Char Siew Wanton Noodle Beautiful combination of springy egg noodles (very thin strands, if you noticed) tossed in a medley of savoury sauces, caramelized barbecued pork with ample proportion of fats, pork dumplings (wanton) in soup and an acerbic crunch from the pickled green chillies.
Okay, heres another noodle story. One that deserves a mention, nevertheless. Not quite in the league of the legendary Da Pu noodles of Pudu yet, but the 6-7 years in business should be honoured with a pat on the shoulder. For about 3 years, Chan Meng Kee was operating in Section 17, before moving to SS2 about few years ago. This noodle house took over from another famous brand; Ho Weng Kee (read this post from KY Speaks written in 2008), which also had a strong following back then. A pity some had lamented, since Ho Weng Kees famous for their beef brisket noodles thats supposedly flavourful, fork-tender and moist after long hours of cooking in slow fire. Did Chan Meng Kee live up to the hype generated by its predecessor? Just like clockwork; precision and carefully delegated job scope lent the cooking and serving process a touch of professionalism. Everyone had a role to play here. Again, it was this other Ipoh Mali whom had successfully converted me into a fan of Chan Meng Kees brilliant rendition of the flavourful, porky-infused wantan noodles. Come here for breakfast-brunch-lunch only. Okay, stretch the limit and push your luck for a late lunch if you insist, but they close at 3pm. And they do not open for dinner, so plan ahead. Wantan Roast Pork Noodle (Siew Yoke Meen) from RM5.00/U! SD1.70 o nwards Crunchy skin roasted to perfection, with succulent bites of marinated meat underneath. Oh, of course there should be some fats for the flavour to permeate through. Dry Curry Pork Ribs Noodle (from RM6.00/USD2.00 onwards) More bones than meat, this was not as stellar as the other porky options, but still a good choice if you prefer your noodles to be drenched in a moreish, mild curry. Simply named Beef Noodle (RM6.00/USD2.00 onwards) on their menu, the stewed beef brisket and tripe came in very small, bite-sized portions but turned out to be of very tender texture and a flavourful touch not overwhelming the dark sauce coating the egg noodles. The wanton (pork durmplings) were of passable nature, neither excelling in texture, flavour or portion. The soup was nicely infused with a touch of dried flounder powder, though we felt an incessant thirst after the meal on the second visit. Highly recommended by the staff taking our orders, the crispy roasted chicken (RM10.00/USD3.30) came in a full thigh portion. The skin was crispy, topped with fried shallots and served with a piquant mix of homemade chili sauce with added zest from a squeeze of lime, and finely-chopped cili padi (birds eye chillies) So what makes their wantan noodle special? The addition of crispy lard fritters hidden deep beneath the oodles of noodles, and plentiful of mustard greens and chopped scallions. Thinner than the conventional mass-manufactured wriggly egg noodles, blanched to a toothsome crunch (QQ for those accustomed to this term), and coated in a glistening mix of sauces. No alkaline taste from lye water thankfully, else I would have left more than half of the portion unattended. Do they make their own wantan noodles? No. But the factory makes the noodles according to Chan Meng Kees secret (I presumed) recipe. So what connects Chan Meng Kee to Ho Weng Kee? A landlord-tenant relationship. Thats all. Surprise, surprise. And why couldnt we order the dry curry wild boar noodle on both visits? The boss ONLY allows good quality wild boar meat to be cooked and served. And unlike in Gerik or Lawan Kuda, where you can order the same dish everyday, supply of game meat is scarce here in comparison. Understandable, since I doubt you can hunt for wild boars in the city. Half expecting them to serve only leung sui (herbal tea) or barley, it was with sheer delight that I found coffee and tea on their menu! Brewed to a frothy finish too! A clean premise with an airy ambience, I wont mind coming here for my breakfast on a lazy weekend morning. But for lunch on a working day? Nah Ill skip that. Go for the char siew (BBQ pork) or siew yoke (roast pork) noodle. They also serve rice to go along with the meats. Next in line? The white chic noodles. Seriously, thats on the menu but its noodles served with slices of poached chicken, of course. And I will cross my fingers in anticipation of a shot at their wild boar curry noodle. Oh yes I will. Its not like the first time that I am being this persistent. CHAN MENG KEE NOODLE HOUSE (non-Halal)
32, Jalan! SS2/66,
47300 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia.
Telephone : 6012-688 1972 (Chan Yoke Pui)
Opens from 8.30am 3pm daily.
Closed on Mondays, unless its a public holiday.
Google Map to Chan Meng Kee
GPS Coordinates : 3.119224,101.620149
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