Yap Hup Kee (Chee Cheong Fun) @ Pudu

If I'm in the mood for some 'good ole' chee cheong fun, this is one of the "makan" (eating) places where you'll find me on a Sunday morning.  Restaurant Yap Hup Kee @ Pudu specialises in "Chee Cheong Fun" (CCF) and Hakka "Yong Tau Foo (YTF)".  This place is just a stone's throw away from the famous Pudu "siew yoke" (roast pork).

For those staying in the PJ area (don't despair), they have another branch in Damansara Utama to cater to your CCF & YTF cravings.

Go to the front of the restaurant and pick out whatever YTF that you like and they have quite a wide variety.  They will deep fry your selected YTF again to ensure maximum crispiness, before serving them to you.  As this is Hakka YTF, the paste (I believe) is a mixture of fish, pork and (in some cases) salted fish.

Their Sweet Sauce Chee Cheong Fun with "Har Mai" (Dried Shrimps) @ RM2.50 is always what I'm after when I come here.  CCF is basically made from ground rice flour and steamed into flat smooth sheets.  The "teem cheong" served here is the darkish brown type and not the reddish ones like Ipoh-style CCF.  The crispy (minced) dried shrimps added the necessary fragrant aroma to the dish (although I noticed that the har mai seems to be diminishing year after year).

However, if you like curries like me, you can opt for the Curry Chee Cheong Fun @ RM2.50.  I personally prefer the curry version which is not spicy but still flavourful.  It may not be the best curry I've had but it's good enough to fix my curry craving.

Here's our selected Hakka "Yong Tau Foo" @ RM1.10/pc which has been refried to crispy perfection.  The YTF is normal tasting, just like the many YTFs I've eaten over the years, but what sets them apart is that they have a few more 'uncommon' YTF types that you don't find at other places.

Some of the unusual ones are the luncheon meat and long beans wrapped in stuffed bean curd sheets.  Then, there are fried wantans with bits of salted egg yolk inside and fried pig's intestines.  They've even got some fried rolls thingy (don't know what they are called really) that resembles the taste of vegetarian (mock) duck.  They also have stuffed four angle beans and crab meat sticks wrapped with seaweed.

Our favourites are the stuffed (fried) tau foo (which has a hint of salted fish in the paste), brinjal and fish/pork cakes.  The fish+pork cakes are pricier @ RM3.00/pc though but they are really good.  If I have one small complaint, it's the colour of their deep fried YTF which comes out a little bit darker than the norm.  The reason for this is either the quality of the oil used/reused or the double frying (refrying) process.

I also liked the Minced Pork "Loh Shee Fun" in Soup @ RM3.50.  The "Loh Shee Fun" (silver needle noodles) is really soft and the clear broth, when mixed with the minced pork, brought out its flavour.  You can also have this in a dry version ("kon loh") or with curry.

My Personal Opinion

The chee cheong fun is the true 'star' here with the fairly commendable yong tau foo in a supporting role.  Anything deep fried is always good what!

Likes:  The curry chee cheong fun, minced pork loh shee fun soup, fish+pork cakes and stuffed (fried) tau foo.

Dislikes:  The place looks dilapidated and dirty (not as clean as we would like it to be) as it has been 'unchanged' for many, many years.  [#Note: Well, the good news is that they are (finally) going to close down for renovations (for about a month in April 2014 according to a notice on the wall).  And when they re-open, I no longer have to worry about the cleanliness issue anymore as the place will be 'spick and span'.]

Update (5.10.2014):  On a recent revisit, the place has been spruced up and repainted (the façade is now in a dark shade of red and can be easily spotted).  Although the interior structure of the building remained the same, it has been retiled and repainted as well.  The place now looks a lot cleaner and brighter for your dining comfort.

Yap Hup Kee Restaurant

45 Jalan Brunei Barat
Off Jalan Pudu
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2148 9220