Guang Ji Ho Fun @ Jalan San Peng

Jalan San Peng, off the main thoroughfare of Loke Yew, is a long street stretching from Jalan Pudu to Jalan Loke Yew in the old city area.  Though I've heard of Guang Ji Ho Fun @ Jalan San Peng for quite a while now, I didn't seek it out as it's not an area I frequent.  I was motivated to seek out this place after my excellent dining experience of kai see hor fun at Moon de Moon in Ipoh.

You can find this place located opposite the Pudu LRT station though the row of hawker stalls here don't seem to be very bothered with displaying a noticeable signboard.  So, look for Tiger Jit Singh Chapati (the only noticeable signboard if you're driving past) and Guang Ji Ho Fun is next to it (separated by a road entrance). Since this is just a roadside stall, you can park along the road next to the stall where you can keep an eye on your car while eating (or get a proper parking spot at the Pudu LRT station and walk over).

This roadside stall (with a zinc roof) isn't the most conducive eating environment, so get ready for some heat and humidity especially during the hotter days or in the afternoons.  But let's focus on the food instead of the comfort of the place since I came here for one thing...and one thing only.  So, let's start with their signature Prawn Chicken Kuey Teow or Ipoh-Style Kai See Hor Fun @ RM7.50 a bowl.

The moment the bowl of noodles arrived, I knew I've hit the jackpot just from the colour of the broth.  This photo was from our first visit.  It doesn't do the kai see hor fun justice as we were seated in a darker part of the shop.

Let me show you one (taken from a brighter spot) that's worthy of your drool.  Just look at that bright orange hue of prawn oil swimming on top of the bowl...full of prawn umami goodness!  Can you imagine what that tastes like?  Is this a broth to die for?  Omg, it sure was! ^o^

Taking a first sip, the depth of the broth immediately reminded me of the excellent one I had in Moon De Moon, Ipoh.  And here I thought the outstanding one that was full of prawn aroma I had in Ipoh could not be rivalled by any in KL.  I was wrong.

The bowl of noodles was filled with the usual ingredients of prawns that were sweet tasting (although slightly smallish and halved lengthwise), shredded chicken, crunchy beansprouts and fragrant chives, topped with freshly fried shallots (not from a packet) and that all important sprinkling of spring onions.

If there was one thing that this closely similar bowl of kai see hor fun differs from the one in Ipoh, it would have to be the texture of the hor fun (kway teow) which was not as slippery smooth and translucent as the ones from Ipoh...but (fortunately) that's not a key factor for me.

Even as you drink away the soup, the evidence of the richness of the broth is there.  You can still see the thickness and intensity of the broth when you near the bottom of your bowl.  It's that good!

And when it's that good, you don't waste a single drop...you slu..r...r....p..p...p till the very last drop! ;) Even my husband who doesn't like to drink soup was seen slurping most of it up.

It was so good that we were practically there every week for the next few weeks.  Sorry for dedicating half of this post to this kai see hor fun alone but it was just too awesome not to share the many photos of this noodle to get my point across...haha! ;D

Now that the most important dish is out of the way, let's shift our focus to the other things that are equally good here.  You can pair your meal with a side order of braised stuff.  In our first visit, we had a mixed plate (cham cham) of Braised Chicken Feet, Pork Intestines, Tofu & Egg @ RM10.50 (I caught the guy fishing out a thick slab of wobbly stewed pork belly from his braised goodies pot just in the nick of time and asked for it not to be included).

The braised chicken feet were gelatinous as they should be, sticky and saucy...and absolutely tender (by most standards) but I like mine crazily tender until they almost disintegrate and become unrecognisable (though that isn't very presentable).  Those of you who love chicken feet will definitely want this.

The second time we were there, we got ourselves the Braised Pork Belly, Egg & Tofu @ RM13.50.  Just look at that intense colour on the tofu and eggs...that's the colour of deliciousness of a well-balanced, good braising sauce.  The braised tofu took on an even darker colour this time.  Stewed eggs are usually a bit firmer in texture (especially the whites) because of them being steeped for long hours in the braising liquid but loved how intense the colour was on the the eggs and tofu.

You must be wondering why there's wobbly braised pork belly on the plate.  It was because the pork intestines weren't ready yet, so I decided to get that for someone who's a lover of fatty meat...my husband. When he took a piece, he told me that I've got to try this...and so I did.  It was falling-to-pieces and melt-in-the-mouth tender.  It was really good...and that's coming from someone who don't like to eat fatty meat! :O Pork belly fans....you must get this pronto.

On yet another visit, we went for the braised pig intestines (for her) & pork belly (for him) @ RM18 (and judging from the price, it's obvious these two items are the most expensive of the lot).  The well cleaned pork intestines were superbly tender and soft (you don't have to worry about any untoward smell coz there's none)...and the best braised item for me here.  The pork belly weren't as melt-in-the-mouth tender as the previous time (quite obvious from the colour that it wasn't braised long enough) but still sufficiently soft nevertheless.

Besides the outstanding braised goodies, their poached chicken is another fantastic side dish to complement your kai see hor fun.  The first time I had this was when I tapau-ed a packet of Poached Chicken Rice @ RM7.50.  I thought the chicken was good but felt I've eaten better ones before.  I think that's probably because this wasn't choi yin kai or kampung chicken judging from the price charged and the taste of the meat (but this was still well-made, good quality chicken).

The next few visits I had the Poached Chicken @ RM7 onsite and they were more memorable.  This time the chicken had an even smoother texture (I'm not sure if it was because the packed version had the chicken steaming in hot rice with the box closed), further enhanced in flavour by the drizzle of garlic bits and garlic oil.  If they can get normal chicken to taste that good, there is no cause for complaint.

The other key area of difference was the chicken came sitting on top of plenty of soya sauce.  Though there were reviews that the sauce was too salty (perhaps it was) but the soy was delicious and I can see why it was there in abundance...it was meant to complement the white rice which was bland on its own.  When I had the packed rice, the light drizzle of sauce wasn't quite enough.

On our third visit, I finally managed to try the Char Siew Rice @ RM9.50 (remember to ask for pun fei sau or a half fat, half lean cut).  That's because the char siew only comes out of their kitchen around 11am (coz I like to get there earlier for breakfast and tapau for lunch + it's much easier to get a seat if you're early).

The char siew again was just as good as everything else we had.  It was marvellously soft and tender with a lovely smokiness to it that's not often associated with the usual caramelised, sweet char siew you get from roasted meat stalls elsewhere.  The tenderness of the char siew was almost like fall-apart smoked brisket. Again, just fabulous.

If you tapau, don't be greedy and ask for char siew rice ka fan (aka add rice coz it was for my son) @ RM10.50 as there's just not enough meat....and sauce to go round...hah..hah! >_<

On all our visits, we were given white rice.  Perhaps we were too early? @_@  Not a big problem though since they go great with the braised stuff.

Finally got to try their chicken rice (as in chicken-flavoured rice and not white rice) in one of our visits there.  Indeed the rice was rightly coloured (not those that look artificially yellow-coloured) and nicely flavoured with the chicken stock used to cook the rice.

I noticed a picture of their handmade fish balls (no noodles) at their stall, so I ordered some of their Handmade Fish Balls @ RM5 to try.  I'm guessing it costs RM5 since I asked for five pieces (it's up to you to order the number you want).  The fish balls were alright, a bit too bouncy for me and my least favourite thing here.  It came in an equally delicious soup base that's different from the kai see hor fun...this one had that distinct salty taste of tung choy (preserved vegetable) which my husband likes.

The chilli dip was top-notch too, more spicy than tangy, spicier than the ones you'd normally get at chicken rice stalls.  I think it's that way probably because it has to complement the braised stuff which would need a spicier punch.  You can safely skip the white coffee and stick to Chinese tea here.

A meal here can easily cost RM20 - RM30 per person, certainly not all that cheap by many standards seeing that it's something of a roadside hawker stall.  Note that some of the prices stated here may be slightly off by RM0.50 - RM1 since the prices were based on total meals charged.  Some of the individual prices are accurate (as I asked) but the lady boss didn't seem too thrilled when I asked for the individual prices.  She's not what I would call super friendly either (and that includes the foreign worker guy who does all the 'chopping' though the elderly lady was much friendlier, probably the former matriarch).  I read from a blog that the owner is from Ipoh (probably so seeing how good their kai see hor fun is but I can't confirm since I don't dare ask the doesn't-seem-approachable lady boss). ;P

My Personal Opinion

Though the broth of this kai see hor fun is not as thick and sweet as the one in Moon De Moon (in Ipoh) but it's the closest in terms of taste (not to mention distance...haha!) and the best I've had in KL so far. ^.^

This is a roadside stall, so eating in total comfort/cleanliness isn't something you should dwell upon here...but this is a gem you have to seek out.  The absolute must-haves here is the kai see hor fun, first and foremost, of course...followed by....erm, just about everything else (with the exception of the fish balls).  My absolute favourite is a bowl of kai see hor fun accompanied by a plate of poached chicken and some tenderly soft intestines.

My only regret was that I've been wanting to come here for over a year now but just kept putting it off.  I shouldn't have.  Who knew I could find a kai see hor fun that's just as good as the one in Ipoh (the broth in the Ipoh one is just a tad more robust).

Now I know why some say you don't even have to travel to Ipoh anymore for a good kai see hor fun while others have said they're even better than some of the ones in Ipoh.  Well, I concur...and you can bet that there will be many, many, many more visits to come after this! ^o^

Restoran Guang Ji Ho Fun & Chicken Rice

Jalan San Peng

Pudu

55200 Kuala Lumpur

Ah Eh Noodle House @ Pandan Indah

I've noticed for quite a while now that a dedicated prawn noodle shop, Ah Eh Noodle House @ Pandan Indah, opened up in my neighbourhood.  They were a bit unfortunate to open for business right smack during the initial lockdown period of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

I've driven past the shop many times and finally had the courage to venture in after about 5 months and after reading some relatively good reviews on Google.  I took the reviews with a grain of salt though since I noticed the place is usually devoid of customers.

With a signboard that has a large prawn depicted on it, prawn mee is obviously their speciality, so let's begin with an order of Hokkien Prawn Noodle @ RM8.20 then.  The prawn broth might look the part but certainly did not taste the part.  It was bland and devoid of any prawn umami taste.  Even after dunking in a whole lot of sambal, the taste didn't improve much.

The few, miserable, smallish prawns had no sweetness in them whatsoever and they had this transparent look with a crunchy texture which make me think that they might have used frozen prawns.  With prawns like that, I can't even call this a proper prawn mee! >_<  The fried shallots weren't of the fresh, housemade kind either but of a low quality that was pre-fried and probably straight out of a packet.  Didn't care for the pork belly either that came as a standard ingredient rather than an add-on.

My spouse went for the Hokkien Dried Prawn Noodle @ RM8.20.  I've seen the dried version of prawn mee offered by some prawn mee hawkers but have never ordered one to try before.  I initially thought the dry version would be something like noodles tossed in a more concentrated prawn stock but it was actually just noodles tossed in black sauce (like any dry-type noodle) topped with ingredients similar to prawn noodles.

Well, your best bet would be to toss the noodles in the chilli paste given to try to amp up the flavours.  But it didn't do much good as it was totally tasteless even with the chilli paste mixed in (and with a comment like that, it's quite obvious you can count my husband out for a second visit).

We had a side order of Fried Lobak @ RM6.90 (for 2 pcs).  The filling was too chunky but did have a hint of five-spice.  It was just edible, certainly a far cry from a good lobak.

The Fried Shrimp Cake @ RM4.90 (for 2 pcs) were indeed super crispy, I have to give it at least that though the taste was bland...it was screaming for some salt! >.<  The prawn fritters would have been better if they were well seasoned.  The chilli dip was ok, spicy and lightly sour.

The fritters, however, did come with those small shrimp fries with big eyes and transparent shells intact (similar to krill?).  I think these small white prawns are most suitable for the shrimp fritters as they have a much softer shell to bite into which I prefer.  These ones don't have vegetables (like chives or yambean in them) except some thinly sliced small onions.

With the prawn noodles failing big time, I returned another time (by myself obviously) to try the White Curry Noodles @ RM8.20 hoping it would fare better...and it did....but only slightly.  The quantity of noodles was humungous (great for someone with a ferocious appetite, I couldn't finish).  The bowl was filled with ingredients of (very chewy) cuttlefish, fish cake slices, beancurd puffs, long beans and (smallish) cockles.

The curry flavour is one that's laden with spices than creamy with santan.  You can still taste a bit of that santan flavour but (luckily) the spices are quite well balanced without the taste of curry powder being overly prominent.  At first sip, I thought....hey, this curry isn't too bad only to realise a few sips later that it wasn't salty enough.  If it was bland for me, imagine what it'd be like for my spouse who likes his food on the savoury side.

The curry came served with a darker than usual, almost black, chilli paste that deserves mention as it looked legit (or at least authentic enough) though the ingredients may not be as authentic as a Penang curry mee with its lack of prawns and cubes of coagulated pig's blood.

This curry is already somewhat spicier than the norm but mix that chilli paste in and the curry flavour takes on a new dimension...but it also becomes even spicier.  And because the curry broth is not savoury enough, you definitely need to add more of the chilli paste.

The third and final noodle that I tried was the Jawa Mee @ RM8.20 which came with usual tiny-ass prawns (and there were only three), beancurd tofu, boiled potato slices, hard-boiled egg, bits of shredded lettuce, some crispy crackers (which turned out to be just fried wantan skins!) and kalamansi lime (not lime!).  I thought the dish would have some cuttlefish or prawn fritters...no, there were none.  The gravy (a mix of sweet potato and potatoes according to the lady boss) didn't go down well as it was one-dimensional in taste (of only potatoes to me) and overly thick (and it was served with the same chilli paste as the prawn mee).

I can't say I care for the coffees here either, be it the Iced Ipoh White Coffee O @ RM2.30 or the Iced Ipoh White Coffee @ RM2.70.

Besides Prawn Noodles, White Curry Noodles and Jawa Mee, they also offer other Penang specialities like Loh Mee, Hokkien Loh Mee and Kuey Teow Soup with Fried Popiah and Fried Wantans rounding up the snacks portion of their menu. 

My Personal Opinion

I was ecstatic when I saw a specialist prawn noodle shop opened up in my neighbourhood seeing that prawn noodles is at the very top of my favourite noodles to eat.  The encouraging reviews on Google further fanned that hope....but sadly it didn't come to fruition.

All the noodles I tried lacked seasoning (including the shrimp cake)...and coming from someone who don't like her food too savoury, that's saying a lot.  So this is more suited to tastebuds that like their food less salty or on the bland side.  After three unimpressive visits, I don't think I'll be back to try anything else.  If you're looking for some authentic Penang noodles, I'm afraid you won't find it here.  If you still wish to give it a go though, your best bet is the curry noodles (with a request for added ingredients...and put in lots of that dark chilli paste).

The only positive I can take away from this is that the place is clean and you'll be enjoying your meal in a very comfortable environment, not to mention air-conditioned too.  But it doesn't bode well for them with all three noodles failing to pass the mark especially their signature dish of prawn mee! >_<

Ah Eh Noodle House
M4-A-16 Jalan Pandan Indah 4/1
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 011-1442 5349

#ewew cooks Braised Pork Ribs with Abalone, Scallops & Mushrooms

This was a dish I cooked during the last Chinese New Year (CNY).  Yeah, I know, it's been languishing in my draft folder for months.  I meant to write (and publish) it but then the Movement Control Order (MCO) kicked in and I was preoccupied with writing other posts.

I got the inspiration to cook this dish when I visited my mom for lunch just before CNY.  She made a braised pork ribs dish with pre-fried chicken feet, vegetarian beancurd and dried Chinese mushrooms.  I enjoyed the dish so much that I took the leftovers home.

That made me ask my mom how long the ribs have to be braised in order for it to turn out so tender and was surprised when she told me anything from 40 - 50 minutes will do.  What?!....that's all, I thought it needed hours and hours of braising.

Hmmm, I'm game for that...which inspired me to replicate the dish but tweaking the ingredients slightly (for Chinese New Year).  Since I still had two cans of (gifted) abalone in my pantry, I thought why not...let's bring out that luxurious ingredient.  So, here's my take on Braised Pork Ribs with Abalone, Scallops & Mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1 kg pork ribs, chopped (by the butcher) into about 3-inch lengths

20 dried Chinese mushrooms (large), soaked & cut into halves

15 - 20 dried mini scallops, soaked in a little water

1 can Skylight abalone (which yielded about 10 small ones), halved

1 can button mushrooms (large), halved

10 shallots, peeled & sliced

Oyster, dark & light soy sauce for seasoning
A little oil for sauteing

Preparation:

Preparing the pork ribs is probably the most time consuming part of this cook.  Wash the ribs thoroughly by rubbing the bones to get rid of any small bits of bone fragments (these loose bone bits could arise during the chopping of the bones by your butcher as the bones of ribs are really hard).  I like to trim off the excess fats around the ribs too but you can leave them on if you enjoy a bit of fats in your ribs.

The rest is pretty easy....soak the mushrooms and scallops and halve the abalones and mushrooms (or you can leave them whole if you want a nicer presentation).

Method:

Fry shallots in a little oil till translucent but not browned.  The more shallots the better as they provide the aromatics for the dish and help thicken the sauce too.

Add pork ribs to sear lightly.  You can choose to steep your pork ribs in hot water first to remove the impurities.  I didn't coz this is one case where you can get away with not doing this step since the sauce is darkly coloured and the scum won't be very visible (you can still skim off the scum if you want to).

Next, add the softened dried Chinese mushrooms into the mix.  Pour the dried scallops in together with the water that was used to soak the scallops.

Add the water from the soaked mushrooms as well as the liquid from the can of abalone (but not the liquid from the can of button mushrooms, that you can discard as it tastes sour).  Give it a good stir to mix everything together.

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for between 40 - 50 minutes (covered) until pork ribs are tender.  I seasoned the sauce with a combination of dark soy (just a little for colour), oyster sauce and light soy.  I will not tell you how much seasoning to use as that depends on how much water you use + the soaking liquid of the abalones can also be salty (depending on the brand you're using).  So, taste, taste, taste.  Underseason at this point as the simmering will cause the sauce to reduce and intensify in flavour.

Add the abalones in around 10 minutes before the end of the cooking period.  At this point taste the sauce and tweak the seasoning to ensure it's right...and to your satisfaction.  And if you think there is too much sauce, that won't be the case as it'll never be enough coz the mushrooms tend to soak up the liquid while sitting idly in the pot.

The ready-to-eat button mushrooms need just 5 minutes to warm up in the sauce.  I added the button mushrooms coz I just wanted more mushrooms in my dish (this ingredient is totally optional).  I'd probably omit this the next time I cook this again as the button mushrooms didn't do anything to the dish.

And there you have it.....my pot of cooked Braised Pork Ribs with Abalone, Scallops & Mushrooms.  Perfect for any celebration with its premium ingredients of abalone, scallops and mushrooms....though I didn't cook it for our reunion makan since my sister-in-law chose to cook a mushroom dish this year.  So, I made it a few days later for my next door neighbour and hairdresser (and kept some for our own consumption, of course).

The pork ribs were delicious and super tender from the braising.  Though anything from 40 - 50 minutes will render it tender, you can cook it for an hour just to be sure (if you're paranoid like me that it won't be tender enough).  It's a perfect dish for the Chinese New Year dinner table as it can be made ahead and reheated at a moment's notice.

I love the mushrooms which absorbed all the flavours in the sauce.  Just look at the disintegrated scallops which helped thicken the sauce as well as give it that lovely umami flavour. ^o^

And then you have the decadent abalones, soft but still with a bit of a bite.  Who doesn't love abalone?  Most of us get to eat it only occasionally, usually during festivities like CNY or during a celebration of some sort. The more, the merrier, when it comes to abalones if you can afford it, I say.

This dish turned out easier to cook than I expected...even easier than my Braised Mushrooms with Abalone & Fatt Choy dish (coz I didn't have to prepare the braising stock with chicken feet separately)....and it tasted better too.  I think this is due to the pork ribs imparting flavour to the braising liquid.  This recipe is another keeper...and looks like it's in time for CNY....next CNY, that is.  But you can try it now for your normal day dinner....even without the abalone, I assure you, it'll taste just as phenomenal. ^.^