Chan Meng Kee (Wantan Mee) @ SS2 PJ

We came to try this wantan mee after I saw an old episode of Taste with Jason recently.  This wantan mee place, Chan Meng Kee @ SS2 PJ, took over from another famous wantan mee shop (Ho Weng Kee).

 

It seems the restaurant got its name from the owner's surname (Chan) and his favourite "char siew" (barbequed pork) place (Meng Kee) which he ate when he was young.  He tasted the 'legendary' char siew then and found it to be really tasty and so wanted to emulate it.  And so, Chan Meng Kee was 'born'.....so to speak.

 

Of course, we had to try their famous wantan mee, so we ordered a plate of char siew wantan mee @ RM6.  The char siew was indeed good but......was it as good as the one he tried to emulate (namely Meng Kee's char siew), I think not but he came very close.  Nevertheless, Chan Meng Kee's char siew was still delicious and not as sweet but fell a little short of the 'melt-in-your-mouth' deliciousness! 

 

The wantan mee, which was thinner (and more eggy) than the norm, was springy and flavourful from the pork lard fragrance and it had "chee yau char" (pork lard bits) at the bottom....yes!  The sauce is more oily than the usual wantan mee because of the lard, so if you're a 'health freak' then this is not for you. 

The wantan, on the other hand, was nothing great (probably because fragrant dried sole "chor hau yue" powder was not used).

If you decide to opt for the soup version, fret not as the char siew is served separately and not dunked into the soup.

Since their roast chicken was recommended, I ordered a plate of roast chicken drumstick wantan mee @ RM7.50.  The roast chicken is first roasted before being deep fried and, just before serving, it is 'bathed' in hot oil to crisp it up.  The chicken skin was crispy while the meat stayed tender and moist. 
 

My son's char siew rice @ RM6 was equally satisfying with a good sour-spicy chilli sauce (though I can't say the same of the rice).

 

We also ordered a plate of "siew yoke" (roast pork) @ RM7 but it was disappointing compared to the char siew.  The siew yoke was drizzled with some garlic oil, though it didn't help much, as the siew yoke skin was not crispy enough and the meat was not as flavourful.
 

We also had a bowl of "sui kow" (prawn + meat dumplings) @ RM3.60 (for 3 pcs) but it was forgettable.

 

[#Note: I had read on blogs of the 'notorious' waiting time (of up to 45 mins) for their wantan mee because they cook their noodles plate by plate.  I did not encounter any waiting time at all when I dined here (the ridiculous waiting time was probably when the episode first aired on Astro) as the initial 'hype' has probably died down (like many well-publicised eateries after the 'dust has settled')...which is perfect for people like me...no waiting time!]

On a revisit with my sister-in-law's family, I tried the Pork Rib Curry Noodle @ RM8 which came with pork ribs, potatoes, bean curd puffs and beansprouts.  The curry pork ribs were very tender and curry laksa was quite decent (though not the best I've had).

We ordered a Roast Chicken Leg @ RM12 as we enjoyed it the last time we were here.  The roast chicken skin was fragrant and the meat tender...still good.

We also ordered a plate of Deep Fried Wantan @ RM6 (for 10 pcs) for sharing.  What's not to like....freshly fried to crispy perfection (something your kids will enjoy)!
 

My Personal Opinion

Chan Meng Kee do indeed serve good wantan mee.  The difference is their springy noodles and fragrant sauce (as pork lard/"chee yau char" = flavour)!

I was disappointed that I didn't get to try their signature duck soup as it was not ready at breakfast time.

What I liked:  Definitely the wantan mee, "char siew" and roast chicken.

What I liked less:  The "siew yoke"/"siu kow"/wantan were not as good.

Revisits:  23.03.2014 (Pork Rib Curry Noodle, Roast Chicken Leg & Deep Fried Wantan)

Update:  3.08.2014 (Chan Meng Kee has moved 5 shops away from their previous location to No 44 Jalan SS2/66 since 8 July occupying an intermediate corner lot with an easy to spot new red signboard)

Restoran Chan Meng Kee
32 Jalan SS2/66
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 012-688 1972