UTP’s convo and Kampar’s famous Kam Ling

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A few weeks ago, my younger brother wore the mortar board for the first time in his convocation in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). It was also my alma-mater so attending his convocation gave me a sense of nostalgia. I spent 5 good years in this university, secluded in the small little town of Tronoh, where Chinese food was scarce. Back then, there were only 3 Chinese restaurants where we could go for our meals. I wonder if things have changed now, but looking back, the university does have a very conducive environment for students. The buildings are surrounded by lakes and trees, and the amount of land was vast. Going from one building to another definitely requires lots of walking. Truth to be told, it was good exercise, walking to classes. It managed to keep my room mate and I in shape even though we ate a lot. *LOL*

The ceremony was held in the university main hall, which I thought looked very grand. We arrived just in time for the procession entering the hall.

Procession

This was the main stage where scrolls would be given out by Chancellor. I once had the chance to walk across the stage to accept my scroll from Tun Dr Mahathir himself.

Main stage

There was also a choir group performing the national and university songs.

Choir group

The whole ceremony lasted almost 4 hours! It was really boring to be just watching names after names being called up to receive scrolls, when you’re not on the receiving end, eh? Anyway, congratulations to my brother who finally obtained his degree certificate!

Our dinner was at Kam Ling Restaurant, which is by far one of the oldest and most popular Chinese restaurant in Kampar. It is a landmark on its own, I kid you not.My family love to have dinners there simply because of their delicious dishes and air-conditioned environment at a reasonable price.

We had the signature beancurd ‘chiu pai tau foo’, which was very soft and smooth. It’s a must-have dish whenever we dine there.

Signature beancurd

Second dish was my personal favourite, fried long beans with minced meat. Not many restaurants offer this dish, so I appreciate Kam Ling’s effort to make themselves up to date with new creations. Albeit slightly oily, the minced meat was well marinated and full of flavour, making the long beans extra yummy!

Fried long beans with minced meat

The kangkung dish was something more run-of-the-mill, but no doubt fragrant. Most importantly, the vegetables must be young and tender or they would easily spoil the whole dish.

Stir-fried kangkung with belacan

For those who love fish but are lazy to peel them off the bones, Kam Ling has Fried fish fillet with ginger and spring onion. We usually opt for grouper because the meat is firmer. The addition of ginger also took away the fishy smell that might turn off some patrons.

Fried fish fillet with ginger and spring onion

Another fish dish we ordered was the fish head soup. Look at the abundance of meat, beancurd and vegetables inside the soup. I must say this is a very healthy dish, besides being delicious, of course.

Fish head soup

’4 Heavenly Kings’ vegetables dish is a widely popular dish with many different interpretations from various restaurants. Kam Ling’s version included lady’s fingers and brinjals, both of which are not to my fancy. I just enjoyed this dish because of the fragrant belacan mix used.

4 heavenly kings

Moving on to a more common dish, which was Honey glazed chicken. Sweet on the outside with crispy skin and soft interior, this dish is definitely a hit for the young and old ones alike. Seriously, if a restaurant can’t do this dish right, it still has a long way to go. However, I found Kam Ling’s chicken too bony! *LOL*

Honey glazed chicken

Finally, to end our dinner odyssey was the fried noodles. We opted for ‘wong tai min’ or King noodles, which were thin and less oily compared to the conventional yellow mee. This dish was a perfect closure to our satisfying meal.

Fried King noodles

Kam Ling has joined the bandwagon of restaurant expansion, much like those in Ipoh, especially after the humongous Foh San took lead. Look at the building next to Kam Ling, it is 3 storeys with 4 shoplots combined, deemed to be ready by end of the year. I’m definitely looking forward to it!

Kam Ling restaurant

Apart from the dishes offered, Kam Ling also excels in preparing formal dinner dishes such as the Four Seasons platter, roasted suckling pig, shark’s fin and so on. Oh, and don’t forget Kampar’s specialty of Curry Chicken Bread. I always recommend Kam Ling’s Chicken Bread compared to its counterpart (Yau Kee). Feel free to drop by this restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner whenever you pass by Kampar. It’s highly recommended by a fellow Kamparian herself.

Kam Ling Restaurant
107 Jalan Idris,
31900 Kampar, Perak,
Malaysia
Tel. no.: 605-4661174

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