SO GORDON Ramsay, the foul-mouthed UK chef on television who judiciously spews words of horror to inspire or incite fear in his chefs seeking culinary enlightenment on his show, will soon be attempting to plate great Malaysian flavours on his new series.

I know for a fact that Ramsay is way sweeter in person and lives off-air with trademark British manners and wit. He has the ability to handle fine ingredients.

What I don't know is how he will use the almost insanely wonderful seasonings and ingredients in South-east Asia that are salted, fermented and 'foul-smelling'.

POPULAR: (Above) Buried in the thick curry sauce of the Yee Fatt Curry Mee dish are noodles and chicken pieces. (Top) Foh San Dim Sum draws a little queue every day. PICTURES: MAKANSUTRA

I look forward to seeing him handle fue yue (fermented tofu), salted mustard leaves (teepo), salted flat fish bones, chincalok (salt and vinegar-fermented baby shrimps).

I want to watch him hold back his 'bleeping' exclamations when he sniffs Penang belachan and attempts to make dessert with D24 durians.

Meanwhile, carry on eating in Malaysia (where it's often cheaper to eat out than to cook in). Here are two makan heavens in Ipoh:

WHERE: No 39, Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun (opposite the Methodist Girls' School or MGS), Ipoh, Perak

WHEN: Brunch, lunch and dinner daily except Mondays

CALL: +6012 5203281

Avoid going to this place during that ridiculous half-hour window when classes are dismissed between 12.45pm and 1.15pm.

You won't be able to find this streetside coffee shop when it's hidden behind rows of fine marques waiting to pick up the little ones after school.

The Chuen family has been toiling in that same spot for over half a century.

These Hainanese but Cantonese-speaking folks - everyone speaks or understands some Cantonese in Ipoh - are legendary there.

Their style, which is distinctly more robust than the Teochew versions in Singapore, uses a richer curry base paste which is calmed by some five spice blends.

The popular RM4 ($1.80) version is the 'dry' platter.

It comes with yellow noodles with chicken, bean sprouts, potatoes and is doused with a thick cream-like curry that sits over and browns everything out.

To restore colour, they sprinkle fresh mint leaves on it.

The curry has a softly sweet and savoury fragrance, which makes it so difficult to stop when you eat.

I like it with some beehoon mixed in.

Their 'soup' version comes in a bowl with that same thick curry sitting over a watered-down curry soup.

The founder's son, genial and shy Ah Kiong, now helms the stall and admits that this is all he is good at and will cook 'till time runs out' on him.

We need more newer-generation mercenaries of makan like him.

WHERE: 51, Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Ipoh, Perak

WHEN: 6.30am-2pm, Closed on Tuesdays

CALL: +605 2540308

This other makan icon in Ipoh has been around for ages and began as a humble coffee shop.

Today, it has expanded with branches in other parts of Malaysia.

Each morning finds a little queue in front of this restored double-storey shophouse in town which looks like a fancy Chinese teahouse with balconies overlooking the street below.

It comes complete with servers buzzing around with trays and trolleys of some of the better dim sum I've had in eateries of this class.

As a litmus test of such dim sum joints, go for the har kow (crystal prawn dumpling) and siew mai (meat dumpling). Check out the skill in making and folding the har kow, and the quality of the filling.

The skin comes softly chewy and lightly resilient, and the prawn filling is crunchy, moist and fresh.

The siew mai, and I suggest you go for the siew mai wong (or the upsized fancy version with prawns in the fillings and shreds of dried scallops on top), is packed and wrapped tight. It has a moist and pleasant feel.

The little steaming pots of flavoured rice is very comforting - soft, with chicken, mushrooms, Chinese meat and liver sausages - with an oh-so-very-Cantonese soya, oyster sauce and sesame oil concoction spooned over them.

One dessert there that I've never seen anyone attempt in Singapore is the 'pandan malai ko' - pandan green steamed glutinous rice balls filled with sweet lotus bean paste and half-wrapped in pandan leaf.

It tastes as good as it sounds and it does not stick to the gums.

I will definitely be back there because, among other factors, the food is ridiculously good value for money, something many Singaporeans can relate to.

Makansutra, founded by KF Seetoh, is a company that celebrates Asian food culture and lifestyle. It publishes food guides in and around the region, produces a food television series, develops interactive mobile content and services, operates food courts and eateries, organises food tours and events, and consults on culinary concepts.

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