Within just a few kilometers out of the city, the earth of Malaysia is starting to expose itself. A few pics of the road trip from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh.
We follow a few cozy streets that lead us to her families home. Shoes off at the door before entering (they have an amazing ability to step out of slippers without missing a beat) to find a warm kitchen with food on the table. Homemade chicken bone soup, rice noodles and veggies. I also got a sneak peak of Poa, a slightly sweet, very soft dumplings (reminds me of wonder white bread) that’s filled with either a curry meet, veggies or a sweet delight.
Here, it’s typical to literally wake up and go to the street market to collect your food for the day. What’s for breakfast? I don’t know yet, we’ll see what the vendors brought this morning and what seems to be the freshest!
Who doesn’t get dressed up to head to the market?! Meet Kuldip’s niece, a sparkling firecracker of energy with a sugary little smile. First lip stick, a wardrobe change and then a hair piece to match the bedazzling!
Off we go!
Fruit (I purchased two new ones that I had never seen before, it’s like opening a present!) and veggies…
I got to watch this woman, clean, cut and basket the fresh veggies to sell (not comparable to the pre-washed plastic bagged salads you get from the supermarket).
I’d like to think that I have a fairly strong stomach considering back in my coaching days, I’ve set broken bones, bandaged open wounds and literally caught vomit in my hands.
Well folks, today as we were strolling along I heard the sound of a chicken. As I gazed over and focused in on what what my ears had noticed, I felt my stomach hit my throat.
Take notice to the lid of fresh feathers on the left and the pile of feet to the right. Enough said.
On a lighter note… some random local treats!
Finished up with baggies of breakfast and we head back to indulge. People who own a vehicle here typically have hooks behind their seats to hold the bags up-right.
The drink above is something I had never seen before. It’s slightly sweetened soy milk with grass jelly and red beans over ice. It…is…delicious!
As if this morning wasn’t amazing enough, we head through some city streets for a well known pastry and the famous Ipoh White Coffee. “White”, not meaning a mocha or fancy flavored coffee, but a the name is actually referring to the way the bean is roasted.
Traditionally, Malaysian style “black” coffee is produced by roasting the beans with sugar, margarine and wheat. “White” coffee is produced with only margarine and without any sugar, resulting in a less dark roast. They add a splash of condensed milk and serve it hot or cold. Scrumptious!
Below is some pics from the journey there, a glass of chilled white coffee and the local pastry that we patiently stood in line for. People were crowding closer behind me as these velvety, custard filled, flaky warm crusted delights emptied from the tray (I actually got the last one!). Apparently “Ipoh’s Egg Tarts” are the most popular dessert item here and of course Kuldip knew of the best place to get them!
Although this can be a popular destination for locals to host weddings or other celebrations, it’s hardly known to the public eye and certainly not on the front page of any tour brochures. Thank you Kuldip!
Her Happy Trails 