It was the end of our whole day food trail from JB to KL, after our fourth meal. Every meal was great but it would not be right if we did not taste a Hokkien mee or tai lok meen when we were in KL. Running through the dozens of popular options, I reminisced about a Hokkien mee stall that operated along the corridor at a side street off Jalan Pudu. We decided to go and check it out, though I actually assumed that it was no longer there (just like the mee hoon kueh stall across the road from it).
When we got here at the intersection of Jalan Sarawak and Jalan Pudu, I was surprised and delighted that the corridor stall was still here. We ate here regularly but my last time here was in 2003.
The little Hokkien mee stall along the corridor was still here and, in fact, took over the whole adjacent shop lot - they broke down the outside wall and we can sit inside now 😮
I never knew the name of this little shop all these years as there was no signboard. Today, I found out that it is known as Tong Lian Kee 东莲记.
Mr. Chai and wife had been running Tong Lian Kee here at Jalan Sarawak for over 40 years. Mr. Chai was extremely busy, cooking non stop over his turbocharged charcoal stove but he obliged this inquisitive stranger from out of town. I told him we are his big fans and had been enjoying his Hokkien mee since my kids were toddlers. He shared that his children are grown up too and his son is a New York City based doctor.
Mr. Chai is Foochowese, so he also serves Foochow dishes like white lor mee etc which I saw many customers order. Shall try Mr. Chai's Foochow dishes next time.
Tong Lian Kee's dark brown-black Hokkien mee comes topped with lard cracklings, greeting us with the aroma of caramelised soy sauce and smoking hot lard as it landed on our table. The mound of noodles had just the right moistness - neither drippy nor too dry.
I had a lot of difficulty getting this shot as the fat noodles fully covered with grease were so slick. During this trip (after trying this plus 3 other popular KL Hokkien mee stalls), I realised that old school Hokkien mee stall which are unapologetic about liberal use of lard are today in the minority. Most of the popular Hokkien mee stalls are nowadays light handed with lard - thank goodness, Tong Lian Kee 东莲记 isn't one of them 😄
The dish had layers of savoury flavours from the lard and soy sauce blend infused into the thick tender spongy strands. There were small pieces of cuttlefish, lean pork, pork liver, prawn, cabbage etc which added flavours and different textures to the dish. The lard cracklings did their work too, adding crunch, flavour and aroma. Every mouthful was full of flavour and aroma, and the slick lard greased our lips (the last point, I imagine doesn't win over many ladies as it inevitably ruins their lipstick 💋 ).
Their savoury spicy chili sauce was good but I didn't use it with my Hokkien mee as the noodles were flavoursome enough by themselves.
👍 One of the last Mohicans of KL Hokkien mee where lard is used, no holds barred. The Hokkien mee is tasty and aromatic, and the dimly lit, dingy setting is authentic in the gritty old heart of Kuala Lumpur city. Highly recommended for an authentic foodie experience.
P.S. Does anyone remember the mee hoon kueh stall along the corridor opposite Tong Lian Kee? It was run by a granny, her daughter and grandson. We last ate there 15 years ago. I didn't see them there that night.
Restaurant name: Tong Lian Kee 东莲记福建面
Address: Intersection of Jalan Sarawak and Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
GPS: 3°08'16.3"N 101°42'35.9"E 3.137858, 101.709980
Waze: Tong Lian Kee Hokkien Mee
Hours: 8:00pm - 2:00am (Sunday closed)
Non Halal
Date visited: 29 Nov 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments submitted with genuine identities are published