Thursday 8 October 2020

Inside Ipoh Damansara Uptown


Among the new restaurants that have opened in Damansara Uptown/Damansara Utama during the RMCO is Inside Ipoh which I briefly mentioned in this post.

I thought to myself, ah, this must be another place that is capitalizing on the state of Ipoh. Ipoh and Penang always attract attention when it comes to food.


So one Saturday I decided to visit and see if they are really
Ipoh mari though I am no Ipoh expert. 


At the time of visit (that was around 11:30am) I noticed that the staff at the counter appeared flustered. There were just a few tables taken and I was not sure if I had to order at the counter and pay or just take a seat first.

After a few seconds of me standing in front of the cashier (he looked very familiar), he asked if I was dining in or ordering take away. I was told to take a seat and that I would be attended to. After waiting for some time, I got up and helped myself to the menu.

Something on the table looked very familiar.


Upon closer inspection, eh? Annie 1?


Oh! This restaurant must be an extension of Annie 1. No wonder the guy up front looked so familiar.


On the menu you have Ipoh Hor Fun, Dry Curry Noodle and Soup Curry Noodle....


.... Nasi Lemak, Ipoh Beansprout Chicken Rice, Yong Tau Foo....


.... and the lighter stuff. That's not all, there is also a breakfast menu and beverages.

Ordering is done via an order chit and I got myself an iced White Coffee and Soup Curry Noodle with Curry Chicken


The coffee was very good, just like the one at Annie 1. It was thick and not too sweet (as requested). That was a great coffee fix. I hoped that the curry noodle would be just as good.


I opted for mee/meehoon (my usual order at Annie 1 is hor fun). I took a sip of the gravy and yes, this tastes exactly like the curry laksa at Annie 1 but a little thinner in consistency. So confirmed lah, this Inside Ipoh is Annie 1's sister hah..hah...


There were generous chunks of chicken in the broth but I admit that although this curry noodle did not disappoint, my exposure to
Annie 1's Curry Laksa Supreme made this one feel very stripped down and bare. 

Overall that was a positive experience and I wanted to return to try the Ipoh Hor Fun as I read good (but limited number) of reviews on Google.


The soup appeared light and I wondered if it would pass the taste test. I am no expert on kai see hor fun but I would know if a broth is robust and flavorful.


I'm afraid the broth could be better. It was also a tad salty.  And they could have been more generous with the fried shallots.

Maybe I went on a wrong day. Who knows they did not have enough prawn shells and shallots that day hah..hah... But on a positive note, I got shredded chicken thigh meat and they were (too) generous with the hor fun

In all honestly, I have had better Ipoh Hor Fun.


The iced White Coffee was too sweet (although I specified less sweet) and it was a bit diluted too. Hmmm... quality not consistent. 

On another visit I ordered the iced Kopi O (no sugar) and yes, it was very good. Made me fell all perky suddenly with the shot of caffeine heh..heh...


This time I wanted to try the Ipoh Beansprout Chicken Rice. I chose 1/4 chicken (and specified the leg part) with fragrant oil rice and beansprouts.


The first thing I noticed was the very big serving of rice. This meal that I ordered can be comfortably shared by two small eaters. I tasted the rice first and it was very fragrant as oil rice should be.


I was happy with the chicken - fresh and succulent. I loved it. The beansprouts were a little overcooked though some of them still retained a crunch. I did not find the beansprouts outstanding.


The ginger and chili dip could be better.


As for the soup, it was just like plain hot water, devoid of any flavor or taste. It left me speechless. Two sips and I was done. 

This chicken rice was a hit and miss experience. If you want serious chicken rice, Seng Kee Chicken Rice is a better bet.


On my way back to office, I discovered that Judy's Hakka Lei Cha is still around and is situated at Restoran 111 (Bee Fatt). Yay!

22 comments:

  1. All looks so so so good...and it's Friday tomorrow, my no-meat day. I guess I shall have to wait till Saturday then. That kway teow th'ng, the curry mee, the chicken rice... Slurpsssss!!!!

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    1. I hope you had something good on Saturday!

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  2. all the above foods look good, especially the chicken rice! looks tender with silky chicken skin...yum yum!

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    1. I am thinking net time just order the chicken and nga choi. It will be a low carb meal :)

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  3. Big bowl of hor fun. Can finish??

    Bet you be back for the lui cha??

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    1. Yes, I can finish. LOL! I will visit the lui cha stall one of these days.

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  4. I remember Annie 1 having quite a few Ipoh-type food on their menu, so maybe they decided to branch out to one serving just Ipoh food since they're doing so well. But that curry is KL curry-style lah, cannot pass off as Ipoh curry which is very different. The chicken here was probably normal chicken, so doesn't taste as good as Seng Kee's kampong chicken. P/S: I clicked on your old Seng Kee link and saw an old photo of a stray cat which you call Boy Boy. Ai, that male cat got 3 colours wor (black, white & a bit of brown on the head?) :D

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    1. Oh, then they should revise the curry mee to Ipoh style then. The chicken is normal chicken which was quite nice. Just that the dipping sauces and the soup need to improve. I think not all 3-colored cats are females lah. Could be coincidental that teacher Azimah happen to come across females that are somehow tri-color hah..hah...

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    2. Aiyo u two. Calico cats are mostly females as mentioned by this article and many other articles online due to their genetics.
      https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/resources/calico-cat-facts/

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  5. Ah, Kai see hor fun makes me miss the shop that is no longer in Sri Petaling. Wah, you have been to this shop 3 times. Nothing outstanding according to you but all passable. Since I seldom go uptown now, no need to try la I guess.

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    1. Yes, not something to rush over for. Only if happen to be there, you can try it. I am starting to appreciate kai see hor fun.

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  6. ooo, this sounds like a pork-free extension of annie 1 in order to broaden its market? i'm always game for chicken rice that has smooth, succulent meat! maybe they could try serving some dim sum dishes too, heheh :)

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    1. Oh, I did not notice the pork-free part hah..hah.. I am always a sucker for chicken rice and as long as the chicken is tender and succulent (and I must get the leg portion), I am happy.

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  7. Oh, they didn't bring in their famous Wonton Mee to this outlet, my one and only one order when I visit Annie 1.

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    1. They want to be different from Annie-1.

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  8. Wah! Terbaik nasi ayamnya tu... ayam nampak sedap sangat!

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    1. Ayam tu memang sedap. Lembut dan kalau bahagian peha, itu fevret PH!

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  9. I should have left my comments here a few days ago. You know what happened????

    I drove around alone after seeing this post to search for the place but the restaurant was closed at dinner time. Next day I went again with my wife in tow.

    She ordered your Chicken Rice and we both agreed that it was superb! Taugeh was so-so.

    I ordered the Curry Vegetables Set and we both agreed that it was unique & superb!

    I ordered their Caramel Custard too.

    Before I entered the restaurant, the chief waiter whom you mentioned who waited at the entrance waved at me from faraway! I was still walking like 4-5 shops away and he claimed to recognize my silhouette size anytime. Seems like my dressing & walking style in shorts is my signature. Muahahahahaha I had a good laugh and he felt so warm & happy to see me like a lost lamb. We exchanged so much greetings and I told him about your blog post that prompted me to find him who had gone missing for months. He was stunned and surprised that you wrote about him. He felt so honoured and sat down on his chair to slap his forehead with a big smile!! Next time you can tell him that I am the tall Chinese man with specs who found him tru your blog! He will know.

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    1. Wah, PH is an influencer now so don't play play. So the food here is good. Caramel custard, I want to but I don't think I will ever get a chance to eat here again this year.

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    2. TM : I am so glad you went there with your wife and had a very good experience! That head waiter is good, I find him very professional when I first met him at Annie-1. I must try the caramel custard next!

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  10. I want to try all the food in the menu, the curry noodles, ipoh hor fun and chicken rice which you tried, all i like!

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    1. You can do that when you cross over for your next holiday hee..hee..

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