dish is definitely the “drunk noodles”. The soup is made using self-brewed Hakka wolfberry glutinous rice wine, prawn shells, anchovies and chicken bones, then served with pork, prawns, agaric and egg. It really does make you curious about the taste, doesn’t it?