Kafe Kim Keei @ Ipoh

On the third day of Chinese New Year, my sister-in-law (who resides in Ipoh) wanted to bring us to try their renowned seafood noodles. 

This (more than 30 years old) seafood noodles shop, Kafe Kim Keei @ Ipoh, is a household name in Ipoh since they started out in Ipoh old town in the early '80s before moving to Jalan Yau Tet Shin (home of the famous Lou Wong/Onn Kee Beansprouts Chicken) in the early '90s to their current place now.

The seafood noodles stall is the first one you'll encounter when entering the shop.  You'll know they're somewhat famous when you see the stall adorned with many newspaper clippings about their noodles.

We managed to secure 2 tables and my brother-in-law went on to order 9 bowls of seafood noodles which came to a total of RM117.  This was my bowl of Seafood Noodles @ RM13 which came with 3 larges prawns, lots of "yue wat" (fish paste) and topped with a sprinkling of "daun sup" (Chinese celery).  It actually comes with squid too which my brother-in-law chose to omit (I would have loved some squid in my seafood noodles though).  [#Tip: I noticed from the menu on the wall (written in Chinese) that RM13 was the most expensive one, so I assume if you opt for 1 or 2 prawns, the price would be significantly lower.  RM13 may seem expensive (by Ipoh standards) but I felt it was appropriately priced for a bowl with such ingredients (we probably can't get one at that price in KL).]

The seafood noodles came with 3 large partly de-shelled prawns which were fresh and succulent but it was the irregularly-shaped pcs of yue wat that I enjoyed even more :)  It tasted like pure fish paste...it was soft and not overly springy (from too much flour).  The broth was delicate with a slightly sweet and savoury undertone.  If you like your soup more on the bland side, this one will surely win your vote but I felt it needed just a tad more punch.  The fresh sambal belacan (chilli dip) was a perfect accompaniment to the fish paste and prawns (though I would have liked it better if it was a bit more tangy).  It's very similar to the ones we get with our "lum mee" or "pan mee".

When walking into this coffee shop, I passed by a stall selling wantan mee and their freshly fried "sui kow" (dumplings) caught my eye and I ordered 2 plates of Fried Sui Kow (of 10 pcs each) @ RM0.90 a pc.  The dumpling was crispy and generously filled with minced pork and fish and slithers of wood ear fungus.

It was so good, we ordered more while another decided to "tapau" (pack) some ;)  The fried sui kow was served with a nice sambal that went very well with the sui kow.  [#Note: While Yoke Fook Moon was stingy with their sweet sauce, this shop was very generous with their sambal dips.]

My spouse ordered this Curry "Chee Cheong Fun" (rice noodle rolls) which came with a vegetable curry.  This was alright as I didn't get as much curry powder taste in the curry probably because the long beans, brinjal and softened rehydrated "chee pei" (pig skin) lent flavour to the curry.

He also got this Chicken Curry with Yellow Glutinous Rice ("Wong Keong Farn" or "Pulut Kuning") from the same stall.  This is a very popular dish for a traditional Chinese celebration of a baby's full moon (one month old).  The pulut kuning, chicken and potatoes were cooked till tender.  I must say that the stall owner is very generous with his fried shallots :)  My spouse ordered these 2 dishes and brought it back himself, so I don't know how much they cost.

There's also a stall at the back of the shop selling all types of fried noodles and fried rice (most of the children ordered from this stall).  I didn't try any, so I wouldn't know if it's any good.

My Personal Opinion

The seafood noodle stall was the busiest since the majority of the customers are after their seafood noodles which were definitely top-notch.  Their pork noodles are equally popular.  The fried sui kow was also very decent.

If you're looking for a good bowl of seafood noodles, you won't be disappointed with this one...have it with Ipoh's slippery-smooth "sar hor fun" (rice noodles) and you'll have the goodness of their famous sar hor fun coupled with fresh seafood that'll certainly satisfy your needs!

It's a place worthy of a revisit (for sure).....but (perhaps) next time, I'll ask for some squid in my seafood noodles ;)

Kafe Kim Keei
1 Hala Bendahara 1
Off Jalan Bendahara
31650 Ipoh
Perak