That Famous Porridge on Yang Kalsom RoadAugust 4, 2010 | 4,404 views
Wing Hoong Lapan Porridge Restaurant @ Yang Kalsom Road – Mixed Offals (Innards) lovers will love this place to bits. But don’t cross them out if you’re not a fan of porridge/congee. They have several rice dishes up their sleeves as well!
Let’s say you’re craving for a piping hot, hearty bowl of porridge lusciously injected with porky-power (sorry, another NON-halal post this one) from the pork liver to meat balls and crispy deep-fried intestines of the pig’s. Where will you head to for your fix in Ipoh?
This shop is perpetually packed during dinner hours, especially on weekends. We had to share a table with some random but equally as voracious (appetite-wise, of course) strangers.
One of the more popular spot for porridge at night time will be Restoran Wing Hoong Lapan Nasi Bubur on Jalan Yang Kalsom; a timeless classic of a porridge haunt that sports a new and brighter signboard now. Pardon me for missing out on the finer details (the history, the owners and such) but if you’re seeking for a simple, tummy-warming serving of pork/beef/chicken/fish porridge for dinner or supper, this place sure does NOT disappoint.
So what else do they have, aside from porridge? Read on to find out ….
Pork Porridge (RM3.50/USD1.00) – An all in one meal that tastes best during the cooler times; a drizzling evening, for example.
Truthfully, I’m not a fan of porridge. Or anything soupy/scalding hot for that matter. But you know on those days when the guilt creeps in after continuous sessions of binging over the weekend? Deep down inside there will be a voice that tries to knock some sense into your darker glutton side.
Steamed Chicken with Soy Sauce served with white rice (RM4/USD1.20)
The menu’s simple enough, written with white board marker on the square board on the wall. But I did not even dare to raise much queries. They sure did not look like very friendly thugs chaps for a start!
So we picked a rice and a porridge, for fear of ordering a potential dud. A failure, so to speak.
But you should rest those worries at home, stashed deep within your closet. The crowd already spoke volume and increased our confidence by a few folds.
I assure you this dish will please the most discerning of geriatrics. Stir fried mixed offals braised in a starchy, moreish sauce that goes well with white rice. The crispy fried intestines were add-ons though, by request only. RM10/USD3 for that plate of “Fear Factor candidate of a caloric-horror“
You can choose to have your porridge with chicken, beef, fish or pork (obviously). But the wisest choice would be to go for the Mixed Pig’s Offals (Chu Zhap Zhuk); a little bit of everything thrown into the smooth, almost of velvety-quality porridge. A far cry from the Teochew style of porridge where you can still bite into the softened grains immersed in a watery broth, the ones here are boiled to such a smooth consistency; you won’t have any trouble slurping everything in within few gulps.
Just remember to blow. Or risk running around with a torched tongue!
They have rice with Beef or Chicken stir fried with ginger and onions, as well as the popular choice of steamed chicken with soy sauce served with white rice or plain porridge (not unlike the common “Pak Cham Kai” or poached chicken served in those bean sprouts chicken outlets). But the chicken here is a little tougher than the smooth, slithering down one’s throat but sometimes half-cooked fowls from Lou Wong. So avoid the breast cuts if you’re wearing dentures or suffering from tooth ache!
Everyone was dining in a jiffy; no leisurely sessions of chit-chatting, or time-a-wasting.
Aside from this restaurant, the other place that serves good porridge happens to be Wong Fee Kee in Bercham, whereby you can also order a portion of that delicious crispy roasted pork and Char Siew to be shared, as well as a few rolls of egg skin popiah to nibble on.
WING HOONG LAPAN RESTAURANT
51, Jalan Yang Kalsom,
30250 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Opens for lunch and dinner, until late night.
Closed on Mondays.
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to Wing Hoong Lapan Nasi Bubur.
This restaurant is directly opposite of Public Bank of Yang Kalsom Road, and Wok With Kim (Yee Tan Kow fishball noodles restaurant). Next to Gold Vision Bakery, and a few doors away from Wisma Kinta where you can find a very traditional curry fish head from Up And Up.