Wanton Noodles @ Poh Kee 葆记云吞面 in Desa Tebrau and Kampung Pandan in Johor Bahru

Updated 12 Aug 2019. On my way north towards Ulu Tiram today, passing Kampung Pandan, I couldn't resist pulling over left into Jalan Loo Hong Joon. There are two well loved, old school wanton mee stalls I like here - the first has no name, and the other is Poh Kee. Today, I ate at Poh Kee.



The row of food stalls is sandwiched between 三神廟 temple and Jalan Loo Hong Joo. Poh Kee is at the far inside end, while the other popular (no name) wanton mee stall is at the front end.



Raw cement floor, leaky rusty zinc roof held up by skinny wooden posts and beams, the morning sun bursting though gapping holes in the weathered bamboo shades, rickety furnishings, creaky well worn folding Formica tables, flimsy stackable plastic chairs. 

Everyone is very comfortable here. Blissful kampung life which anyone from Kampung Pandan who has been away for a while will come back to, to get their bearings back.

So, here I am after 7 years. (Took this shot from my table while waiting for my wanton mee.)



Aizah is cooking - she has been at Poh Kee for 13 years. I remember her from my first visit in 2012. The matriarch is not in today - in her 80s now, Poh Kee's founder still comes to the stall but this morning she is staying home because her feet ached.




Camera shy Aizah runs the show here at Poh Kee in Kampung Pandan. She cooks and delivers a mean wanton mee with perfect texture.

I have often heard it said that foreign workers cause standards of local food to decline. Truth be told, I have tasted really bad hawker food cooked by foreigners who don't understand local palates, in both Malaysia and Singapore. But, I have also met enough folks like Aizah to be circumspect about sweeping statements on foreign helpers because some do a great job - better than many locals, I'll say. So, foreign or local is not really the point. Keep an open mind. It's dedication that matters most, I believe. Jia you Aizah 👏👏👏



Malaysian wanton mee will make Hong Kong wanton mee purists' eyeballs roll to the roof of their heads 🙄

On top of the egg noodles, here in Malaysia, they pile fried meat stuffed tofu, fried meat stuffed bitter gourd, fried egg plant, fried fish ball, fried tofu skin, fried wanton, char siew, spring onion, dark blended sauce, chili sauce, etc.



Everything here for RM8.40.



Many JB wanton mee stalls make their own egg noodles which have their own textures or personality so to speak. All have their die hard fans who know the subtle differences between the stalls.

Poh Kee has the same supplier who make their egg noodles to Poh Kee's specifications for over 3 decades. I like its tender springy texture which is uniquely, subtly different from others. And, Aizah get's it right every time.

Poh Kee's dark sauce blend is gently savoury which complements the egg noodles' underlying subtle sweetness. To appreciate the noodles, let your heart rate and blood pressure go down to kampung levels - slooow... and easy.

Take your time. Kampung time.

Taste your noodles mindfully. Take note of its texture, flavours, aroma.



All the complementary things that go into Malaysian wanton mee in a bowl of savoury sweet clear bone soup.



Each side adding its own texture and flavours to the staple Cantonese noodle dish to make it uniquely Malaysian.



Recommended for you 👍 If you like to experience authentic Malaysian style wanton mee in a kampung (village) setting together with locals, check out Poh Kee in Kampung Pandan.

Many readers say I should go for the no name stall in front. I did. I like it too 👈 click

What to eat in Kampung Pandan 👈 click





Restaurant name (original stall): Poh Kee 葆记云吞面
Address: Jalan Loo Hong Joon. Once you enter the side street from Tebrau Highway, the stall is about 500 metres inside. As you enter, you will see old shop houses/ coffee shops on both sides. Pass the MCA branch on the right and the small row of food stalls is on your left. Poh Kee is the last stall in the row.
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/KgeP
GPS: 1.525996,103.767483
Hours: 6:00am to 1:00pm (closed on Tuesday)

Archive post dated Jul 2012. Since I started johorkaki blog, I have eaten a lot of wanton noodles. I heard about Poh Kee 葆记云吞面 a long time ago but didn't have the urge to track it down.

Today, I happened to be in Taman Desa Tebrau and decided to swing to the back row of shop houses to check out the famous Poh Kee 葆记 wanton noodles.

I wasn't sure what is special about Poh Kee. The noodles and wantons were good, but good wanton noodles and wantons are not hard to find in Johor Bahru.

Why then am I so eager to blog about Poh Kee? It's the story - I am fascinated by Poh Kee's story. I learnt from Poh Kee's Director Khai Ling, that Poh Kee started as a small stall in Kampung Pandan and grew to the modern, well appointed shop today. Well, it is always heartwarming to hear such success stories but I've heard quite a few of such inspiring stories in Johor.

Then, Khai Ling told me that the original 40-year old stall is still in operation in Kampung Pandan, still run by the family matriarch. Now, that got my attention and got me to sit up. This is living history.

I must visit this heritage stall and see this grand lady at her stall. And, there I was at the famous Pandan wanton noodles 葆记云吞面 the very next morning.

The grand lady was very friendly and I enjoyed a nice conversation with her.

A standard bowl of Poh Kee wanton noodles at the Desa Tebrau branch.

A bowl of Poh Kee wanton noodles at the original stall in Kampung Pandan.

All the noodles, sauces, and ingredients are taken every morning from this old stall to the shop in Desa Tebrau. So this humble stall is really the headquarters and the swanky shop is just a branch, an outpost.

So how was the food?

The fresh eggy noodles were firm and springy, tending towards being slightly stringy. The sauce was mainly made with dark soy sauce with oyster sauce and sesame oil. There was just sufficient sauce to coat the noodles with a thin film. Lots of people love this flavour and texture, as the crowd and the success of Poh Kee testifies. Poh Kee's noodles and sauce were excellent and flavourful though I am biased towards slurpy, slippery noodles in a more drippy sauce. It's just a personal preference.

Oh, I later realised that we can ask for the spicy hot version and the lady will add in a dollop of this fiery looking sambal chili. I shall make sure I remember this for my next visit :D

The wantons were soft and smooth.

The best fried wantons that I have ever tasted.

I love Poh Kee's super crispy, freshly fried wantons. They were dry, had no oil on them, and were like tasty, flavoured biscuits.

These fresh green chilies in vinegar were crunchy, hot, tangy and sweet. They were so good, you can eat it on its own as a pickle if you can take the spiciness.

At the original stall in Kampung Pandan, I also had the freshly made and fried yong tau foo pieces. They were delicious and complemented the noodles and wantons well.

I didn't notice these fried tofu skin until it was time to leave after our meal. Apparently, the tofu skin is Poh Kee's signature side dish. I'll make sure, I have the tofu skin at my next visit.

->> Local style wanton mee with kampung ambiance.

Restaurant name (original stall): Poh Kee 葆记云吞面
Address: Jalan Loo Hong Joon. Once you enter the side street from Tebrau Highway, the stall is about 500 metres inside. As you enter, you will see old shop houses/ coffee shops on both sides. Pass the MCA branch on the right and the small row of food stalls is on your left.
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/KgeP
GPS: 1.525996,103.767483
Hours: 6:00am to 1:00pm (closed on Tuesday)

Date visited: 26 Jul 2012

Restaurant name (branch): Poh Kee 葆记云吞面
Address: 52, Jalan Harmonium 23/13, Taman Desa Tebrau, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Tu8OY
GPS: 1.554251,103.796076
Hours: 6:00am to 6:00pm (closed on Tuesday)

Date visited: 25 Jul 2012

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