Tucked away in the newly opened Kim San Leng Coffeeshop at 130 Jurong Gateway Road, Ipoh Home Cuisine Tai Pai Tong is not your typical zi char stall. What sets this zi char stall apart is its offerings of specialty dishes such as Street Fried Carrot Cake, Ipoh salt baked kampong chicken, Ipoh Pasir Pinji mixed yong tofu etc that are synonymous with the city while embodying the Ipoh identity.

One of my favourite dishes of the night had to be their old street fried shrimp cake. Served piping hot, these shrimp cakes were a harmonious blend of savory, umami-rich, and slightly sweet flavors with a satisfying crispy texture. Fried till golden brown, the crispy exterior provides a delightful contrast to the soft and flavorful interior. Each shrimp cake was generously loaded with at least 2 shrimps, which introduced a pleasant touch of seafood sweetness and a strong umami flavor to the dish. The clean, fresh seafood flavor was a hallmark of the well-prepared dish, and the reason why it got addictive, especially when the accompanying tangy chili sauce cuts through the grease. Haven’t had such an impressive shrimp cake in a while.

While we enjoyed the freshly made shrimp cakes, the waiting time for this dish could take a while as they are made upon order.