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.
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
With unknown reason, Gai Si Hor Fun never my choice of food whenever I dine in in kopitiam, I prefer pork ball noodles :P
ReplyDeleteWhether is Ipoh sar hor fun or any of its variations like kai see hor fun, kuey teow soup or fish ball soup, I like them all! ;) It's a bit surprising to me though that you don't fancy kai see hor fun that much since both you and Sam love poached chicken coz you'll usually find good poached chicken at such a stall. Some stalls you can even order the chopped poached chicken separately! ;)
DeleteI really love to eat a good Ipoh Kai Si Hor Fun which is not easily available in PJ area. Lately we have eaten around Seapark several times but I didn't know this shop exists. I must say their traffic crawls are terrible even late at night and on weekends with not much parking space. You surprised me that you came all the way to Seapark when you could enjoy a better one at Taman Shamelin. HaHa!
ReplyDeleteI was willing to come all the way because I heard this is a "lou chiu pai" when it comes to Ipoh kai see hor fun and I wanted to see if it's any good (and how it compares to the one I like in Shamelin). Guess I have my answer now! :(
DeleteNow we know where not to eat kai see hor fun hee..hee... It looks like your regular place is where you would continue to enjoy your kai see hor fun. I'm glad your husband now appreciates kai see hor fun though he prefers it dry.
ReplyDeleteHaving it dry is not really enjoying kai see hor fun in its truest form in my books as the soup is key....hee...hee..hee! ^_~
Deletegosh, i've probably eaten at seapark more than a dozen times over the years, but this post makes me recall that i've never tried any of the kopitiams in the neighbourhood. i wonder which one would be a good one to start at :)
ReplyDeleteI've not eaten in that many places in Seapark but the one I like (and recommend as a good one to start with) is Sun Fatt Kee coz it has Teochew porridge with la la (ooh-la-la!), sisters' curry laksa & beef noodles.
DeleteI've yet to find a place in KL that can debone chicken properly like they do in Penang & Ipoh.
ReplyDeleteHey, got-lah! Some KL chicken rice shops do it properly. You mean Penang & Ipoh can debone chicken very well (ah, you're from Penang, so the biasness is understandable...haha!). I guess Ipoh has to do it right since Ipoh sar hor fun & nga choy kai are so popular there.
DeleteNo need to travel when you have good food close to home.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right...if I've found a good one close to home, there's really no necessity to go round looking for a better one to beat it.
DeleteYou are right...this place sucks big time now...our family have been patronizing this place and the other old eateries in the same vicinity since the 80's so it is really disheartening to discover that they have lost their touch!
ReplyDeleteI was also quite surprised with the outcome since this is an old and established name in kai see hor fun (and they continue to be in the top ten list of many makan guides too). I believe it's the same mother & son team (right?), so the mother must have been doing it previously and now taken over by the son who has, perhaps, done things differently? They're not the only ones in this dilemma, there have been many old names that have failed to live up to their previous standards. The younger generation who has taken over tends to cut corners (in the preparation) and prioritises profits (over quality/cost of ingredients) that has led to this sadly. :'(
DeleteI LIKE TO EAT IPOH KAI SEE HOR FUN AT RESTORAN SOO KEE THE BEST FOOD I EVER TASTE BUT NOW CAN'T ANYMORE BECAUSE OF MCO AND LOCKDOWN
ReplyDelete