Yishen (Yat Sum) Vegetarian Restaurant

Yishen (Yat Sum) Vegetarian Restaurant has been in business for more than a decade. Putting Meng Kee aside, I would dare say that this is the pioneer of vegetarian food which made it to the restaurant level in Ipoh city. The luncheon last week with my colleagues made me come back for another visit.... and the fact that I was abit intimidated to be on snapping mode in front of 12 other pairs of eyes, in which some are really dumb founded against people with passion to share good food. Well, if its not people like us blogging bout food, you think you can easily know which shop serves the best food and which you need to refrain yourselves from stepping in?

Well, if you have been constantly checking out my page, I appreciate your loyalty and I will strive to continue my passion, though my frequency of writing may have decreased recently. Okay, back to Yat Sum. This is the Crispy Vegetarian Goose (RM10 for small portion). Yup, it may be a bit small. Ideally for a  group of 3-4. Well, the portion ain't too much, especially those who love fried food. I would never fail to pick this when I have vegetarian chap fan. Priced at a level far from the normal rice shops, you are assured with freshly fried sheets of beanskin which literally melts in your mouth (thanks to the layer of oil). This dish may scare the living daylight of the health freak but........... well, you really gotta try this. =)

This is one of their signature dishes. I remember having this a decade ago. Yup, the last time I dined here was like N years ago. Yet, the Pan Fried Fish with Black Beans. They claimed its Sek Ban. I wonder how they can differentiate various type of "vegetarian fish". RM13 for a small portion. Again the "flesh" is something similar to a cross between beancurd and fu juk (bean skin). Something savoury which will get you finishing your bowl of rice with ease!

The "House Taufu with Shmeiji" (RM12). That's what was written in my bill. I remember pointing on something else in the menu with the word mushroom. Hmmm.... Well, I do get some mushroom (a species which is rarely seen and ate), wolfberries, snow peas and of course beancurd in a starch based gravy. Nothing spectacular, just thought of something with gravy as the other dishes were kinda dry.

The Satay Cuttlefish (RM13 for a small portion) is one of their forte! I loved this dish since I was a kid. Brought up with the passion for good sotong kangkung, the nutty and mildy spicy peanut sauce with water convolvulus (kangkung) is a evergreen winning combination. The mock meat was processed in a way which matches similarly with real cuttlefish, well, the mock version is even more bouncier. Boric acid perhaps? This is one dish you do not want to miss as you wont find this among the generic vegetarian dishes in vegetarian rice shops. 

Stirfried Sambal Long Beans (RM9) to get the real vegetables in a vegetarian meal. Nicely done, I wonder if there were mock dried shrimps among the sambal paste. But you do find mock prawns. =p

Well, vegetarian meal might cost you more than the a meal with real meat. (A bowl of vegetarian sharks fin costs RM80!) This is mainly because it is not cheap to produce the mock meat. Alot of processing is involved. And alot of calories from these processed meat. Furthermore, most of the dishes here are fried or stir fried with quite a substantial amount of oil. If you think those who takes vegetarian meal are healthier? Think again. Health conscious aside, its quite appetizing to see how "real" this meats are. For me, it cost RM67 for 4 pax with 5 dishes. =)