Thumbs up for Pak Daud’s mee kari

The noodle dish’s gravy just like the one served in school canteen in the 70s.

CONTINUING my makan foray into Ipoh, Perak, we examine Mee Daud Mat Jasak, located off Jalan Datuk Onn Jaafar.

This legendary noodle stall’s humble origins can be traced back to the 1970s when the owner started his business from a push cart.

Pak Daud settled in the town area and made a name for himself selling kari laksa(RM3.50), mee kicap (a Malay version of the kwon low meen sold at RM3.50 a plate) and yong tau foo.

Wide selection of stuffed tofu and foochuk.

I have been travelling to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur with KTMB’s electric train service (ETS), with my folding bicycle to explore the town area, since 2010 and this makan place has been eluding me.

For starters, Pak Daud’s stall opens daily for lunch and closes by 8pm and because of its popularity, the mee kari (top pic) and mee kicap would sell out by 6pm.

Each time I cycle past this shop in Jalan Datuk Onn Jaafar in the morning, it is closed.

So, recently, during a “bikepacking” (travelling with a bicycle as part of my luggage) trip to Ipoh, I managed to savour Pak Daud’s mee kari.

My cycling buddy Mohd Radzi Md Nor and I tried the noodles and a bowl of yong tau foo (RM5).

As far as taste is concerned, Daud’s mee kari reminded me very much of my childhood experience.

I had similar-tasting mee kari from my primary school canteen for 20sen during recess.

Now, what sparked nostalgia was the flavour of the curry gravy.

I don’t find it too salty or spicy and it was smooth enough to be savoured with the noodles.

What’s interesting is Pak Daud’s version of the yong tau foo that came in a mixture of stuffed tofu, fried foochuk (beancurd slices) and fishballs.

Yong tau foo in delicious curry gravy.

This is a meal on its own, but we ordered it as a side dish to get the most out of our visit to the makan place.

On the Samo-scale, I would rate the mee kari a 7 out of 10, while the yong tau foogets a 5.

Daud Mat Jasak’s stall (GPS N 04°35’38.1”, E 101°05’03.5”) is located near Jalan Datuk Onn Jaafar and is not too far from the Ipoh train station.

KTMB’s ETS (Northern Line) departs daily from KL Sentral to Ipoh from 6am and the last train leaving Ipoh station to KL Sentral is at 9pm.

This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement of StarMetro.