Mak's Chee @ Pavilion Elite

Well, I wanted to give HK Boy Cart Noodle a second chance when I was in Pavilion recently but they shot themselves in the foot by not opening on time (and by that, I mean really late).

So, their loss is someone else's gain...and that's how I ended up giving the other Hong Kong noodle house here a go, Mak's Chee @ Pavilion Elite, which started operations in May last year.  Their first outpost was opened in One Utama a little more than two years ago.

To start, one should have their Signature Sea Prawn Wonton Soup Noodle but I decided against it as the last time I had Hong Kong-style wonton noodles, it had a strong "kansui" (alkaline) taste which I was not fond of. So, I decided to order just the Signature Sea Prawn Wonton Soup @ RM15.90 (small with 8 pcs, RM22.90 for large with 12 pcs) as I didn't want the noodles to compromise the taste of the soup.

The clear broth, slow-cooked and flavoured with dried flounder fish, dried shrimp roe and pork bones (it had the taste of dried scallops to me too), was ok...not particularly robust in flavour nor particularly tasty as far as I'm concerned.

The prawn wontons, on the other hand, with thin and translucent skins, were filled with sea-caught prawns that were fresh and firm to the bite.  They use local prawns (it seems) as they found ours to be of a better quality than the ones in Hong Kong.  I loved the prawn wontons as they were reassuringly juicy and sweet tasting. ^o^

If you like a fried version of the wontons, go for their Deep Fried Wonton & Dumpling (4 + 2 pcs) @ RM16.90 (large of 6 + 3 pcs cost RM23.90) served with a chilli dip that's very similar to a Thai chilli sauce.

You get prawn-filled wontons that are perfectly fried to absolute crispiness.  I'm sure you and your kids will enjoy these as much as I did.

The crispy dumplings, on the other hand, filled with prawns, a bit of minced pork and crunchy shreds of wood ear fungus, were just as satisfying.

The Prawn Roe Dry Noodles @ RM12.90, sprinkled with lots of prawn roe powder, brought out the fragrant and savoury taste in the noodles.  The taste of the prawn roe was slightly salty, faintly fishy (in a good way) and a little crunchy is how I would describe it...loved it! ;)

Mak's Chee duck egg noodles are very thin, much thinner than the typical egg noodles we're accustomed to and unlike any I've eaten before, cooked to a wonderful firm and springy texture.  It turned out surprisingly good and my fears of the alkaline taste in the noodles were unfounded.  Though the noodles might look dry, it wasn't as the fine texture made it very easy to eat.  Anyway, each plate of dry noodles is accompanied by a small bowl of soup should you need some soupy relief.

Authentic Hong Kong wonton noodles are eaten with a Hong Kong-style chilli sauce (this was similar when I had noodles at Starz Kitchen too) but I was a little surprised to see the pickled green chillies.

There's even a page in the menu dedicated to how you should eat the noodles with the chilli sauce or chilli oil...which is to put the chilli sauce or chilli oil onto your spoon and dip your noodles or wonton in the sauce for every bite.  Of course, for us locals, we find it kind of weird to eat wonton noodles with a chilli paste.

Plus, I didn't care for the spicy chilli sauce.  So, I was pleasantly happy to find pickled green chillies on the table.  I guess the presence of green chillies is testament that they're trying to cater to our local tastebuds.

And then I noticed this stand promoting a rice set...surprise, surprise....rice on the menu in an authentic Hong Kong noodle shop.  I suppose they have to 'widen their net' to cater to those who might want rice instead of noodles.

It's a dish of Thai fragrant rice served with premium luncheon meat and Omega-8 eggs drizzled with homemade first draw soy sauce...now who can resist a description like that! ;P  I know I can't, so I ordered it at the promotion price of RM12.90.  I don't know what this dish is called but the plastic card holder stand on the table says "Cursory Rice"...whatever that means!  The portion is quite big that even two small-eaters (or two children) can share.

The luncheon meat was certainly premium alright, absolutely fragrant and tasty....and there were three thick slices.

Let me show you how thick they were :)

The omega egg yolks, that seem larger and more plump than usual, expertly cooked to a beautifully runny and creamy consistency, were great eaten with a drizzle of good quality soy.  And the first draw soy (with extra served separately) was of a good quality alright, so much so I ended up drizzling more onto my eggs and rice.  Even the Thai fragrant rice, cooked to a perfect texture, almost al dente with a firm bite, deserves mention as it will appeal to those who can't stand mushy rice.

Oozy eggs and fragrant luncheon meat are two of the yummiest things in the world to a kid.  I thought so too when I was a kid!  Even now...when I'm not a kid....kekeke! :P  Order this for your children...and you can thank me later when they say you're the best mom in the world...haha! :D  Imagine piercing the yolk and letting it run all over the rice, coating every grain with its creaminess, with savoury hints from the mixture of soy and, to top it all off, fragrant luncheon meat.

This is a big call...but that was the single most satisfying carb-loaded comfort dish I've eaten this year.  Every item from the soy to the rice to the eggs to the luncheon meat was every bit of perfection on a plate.  I noticed the words 'for a limited time only' on the place cards...and I hope that refers to the promotional price...and not the dish.  I'd certainly want to see it on the menu permanently.

For this set, you can add on Champion Milk Tea on Bed of Ice @ RM3 (usual price RM7.90)...and, for once, I enjoyed their version of HK milk tea.

The HK Style Coffee (Hot) @ RM4.90 was alright, not particularly a favourite.  I definitely preferred the Champion Milk Tea.

As I exited the place, I bumped into these two 'fine specimens' near the cashier counter...dry prawn roe (used to toss the dry noodles) on the left and dried flounder (used for the stock) on the right.  Both these ingredients are imported from Hong Kong.  The dried sole I see sold at markets here are of a much smaller variety.  If only I could run out of there with these two 'prized possessions' but that would be wishful thinking....kekeke! :D

My Personal Opinion

After striking out twice with Hong Kong-style cuisine in Starz Kitchen and then HK Boy Cart Noodles, it was third time lucky and a relief to finally find Hong Kong-inspired food that I (at least) enjoyed.

The prawn wontons, both the fried and soup version, are what you need to get here.  The dry prawn roe noodles was the other surprise favourite but the luncheon meat rice was what I enjoyed the most.

It's funny that I came here primarily to try their authentic wonton noodles (which is still more than satisfying) but leave raving about their premium quality luncheon meat and double egg rice.  If I can only have one dish here, it'll be this one.  Each time I'm in Pavilion now, I'm thinking of having it. ^_^

Mak's Chee
Lot 7.101.02 Level 7
Pavilion Elite
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2110 1635