Restoran Station 8 (Penang Curry Mee) @ SS2 PJ

This will be my shortest blogpost ever! ;D  In fact, I wasn't planning to post this but thought I'd put my two cents in seeing how this Penang curry mee is the rave.  Restoran Station 8 used to be known as Restoran Okay which I've visited a few times before.  But that was before I read out about the existence of a good (and legendary) Penang curry mee here at Restoran Station 8 @ SS2 PJ (from reviews of prominent bloggers).  Since then, I've been wanting to try but by the time I get there (which is usually before 10 am), I find them already closed.

That was before I knew that the stall (photo courtesy of my husband) is reputed to sell out quickly...sometimes within an hour after opening or as early as 8+ am! >.<  So if I've any hope of eating this, it's to ask my husband to tapau (when he's in the vicinity) and he attempted to do that one morning only to find them sold out when he got there.  So, he tried again another day and made sure he got there even earlier.

And this time he was successful.  This is the bowl of Penang Curry Mee filled with all the essentials a good bowl of Penang curry mee should have and that's prawns, cuttlefish, sihum (clams), (the ever requisite) blood cubes, tofu pok (beancurd puffs) and beansprouts.  I'm not sure if this qualifies as Penang white curry mee (though a lot of people refer to it as such) as the broth was certainly not white when served/packed.

The prawns and sihum were fresh and of a decent size.  I've never cared much for the chewy, crunchy texture of the rather tasteless cuttlefish (the same ones as those you'd find in a dish of Cuttlefish/Sotong Kangkong) that has been pre-soaked in alkaline water nor the blood cubes which others swoon over.

For me, a bowl of good curry me has to pass the all-important broth test even if all the vitally essential ingredients are there (especially the blood cubes for some)...and for me, it was a real letdown! >_<  The broth was much too thin with the santan (coconut milk) barely detectable.  Even the tofu puffs were disappointing as they didn't seem to have soaked in the flavours of the broth...probably not submerged in the curry long enough.

Luckily, it was made better by the sambal (but unfortunately only slightly!) which looks more darkly coloured than those I've ever encountered before...signifying that this chilli paste has been cooked for a long time to achieve such dark caramelisation.  It was certainly one of the better sambals I've had.

This coffee shop is also known to house a reputable wantan mee and (James Bond) char kway teow, both of which I've tried before but thought nothing of it.  The one I ended up liking turned out to be the one that's flying under the radar (the one that no-one speaks of) and that's the unique fish ball noodles that comes with Hakka char yoke (stewed pork).

My Personal Opinion

The sambal, though very good (and different), wasn't enough to save this legendary Penang curry mee entirely in the end as the curry broth was much too thin and light (for my tastebuds)...to the point of being bland, if I've to be honest.  Perhaps authentic Penang curry mee is supposed to taste like that.  Hmmm.....but I've had the one in Jia Li Mian (also supposedly Penang curry mee) and it was the complete opposite...the curry broth was thick and creamy. ^_~

I'm not sure why people would be willing to get to the stall so early and wait so long only to be served a bowl of rather underwhelming curry mee....but, of course, that's just my opinion (and me not liking the taste). Now that I've tasted it, I know I wouldn't need to purposely wake up early to get it...and I can safely strike it off my list...but I'm sure some will beg to differ! ;)  People mention an elderly uncle manning the stall but (from the photo) that's clearly not an old uncle, so I'm not sure if the food standard is still the same.

Restoran Station 8

No 2 Jalan SS2/10

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Teow Chew Meng @ SS2 PJ

I was invited to join a family lunch by my sister-in-law at this place, Teow Chew Meng @ SS2 PJ, which I've not eaten at before, so I (of course) answered in the affirmative.  My sister-in-law said that we have to get there early as the place fills up quickly during peak hours, so we got there before 12 noon.

From the name of the shop, it's quite obvious that the place specialises in Teochew food.  Just like most Chinese tai chow kind of restaurants, it has a no-frills interior but is, at least, air-conditioned for a more comfortable dining experience.

Their signature dish is the Mee Sua Tow @ RM14.50 per pax (this pot was a 2-pax portion) which contains mee sua (a type of very thin wheat vermicelli) served in a viciously starchy seafood broth with seafood gems like prawns, scallops, fish meat and processed crabstick (the seafood items are clearly not visible) before finishing with a good sprinkling of fried garlic bits and chopped spring onions.

I think I managed to fish out just about all the available types of seafood into my bowl (so that you can see)...lol.  Of these, I enjoyed the fresh, flaky fish meat the most.  The very starchy consistency of the noodle broth (however) will thin out as you eat and end up more like a soup.

On its own, the mee sua tow tasted very bland even for someone like me who likes subtle flavours.  The key is to add a dollop of black vinegar to lift up the flavours...but since I'm not fond of black vinegar, I didn't put any in.  It's similar to what you would do to sharksfin soup...which I never did unless someone adds it into the pot (like during wedding dinners or such) but these days people are more aware that it isn't to everyone's liking, so it's best left to the individual to add on their own).  That's probably why it tasted bland to me as it needed the black vinegar (I added soy sauce instead!). >_<

Some will even add a bit of the chilli paste available tableside to perk up the flavours (which I found out later when I read the reviews).  My sister-in-law clued me in on the Chinese words on the chilli condiment container (on the left) which says "lat sei lei" (which literally translates to "spicy die you").  There were also English words "super spicy chilli sauce" on the container to warn you just in case you don't read Chinese.  I tasted just a tiny speck of it...and my tongue was sent into spicy overdrive (they really mean what they say)! >.<  P/S: I'm assuming the other container of sambal is for the noodles.

No wonder it tasted bland on its own without the addition of vinegar and chilli though my sister-in-law seemed to enjoy it just the way it was.  Apart from the overly starchy consistency which I can't say I'm a fan of, I'll refrain from saying if it's any good since I didn't eat it the right way...so you be the judge when you try this.

The Oyster Mee @ RM17.80 was some kind of braised noodles in dark sauce with oysters, (small) prawns, fish cake slices and Chinese dried mushrooms.  This was probably a one-pax protion.

Unfortunately I didn't get any oysters (I think there were very few), so I can't vouch if they were fresh and juicy but the noodle texture (which looked like handmade noodles) was great and I enjoyed it with the pleasantly satisfying sauce.

The third noodle dish ordered was the Fried Lye Fun @ RM13.80 again filled with almost the same ingredients as before.  The noodle used in this dish was lai fun which is the type of noodle often served with assam laksa.

The noodle has a very soft, lightly starchy and chewy consistency...and it's not a noodle that's easy to fry but this was done very well.  It was fried with some curry leaves which gives off that wonderful perfumy fragrance to flavour the noodles.  Out of the three noodles we had, I thought this was the best of the three.

If there is one thing I wish to highlight, it's the rather crunchy texture of the prawns utilised in all the noodle dishes that showed signs that they were probably chemically processed frozen prawns as they didn't have that innate sweetness of fresh, good quality prawns that I know.  Seeing the prices of the noodles are all under RM20 per portion, I guess I shouldn't expect too much since seafood ingredients are pretty expensive these days.  I notice this has been the trend (using frozen prawns) since the pandemic.  Many hawker stalls use them in their fried noodles these days and the reason is obviously the cost.  I still wish that they would use smaller fresh prawns (and actually don't mind getting less prawns) as they taste so much better.

We ordered a couple of side dishes to complement our noodles meal starting with the Seafood Roll @ RM15 (small is 10 pcs, an eager beaver got to one...lol).  This seafood roll resembles a dish of Penang Lobak except (I believe) the filling is a paste made from seafood.  The chilli dip served with it tasted like those sweet Thai chilli sauce.

First, I must commend the excellent frying of the roll where the fried-to-order beancurd sheet came out piping hot and super crispy.  But, alas, the filling was underseasoned (another sister-in-law was in agreement) otherwise it would have been a better tasting dish.

Next was the very appetising Apple Beancurd @ RM15.  This was a simple-to-execute dish of fried tofu topped with slivers of shredded apple and dried prawns before finishing with a good drizzle of chilli sauce (over the fried tofu) that tasted similar to the earlier Thai sweet chilli sauce served with the seafood roll.

The apple shreds that have been pickled beforehand (with bits of torch ginger or bunga kantan, I believe) were crunchy and mildly tangy resulting in a very refreshing bite together with the crispy tofu and fragrant dried shrimps (but need loads more to impart some shrimpy seafood flavour into the dish!).  The kind of dried shrimps used in this dish are those widely used in Thai food especially in Thai salads.  Starting with this very refreshing dish will certainly open up your appetite for more.

The Teochew Oyster Omelette (or Orh Luak) @ RM15 (small) arrived true to its description...in omelette form and cut into 6 slices (like a pizza) and topped with lots of coriander (yin sai) and a drizzle of that sweet Thai chilli sauce again.

There were very few oysters in the omelette.  I only encountered one on my slice (not sure if there was more than one on the other slices).  Certainly this style of oyster omelette is quite different from the usual fried oyster omelette or oh chien that I know where you'd get lots of juicy, fresh oysters fried with a crispy and lightly chewy batter of sweet potato starch (or tapioca starch) and eggs.  That said, the Teochew oyster omelette had good flavours and a nice crisp apart from the miserly oysters (I'm just comparing this to the abundance of oysters I get from Ah Koong for RM10)! ;P

When I saw Steamed Octopus @ RM30 on the menu, I immediately knew I wanted it as I've been dying to try this delicacy I've seen mainly offered in Penang and Ipoh, not so common here in KL.  The steamed (or poached) baby octopus was served with some cucumbers and a special sweet chilli sauce with crushed peanuts and fried garlic.

Trying it for the first time, it didn't disappoint.  The octopus pieces were fresh, cooked just right, had great texture and were lightly chewy but crunchy to the bite.  However, the chilli dip for this dish turned out to be the same ones that were used in the earlier dishes even though they tried to disguise this one with added crushed peanuts and crispy garlic! :D  Nevertheless, this still ended up to be my favourite side dish from here (don't know how this compares to others since this was my first time eating steamed octopus but I think a more fresh, tangy and spicy dip would have been a better accompaniment for the octopus rather than a sweet one).

I feel I must make mention of the same chilli sauce served with the 3 dishes of seafood roll, oyster omelette and steamed octopus.  It didn't feel like it was housemade and (in fact) tasted rather similar to a Thai sweet chilli sauce (perhaps it even came out of a bottle!).  I personally felt that a spicier and more tangy sauce would have been a better fit for the side dishes.  The only dish that I thought the sweet chilli sauce worked well was in the apple beancurd which (incidentally) already had the sweet sauce drizzled over.

We finished with a plate of greens of Steamed Lettuce (regular) @ RM18 sitting on top of soy sauce (much like a dish of blanched lettuce you get at tai chow places) with some crispy silver fish, fried garlic bits and fragrant (Thai) dried shrimps.

Dessert was Orh Nee (or Teochew Yam Paste) @ RM6, a warm yam-based dessert made wth pureed yam and pork lard and topped with a few gingko nuts.  Again, since I was trying this for the first time (and have nothing to compare this with), take what I say with a pinch of salt.  It was good that the yam paste wasn't too sweet but I felt it wasn't too smooth either + it had a bit of that raw flour taste and something else (maybe the lard oil).  I'd say this orh nee is an acquired taste...and I can't say I'm a fan of this rich dessert.

I would have preferred something more refreshing to end our meal.  Luckily our pleasingly fresh drinks of Kedondong (Ambarella or Umbra) + Sour Plum Juice and Cucumber + Sour Plum Juice all @ RM6 did just that.

My Personal Opinion

If you come here thinking you'd find dishes commonly associated with Teochew food like braised duck (lor ark or lou ngap), braised pork belly (lou bak), Teochew porridge, kuey chap or Teochew steamed fish (just to name a few), then you may be slightly disappointed as their menu doesn't exactly showcase authentic Teochew cuisine.  It has a mix of Thai-influenced dishes like their apple beancurd and kerabu mango (mango salad) as well as local Penang-inspired dishes of lobak/seafood roll and steamed octopus.

But there are still a couple of pleasant tasting dishes you can enjoy here (even though the menu isn't very extensive) like the fried lye fun, oyster mee (for the texture of the handmade noodles), apple beancurd (for the refreshing and crunchy pickled apple) and steamed octopus (for the fresh octopus, not so much the chilli dip).  So, if you're looking for something different from your usual eats or something slightly more unique than what is offered by standard tai chow restaurants, this is worth a try if you're in the area. ^_~

Restoran Teow Chew Meng

33 Jalan SS2/30

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 03-7877 9298

Lim Mee Yoke @ SS2 PJ

I started patronising this shop many years ago when they were still operating as a stall in a coffee shop (the old Chow Yang coffee shop) before moving to a place of their own at Lim Mee Yoke @ SS2 PJ.  Back then, it was the father cooking the noodles but now his two sons (and their wives) have taken over but (unconfirmed) rumours have it that they've split up (with one couple going their separate ways to open their own outlet).

If you've not guessed it from the name itself, this place is known for one thing and one thing only....and that is their Penang-Style Prawn Mee (har meen or mee yoke) @ RM9 which is what we came here for.

This standard bowl of prawn mee was filled with tiny prawns, thinly sliced pork, half a hard-boiled egg, kangkung and taugeh with a spoonful of fried shallots and sambal on the side.  The prawns (tiny as they were and painstakingly halved as well) may not be acceptable for some but I think it's alright considering the reasonable price.  The texture of the prawns was a little denser than others and had a bright orange hue (as if they were quick-boiled or stir-fried in some prawn oil).

These tiny prawns reminded me of the one I had at Yong Len in TTDI (of course, I would have loved bigger prawns...who wouldn't).  So, if you're not in favour of small prawns, then this may not be the prawn mee for you.

If the prawns aren't sufficient for you, you can always add on more (tiny) prawns or pork slices (for RM4) or pork spare ribs (additional RM4.50) but I had mine with added pork intestines (RM4.50) making my bowl RM13.50 all-in (RM4.50 for that amount of intestines is quite worth it if you ask me).  The pork intestines were really good...multi-layered, firm and fresh. ^o^  I've also tried their pork ribs (when they were still operating as a stall) and they were decent too.

The sliced pork was commendable too, not as thinly sliced as some but still tender, and I was thrilled to see half a hard-boiled egg included as it should be though some don't include this (I learned recently that eggs aren't a standard ingredient in Penang prawn mee in Penang itself, so I guess I'm more used to eating KL-style then).  The only letdown were the fried shallots which were store-bought ones and a poor quality one at that.

The soup base was full of prawn aroma, mimicking a broth that has been boiled with a stock of prawn shells, that's more savoury than sweet.  The broth was thick with crustacean richness but had a slight powdery aftertaste that could have resulted from prawn shells being blitzed till very fine but not properly strained (I'm making a guess here), so the stock isn't as smooth and it's also murkier than some clearer ones out there.  I do recommend that you add at least half of the sambal for a better tasting soup.

The Fried Wantans @ RM8 (for 8 pcs) was just a side dish of something crispy to accompany our noodles......and crispy they were, that's all I can say.  Other side dishes include fish cake and lor bak (both @ RM8).  I heard that the Penang lor bak is good but, for some reason, I didn't order it that day. @_@

I got a take-away order of Chee Cheong Fun @ RM5 (for 2 pcs) for my light lunch later.  Again, as this is a Penang-style chee cheong fun (steamed rice rolls), it's eaten with shrimp paste (har ko or har cheong) and chilli sauce instead.

Usually, the har ko would be served drizzled all over the chee cheong fun but since it was packed separately for a take-away, I was able to use as little as I liked.  Shrimp paste isn't for everyone as it's an acquired taste. I didn't like it initially as it's very pungent in smell and robust in taste but has since grown to like it a bit more.  Too much of it, I would find overpowering, so I'd need only a little har ko in my chee cheong fun and I need to mix it in with the chilli sauce (this one was quite spicy) to take the pungency off slightly.  I actually liked that this har ko was not as thick though some might beg to differ.

Although this chee cheong fun isn't as thin, slippery-smooth or as good as the ones from O & S Restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised by its decent taste (with a less thick har ko paste) that I certainly wouldn't mind having again.

The Iced White Coffee @ RM4 here was of a decent standard, pretty likeable with a chocolaty undertone.  Yup, I'd have no problem ordering this again.

My Personal Opinion

Although I've not eaten their prawn mee for a long time (and can't remember if it still tastes the same now as when they were a stall), it's still a very respectable prawn mee.  Even though the prawns are smallish (you can certainly add on more), I like that it's one of the few that offers pork intestines (mmm, my favourite) and pork ribs as add-ons (even fish balls and meat balls can be added too).

Besides prawn mee, they also offer a selection of other Penang-style noodles like curry mee, loh mee, cham loh, kuey tiao soup and wantan mee.  I've not tried the rest (and probably have no motivation to) knowing that they started the stall selling just one type of noodles and that is none other than their speciality Penang Hokkien mee.  The rest were probably introduced to offer more options to diners when they started their own place and you can't very well have a restaurant selling only one thing, right?  Plus I'm not a fan of loh mee or cham loh anyway and the photos of a rather watery-like Penang curry mee didn't excite me either.  As for kuey teow th'ng, unless you're a specialist in that, most of the ones in KL end up looking/tasting like fish ball noodles...lol.

You can give the other noodles a try if you like....but I'd certainly recommend you to get their prawn mee which is good, better if you add-on pork intestines or ribs! ^.^

Lim Mee Yoke

14 Jalan SS2/10

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 016-608 9060

Ipoh Ipoh Kafe @ SS2 PJ

I heard about this place, Ipoh Ipoh Kafe @ SS2 PJ, dishing out a mean bowl of kai see hor fun for a while now and since it's one of my beloved type of noodles to eat, it was only a matter of time before I found myself here for a dine-in.

After reading reviews by bangsarbabe (who didn't like it as much) and thokohmakan (who loved it) as well as their restaurant's Facebook and Google ratings (the latter two made for some juicy reading which I'll tell you about later), I knew I had to visit.  We were there on a Sunday morning and was surprised (but glad) that we got a seat quite easily.

Ipoh is synonymous with kai see hor fun making it one of their most successful exports, so to speak, to other States.  People flock to Ipoh just to have this kway teow with shredded chicken together with their well-known fat beansprouts and poached chicken.  Of course I had to start with none other than a bowl of kai see hor fun and went with the Kampung Chicken Horfun Soup Jumbo @ RM17 (go big or go home, right?).

First look at the bowl of kai see hor fun was impressive indeed.  Described on the menu as "thigh or drumstick with extra prawn", I could see three good-sized sea prawns (they use ming ha here), I believe it's one extra from the regular bowl) and it delivered on freshness, firmness and sweetness.  Then you have the aromatics that are critical in a good bowl of kai see hor fun...Chinese chives, fried shallots (freshly made, not pre-fried ones out of a packet) and a lovely, vibrant layer of prawn oil.

The broth was not only exciting in looks but matched in taste as well with an intensely flavoured broth that was made from a bone broth base with lots of fried whole prawns (emphasis on the words 'whole prawns'...not prawn shells, ok).  The unmistakably taste and aroma of prawn was front and centre at first sip followed by a robust tasting broth.  It was good, there's no doubt about that...but if you prefer a clearer soup base, then this may not be for you.

The hor fun was slippery smooth and translucent alright, no complaints on that, just not as thinly sliced or silky smooth as the one I had in Ipoh which glides down my throat effortlessly.  In the end, it was certainly a very commendable bowl of kai see hor fun that not only looks good but tastes equally good as well.  Special mention must go to their use of fresh, good quality, sweet tasting sea prawns and the golden hue of prawn oil just brought out all the umami flavours.  Besides the jumbo version, you can order the classic kaisi horfun (RM10), kaisi set'isfy or big-lah (RM14.50) or just with kampung chicken (RM12.50).

Since I got the jumbo version with kampung chicken, there was no kai si (shredded chicken) in their signature Ipoh hor fun.  Instead, it came with a separate plate of kampung chicken (thigh or drumstick) on a bed of fat, crunchy, juicy Ipoh beansprouts.  My son actually reminded me to state the cut I wanted (you order via a written chit) but because the menu mentioned thigh or drumstick with extra prawn in its description, I understood it as being up to them to give us whichever cut was available (coz it didn't say "choose between thigh or drumstick").  In the end, I wrote down the choice of cut I wanted just in case (there's a story about this that you can read on Google).

While the poached chicken thigh was quite tender and flavourful, it wasn't as wat (slippery-smooth) as some I've eaten before.  The skin was also quite fatty that I had to remove them.  I did like the soy sauce underneath that was lighter in taste and I enjoyed the beansprouts tremendously.  But the accompanying ginger scallion dip wasn't as likeable (I've had better ones from chicken rice stalls, even my mom's homemade one tastes better).

Besides the ginger and scallion dip (on the chicken), you'll find some accompaniments on the table as well for you to partake as much as you like.  They had the fresh chilli dip (for their chicken rice and roasted meats), vinegared green chillies (for their wantan mee and chee cheong fun) and fresh bird's eye chillies (for anything and everything).  Unfortunately, the fresh chilli dip wasn't to my liking at all (there was this off-putting smell and taste to it).  I initially thought that the dip on the table was compromised but that wasn't the case coz when I couldn't finish the poached chicken, I asked for a takeaway rice and packed the unfinished chicken with it.  They gave me another packet of chilli sauce for the takeaway rice and I tasted the same unpleasant smell at home (so I threw it away).  Not sure what it was (the vinegar, perhaps?).  I could describe the smell but it would be too unpleasant to read.  Hopefully it was just a one-off and only happened to that one batch of chilli dip they made. >_<

My son ordered their Dry Wantan Mee with Char Siew @ RM10.50 served with 2 pcs of fried wantan and choy sum.  The char siew was luscious, tender and caramelised but the portion we got was just too fatty.  If you don't like overly fatty meat (like me), this may not be the char siew for you.  Nothing to like or dislike about the wantans, they were as they should be...crispy.

This wantan mee sauce though is a little different from the rest as it comes with minced pork and mushrooms (so it's a bit more watery).  Overall, I thought the sauce had nice flavours though my son didn't like that his noodles were cooked to death (as he puts it)...the texture was too soft for his liking as he likes it springy (personally I don't really mind softer noodles but that's just me as most prefer springy noodles).

I ordered the Curry Noodles with Char Siew @ RM11 for my husband coz he likes curry mee + I also wanted a taste.  The other options would be with kampung chicken or both.  We switched to wantan mee at an additional cost of RM0.50 coz we would change to this type of noodle if it's offered...but I've to say we've never been charged for such a change elsewhere! >.<  The curry noodles was served with char siew (the same fatty type you get in the wantan mee), pork rind, beancurd puffs, long beans, mint leaves and lime...basically the usual ingredients except without cockles and no sambal on the side.

The curry broth looked enticing alright but one sip and we knew instantly that we didn't like it as the balance of flavours was not right.  It was watery and though it didn't taste predominantly of curry powder and spices like Ipoh's version, it was also lacking that creamy taste of santan that's apparent in good KL curry mee.  Now, there's a debate on the style of curry dished out here and the owner is adamant that his is not Ipoh-style (yes, it's certainly not Ipoh-style lest I be chided to think that it is).  That's why he listed it as the chef's curry (he further explained).  So, Ipoh style it's not.....but it's also not the many delicious KL style I've had either....it's the chef's style that didn't get our seal of approval.

A final dish for sharing that I just had to try was their touted original Ipoh silky chee cheong fun that you can have with either fried onion oil and premium soy sauce, Ipoh (reddish) sweet sauce, curry sauce or mushroom sauce.  Or you can have it with a combination of sauces, their "Wen Lou" Chee Cheong Fun @ RM8 which comes with Ipoh's signature sweet sauce and chilli sauce (also from Ipoh according to the menu) or mushroom sauce that have bits of minced pork and mushrooms.

I welcomed the sight of freshly fried shallots and loads of fried sesame seeds.  The abundant sesame seeds gave it that crunchy dimension and added a lovely fragrance to the chee cheong fun.  The mushroom sauce I wasn't a fan, prefer it with a mixture of the reddish sweet sauce and chilli sauce.  Fried onion oil with premium soy sauce sounds like a combination I'd like too.

I tried their original brew of Chang Jiang White Coffee (Cold) @ RM4.50.....and nope, I still don't like this brand of white coffee.  You must be wondering why I ordered it in the first place....well, I didn't notice the words Chang Jiang. >_<

#A Long-Winded Story

Have you been eager to get to the end of this blogpost quickly to read some "juicy" stories?  Well, it's story telling time indeed....not a story I tell...but a story the owner tells himself.  So, I'm not hanging him out to dry since he kinda shot himself in the foot anyway.  Go to his restaurant's Facebook and Google ratings (click on "lowest ratings") and read it for yourself (and you'll understand what I'm getting at).

This guy obviously cannot accept anything negative being said about his food.  Some of his replies (to customers) are real shockers and downright rude.  You won't believe your eyes when you read his jaw-dropping replies but saying things like - 1) I'll refund your money x 2 or 2) Please be gone or 3) I don't want to serve people like you (and there are more)....I feel is just too much.  I'm not saying the customer is always right but if you're in the food business, you have to be able take what's thrown at you...and not go on the offensive.  Everyone's entitled to their opinion...even if you don't agree with it.

And don't even try to question the cooking of his food.  Someone once said his poached chicken was overcooked, he said it's not, the chicken was just a bit large that day, so the meat was not as tender.  He didn't need to react like that...just "take the critique on the chin" and say something gracious like "I'll try to do better next time".  Be careful not to say his curry isn't like Ipoh-style coz he'll pounce on you to say it's not supposed to be, that's why he clearly listed it as chef's style.

Not only that but he also tries to "educate" you about food (which comes off as him telling you he knows more about food than you).  Someone once said he put over roasted peanuts in the rojak, he said (it's clearly mentioned in his menu) that it's Sungai Siput style rojak which have roasted peanuts in the sauce (but that person was not questioning the peanuts in his rojak but what he meant was that the peanuts were over roasted as in burnt-lah!).  When an Ipoh mali guy commented that his kai see hor fun isn't quite like the ones from Ipoh, the owner reaffirms that he is born and bred in Ipoh and even suggests that the guy hasn't been back to Ipoh for a long time and asks him to reacquaint himself and try more Ipoh food! :O

When someone said there was nothing extraordinary about his kai see hor fun (kshf), he says he's an ordinary chef that knows how to cook a decent hor fun but not an extraordinary one.  He even counter-reacted to say his place is one of the most spacious dining area in Chow Yang area when a customer commented that she didn't particularly liked the place coz it's a bit small (he's defensive even when the comment is not about his food!).

And if you leave a one star rating without elaborating on the reasons why, he'll tell you rating in that manner is totally meaningless or that there must be some mistake as his food so far have gotten average to above average ratings.  I've never seen business owners reacting to negative reviews and ratings like that before. O_o

If you read his restaurant's Facebook posting, he comes off as arrogant and boastful to people who don't know him (like me, for instance).  Perhaps, he's not like that in person to the circle of people who knows him (I wouldn't know).  And he even boasts about how many bowls of kshf he sold in 7 hours...800+!  Maybe he posted it as a motivation for his hard work but it may come off as arrogant to others.  He may want to rethink about bragging how many bowls he sells a day, lest the Income Tax Department descends upon him...lol!  He even showcased his local hotel staycation (with his wife) while bragging mentioning that it cost him 600 bowls of kshf for a night's stay or his decadent "atas" meals of Tomahawk, wagyu steak and wine with his wife (sounds a bit show offy to me).  Don't you think such posts are more appropriate for his personal Facebook?  He should keep his business Facebook professional (and separate from his personal Facebook).  I'm only a customer, I'm not interested to read about your personal "exploits".

Of course, he has his group of supporters (online) too...his personal friends and family, regular customers or those who started off as customers and ended up as friends but, after a while, you'd realise the same names keep popping up.

He needs to treat his customers the way he wants to be treated himself...with respect (no-one wants to be shamed or belittled).  Stay humble and grounded.  Take constructive criticisms like a professional.  P/S: If he stumbles upon this blogpost of mine, I wonder if he'll come to my blog and say what he said to many of his customers who were negative about his food - we'll see, won't we?  He'll say he's trying to make a living...and I'm not trying to "kill" his business or his livelihood, he did this himself already by what he wrote on his social media platforms for all to see.  If anything, he's the "architect of his own downfall".

He's defensive about almost everything that have been said about his food - the taste of his food, the way he cooks his food, the way we interpret his food, the authenticity of his food...even down to the spaciousness of his place.  I'd like to end with a little story of my own.  I was at this chicken rice stall and ordered poached chicken rice. When the owner cut open the chicken, I saw that it was oozing a bit of blood and told him that it looks a bit too bloody for me.  The owner straightaway said, "I dip your chicken thigh into the hot soup to cook it a little bit more for you, can?.  And then he took it out, showed it to me and asked me if that's alright"  He didn't become defensive to say that's how a poached chicken is supposed to be cooked or people like it a little red like that or that's how to ensure the chicken stays tender and smooth or anything to that effect.

Hopefully, he (as in the owner of Ipoh Ipoh Kafe) reads this and learns to be always hospitable and gracious in the food business and polite in his replies.  If he needs some examples, here are some I picked up from other restaurants' Facebook...."We truly appreciate any feedbacks good and bad as we endeavour to constantly be better" or "We noted your feedback on other matters and we thank you for them.  We're always open to suggestions for improvements".  So there.  P/S: Sorry for making you read through such a long-winded story...I just couldn't stand it reading his rude replies and thought someone should stand-up to him for his rudeness.

My Personal Opinion

In the end, I'll still be objective with my review of his food and give credit where credit is due...and that his kai see hor fun is indeed good...oops, let me rephrase that - decent but not extraordinary (in the words of the owner himself).  Unfortunately, the rest like the curry mee (too watery and lacking that creamy santan taste), the poached chicken (not wat enough), the chilli dip and ginger paste (didn't hit the mark), the wantan mee (too soft), the char siew (too fat unlike the char siew by Sean & Angie's TNR that's also fatty but delicious), the chee cheong fun (this one acceptable-lah) and Chang Jiang white coffee (not my favourite)...all didn't impress, I'm afraid.

This will be my first...and last try of their kai see hor fun.....since my family is adamant about not supporting someone who treats their customers that way.  If they had known, they wouldn't even want to step foot in there (you see, I kept it from them before the visit).  My husband's motto on food has always been "even how good it is, I won't die if I don't eat it".

Now that I have tried his kai see hor fun (that's true to heritage taste in his words), it doesn't trump the one in Ipoh (at Moon De Moon) or my favourite one in KL (at Guang Ji Ho Fun).  These two are really good...and at Guang Ji Ho Fun, you can get wat and tasty poached chicken too.  At the end of the day, it's not in our nature to support someone who does not value their customers (but that's just us).  If it's not in your nature to be humble, don't be in the food business...that's all I have to say! ;P

Ipoh Ipoh Kafe

26 Jalan SS2/10

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 017-873 6733