I am a big fan of Hainanese style beef noodles - the type with the gooey beefy brown sauce. When I was a child labourer working at construction sites during my lower secondary school holidays, I used to gladly splurge half my daily wage on a good bowl of beef noodles near my work site. I am so glad that I could still enjoy this traditional Hainanese classic at Mok Chai 莫才 in Kulai.
This beef noodle shop was founded by Uncle Mok Chai in 1965. Uncle Mok Chai and his wife retired this year on 1st May 2016 after 51 years. The pot of that signature beefy brown sauce is in the foreground.
Today, Uncle Mok Chai's son and his wife carries on the tradition and legacy of Mok Chai Hainanese Beef Noodle.
My basic RM7 bowl of "dry" Hainanese beef noodle. That signature light brown sauce is barely visible at the top right hand corner - most of it sunk to the bottom of the bowl and hidden beneath the noodles and pieces of beef. Actually, my heart sunk with it as I licked my lips and muttered silently to myself "so little.....".
There was just enough brown sauce and soy sauce to coat the broad rice noodles after a vigorous toss, with not much of that precious sauce to spare ;-p
But, it was enough, just. I love the beefy savoury sauce too much (so there can never be enough ;-p ). I also like it that Mok Chai uses tender broad rice noodles instead of slender kway teow kia as the wider noodles have better mouth feel in my opinion.
The pieces of beef were cut into small pieces (too small for some people). Still, it was juicy and the beefy goodness bursts in the mouth with every bite into the tender flesh.
Clear soup. You will taste the beef if you pay attention :-D
Salty, sourish, spicy sambal chili. I didn't really use this as I like to taste just the beefy goodness.
->> Mok Chai is one of a handful of traditional Hainanese style beef noodles around Johor Bahru or Singapore that still serves the gooey beefy brown sauce (instead of the dark soy sauce and starch nonsense which I can't appreciate).
Restaurant name: Mok Chai Hainanese Beef Noodle 莫才牛肉粉.猪肉面
Address: 365, Jalan Kenanga 29/9, Bandar Indrahpura, Kulaijaya, Johor (in commercial centre off Persiaran Indahpura Utama near AEON Jusco)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/XwHTW (rough)
GPS: 1.641447, 103.615783 / 1°38'29.2"N 103°36'56.8"E
Hours: 7:00am to 2:30pm (Closed on Monday)
Non Halal
Date visited: 1 Oct 2012, 21 May 2016
This shop has closed down. Please update, thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe shop has moved to 365, Jalan Kenanga 29/9, Bandar Indahpura, 81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia
ReplyDeleteThe shop appears to be closed.
ReplyDelete