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Cook with Ipohbunny

Stories and recipes from a Malaysian home kitchen

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  • Roasted Red Pepper Prawns Seafood
  • Braised Turmeric Chicken Chinese
  • Home-style Nyonya Cooking at Jason Nyonya House, Penang Food review
  • Biang Biang Pasta Chinese
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  • Bittergourd Fried Beehoon Chinese
  • Nyonya Heritage Food at KUEH by Bibik’s Kitchen, Penang Food review
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  • Mum’s Fried Beehoon Noodles & Pasta
  • Cooking at Sarang
    Cooking at Sarang Stories
  • Nyonya & Hainanese Comfort Food at D North Star, Ipoh Food review

Pistachio Pesto Pasta

Posted on January 15, 2022January 16, 2022 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Pistachio Pesto Pasta
Pistachio Pesto Pasta

No, this pistachio pesto pasta is not classic, but after trying this recipe, you might just prefer it to the original version with pine nuts! First, why pistachio for pesto? For this wild idea, I gotta thank my frugal inner housewife. I love a good pesto pasta, but the price of pine nuts has skyrocketed….

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Noodles & Pasta, One-pot meal, Western

Mum’s Fried Beehoon

Posted on December 24, 2021January 15, 2022 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Mum’s Fried Beehoon
Mum’s Fried Beehoon

Mum’s fried beehoon is “very simple only.” Come to think of it, that’s her standard answer whenever I ask her for the recipe of virtually any dish she cooks. She’s telling the truth. When she describes the process to me, it DOES sound simple. Ingredient lists are typically short. The steps, few. But somehow in…

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Noodles & Pasta, One-pot meal

Sausage Tomato Pasta

Posted on June 4, 2021June 27, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Sausage Tomato Pasta
Sausage Tomato Pasta

This ridiculously simple sausage tomato pasta is so tasty I couldn’t believe it until I made it myself. I’ve seen variations of this floating around the internet. Jamie Oliver has made a version of it, among other people. But it wasn’t until I saw Catalina Tre’s gorgeous photo of her spicy sausage pasta that I…

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Noodles & Pasta, Western

Thai Prawn Glass Noodles

Posted on April 30, 2021June 27, 2021 By Alexandra Wong 4 Comments on Thai Prawn Glass Noodles
Thai Prawn Glass Noodles

I first ate iconic Thai dish goong ob woonsen (prawn glass noodles) 20 years ago at a restaurant in Thailand, while travelling with my mum and aunt. So long ago, yet I can still remember the taste like yesterday. The combination of juicy fresh prawns and saucy noodles in a spicy and fragrant peppery paste…

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Noodles & Pasta, Thai

Easy Lamb Pilaf

Posted on October 11, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong 4 Comments on Easy Lamb Pilaf
Easy Lamb Pilaf

I never, ever thought I would cook lamb, let alone lamb pilaf. For a long time, I was under the impression that lamb/mutton needs hours of pre-boiling to soften the tough meat, until recently. Using my Le Creuset Dutch Oven and Made-in-Malaysia mixed spice brand Opah Herbs, I attempted to cook lamb shoulder. To my…

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Beef & Lamb, Middle Eastern, One-pot meal

Sundubu Jjigae

Posted on July 17, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Sundubu Jjigae
Sundubu Jjigae

If you watched hit K-drama Itaewon Class,  you will instantly recognize sundubu jjigae, a Korean stew with tofu and kimchi, served at hero Park Seroyi’s restaurant-bar. A one-pot dish where you literally chuck everything in, it may not be the most photogenic dish. But it’s really delicious – and has become a firm favourite of…

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Korean, Soups & Stews

Wat Tan Hor

Posted on June 28, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Wat Tan Hor
Wat Tan Hor

  Next to kai si hor fun, wat tan hor must be the most popular noodle dish in Ipoh. I’ve never received so many responses to my Instastories until I posted a picture of the wat tan hor I made last Friday! A rich eggy sauce poured over wok-charred rice noodles loaded with vegetables and…

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Chinese, Malaysian, Noodles & Pasta, One-pot meal

Claypot Chicken Rice

Posted on May 12, 2020January 11, 2022 By Alexandra Wong 6 Comments on Claypot Chicken Rice
Claypot Chicken Rice

Growing up in Ipoh, I got to know claypot chicken rice at a very young age. I still remember where I ate it: a roadside stall in Hugh Low Street. The uncle and aunty would monitor multiple claypots on stoves like hawks, holding fans to control the flame and lifting the lids occasionally to check…

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Chinese, Malaysian, One-pot meal, Poultry, Rice

Braised Yee Mee

Posted on May 2, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong 7 Comments on Braised Yee Mee
Braised Yee Mee

Making braised yee mee always makes me feel sentimental because it was the first dish my mum ever taught me to make. It’s her go-to solution for days when she can’t decide what to cook. Why? Because it’s easy, tasty, and a Malaysian kitchen always has the basic ingredients for a yummy yee mee. Time…

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Chinese, Malaysian, Noodles & Pasta

Kimchi Fried Rice

Posted on April 14, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Kimchi Fried Rice
Kimchi Fried Rice

Too many K-dramas during COVID19 are triggering an overwhelming craving for Korean food, so I made kimchi fried rice a few days ago 😂 What you need Rice You’ve probably heard that day old rice is best for fried rice. However, if you don’t have time to plan ahead, just use less water to boil…

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Korean, One-pot meal, Rice

Woo Thau Koh (Yam Cake) 芋头糕

Posted on April 7, 2020July 8, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Woo Thau Koh (Yam Cake) 芋头糕
Woo Thau Koh (Yam Cake) 芋头糕

A savoury cake that Malaysians eat as a traditional snack, yam cake or woo thau koh is the ultimate flavour bomb. We’re right smack into the 2nd phase of the COVID19 MCO as I write this. Last week, I was getting bored of the usual Chinese dishes and pastas, and started fantasizing about some kopitiam…

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Cakes & Sweets, Chinese, Malaysian

Loh Mai Fan

Posted on April 5, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong 1 Comment on Loh Mai Fan
Loh Mai Fan

Ooof, how I love loh mai fan or fried glutinous rice! Not to be confused with loh mai kai, although they share common ingredients, this traditional Chinese dish is stir-fried with sausage, dried shrimps, shitake mushroom, and flavoured with aromatics. In other words, an umami bomb! In case you’re wondering about the difference between loh…

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Chinese, One-pot meal, Rice

Easy Kimchi Ramen

Posted on March 28, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Easy Kimchi Ramen
Easy Kimchi Ramen

Who knew a K-drama could have such a huge impact? Since binge-watching Crash Landing on You, I’ve developed an unprecedented craving for Korean food. I went to BBQ Chicken because I wanted to eat the golden olive fried chicken that Seri and the ducklings were eating. Not another day had passed and I dragged the…

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Korean, Noodles & Pasta

Bittergourd Fried Beehoon

Posted on March 23, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Bittergourd Fried Beehoon
Bittergourd Fried Beehoon

Bittergourd, dried shrimp and fried beehoon? Sounds strange? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, though. When this dish appeared at a table in a Chinese restaurant in Kuching a few years ago, I was skeptical as well. Seeing the look on my face, my Kuching host merely smiled and told me that it’s a…

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Chinese, Malaysian, Noodles & Pasta, One-pot meal

Stewed potato chicken

Posted on January 10, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Stewed potato chicken
Stewed potato chicken

Stewed potato, chicken and carrots in a gravy made from oyster sauce, soya sauce and one unexpected ingredient. So wholesome. A far cry from the early days of my cooking adventures, when I was all about “sexy” dishes like fried chicken, brownies and carbonara. Some say my age is showing. As I get older, I…

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Chinese, Malaysian, Poultry, Side dish

Who’s Ipohbunny, lah?

Welcome!

I’m Alexandra Wong, a self-taught Malaysian home cook on a mission to simplify and healthify recipes using affordable quality ingredients. I am a writer by profession, mostly known for my feelgood stories about people, travel and food.

ipohbunny

My first Ig live, Omg! My first Ig live, Omg!
When I met Paige at @hinmarket, her booth stopped When I met Paige at @hinmarket, her booth stopped me in my tracks immediately.Who knew cement could be turned into such beautiful and functional art pieces? If you're still there, PLEASE do yourself a favour and mosey over to her booth (near the entrance) and get a piece of her instant classics.

The market closes at 5pm, so hurry up!!
Alternatively, you can get in touch with her after the event @wanjiarts
...

I am so excited about this first live interview video I did, thanks to encouragement by the inspiring @lohjiyuan 

I had to really level up to make this video. I only found out after I left that I was too close to the phone and as a result, her voice was too soft. I had to figure out how to increase her volume, which was really hard because we were both talking fast. Then I figured, hey, why not I slowwwww down the speed and then I can split the clips and increase her section ...you will know if you use video editing tools. I was racing against time too because I wanted this to be up before the bazaar closes. 

There were a bunch of other things I had to learn, and I'm glad I did. Here's a toast to more upskilling!

I'll be posting this also on my other account @heroesofmalaysia So if you'd like to see other awesome people doing awesome things in Malaysia, do follow me there too :)

#hinmarket #wanjiarts #concreteart #handmadegifts #giftideas #cement #diycrafts #hinbusdepot #popup #popupstore #popupshop
So. The Star article is finally out, that big thin So. The Star article is finally out, that big thing that I was both excited and nervous about and honestly was worried would cause me sleepless nights but I slept like a baby last night - rather snored like a train, according to my husband. Hearing that makes me happy these days haha!

I'd like to highlight some lines from the article: 

“It’s real and it’s not something that you call tell yourself to snap out of, so never say this to someone who is going through it." THIS. PLEASE DO NOT EVER SAY THIS.

“I did a test at a clinic for the stress hormone cortisol and discovered that my levels were over the roof! I was diagnosed and put on a bunch of medications ..." Clarification: high cortisol levels do not indicate that you have mental health conditions.  It did tell me under I was under a lot of stress and motivated me to finally seek psychiatric help.

"I still talk to my therapist because he is my safe space." Getting a therapist was one of the best decisions I made and he is, indeed, my lifesaver, especially when I face a potentially stressful situation. Thank you JC, who first sparked the idea of talking to a therapist because it helped him a lot. Hugs J!

"The most important pillar in her mental health journey was her husband whose unflagging support was crucial. “One day, I giggled at a joke he cracked and he almost cried tears of joy because I had gone so long without smiling." I love you so much, darling, and I'm glad we're growing together through this journey. And a huge thanks too to my in laws who offered me a safe haven during that critical first week when I was like a zombie. 

Lastly, I'd like to thank all of you who have been with me on this journey since I opened up a month ago. There are ups and downs and it's all part of progress and growth, and it will just make us stronger.

Lastly, thank you @Ming_Teoh for doing such a beautiful job with this sensitively and compassionately written article. I hope it helps as many people as possible.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalwellbeing #wellbeing @thestaronline #mentalhealthadvocate
You don't have to be an expert in mental health to You don't have to be an expert in mental health to support friends struggling with theirs. Compassion and empathy can go a long way. 

Yesterday, the @thestaronline published an article about mental health based on an interview I did with @Ming_Teoh a few weeks ago. 

One of the stories is about a beautiful relationship that was destroyed because one of the friends lacked empathy. Happily, the other friendship was brought to a new level because one of them demonstrated empathy, kindness and compassion. Love you, Von (even though you don't have IG).

It all started when Ming saw my mental toolkit a few weeks ago and asked me if I'd be willing to talk about my experiences. 

I said yes without hesitation. I'd just come out of hell and I was going to do whatever it takes to spare other people from the pain, even if it means talking openly about my personal struggles. 

Ming and I spoke so long and so much that she told me she would be writing TWO not one articles from it! OMG!

A few days later, I started getting cold feet. I started wondering ... could I be anonymous? How would she write it? What would people think of me?

I wanted to call her but before I could take action, Ming texted me. "Your articles will be out next week."

So soon?!

I immediately rang her up.  Ming was very kind, telling me that she had done her best to leave out the parts that were sensitive, and from what she described to me in detail, without showing me the actual text of course, I felt reassured that she would do a good job.

The first of the two articles were published yesterday, "How mental health and friends affect each other". It was well written with compassion and clear intention to spread awareness without sensationalising. 

This article is only available online (link in bio), so I decided to get creative. We're living in the age of new media, so why not convert it into an IG carousel using @canva? 

The main article will be published today and focusses on my mental health toolkit. It will be in the print version as well. Can't wait to get a copy!!!

#mentalhealth @thestaronline #mentalhealthawareness #friendship #kindness #empathy #mentalhealthadvocate
Not often does one get to meet the original person Not often does one get to meet the original person who inspired them to pursue their passion but  today I did.... I met @andrewmatthews.author in the flesh!!! 

For some reason I cannot fathom and which I can only thank the divine powers for, Andrew is in Penang to launch his new book, Bouncing Back. And it was held just minutes away from my home, so come hail or high water, I made sure I was there.

He blew my expectations out of the water. His "speech" involved him giving a life affirming motivational talk WHILE drawing his iconic cartoons on the fly on the easel to illustrate his points. Holy moly. Everybody's jaw was on the floor.

The crowd was rapturous, as was I, except maybe I had one extra reason to be over the moon.

You see, years ago, I read Folllow Your Heart and was utterly charmed by his storytelling style. They had humour, so much heart and they were real stories of real people who overcame adversity and great obstacles to bounce back. Healing stories.

Looking back, I can see now that those are the same qualities that I unconsciously weave into my stories esp for my Star column. 

So - despite feeling damn thick skinned, I just had to give him a copy of my own book, Made in Malaysa: Hometown Heroes and Hidden Gems - the book he inspired. 

Thank you Andrew for making time to be here and a huge round of appreciation to @psdcpenang for organising this event. You have no wonder how much this event meant to me!

#andrewmatthews #bouncingback #meetandgreet #psdcpenang
Aaargh, again breaking my rule of not reviewing a Aaargh, again breaking my rule of not reviewing a place after just one visit because...

Just look at this place, only open since May, in a quieter section of the Kong Heng neighbourhood.

The wooden charm!

The gorgeous greenery! 

All the French vibes!

And the most exquisite chocolate lava cake hubs and I have eaten in our lives, it's good it makes me want to cry.

The food took a while to arrive and we can understand why.

The pastry was baked to perfection and the lava, utterly decadent and made from very high quality chocolate.

J'adore 😍😍😍

@cestsibonipoh 

#ipohcafe #ipohcafehopping #ipohdessert #chocolatelavacake #ipoholdtown #cestsibon #dessertipoh
This. Makes so feel so tickled and tearful and jo This.

Makes so feel so tickled and tearful and joyful at the same time.

I walked out of the room with my mat to see Dad doing his exercise. A wave of emotion came over me, relief and joy that he continues including movement in his life despite his long struggle with osteoarthritis ( and pls don't give tips here tq as its been a LONGGGG saga).

Then I became aware of more memories.

The tshirt was given by a loved one just before my meltdown in KL in April. He's been a rock for me al these months, from photo bombing me with cute photos of his family outings, to bringing me my favourite (and bloody expensive) brownies all the way to Penang from KL on a work trip.

The Pilates mat is one of three we own. Yes, three. When I realised how important Pilates had become to my wellbeing, I wanted to have a spare in Ipoh house so I can be active here too.

As I followed my coach's @refine.me.nt moves on my little phone, I thought, hey this is a precious moment.

So I paused the video, ran into the room and called  out hubby. "Dear, please come out and video me and my dad. Quick."
Journalling. "Just pour all your emotions and tho Journalling.

"Just pour all your emotions and thoughts into your journal. Don't filter them. Whatever negative thoughts you have, just pour it out and release them on paper."

Although every doctor, therapist and professional online and in real life that I met recommended this, it didn't work for me. 

I tried it for a week or so and realised it wasn't working.

Something to do with the fact that I'm a writer, maybe, and I already tend to overanalyse and overthink? 

In fact, by recapping what happened, I ended up reliving my trauma and felt even worse.

Then, I had an idea. I could still journal - but in a different way.

I recorded lessons from every day and experience. 

.. and it worked!

Every individual is different, so there is no one-solution-fits-all. 

You have to experiment and find out what works for YOU. 

Good luck, and positive vibes to you today. 

#mentalhealth #wellbeing #journalling #mentalwellbeing
Any talk about Nasi Melayu in Penang will surely b Any talk about Nasi Melayu in Penang will surely be incomplete without mentioning this institution in Tmn Tun Sardon called Restaurant Minah.

When I first came here over 20 years ago as a student, it looked very different. Very simple furniture. No air con (ok still no aircon). What I remember most of course was the delicious and huge variety of food, from all kinds of masak lemak dishes (my weakness) to their legendary kerabu.

When we came back here again last year after moving back to Penang, I had to do a double take. Wah! Look at all those plants and greenery! The lacquered hardwood (and expensive) furniture. The decor can rival any hipster cafe in Georgetown, wei!

Most importantly, the food is as good as I remember it. I discovered they do a killer lamb shank (only available on certain days, don't ask me which one just gotta try your luck) and a slew of other delicious items such as a tiny long skinny fried salted fish.

Today, we were served by a young man who happened to be the cicit (great-grandson) of the original founder. Minah Restaurant was set up in 1957, holy moly! I didn't know that it's the grand daddy of all nasi campur and probably one of the original ones still standing tall.

Wish I had a bit more time to talk to the young man but the crowds are ever streaming in.

Keep going strong, Minah. May you prosper into your 5th, 6th, 7th generation and onwards!

#RestoranMinah #MinahRestaurant #Penangfood #foodreels #Penangfood #Penanginstitution #nasimelayu #curries #kerabu #masaklemak #ulam #nasicampur #heritagefood #Penangheritage #eatwithipohbunny #igers #Malaysianfoodbloggers
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