Dinner In The Oldest Restaurant in Malaya

[OzPiper]

I’m in Ipoh a couple of hours north of KL, on the way to Penang. It’s a town founded on the wealth from the surrounding tin mines.

The restaurant, Durbar FMS, started in 1906 and moved to its current location in 1923.
It is a restaurant caught in a time warp


Both the decor and the menu is reflection of colonial times.
The food takes me back to my childhood.

Enche Kabin - chicken marinated in spices and fried. So good with a cold beer. Or two

Chicken chop - battered maryland, served with a pea, carrot and champignon sauce laced with Worstershire sauce.


A real blast from the past.

Now, if I can find a bar where I can smoke a couple of cigars or bowls, I’ll be a happy man indeed.

 

[Sig]

Very cool.
My uncultured self had no idea where you were until you said Penang.

 

[jguss]

I haven’t been in that part of Malaysia since 1985. That restaurant, at least, looks like it wouldn’t have changed a bit in the last forty years. Well, maybe the addition of wifi?

 

[OzPiper]

I haven’t been in that part of Malaysia since 1985. That restaurant, at least, looks like it wouldn’t have changed a bit in the last forty years. Well, maybe the addition of wifi?

We arrived wet and bedraggled (tropical storm) to be greeted by the manager who was dressed in coat and tie.
I thought he was going to toss us out as we were dressed very casually in shorts and sandals (walking and exploring the old town)
But despite not having a reservation, and the restaurant being fully booked, he found us a table.
Great service.

It‘s directly across the road from the Ipoh Sports Ground.
I can imagine in bygone days, players in their whites trooping across for a cold beer, a G&T or a stengah of whisky after their game of cricket.

 

[Sigmund]

Sharp looking place...cool tables!

 

[OzPiper]

Sharp looking place...cool tables!

Marble topped !

 

[OzPiper]

Very cool.
My uncultured self had no idea where you were until you said Penang.

It is really not a noted tourist destinat
In years gone by, it was a convenient stop if you were driving to Penang from KL.
Ipoh has always had a reputation for good food, because of the wealth in the area.
These days most tourists fly to Penang and bypass Ipoh.
I have fond memories of many excellent meals in Ipoh.

 

[dd57chevy]

Very cool.
My uncultured self had no idea where you were until you said Penang.

Yea , I'm not real familiar w/SE Asia either. Just figured out KL =Kuala Lumpur .

 

[BingBong]

Yea , I'm not real familiar w/SE Asia either. Just figured out KL =Kuala Lumpur .

 

[mingc]

I haven’t been in that part of Malaysia since 1985. That restaurant, at least, looks like it wouldn’t have changed a bit in the last forty years. Well, maybe the addition of wifi?

I can assure you that's it's bougiefied. Nothing in Malaysia looked remotely that fancy 40 years ago and air-conditioning was unheard of unless you were in a multi-story mall. (You can tell this place is air-conditioned because there are no ceiling fans).

Marble topped !

The kopitiam standard! I'd guess the spittoons are gone?!

Love the Hainanese chicken chop! A colonial era classic. There's a similar Hainanese restaurant in JB, Hua Mui, that the Agong favors. Yang di-Pertuan Agong Has Hainanese Chicken Chop For Lunch At Chinese Restaurant In JB | WeirdKaya - https://weirdkaya.com/yang-di-pertuan-agong-has-hainanese-chicken-chop-for-lunch-at-chinese-restaurant-in-jb/

 

[OzPiper]

The kopitiam standard! I'd guess the spittoons are gone ?!

Sign of the times - the spittoons are indeed gone.

But the kopitiams still use same old the coffee cups with the deep saucers.
When I was a small boy, my grandpa would share a saucerful of his coffee with me.
Quite a treat when you were 6 or 7 yo

 

[bullet08]

I don't remember last time I was in a restaurant x) usually it end up being a sushi place.

It's rare anyone I know going to something different than the usual mega restaurants. Same safe choices.

It's like going to McDonald's in Paris.

You have a good taste!

 

[OzPiper]

I’m in Ipoh a couple of hours north of KL, on the way to Penang.
Now, if I can find a bar where I can smoke a couple of cigars or bowls, I’ll be a happy man indeed.

I did find a cigar lounge in Ipoh - Vantage Wine and Cigars.
It’s in a suburb - a short MYR 10 ride (with Grab - the local version of Uber)

Unfortunately they only allow cigars, which you have to purchase in-house.
The manager generously allowed us to smoke our own cigars as we were the only two customers there at the time.

There is a bar with a small selection of beer and spirits.
They also have a kitchen with a small menu. The food was excellent.

The wine shop has an adequate selection of international drops.
Interestingly there are 2 prices - you pay the lower price if you’re drinking it there !

Doug and I spent a couple of hours there smoking and having a snack to go with our whiskies.
And having a nice chat with the manager

 

[Gerald Boone]

I’m in Ipoh a couple of hours north of KL, on the way to Penang. It’s a town founded on the wealth from the surrounding tin mines.

The restaurant, Durbar FMS, started in 1906 and moved to its current location in 1923.
It is a restaurant caught in a time warp
View attachment 389504View attachment 389505View attachment 389506View attachment 389507

Both the decor and the menu is reflection of colonial times.
The food takes me back to my childhood.

Enche Kabin - chicken marinated in spices and fried.View attachment 389508 So good with a cold beer. Or two

Chicken chop - battered maryland, served with a pea, carrot and champignon sauce laced with Worstershire sauce.
View attachment 389509

A real blast from the past.

Now, if I can find a bar where I can smoke a couple of cigars or bowls, I’ll be a happy man indeed.

Glorious, simply glorious. I envy you my friend. For what it's worth I too love going to such a restaurant; atmosphere and history are as important as the food. Hard to explain, some of us crave such experiences and treasure them. Probably my best was The Russian Tea Room in New York City founded in New York when Russia was under the Czar before the revolution of 1917. Experiences to treasure. Bon Appetit.