Many visitors passing by will make a point to stop for food when travelling between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. Some diehard food lovers have also been known to make a trip of several hours just to get to Kampar for a taste of their mouthwatering gastronomic favourites.
So what are these foods and where can you find them? Well, read on to find out!
Pasar malam (Night market)
The pasar malam is held every Wednesday evening at the big padang in Bandar Baru Kampar. Very popular with students and local residents alike with delectable fare that will suit all manner of taste buds. There is a vast array of aromatic and delicious foods available, of which two stand out:
- Char koay kak (Fried rice cake). You just have to admire the efficiency of movement of this uncle as he single-handedly cooks and wraps the char koay kak, and at the same time collecting payment and returning change. You’ll have to stand for at least 15 minutes before you can get your hands on a packet of scrumptious piping hot char koay kak.
- Lok lok (Steamboat skewer). For pure variety, you just can’t beat the lok lok stall. Fishballs, chicken, cuttlefish, crabsticks, cockles, won ton, and sausages among others, boiled and then dipped in your choice of peanut sauce, chilli sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Absolutely heavenly.
Medan Selera Kampar (Kampar Food Court)
Kampar Food Court is without doubt the breakfast eater’s paradise. It is located in Kampar Old Town between Jalan Masjid and Jalan Ampang, near the Kampar market. Every morning, there will be throngs of people eating there, including those who have also been grocery shopping. So a word of warning: if you don’t come early enough, you will either face a fight for seats or end up with no food left… So, what’s good here?
- Char koay teow (Fried rice noodle). This uncle who sits on a low stool cooks the best char koay teow in town. Join the queue and wait 30 minutes to find out exactly just how good it is!
- Chee cheong fun. The stall by the entrance (next to the char koay teow stall) sells different varieties of chee cheong fun. The most delicious and popular is the curry chee cheong fun with fish ball, taufu and pig skin.
- Fish porridge. The stall by the side entrance serves up delicious porridge of all varieties, but the most popular has to be its fish porridge.
- Glutinous rice. This stall is actually not inside the food court itself but is located just outside. The combination of the sticky glutinous rice with barbeque roast pork, peanuts, spring onion and curry gravy is an enticing option for breakfast indeed.
Kam Ying Hawker Centre
Kam Ying Hawker Centre is a popular eating hangout, also in Kampar Old Town at the end of Jalan Baru. Different food stalls have different opening times, but usually people come for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea. There are 3 stalls here that are particularly famous:
- Asam laksa (Hot and sour noodles in fish broth). Kam Yew has to be the most popular destination for asam laksa in Kampar. It is open only from lunch time to around 5pm. Expect long queues for the asam laksa as well as the other specialty, pork ribs and intestine noodle soup. Arrive early or you might have to leave empty handed.
- Ngau lam mee (Beef tripe noodles). The beef tripe can be served separately with noodles at the side, or with the noodles together in a soup. This stall is open from breakfast onwards until evening.
- Lou shu fun (‘Rat noodles’ / Thick rice noodles) with fried fish balls. This stall sells not one, but two Kampar specialties – the famous lou shu fun noodles and the unique pang tai woon (pegaga or Indian pennywort) herbal drink. The fried fish balls and other sides complement both perfectly. This stall is open from breakfast onwards until evening.
Kam Ling Restaurant
Kam Ling Restaurant is famous for hosting wedding dinners in Kampar, and its recent refurbishment to a 3-storey restaurant has added a sense of grandeur to Kampar. However, it is also notable for its roti kari ayam (chicken curry bread). It is located at 105 & 107 Jalan Idris, Kampar Old Town.
Lam Kee Claypot Rice
Lam Kee is one of two stalls in Kampar that serves up this aromatic and delectable combination of chicken, waxed sausage, salted fish and egg cooked in a coal-fired claypot. Open for dinner only, it is situated at 22 Jalan Idris, Kampar Old Town.
Wan Wah Restaurant
Wan Wah Restaurant looks like a low-key restaurant but it serves delicious fried noodles, including fried loh shu fun. However, it's most famous dish is its mouth-watering sweet and slightly spicy chao sotong (fried squid). This unassuming restaurant is situated in Jalan Ampang, Kampar Old Town.
Kampar Chicken Biscuit
Kampar Chicken Biscuit production was started by CB Red Label Confectionery over 30 years ago. The delicious biscuit (which contains no chicken!) became so famous and popular that other manufacturers (such as Pun Chun in Bidor) started making and selling them too. You can buy the chicken biscuits from the CB Red Label Confectionery shop at 72 Jalan Gopeng, Kampar Old Town.
