Teochew-style Deep Fried Pork Patty with Salted Fish
And you go WHAT?!!! Not fair for Motormouth to kick start HIS week with such a sumptuous feast and in Ipoh some more!
My dear, since when has life been fair? 
Nah, but seriously this is work. But just so happened that the cravings for Teochew food reached an all-time high last few days; culminating in an outburst of one utterly saliva-inducing shot posted on the Facebook page.
And voila! MM was back in Ipoh within 2 hours and tucking in into some menacing Teochew dishes (with a pinch of Cantonese, or so claimed the proprietress) for dinner.
Stir Fried Clams (La La) in Spicy Sauce
Cant claim all credits this time, for I have never heard of or stepped foot into this restaurant situated next to Kim Bali Restaurant on Osborne Street. The location sounds familiar to you?
Thats because I was here the last trip back to have myself a piece of Hainanese chicken chop at Cathay at the other end of the row. And since Fay Loo Restaurant (meaning Fattys Restaurant; though there was nary a fat guy in the premise this evening onl! y an eld erly couple; evidently the patriarch and the matron of the establishment!) opens only for dinner-late night, its no wonder many must have missed this gem of a place.
Braised Fried Black Pomfret with Preserved Mustard and Tomatoes
The restaurant was clearly a favourite among locals whom have chosen to remain silent and not let precious finds like this exposed to the world. But then, theres always a spanner in the works. 
Ordering from typical dai chow restaurants like this aint a walk in the park for most. The signature dishes and all their creations are proudly written in Chinese characters on the whiteboard and various colourful pieces of paper stuck on the walls. If youre one who reads the most basic of Chinese, then tough luck. Settle for fried rice and eat in silence while seated at one corner.
(Dai chow = Chinese restaurants serving a variety of meat and vegetable dishes served with white rice, and in this case with Teochew style of porridge/congee too)
Vietnamese style Stir-fried Brinjals with Dried Shrimps
Just kidding. What you need to do is open up your (motor)mouth and ASK for recommendations. Like we did. Though its best to steal a quick glance around and gain insights into what the crowd loves; for usually the fan favourites are pretty obvious.
In the case for tonight, most patrons had FISH. In a variety of ways; hence we opted for the safe choice of Black Pomfret (Hak Chong) first deep-fried until crispy! on the outside, then braised in a sauce redolent with flavours from the addition of preserved mustard and tomatoes; a perfect complement to any bowl of porridge or rice.
But the star of the evening belongs to the magnificent Deep Fried Pork Patty with Salted Fish. A timeless Teochew signature that was done to a tender and almost melt-in-mouth texture at Fay Loo, intermittent with briny nuances of salted fish that was pungent yet not repulsive. This was heads and shoulders above the competition (Ah Jiks and Sin Hup Heng included, and both of these are stalwarts of Teochew cuisine in Ipoh as well).
The Spicy Clams dish was a tad too fiery for some, yet went reasonably well with me. Last but not least, the Vietnamese Brinjals was a distant cousin of Kam Heong I guess, yet some may find the drowned in a pool of oil appearance slightly baffling. Still, a very tasty dish with curry leaves, dried shrimps and onions to spice things up.
You can choose to have your dishes with porridge instead of rice, and an additional serving of black beans dace or salted fish for a complete Teochew porridge experience.
All in all, the meal costs RM56/USD18 for the 3 of us including Chinese tea. There are countless other mouthwatering dishes on the menu too; from yam with chicken to Tung Poh Yuk (Braised EXTRA-fatty pork belly), Teochew-style steamed fish to signature fried chicken.
Verdict? Yes, we will definitely be back for round two. Question is WHEN?
FAY LOO RESTAURANT (non-Halal)
A7, Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar (Osborne Street)
30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel No : -605-255 7642
Business hours : 6pm 3am daily, until 4am on Saturdays.
Off days not fixed.
Refer to this Google Map to Cathay Restaurant, and find Fay Loo a few shops away.
**Other outlets serving Teochew fares in Ipoh :
Sin Hup Heng Chaozhou Restaurant (Theatre Street)
Comeson Restaurant & Hotel (opposite Lou Wong)
Yew Ming Teochew Porridge Restaurant @ Old Town (near to Maybank)
Cheong Loy Rice Shop @ Old Town (behind the 20-storey flats)
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