Soo Kee (Ipoh Kai See Hor Fun) @ Seapark PJ

Ipoh sar hor fun is one of my favourite soup noodles to eat and I've been eating it regularly at a shop in Taman Shamelin near me.  My spouse, who has never liked soup noodles, decided to try one day after noticing me eating it religiously every time I'm there.  Since this place offers kai si hor fun in dry-style, he has a newfound love for this noodle though the default (and best) way to eat this should be in soup.

And because of this, I can now walk into a shop dedicated to serving Ipoh sar hor fun only (which I wasn't able to do previously...but, of course, I had to check if they serve the dry-style version first). ^_~  So that brought us to Soo Kee @ Seapark PJ, a very old (and established) name when it comes to Ipoh sar hor fun (or shredded chicken kuey teow)...but the shop is old and dated (as evidenced by the very worn out signboard), not the most conducive place to eat.

Anyway, let's start with a bowl of their signature Ipoh Kai Si Hor Fun in soup which came with the usual ingredients of kai see (shredded chicken), prawn wontons, gow choy (Chinese chives) and a sprinkling of fried shallots (unfortunately store-bought).

The hor fun isn't the thin, slippery smooth and transparent like the Ipoh sar hor fun I've come to know.  Their version of kueh teow isn't as thin and tends to clump together with a starchier feel.

As for the taste of the soup, it was fairly flavourful but lacking the aroma and sweetness that I seek...plus it was also missing that lovely fragrant prawn oil.  The key to a good bowl of Ipoh kai see hor fun is in the soup base and the overall taste was just off for me.  

They offer the dry-style here which my spouse ordered, of course.  I don't know how the dark sauce fared but it looked too oily and in great abundance at a glance.  I didn't need to try as my spouse said it wasn't anything like the one he eats at our usual Ipoh Kai Si Hor Fun stall.

Both the dry-style and soup versions came with five prawn wontons, a good and generous number indeed.

The single prawn inside wasn't a very big one though they were fresh and firm but not exactly all that sweet-tasting.

Perhaps the glory days of this well-known Ipoh sar hor hun are over.  It's certainly nowhere near some of the good ones I've eaten thus far.  Heck, I even have two unassuming kai see hor fun stalls in my housing area (like the one above) that I'd rather have although the broth could be better.

Even though they don't come with prawn wontons, they have prawns to make up for it and this other one (at least) tastes better than Soo Kee's.

As with any kai si hor fun shop, they're touted to serve good poached chicken and fat, crunchy beansprouts as well.  Since there were only two of us, I ordered an extra plate of poached chicken (for one pax) to share...and asked for my favourite cut of kai yee tou (chicken thigh).

I didn't enjoy this poached chicken (for 3 reasons) even though I must admit that the chicken was smooth and tender.  1)  I didn't like was that it was drenched in thick oyster sauce (which was too salty as well) that drowned out and overpowered the taste of the chicken itself.  I'd much rather have a sauce made with a good quality light soy, maybe with a bit of fried garlic and garlic oil.  2)  The chicken felt cold.  I read some reviews that say it's served chilled (it makes no sense to serve it chilled when it's usually accompanied by a bowl of hot noodles or rice)...but yet it wasn't cold enough to be categorised as chilled either (yet it wasn't quite room temperature).  I don't know how to describe it.  Maybe it's because the chicken parts were left sitting exposed as they were all chopped up beforehand (that's what I saw when I walked in and some parts looked too bloody).  3)  The chicken wasn't deboned.  I'm not expecting for the chicken to be totally deboned but I was expecting some parts to be deboned (especially the main drumstick and thigh bone) as it's usually done by most chicken rice stalls.

I don't know the individual prices of what we ate but the total bill came to RM29 for the two of us (probably about RM10 for a bowl of noodles) with a glass of Chinese tea.

I also read about the proprietors temperament (a mother-and-son team) of shouting with one another on a daily basis.  That was after I went to their shop (if I had known beforehand, I'd probably have chosen not to go).  Thank goodness I didn't witness any such altercation on my visit.

My Personal Opinion

Since this is such an old name specialising in Ipoh sar hor fun, perhaps the standard isn't as good as they were back then.  Nothing from the hor fun to the soup base to the prawn wontons to the poached chicken I cared for really.  The environment of an old and dated shop with a slightly dark and not-so-clean interior didn't help it one bit.

In the end, it's not a kai see hor fun I'd want to eat again! >_<  Why would I....when I have a much, much better one nearer me in Taman Shamelin and a fairly decent one right in my neighbourhood. ^_~

Restoran Soo Kee

33 Jalan SS21/17

Seapark

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 03-7876 7736

More food inside!

Over the past year, I've had many meals from dahmakan.....some wonderful....and some not so wonderful. You can read the meals I've tried so far in my previous entries here, here and here.

Even though I'm no longer a dahmakan Select member now, I still order meals from them from time to time when the cook or kitchen is having a downtime! ;)

#1 - Assam Laksa @ RM9.90


lai fun (or laksa noodles), assam broth, pineapple, lettuce, lemongrass, prawn paste

Since I've not tried any of their noodles, I thought I'd give their assam laksa a go...but I wasn't expecting the elaborate packaging that it came in.  This was what I was confronted with when I opened the lid.  There's a separate plastic compartment for the noodles and another plastic container for the broth and all this is then put into a paper container.

I wish the packaging was simpler (like D'Laksa) with one paper container for the broth and one plastic bag for the noodles.  I guess it can't be helped as they have to ensure everything is packaged as one so that the rider doesn't forget anything and that the broth doesn't spill while intransit.

The noodles looked hard at first glance but then I understood when I realised the reheating instructions ask that you put the noodles into the broth to reheat.  After reheating, the noodles tasted exactly like lai fun you come to expect in assam laksa but don't expect the noodles to be in long strands as they've been cut in order to fit into the small box.

So that would mean the noodles will be a small portion as well coz, after all, how much noodles can you fit into a container that's slightly over an inch in height! >.<  Luckily, I was able to "kar liew" since I had some yong tau foo leftover from earlier otherwise it wouldn't have been quite enough.

The noodles came with just a piece of lettuce, bits of lemongrass, some pieces of canned (not fresh) pineapple and a wedge of lime.  You won't find staples of shredded cucumber or onions...there weren't any (and, to me, I can't really have the whole assam laksa experience without these vegetables)! >_<

The assam broth was fairly thick with bits of (probably) canned mackerel or sardines but it was neither spicy nor sour enough (even after I squeezed the lime in)...and that, to me, is not the essence of a good assam laksa broth (although I must confess that I didn't pour all the har ko (prawn paste) in but it wouldn't have made any difference coz when I tasted it on its own, it was sweet instead of spicy).  By right, it should be very spicy, that's why I usually omit it (or use only a very light drizzle).

For an assam laksa to be successful, you want the spiciness and sourness to hit you in the face...and this one didn't do that (but if you like one that's neither spicy nor sour, then this one fits the bill).  Guess I won't be ordering this noodle dish again (or any other noodle dish for that matter anytime soon)...there's just too much plastic packaging for one noodle dish alone and the extra work needed in reheating and washing just isn't worth the effort.   Note that the dish arrives cold (or room temperature at best), so reheating is a must...and since I only reheat broth to boiling point in glass containers, that meant even more washing up to do.

#2 - Brazilian Fish & Squid Stew @ RM24.90

fish fillet, squid, cilantro brown rice, broccoli & carrot, spicy sauce

I'm not sure what fish was used but they were much thicker slices than the ones that came with Thai Red Fish Curry I had previously.  Nevertheless, the fish chunks (about 5 good-sized chunks) were soft and flaky.  The squid was tender too (and I found at least 4 slices of the squid tube).

The spicy sauce was really good....it was da bomb! ^o^  I didn't expect it to be that spicy though I was able to tolerate the heat.  This dish had a spiciness score of 2-chillies which is just about the heat level I'm comfortable with (I could probably go 1-chilli higher but that's about it for me).  I better stay away from those with a 4 or 5-chillies rating! :O

I'm not sure why it's called a Brazilian stew as it tasted a bit like our assam pedas minus the sourness.  This sauce also had a thicker consistency to the one that came with the Thai Red Fish Curry and Portugese Steamed Fish.  This sauce was the best of the three...and the best dish thus far from dahmakan that I've tasted.

And, for once, there is no complaint of not enough sauce as it was plentiful.  I loved the sauce so much that this is the first time I'm going to say I wanted more of the brown rice (with bits of coriander and green chillies).  The vegetables of broccoli and carrot was undercooked as usual but, this time, I didn't even mind as I dutifully ate the hard vegetables after they've been dunked into the sauce.  If there's just one dish you want to try from dahmakan, make it the Brazilian Fish & Squid Stew...period.  This one I have no qualms whatsoever about reordering. ^.^

#3 - Garlic Black Pepper Chicken @ RM14.90

chicken pieces, onion, red capsicum, black pepper sauce

The chicken chunks (from chicken breast) seem to have been deep-fried as there's a batter coating the chicken pieces, the texture of which made me feel like I was eating chicken nuggets.

Although onions and red capsicum are listed in the ingredient list, I actually found only one miserable piece of red capsicum and maybe two pieces of onion.  Not sure if the vegetables were actually lacking or it was a portioning problem during packing.

Flavour-wise, it was an ok dish, not overly peppery in taste.  Portion of chicken and rice commensurate with the price paid.

#4 - Roast Chicken Breast with Sweet Potato Mash @ RM26.90

chicken breast, sweet potato mash, green capsicum & onions, mushroom sauce

It's not quite me to order a dish of chicken breast (since I dislike this cut of chicken immensely) but it was the vegetables of green capsicum & onions that were peeking from the menu pic (finally something other than broccoli & carrot) that encouraged me to order chicken breast for once.  And.....surprise, surprise...it turned out better than I expected.

The chicken breast, though known for its dryness, actually turned out rather pleasant as it had a decent flavour and charring on the outside.  The sweet potato mash was very good...sweet tasting, smooth and with a few chunky bits.  Portions of chicken and mash were substantial...this is one dish you won't complain of not being enough.

The accompanying mushroom sauce, fairly thick and made with shiitake and oyster mushrooms, was really good too with the flavour of mushrooms coming through (I wanted more sauce).  The sauce, sauteed vegetables and sweetness of the mash all contributed to make the chicken breast less dry...the sweet potato mash especially (it wouldn't have worked if it was a potato mash).  Eat each forkful of the chicken with the sauce and a bit of mash and you'll soon forget that it's chicken breast that you're eating.

Recently however, I noticed that dahmakan's website has been revamped and one of the first things I noticed was that there are even lesser choices now (of meals priced above RM20) compared to before but the side dishes of drinks & desserts have increased significantly.  The other obvious thing I noticed was that they're now more focussed on offering the more affordable meals (priced RM14.90 & below) packaged with Tealive, Starbucks, Famous Amos or Krispy Kreme.  Perhaps they're consolidating, hoping to reduce wastage and manage costs better by offering less choices.

I've tried some of these cheaper meals, though they're not all that bad, they aren't something I'd be interested in having again.  That's because the vegetable component in the rice meals is sorely lacking (in both variety and taste) and having to rely on just chicken isn't quite what I fancy.  For a Chinese-like rice meal at that price, I'd be better off having chap fan where I can have more vegetables than rice to fill me up.

This switch seems more suited for office workers who have no time to eat out but want a quick, affordable meal delivered to their desk.  For me personally, I prefer the choices of the pricier meals (for dinner time) and now that there are even lesser options, I guess my dahmakan orders will be infrequent one-off orders from now on.

Note: Dahmakan has since been rebranded to Pop Meals (in late 2020)

HK Porky Noodle House @ Pandan Indah

Some weeks back, I noticed a new pork noodle place opened up in my housing area, HK Porky Noodle House @ Pandan Indah, which has now been in operation for slightly less than two months.

Obviously, I knew it'd be a pork noodles shop from the name of the place itself + I've actually seen their other branch in SS2 (though I've not tried) and so was hopeful when they decided to open a branch here.

Since their speciality is obviously pork noodles, that's what we should start with.  I ordered the Pork Mixian Noodle Soup @ RM9.50...a fully loaded bowl, I must say.  Looks they don't stinge on ingredients here.

You have an option to choose the porky ingredients that 'suit' you.  The selection includes minced pork + slice pork, minced pork + slice pork + meat ball, minced pork + slice pork + slice pork belly, one with everything (minced pork + slice pork + pork intestine + pork liver + pork stomach) or one with a seafood option of minced pork + slice pork + prawn + squid.

I ordered mine with everything, of course! ;)  You get the usual ingredients of minced pork, sliced pork, pork liver and pork intestines just like any other bowl of pork noodles.

But the one exception was the inclusion of chee tow or pig stomach which you don't find in most pork noodles.  And some of the the intestines were at least twice the length of what you'd get elsewhere! ^.^

The pork liver were cut thickly too unlike the usual thin ones you'd get elsewhere.  Not only that, the liver slices were not overcooked, still slightly bloody when they arrived.

The mixian noodles (some might call it mee sua but it's nothing like mee sua though) are actually very similar to the mixian noodles you get at Go Noodles House.  The best noodle choice with the soup version (in my opinion) as the noodles don't absorb the soup and retains its texture throughout the meal.

At first impression, I noticed that the soup was a murky rendition, not the more common clear soup in other pork noodles.  It was rather savoury and very robust in flavour, the result of probably painstaking hours and hours of boiling the stock (similar to a good ramen bone broth).

For those who don't like the soup version, there's always the dry option as seen here with a mix of mihun + yellow mee.  I especially liked the mihun as it's much thinner than those I get elsewhere.

Make it even better with an order of extra pork lard for RM1.  Unfortunately, the tiny plate of pork lard came with the lard oil as well, so you have to pick out the lard crisps one by one (like I did) if you don't wish to consume the oil (not sure why the oil was not drained off first).

The dry version was tasty too...possibly made better by more of the really fresh and very crispy chee yau char (pork lard)....the all important ingredient!

For my spouse, he likes fatty meat, so he likes to have his dry pork noodles with the minced pork + slice pork + slice pork belly option @ RM12.50.  The pork belly is sliced really thin and they cook it by pouring hot broth over the meat (that's what they advertise in their Facebook).

The only difference (for me) in having the noodles dry was that the accompanying soup with the porky ingredients felt more concentrated and was even more robust in flavour (maybe because the ingredients were cooked with less soup since it's a much smaller bowl).  I could only manage to drink a few spoonfuls of the soup as it was too flavourful for my taste buds.  And for this reason, I definitely preferred the soup version as it was a bigger bowl of soup and not so strong + the noodles also helped to reduce some of the saltiness.

On one visit, I was curious to try the seafood version of Pork Mixian Noodle Soup @ RM20 with minced pork + slice pork + prawn + squid.  Not cheap but at least the ingredients were plentiful.

It came with two rather huge, fresh, juicy prawns....

.....and quite a few (at least 4 - 5) slices of tender squid.

The soup base of this one had a slightly orange hue to it...maybe from a drizzle of prawn oil?  I also noticed some tiny specks of chillies.  This broth was surprisingly lighter with a hint of sweetness to it (probably from the addition of seafood).  This tasty broth turned out to be my favourite maybe because it didn't feel as savoury.

New on the menu is the Pork Belly Spicy Mixian Noodle Soup (RM14) for those who prefer something spicy. Don't know how spicy this is as it isn't something I'd try since it comes with pork belly which I don't really fancy.

For those on a keto diet, low-carb ketogenic meals are on offer at higher prices (of course) which are all liew and no noodles if you fancy such a selection.  Know also that you have the option to add any extra porky ingredient you like.  My choice would be either intestines, liver or stomach...but, alas, I can't afford to do that as the standard bowl is already too filling for me.

There's Hakka Mee (an option of plain, with chilli or fish skin) on the menu for those who feel like eating something else other than pork noodles.

Rounding up the menu are some of the usual snacks on offer from soup wantans to fried dumpling, dumpling soup to meat ball soup and some less conventional types of fried squid and fried fish skin but they can be quite pricey, some even pricier than a bowl of noodles, with prices ranging from RM7 - RM13.50.

I have to say their Iced White Coffee @ RM5 was really good, and a tall glass at that.  Can be shared by two...just like their noodles (if you happen to be a smallish eater).

My Personal Opinion

I'm glad they opened an outlet here as I now have a good option for pork noodles near me coz the pork noodle stalls in my neighbourhood are not nearly as good.

Although the soup base may be a little too robustly flavoured for me, this is still a viable option for pork noodles.  The option with seafood offers a slightly lighter stock base but I may be too lazy to tackle the prawns with shells and all.  So I will stick to soup noodles and enjoy the mixian with all the delicious porky liew but will just drink less of the soup. ^_~

HK Porky Noodle House
3A-G Jalan Perubatan 4
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur