Pitstop in Kampar

A pitstop in the Kampar town area for some Chinese food while on the way to Penang.....

While on our long journey Northwards to Penang, my aunt recommended we stop at a little restaurant that she liked in Kampar town for lunch....

I admit, we had our reservations at first (because my parents and I had never heard of this restaurant before) but my aunt convinced us that it was a good place to try out some fresh seafood (prawns and fish specifically) and well, we trust her taste so we thought: "Why not?".
:)

Soon we arrived at our destination.
At first glance, the coffeeshop (Kow Kee Makanan) is really nothing fancy at all - quite nondescript actually:
The exterior of Kow Kee....
As we entered the coffeeshop, I couldn't help but to feel nostalgic seeing its simple interior and rustic textures of a "typical coffeeshop restaurant" (the dusty old fans and bright red plastic chairs were a nice touch):

Interior of Kow Kee Makanan
We went on to order the specialties of Fried Sea Prawns (RM 70 per KG), Steamed "Soon Hock (Garoupa?)" (RM 90 per KG), Steamed Tofu with "Hae Bee (Dried Shrimp)" (RM 6) and Pork with "Choi Konn (Dried Vegetables)" Soup (RM 6).

First up, the Tofu and the Soup:
Left to right: The Tofu and the Soup
Mmmmm...
I LOVED the tofu and the soup.
The tofu: Silky, delicate, balanced well with the taste of the sauce and texture of the dried shrimp.
The soup: Tasty, robust and the meat tender from the time consuming stewing.

Next, the Fish and the Prawns:


Top to bottom: The Fish and the Prawns
I quite liked the fish and the prawns - overall, they were nice: tasty, big, meaty and very fresh (you can see them swimming around beforehand in tanks and big plastic "tongs" in the kitchen area) but unfortunately, they were also ever so slightly overcooked.
(So close to perfection but you miss by an inch, you might as well miss by a mile).

Our meal that day came up to RM114 (including the additional charges for tea and rice)... which may seem like a lot for a simple lunch for 4 people but it was actually great value for money by KL standards - if you went to any restaurant in KL/ PJ you would probably have to pay that much just for the fish...
("Soon Hock" is generally quite pricey)

Overall, not bad.
Wouldn't mind coming back to enjoy the gigantic prawns again if I'm in the area....


Signing off,
J

PS:
Rough directions (Sorry, I'm not too familiar with Kampar myself):
There are roughly 2 big roads in Kampar town - the unofficial "main road" and the other road parallel to it.

Once you get on the parallel road, look for the KFC on your right hand side (if you are coming from the Tapah toll exit). Turn into the little road on the left which is roughly opposite the KFC... The coffeeshop/ restaurant will be in the middle of the shop lots on your right.
(Please remember to put one of the parking tickets! If you don't have one handy, ask the shop keeper and they will point you in the right direction)

So, it's: Simple coffeeshop setting, fresh seafood for decent prices BUT limited selection of dishes.

Summary Information:
Restoren Kow Kee Makanan @ Jalan Mesjid Lama, Kampar

Opening Hours: 11am to 8pm daily
Phone: 05-465 1838
Address: 14, Jalan Mesjid Lama, 31900 Kampar, Perak

NOT HALAL

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Have Your Cake And Eat It Too


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Seafood, Kow Kee Makanan, Perak, Specialty, Local Food, Food, Kampar, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal