Ending Our Day In Heritage Town Cafe, Gopeng

OUR LAST STOP was in Gopeng, by then it was almost evening around 5.30pm.  Our tummies couldn't take in any more food except for light snacks and drinks.

Our tour guide told us to stop by Heritage Town Cafe in Gopeng and that was what we did.  No regrets, this place was indeed fascinating and since we were the early birds, taking photos here and there was such a bliss!  We seniors even had a fun time playing hopscotch on the ground... did I get the name correct?  Anyway, we had a lovely time.... hope we can do this again one fine day!

At the front of the cafe...

One for my album....

I just couldn't help glee-ing....

Lovers' corner to hang their love notes...

Everything was painted....

The place where we sat for our finger food...

For bigger groups, they can book upstairs.... 

And here we are.... oh, the hopscotch is missing....

We have videos on each one of us hopping up and down...

Oh, what would our kids say if they saw us doing that, I wonder... 

Our drinks.... 

Fried sweet potato balls...

Yummy in our tummy!

Guess what this is....

Bingo!

Cuttlefish with paku pakis... wild ferns....

Yes, they were very tasty, especially with the generous toppings of sesame seeds!

An Overpriced Meal At Kopisan, Lawan Kuda

OVERCHARGED.... ?

We have been to this shop several times last year and most times, we went there for coffee and toasted bread.  My friends even had make friends with the owner, I mean just talking talking la... not specifically those "friends" whom we go out with... 

Back to our lunch at this Kedai Gemuk in Kopisan, Gopeng, the reason we went there was to buy their Pandan White Coffee, instant 3in1 packets.  My son told me that the coffee that they manufactured is very nice.  And naturally, when son says nice, the mama will surely go and buy some more, right... even though the drive takes around 30 minutes to reach!

OK, back to our lunch again.... LOL.... for the first time I ordered mihun and a few others.... and when I saw the itemized bill, I was a bit ... ok, only a bit astonished.  Oh by the way, it is not a cafe, it is just a kedai kopi, a small coffeeshop in a very small village, though small, the prices can be quite high.  LOL... 

I ordered a plate of economy mihun... 

Small portion, I don't mind... 

Nothing in the mihun... I don't mind...

But I minded when I saw the bill....

It cost RM4.... !!  Really??

Then the Boss said RM2.50 for mihun and RM1.50 for the sambal...

Seriously?

Toasted Bread.... kaya and butter.... RM4.80...

Another What from me... LOL...

I asked him why so expensive...

He said .. good butter...

OH...

A small bowl of porridge...

This one, I could not remember how much.... 

No peanuts, no meat... not visible... LOL...

But since I cannot remember the price... I cannot comment...

Their sticky rice with kaya is nice.... 

Again, I did not see the price...

By then, I was just telling myself... next time, just don't order mihun or bread... 

LOL... 

My barley water with lemon... RM3.50...

Normal barley in Ipoh city is RM2... 

Add two pieces of lemon.. oh well... no comment....

Besides the above food, there are another two cups of coffee...

All in, the bill came to around RM22.... 

Lastly not least, this cost RM20 each...

NO comment....

I blame it on the Covid-19...

People just have to make ends meet after the long lockdown!

LOL... 

Fresh Water Fish At JJ Fatt, Gopeng

GOPENG AFTER MCO....

The bill date shows 2 July 2020, so it was two weeks after the recovery period, I guess... it was like Breaking Free for us then unlike now, we are more or less back to Conditional Order.  Anyway, just keep safe, I keep saying and saying again.

To celebrate our breaking free, we went to JJ Fatt in Gopeng for the fresh fish dishes, commonly and popularly known as Snakehead fish aka "Sang Yu" in Cantonese.  Its benefits is healing scars more effectively.. and like other fishes, protein!  This restaurant is famous for their fish cooked with chinese wine.  For one fish, we can have two dishes, the top part goes to the soup and the body parts cooked with ginger and spring onions.  Alongside with these two dishes, we ordered another two to eat with full satisfaction.

Fish head in claypot chinese wine... 

Another dish consisting of the flesh... 

Very fresh and nicely done... 

Wild ferns... or Paku Pakis cooked with sambal.... 

And oyster omelette ... 

Total cost for 4 persons.... 

It has been more than half a year... 

Perhaps it is time to visit that place again... 

But then not so soon, perhaps after the New Year... 

Famous Snake Head Fish At JJ Fatt Restaurant, Gopeng

EXOTIC GOPENG...

One fine evening I called up Nancy for dinner.  Actually I have plans on my mind, I wanted to take my sister to Gopeng but I do not know how to go there especially in the evening and when it turns dark later on.  Nancy and hubby are my solution!  Without hesitation from their side, they readily came to pick both of us up and off we go for our exotic food!

Instead of our usual and regular joint at Peng Yau, this time we tried out JJ Fatt restaurant.  This is the first time I go there for dinner, the other time was for lunch.  As we were the early birds, our food came out in no time.  Since there are only four of us, we ordered a simple and yet ravishing meal for our dinner.

The early female "birds" for the dinner!

The Snake Fish or "Sang Yue" in Cantonese is a Must-Order dish... 

The meat is sauteed with lots of ginger and spring onions... 

As for the head and the rest of the fish, they came out in a claypot cooked with wine

and other ingredients such as red dates and gojiberries... 

And the third dish...Stinky beans for the four of us... 

Good for cleansing our kidneys... LOL... 

A Meal for the four of us... 

Well, our evening did not end here.... 

We have another  itinerary after this!

Food And Desserts In Gaharu, Gopeng Food Court And Lawan Kuda

SECOND ROUND...

On the way down from the hill, we stopped over at Gaharu Tea Valley to get some coffee packets.  One box with 10 packets of Gaharu coffee powder cost RM34... Wow... that is not cheap but then for coffee lovers, this is not an obstacle.  LOL.. We were served with Gaharu tea also known as Agarwood and on the way out, we saw Gaharu ice cream.  Ahhh... That, I could not resist and we ended up having one each despite our heavy tummies.

Yes, I am an ice cream lover for whatever flavour... 

This is new.... Gaharu Tea Plantation..

For those who want to visit, each person is charged RM10 for the ride up to the hill... 

No, we locals did not go up... wait till visitors come visiting... :)

Tortoise is one of their icons here... 

Then we adjourned to Gopeng food court to have our fix on the Chicken Porridge... 

The stall is a Brother and Sister team who are in the 70s... 

I was told that they do not talk much and it is not surprising if they do not answer you at all... 

I was quite hesitant to order... 

I started with "Uncle, I want one bowl of porridge, one portion enough, Uncle... "

To my surprise, he answered.. "Where do you sit?"

Then I pointed, "There, Uncle.... Thank you Uncle".... 

And that did the trick... 

I got my servings within some few minutes!  Phewww.... 

And this is really worth ordering... Only RM4.20 for the porridge and chicken!

And our trip ended with a Big Bowl of Fresh Cendol for RM2.30 in Lawan Kuda... 

Now I am wondering where my Cendol photo has gone to!

Too bad... I must come one more time to get hold of it... 

LOL...

Beggar Chicken And Laksa At Sungai Itek, Gopeng

I AM BACK....

Yes, back in IPOH for a couple of weeks already.  Lots of happenings and my posts are no more in sequence.  Fast track forward.... and now...

Planned the night before that there would be a foodie trip to Gopeng.  Friend came over at 10am, she is a very punctual person... and off we went to pick up another love-to-eat friend on the way.  Reached Gopeng Gaharu Tea Plantation but our intention is not that place but the road leading up the hill.  Using Waze, my friend managed to find this little home away from home on top of the hill, driving through the narrow roads up and have to squeeze to the edge at some parts to give way to oncoming cars.  Thank God I am not the driver, I do not know how to estimate these narrow roads especially those leading upwards...  I would have endanger my friends if I did!

So is it worth making the trip up here in Sg. Itek for food???  Since this is our first time, I would say Yes... and again I will come, provided it is not raining and I am not the one driving.  LOL...

Back to the place, we did not know what to expect actually.... we thought it would be like an open air restaurant with lots of tables and chairs.  But no, it is actually a village house, isolated from town and the place is manned by an elderly lady and daughter.  This lady was formerly a rubber tapper but she hurt her legs in an accident many years ago and since then, she earned her living cooking her few dishes to whoever comes by.  Famous for her "beggar chicken" cooked by wooden sticks etc. etc.. it is "safer"to book the food one day in advance.

But since we did not know what to expect, we went there early before lunch...

Road leading to the house on top of the hill.... 

This appeared before our eyes when we turned into the front gate.... 

Parked out car and we began to explore.... 

Saw this lady doing some cutting here....

She made them herself and they are condiments for her homemade Laksa!

She and the daughter are the cooks... with one helper... 

And they started to prepare the dishes after we made our small orders...

While they cook, we walked around.... like these chickens.... 

Big area and this path leads to the restroom which is far from the kitchen....

And these woods are for.... 

Beggar Chicken.... why beggar?

Cos no utensils involved... just wrapped with Paper???

That is why it is called Beggar Chicken... 

She took one up and unwrapped it... 

The "curious onlookers"

Half the chicken is served on the plate... RM35

Village chicken.. skinny yet tough... 

Their homemade Hakka Beancurd and Fried Wanton... 

And of course eaten with the Laksa!  RM6 per bowl... 

And this is the shed where we have our Brunch... 

Something different from the places we used to go to for food... 

So... are we coming back again?

Well, we might... perhaps one fine day again... 

This time we must order in advance...

Sugar Cane Chicken!

Sounds good eh??