Shi Fang Zai Vegetarian - Ipoh

I've recently been embarking on a seemingly never ending quest to unearth the many vegetarian treasures that lurk in Malaysia.  Ipoh may not have the abundance or quality of the vegetarian food in places like KL or Penang - But there are still some pretty awesome veggie places in this town.  One of the most famous vegetarian eateries is Shi Fang Zai.  This restaurant is close by One Curve and Emas Food Court, and you can access it from the Ipoh Lumut Highway.














Shi Fang Zai Vegetarian
Location: 6-8 Jalan Mas, Taman Mas, 30100 Falim, Perak
Contact: 016-4229 389/016-5519 389
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am-3.00pm & 5.30pm-10.00pm


The ambiance of Shi Fang Zai is that of a typical traditional Chinese restaurant.  Nothing else worth mentioning about it.
I never really understood the point of ordering vegetable dishes in these restaurants, as I seldom find they are worth the advertised price.  Nevertheless, here we have the Braised Mushroom with Vegetables.  I liked the variety of mushrooms that could be found on the plate - King oyster, needle and shitake were all floating around.  Overall though, I found that the dish was quite bland and easily forgettable, especially when matched with the other two dishes that we had on the table.

Price: RM12.00.     6/10
One of the signature dishes of this restaurant is the Bean Curd in Pumpkin Gravy.  Overall this was my favourite dish of the meal.  The beancurd is soft and delicate and literally melts in the mouth when eaten.  It reminded me of how the beancurd at Yi Xin (Singapore) is, and immediately put a smile on my face.  This outstanding beancurd is matched well with the pumpking gravy, which is mild and not too sweet.  Really outstanding dish.

Price: RM8.00.     9/10
Last dish ordered was Rendang Mutton.  Rendang is one of those dishes that really everyone can enjoy - It is a relatively mild dry sticky curry, with incredible lemongrass flavour.  This was a wonderful rendition of this trademark dish, with mock mutton, potato and mushroom inside.  The curry sauce was quite sensational, and would act as a wonderful introduction to rendang for those unfamiliar with the dish.  This dish varies in price depending on the size you get.  I got the small - But medium (RM16) and large (RM24) versions are also available.

Price: RM12.00.      8/10


Conclusion - From the inside this place may just look like a typical run of the mill traditional Chinese vegetarian place - But as soon as I scanned through the menu, it changed that perception.  This restaurant has a large menu full of incredibly interesting and unique items.  I loved the three dishes I sampled from Shi Fang Zai, but the beancurd pumpkin was particularly delicious.  Definitely a place I would visit again.

Overall Rating
Food - 8/10
Ambiance- 7/10
Service - 6/10
Value - 8/10