Ipoh New Town

Clock tower at City Hall Park which is
basically the demarcation zone between 'old' and 'new' Ipoh

I walked over to "New Town" today and it is, well, new.  This part of Ipoh is where most of the shopping malls, large new hotels and the municipal offices are located.  It was on my way that I discovered my first vegetarian restaurant .  On my return I stopped for a meal (Nasi Lemak) and was somewhat disappointed.
Nasi Lemak is a rice dish cooked in coconut oil, the Malaysian national dish.  Mine looked a bit like this but didn't really have much taste.

Copied image from Wikipedia

  On Monday I had eaten at an Indian place and was able to make up a veggie plate but I don't recall where that was.  With my meal there I had a can of Tamarind Drink (Indian Date).  Very tasty.  I tried to find it in the shops around where |I am staying but I couldn't find any.

Ipoh claims to be where white coffee originated - it is coffee that is roasted in palm oil margarine to remove some of the bitterness.  Apparently it come from an ancient Chinese method.  A Malaysian coffee chain Old Town Coffee claims they originated white coffee and they say it is a 'slow roasting of Arabica and Robusta beans.  Personally I don't care too much for it and would rather have the robust Starbucks - which incidentally I also found today in Ipoh Parade which is the first mega mall as you go into the new section of the city. I had been getting my coffee at McD's as you know.  It was not so good and the old town McD's does not have a McCafe.

I did my running in D.R.Seenivasagam park which in its environs includes a Japanese Garden.

m