By Ili Aqilah
With so many hipster cafes popping up like mushrooms after a rainy day, how do they distinguish themselves from the others and cater to hungry foodies? We meet with fellow youths and passionate cooks in Ipoh who dare to tread new paths to reach the public. Instead of waiting for customers, these intrepid food peddlers follow the crowd using food trucks instead of setting up cafes. Street food has never looked this good and Ipoh Echo has all the information you need to know about them!
The Hut
The first food truck in Ipoh, The Hut was created by Muhamad Hadi Hafiz bin Muhamad Sawal Rudzlani who came back to Ipoh after three years of working in Kuala Lumpur. Hadi, 27, wanted to set up a cafe at first but realised the cost was high if he had one.
“I have no background in business, therefore I had to do a lot of research. After considering several options, the pros and the cons, I decided to have a food truck and chase the crowd,” said the young entrepreneur.
The Hut began its first day of operation on May 2 this year and the response couldn’t get any better. The people’s favourite, Monster Chicken Sandwich (RM6) is a hefty serving of a large chicken fillet served with eggs, two thick breads and vegetables. Be sure not to miss their beef burgers (RM6) and special for pasta lovers, Spaghetti Bolognese (RM6) and Spaghetti Carbonara (RM6). According to Hadi, occasionally The Hut will have a special one-time-menu so be sure to catch them!
Their schedule is: Tuesday – Station 18 (near Tesco); Wednesday – Ipoh Garden; Thursday – Taman Cempaka; Friday – Taman Meru; and weekends – roaming around town.
The Hut closes on Mondays and opens from 7.30pm till 12 midnight. Get the latest information and updates by following their Instagram account @thehut.my.
Meltshack
Staying true to its name, Meltshack began operating on August 3 by three friends who shared an interest in cooking and street food. Khairul Anuar Shaari or Kanuar, 33, a foodie himself, is proud of what Meltshack has become.
“I was inspired by several food documentaries I watched and was determined to have a food business.. All our meals are created by us and we thank Ipohites for the warm response,” said Kanuar. Together with him serving the food are Amzari Saad, 32, and Mohd Nazeri Abdul Jalil, 34.
As for now, Meltshack has two main menus and customers can also get their signature Kopiyo (Coffee with sugar) and Kopisu (Coffee with Milk) good at RM5 per bottle. The Cubanos (RM10) is a sandwich packed with beef slices, beef salami, cheese, pickles and eggs while the Grilled Chicken (RM10) is a combination of bread, grilled black pepper chicken, chicken ham, cheese, tomato and salad. Both sandwiches are included with a side of potato wedges that can also be bought separately at RM5.
Meltshack will roam around Station 18 from Tuesday to Saturday from 8.30pm till 12 midnight and close on Sunday and Monday. For more information on Meltshack’s whereabouts, visit their Instagram account @meltshackfood.
Freddo
Inspired by how the Thais have done it, Atirah Nadiah Binti Abdul Zakuan, 26, from Johor decided to open a one-of-a-kind homemade ice-cream stall called, Freddo. The first stall was located in front of Gerbang Malam then moved next to Konda Kondi located at Jalan Sultan Idris and now Freddo has its own ice-cream truck!
What sets Freddo apart from any other ice cream is the way they serve it. Customers can choose between vanilla or chocolate ice-cream as the base and pick one from nine ingredients such as kiwi, mango, banana, strawberry, oreo, kitkat, chipsmore or milo nugget and peanut butter to be mixed together with the ice cream. The staff will roll up the ice cream and put it in a cup where each customer will be given two free toppings (jelly beans, chocolate rice, cornflakes, marshmallow and many more). Each cup cost only RM4.20 and additional charges will apply should you want extra mixers or toppings.
Freddo’s schedule is: Tuesday – Station 18 (near Tesco); Wednesday – Medan Ipoh; Thursday – Taman Cempaka; and Friday and weekend – Gerbang Malam.
Freddo will open from 7.30pm until 12 midnight and is closed on Mondays. They also cater. Contact Amirul at 013 528 0568 or go to their Instagram account @freddo.ipoh.
Coffee Ride
Coffee Ride is the first and currently the only food truck in Kampar. Using a different approach, Mohamad Azamudin Ismail, 34, and Asmat Hazre Asmat Fuzan, 30, are selling assorted drinks in small (RM2.50) and 32oz (RM5) cups. The duo have been operating since early August and hope to see more food trucks in the future.
“As for today, we are the only food truck available in Kampar. We do have plans to set up another truck selling food but it would be great if more people joined the scene,” said Azam.
Some of the drinks made by Coffee Ride are white coffee, black coffee, mocha, chocolate, green tea, milk tea, blue ice, strawberry and the crowd pleaser, white coffee hazelnut. Additional RM1 will be charged if customers wish to add whipping cream or toppings (chocolate rice or Oreo).
Coffee Ride will be in Ipoh every Tuesday at Station 18 (near Tesco). For other locations check Instagram @coffeeride.silver_state or contact Azam at 019 329 0156.
