Mario Made Me Do It...Speeding That Is...Eating is under my own compulsion

If a traffic policeman were to cite me for speeding down the coastal highway from Sitiawan to Klang, I would lay the blame on Mario Kart DS. I had a little too much of that game during my holiday back in Sitiawan but at least it is now almost at the same level before the save file got corrupted (oh the tragedy of it all....cheh)

Besides loitering around in the old house, I took my paternal grandfather for an eating tour of Sitiawan and Teluk Intan... and probably freaked him out in the process with my capacity for food. In anycase, here's a general guide to what to take note of:

• For breakfast, there's Aunty Jenny's noodles in Manjung. This friendly middle-aged lady serves her own version of mee kicap from her stall in the compound of her single-storey home.
  
  
• For lunch, you can try out the restaurants at the Kampung Cina stretch of road, although they are now look like decrepit versions of their former selves..the food is still OK and cheap. Six dishes for Rm 75...try having that in KL.
  
  
• A couple of months ago, I was introduced to Restaurant Mei Hock located at Jalan Simpang Dua, which is off the shortcut to Ayer Tawar. Not a bad place for dinner, or lunch for that matter as the business hours are: 11.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m to 11.00 p.m. What to order? Balitong...hehe.
  
  
• Don't fancy seafood restaurants that much? Try the hawker centres. Blue and Yellow is one of the newer ones located in the same stretch as The Store..and is pretty hard to miss. What to order? The satay kambing is to die for (literally...as each stick comes with some fat), the grilled stingray is very fresh and cheap, and the grilled chicken wings (which are staple in any hawker centre you visit in Sitiawan)
  
  Other than that, you can try out the hawker centre located pass the KFC in the town center. If you are coming from Lumut/Manjung, just go straight pass the KFC at the cross junction, and then turn left on the first turning you meet. If you coming from Kampung Koh, turn right at the cross junction, and then turn left on the first turning you meet.
  
  You should be able to see the famous Char Koay Teow guy who still uses charcoal to cook, on the left hand side of the road. The lady nearby serves nice porridge and the other lady in the adjoining hawker center serves up Hong Kong style Chee Cheong Fun!
  
  But here's a word to those who are squirmish bout dirty eateries. Yes..this particular place isn't really hygenic, and the hawkers don't seem to have changed anything for the past 15+ years...so.... caveat emptor?
  
  
• Teluk Intan... hmm... there's Glutton Square with lots of hawker stalls, and pretty good laksa. I'm not a fan of laksa..but my mum seems to think it's the best in TI. There's also the popular rojak stall nearby Convent and St Anthony.
  
  Don't forget to try out the steamed fresh water prawns and the Hakka noodles at the Lau Fong (locals call it Liu Fang) Restaurant near the old cinema. Just look out for the restaurant with the blue shutters and blue western bar-styled doors right next to a Sports Toto outlet.
  
  For western dining, there's Al-Fresco at Jalan Changkat Jong...stuff that you find at fine-dining establishments in KL are available at low TI prices and there are no compromises on food quality here. If you are clamouring for more seafood, Tai Chong (next door to Al-Fresco) should satisfy your craving...if it's not fully booked for a wedding dinner.
  
  And what's a visit to Teluk Intan without having some of those Heong Peah, biscuits with sticky centres...the Tiger brand is pretty popular here, and it's not that difficult to find the confectionary.