How to eat 'cendol', poached chicken, Hainanese chicken chop and more on a day trip to Ipoh

IPOH, May 16 — Ideally, my perfect weekend would be just total rest and relaxation. Especially when it’s been a harrowing week of work and life in general.

But once in a while, I long for trips out of the city, to catch a glimpse of what’s happening outside of the Klang Valley.

Day trips are the ideal way to scratch that itch.

Ipoh is a special place for me as it's got that irresistible old charm. What makes it even better is the good, honest food.

As we got into Ipoh by 9am, I was thinking of a snack or two before lunch but I got distracted as I went to check out Sin Weng Fatt for its famed peanut candy.

I had ignored it on all my previous trips since it felt like a tourist trap. During the Covid-19 lockdown, all these outstation goodies were the rage and a friend gifted me a packet of their salty peanut candy.

Who knew peanut candy could taste so amazing. I was hooked from one bite.

There's a hint of salt, balancing out the sweetness that wraps around the fragrant, toasted peanuts.

When freshly made, these aren't your typical hard brittle. It has an irresistible fluffy texture that even older folks can easily bite down on.

Sin Weng Fai's salty peanut candy is worth waiting for with its fluffy, toasted peanuts with a salty sweet taste (left). With limited packets for each buyer, choose wisely who you want to gift these goodies (right)

As I popped by the shop, I saw a small queue for the peanut candy, which I joined on impulse. Later, I found out that the candy is prepared off site and they only start selling it at 10am!

Ahead of me in the line was an old man from Singapore. He enthusiastically told me he once bought a packet of peanut candy in Singapore from a reseller. Since his family was visiting Ipoh, they decided to try their luck the day before.

As they couldn’t score the snack, they returned bright and early, determined to cart back the peanut candy to Singapore.

Since each person is limited to 10 packets, his family members were all out in full force to ensure enough goodies were bought to share with others back home.

As the time gets nearer to 10am, the queue for the peanut candy snakes out to the exterior of Sin Weng Fai

While we all waited, the queue got longer until it spilled out of the shop, wrapping around the frontage. Everyone was eager to get their hands on this famous peanut candy.

There was an operational hiccup as one of the machines had issues but the staff explained the delay to all. We patiently waited.

Even the staff waited, taking their time to open the foil packets to pack the candy once it arrived.

Finally, a trolley with huge plastic bags filled with the elusive peanut candy hit the counter. Sniff the air and it’s irresistible with that sweet, toasty aroma of peanuts.

Everyone watched the lady as she meticulously packed the candy in bags, measuring each one to ensure no one was shortchanged.

Once the peanut candy arrives, it's time to pack them in individual foil packets (left). Every packet is weighed to ensure no short fall of the peanut candy (right)

The wait was a long one but worth it if you're a fan of fluffy, slightly salty peanut candy.

Once the morning mission was done, it was time for a trip down memory lane at Durbar by FMS.

I came across it in a Malay Mail article by John Bunyan, highlighting the history and the restoration of FMS Bar and Restaurant, which is regarded as the country's oldest bar and restaurant. FMS is an acronym for Federated Malay States.

Originally started by a Hainanese in 1906 at Market Street, the bar was a watering hole for the European planters and miners. In 1923, it relocated to its present premises, opposite Padang Ipoh.

For about 11 years, the place was shut for renovations. In 2019, it was reborn as Durbar by FMS. The renovations were undertaken by architect Seow Wee Liam who has a passion for restoring vintage cars.

He added the "Durbar" moniker, as it referred to a great ceremonial hall used during the British Raj days to hold receptions and gatherings.

Durbar at FMS is where you get to dine under the watchful eyes of a young Queen Elizabeth II (left). Restored to its former glory, Durbar at FMS makes a great stopover for Hainanese Western cuisine and a dose of nostalgia (right)

Maybe that's why you will find a portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth II overlooking the main dining area. She may not have been the ruling monarch during the British Raj era but her portrait gives the place a sense of history.

While I don't have a point of reference about what FMS looked like before, I felt the restoration was done beautifully, evoking a sense of long forgotten days.

The structure was maintained outside and inside you will find old newspapers, photographs from pre-war Ipoh days and vintage furniture that completes the Colonial British look.

And just like the old days, you can dine on Hainanese Western dishes like Hainanese Chicken Chop served side by side with Traditional Hainanese Fried Mee, Enche Kabin and Chicken Cube Fried Rice which is essentially mun fan or braised gravy fried rice.

As the Hainanese migrated from China to Malaya, they ended up cooking for the British, picking up Western dishes that have remained their legacy till today. Not forgetting their roots, you can also have Hainanese dishes here too.

We started out with the Traditional Oxtail Soup, served with garlic bread. The broth was luscious and thick, full of the bovine taste that complemented the tender meat falling off the bone. Every drop of the soup was savoured.

Traditional Oxtail Soup is the best way to start your meal at Durbar at FMS with its rich flavour (left). Hainanese Chicken Chop at Durbar at FMS is done the old style with brown gravy, sliced onions, potato wedges and peas (right)

I'm partial to Hainanese Chicken Chop. Nowadays, most places offer a version with a tangy tomato sauce and French fries.

What I was looking for was the classic dish served with brown gravy, which is what I got in Durbar by FMS.

The chicken leg, cut to resemble a chop, is battered with beaten egg and deep fried. On the side, there's fluffy potato wedges and peas.

And yes, it's liberally doused with brown gravy with sliced onions for a touch of sweetness. This was truly comfort food for me.

My curiosity also led me to order their Baked Stuffed Crab. You get flaked crab mixed with a mild tasting white sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese and baked in the shell. Here the sauce tends to overpower any sweetness from the crab meat.

Baked Stuffed Crab hides flaked crab meat mixed with a white sauce under the cheesy topping (left). Banana Fritters with Honey makes a nice, light sweet after lunch at Durbar at FMS (right)

For a sweet end, it was Banana Fritters with Honey. These were good with sweet, just ripe bananas as pisang raja is used, with a thin golden crust. This was served with a drizzle of honey and a scoop of ice cream.

Not satisfied with just one dessert for the day, it was time to look for cold relief in cendol, all the way in Gunung Rapat.

I wouldn't have thought cendol would be a highlight of Ipoh since everyone talks about the ultra smooth tau fu fah.

When I saw pictures of Cendol Mari, it tugged at my memory of James Cendol in Sitiawan, where a bow tie-wearing man would dole out bowls of cendol by the roadside.

In Cendol Mari's case, you're served by Ganesan Manickam who is dressed in chef's whites, complete with a black beret. It's a nod towards his culinary arts background from Keris College, Ipoh.

With much care, Ganesan Manickam prepares his signature 'cendol' at his mobile stall known as Cendol Mari (left). Each bowl of 'cendol' has ingredients prepared from scratch (right)

With Waze, it was easy to reach the place. But what got me worried was how there weren’t any signs where the mobile cendol stall would be parked since we were early.

I couldn’t even see a queue. Patience was rewarded when a mobile stall drove up to park and canopies were set up by the roadside.

Before I knew it, there were people emerging from their cars to form a small queue as Ganesan set up his stall.

Waze to Cendol Mari's location and you will find the mobile stall under the canopy

You either dine there, sitting on the small cluster of plastic chairs to slurp down your cendol or pack it home to drink with a thick straw. Most customers prefer to do a takeaway.

What makes his bowl of cendol superb and worth seeking out is the ingredients are prepared from scratch.

The cendol jelly is soft, light green with a hint of pandan, pairing well with the thick, cold coconut milk and drizzled with this ultra thick gula Melaka syrup. It's topped with shaved ice from the machine.

Sweet cool satisfaction unlocked at Cendol Mari where a bowl of 'cendol' is worth a trip to Gunung Rapat

Slowly stir all the ingredients, especially the syrup for it to meld into a bowl that will have you asking for more. It's the perfect heat buster on a sweltering day.

I even added an extra takeaway packet to drink in the car. With time, the ice melts and the syrup slowly mixes it well, making it a cold Slurpee,

With time to kill before dinner, it was off to Étre Patisserie to kick back and enjoy their exquisite looking desserts.

Housed in a bungalow, the cafe is a serene place to get a cup of tea and snap photos of their Instagram-worthy treats.

Behind the scenes, you have Ann Lee, an Ipoh girl who ventured to Paris to learn the intricate art of pastry work at Le Cordon Bleu, bringing back her experience to her hometown.

Her career includes staging at Pierre Herme, working in the kitchen of Alain Ducasse Paris and later in Singapore's Joel Roubuchon restaurants.

It's hard to select from their array of petit gateaux but what grabbed my attention was their crowd favourite, the Mango.

Chill at Étre Patisserie and try out their hyper realistic Mango with soft mousse and a passion fruit, lychee and Sarawak black pepper filling (left).  A seasonal offering was their Oolong Tart with a flower look and layers of chocolate sponge, ganache and tart shell, paired with the floral scented oolong tea infused mascarpone cream (right)

It's a hyper realistic looking mango with a smooth skin and a kaffir lime leaf on top.

Once you dig through, you get fluffy mango mousse with a filling of passion fruit, lychee and Sarawak pepper to balance out the sweetness.

We also tried a seasonal special, the Oolong Tart.

You get slightly floral oolong tea infused mascarpone cream piped like a flower on top of a dark chocolate shell. As you dig into the tart, there's layers of chocolate sponge, orange dark chocolate ganache and crispy feuilletine for some crunch.

Just before driving back to Kuala Lumpur, it was an early dinner at Sam Ma Chicken Rice.

I would have opted for Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau but since we wanted to rush back, this was the more sensible choice.

The dinner weekend crowd at Sam Ma Chicken Rice can be quite intimidating but the table turnover is fast as most diners don't linger

If you’re early, it makes sense to start waiting first. We made the mistake of exploring around to kill time and when we returned, there was already a long queue before 6pm.

This is where locals flock to get their chicken fix and since it's the weekend, it's mainly families dining here.

The queue management is done well as they move fast to fit everyone inside. The turnover of tables is quite fast too as diners don't linger.

There are two types of poached chicken here, the usual pale white ones and the slightly yellow hued kampung chicken. Select from quarter, half or whole portions.

Solo eaters can also order single plates of chicken rice or their individual bowl of chicken kuey teow.

I ordered a half portion of kampung chicken. You get juicy, smooth meat with a slight bite doused in light soy sauce.

Go for the poached 'kampung' chicken at Sam Ma Chicken Rice for juicy, flavourful meat with a slight bite (left). A must in Ipoh are their signature bean sprouts with that crunch (right)

There's a choice of garlic rice or kuey teow soup with your chicken. We opted for comforting bowls of the chicken soup filled with smooth rice flour strands to pair with the flavourful chicken.

And for vegetables, it's of course, Ipoh's famous crunchy bean sprouts with the meal.

Other add-ons include pork balls, fish balls, chicken gizzards and chicken feet, which I ordered straight away.

Braised chicken feet are my kryptonite. Hence, I ordered one plate for myself! Truly sublime.

Braised chicken feet at Sam Ma Chicken Rice is superb with the gelatinous skin and fine meat (left). A satisfying dinner at Sam Ma Chicken Rice before leaving Ipoh for home (right)

You get a silky, fine texture from the gelatinous skin and meat that clings to the bones. What enhanced it more was the braising liquid with its sweet, savoury taste.

Every piece was cleanly eaten down to the bone.

With a full belly, it was time to bid Ipoh good bye and head back to the city with a wish that I'll return to explore more.

Sin Weng Fai Peanut Candy Shop

69 & 69A, Jalan Yau Tet Shin

Taman Jubilee, Ipoh

Open daily: 9am to 9.30pm

Facebook:@SinWengFai

Durbar at FMS

2, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh

Open: 11am to 10pm. Closed on Wednesday.

Facebook: @DurbarAtFMS

Cendol Mari

51-33, Jalan Gunung Rapat

Taman Cemerlang Rapat, Ipoh

Open: 1pm to 4pm (Saturday to Thursday). Closed on Friday.

Facebook:@CENDOLMARI

Étre Patisserie

30, Jalan Lee Kwee Foh

Taman Canning, Ipoh

Open daily: 10am to 6.30pm

Facebook:@etrepatisserie

Sam Ma Chicken Rice

3, Jalan S.A. Lingam

Taman Ipoh Selatan, Ipoh

Open: 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 9pm (Thursday to Tuesday). Closed on Wednesday.

Facebook: @3sammachickenrice

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for all the meals.

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