Seng Yuen Fried Noodles, Kepong

Food Adventure Series - Kepong, Part Two

Sorry, been busy...so dropping an updated line to wish all readers and friends...

GONG XI FA CHAI,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
&
SAFE JOURNEY

See you folks next week...

Having fed ourselves with duck satay earlier, Simon suggested we try out this place for fried noodles called Kou Lo Chow Fun (Cantonese for Tall Man's Fried Noodles) that he goes to once in awhile but not before he warned us that we might have to wait quite awhile before we get served as there's usually quite a crowd. I told him of my experience with Man Shook ("Slow Uncle")'s Fried Noodles in Jalan Tong Shin and about my 45 minutes wait for the order to arrive, so, I was prepared!

When we arrived at the coffeeshop lot, we were slightly taken aback to see the long line of tables on the shop pavement and five foot way - ALL TAKEN and with most still waiting for their order.

So, we made our way into the shop...I felt like I was transported back into time or had made my way to a little place out of town. There were only two empty tables left.

Even the work station (located right next to the cashier's counter!) where the "tea" guy prepares the drinks order looks so nostalgic that it made me think of my childhood days when I followed my parents to the old Bukit Bintang market(which had to make way for KL Plaza/Lot 10!) and would go for our usual kopi ping (iced coffee with milk) or cham (tea mixed with coffee) after buying vegetables, fish, chicken and sundries. Ahh....I miss those days, I miss my dear ol' Dad :o(

Since we were prepared for a long wait...us floggers kept ourselves busy taking pics of the surrounding place and the people and eventually ourselves.....


However, after an hour of waiting....our standby mode was almost going into sleep mode! Hahaha...

Meanwhile, just outside - the master was hard at work at churning out oodles of noodles, with plenty of wok action but as I stood there to look on, I waited for a shot of high flames but it never happened..Uhh...plus, he didn't seem that tall to me though. Will the real Tall Man please stand up???


Well, after 1 hour 15 minutes, our first plate of noodles arrived. Hokkien Fried Noodles (a mix of flat and thick yellow noodle with dark sauce - Simon's usual way) With all that built up anticipation, we tucked in with great enthusiasm...only to be somewhat let down. The noodles were cooked al dente but lacked one crucial aspect. Just as I had made that observation about "no high flames" when I was looking on earlier, these noodles did not have any "wok hei" (food cooked over high flames, see HERE for a photo example), which is essential for chopstick licking and lip smacking good Hokkien noodles. However, we had one solution to kick it up a notch...


Extra crispy lard to add more oomph and aroma to the noodles! Crispy lard saves the day! Yay!


The Cantonese Fried Noodles (RM6/USD1.70) fared a bit better as the egg swirled gravy had the right consistency (meaning not too starchy till gooey like!) and the noodles were a bit more aromatic as it had been fried lightly before the gravy (that is cooked together with vegetables, prawns and meat slices) is poured over it and served immediately. CityGal said that she found the noodles bland, but I found it okay...maybe it was that bit of sambal that I had put on each spoonful of noodles that I ate. Oh, of course...some crispy lard too :o)

Simon had wanted Loh Mee (thick yellow noodles with thicker consistency broth cooked with some corn starch and eggs) but we were given a plate of Braised Yee Mee (RM6/USD1.70) instead. We decided not to send it back at the risk of waiting even longer, hahaha! This egg noodle was the most normal fare of the three types (by that time, all four of us were faced with a dire situation - we were running low on crispy lard supply. Egads!). Jason ate the crispy lard bits with so much gusto that I felt quite envious...with his small frame, he can jolly well afford to eat up a whole bucket of it if he wants to :p ! We somehow never got round to replenishing the supply as it was the last plate to arrive. So, we ate the crispy bits sparingly.

Not enough crispy lard = Not enough oomph!

Well, we came to the conclusion that Tall Man (if that elderly man was indeed the real Tall Man) might not have been able to cope with the many orders that he had to dish out and therefore food quality was compromised. We surely couldn't comprehend why the stall can draw such a crowd if the noodles aren't tasty - surely not worth the wait especially. We said that we would try to come back here again during a non-peak hours and give it a second test.

A basket of Yee Mee being air dried on a table set up along the five foot way

Well, it wasn't that bad but disappointed, we were. However, I give it two thumbs up for bringing back such lovely memories for me with its nostalgic look...


Kedai Makanan Seng Yuen
19E Jalan Besar (Main Road)
Kepong
52000 Kuala Lumpur
Opens evening till early hours of the morning


Coming soon - Food Adventure Series - Kepong, Part 3 (Final)