Malaysia Food Series- Jalan Pudu Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee
Actually, this is not the name of the stall, neither do I go to it for its Hokkien Mee. In fact, this is just the name everyone (online at least) uses to refer to because this humble stall run by the same uncle-chef for the past few decades still remains nameless. Do not be turned off by the somewhat shabby and slightly dim surroundings; after all it was just a roadside stall until it bought over the adjacent shop space to expand seating. I was introduced to this stall a few years back by my 3rd uncle, and he said that in all his 10+ years frequenting the stall, he has rarely seen the chef speak- the number of times countable with 2 hands.
Indeed, every night with the exception of Sundays or Lunar New Year, the chef stands by his wok steadfastly from 9pm onwards to the wee hours of the morning (3 or 4 am) and dishes up plate after plate of char kway teow炒粿条/fried hei mian 炒黑面/char yin yong 炒鸳鸯. As he uses charcoal fire, the wok hei* in each dish he fries up is even more pronounced.
Of the lot, my family's favorite is the char yin yong, which is kway teow mixed with bee hoon (thin vermicelli). The vermicelli here is fried till crispy before the wet gravy with the kway teow is poured over it. The result is a spoonful of semi-crisp vermicelli with soft kway teow soaked in a gravy full of wok-hei fragrance. Top it with a lard bit and you are on your way to gastronomic heaven. So far, I have yet to find a better version of yin yong than theirs in Malaysia.
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| Char Yin Yong |
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| Char Kway Teow topped with lard bits |
They do have other items on the 'menu' - fried hei mian, fried hokkien mee, fried vermicelli and pork slices soup. The fried hei mian is well-executed, with the dark sauce coating the yellow noodles wonderfully in every mouthful. As for the soup, the soup base is just average, but it is the pork slice pieces that seal the deal. The pork slices are coated in flour, keeping it tender and moist in the soup. Dip it into the sambal chilli or take it with the soup.
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| Fried Hokkien Mee |
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| Pork Slices soup |
We don't know when the chef will hang up his wok, but as of now, there is no one to take over his business as his children are graduates and as far as I know, he has not taken in any apprentices. Visit it now, while he still persists in his cooking. Remember, don't judge a good stall by its storefront.
*wok hei refers to a technique of cooking with a seasoned wok over a high flame to impart a flavor to the food, often described as a distinctive smoky taste.
Jalan Pudu Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee
215, Jalan Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
*wok hei refers to a technique of cooking with a seasoned wok over a high flame to impart a flavor to the food, often described as a distinctive smoky taste.
Jalan Pudu Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee
215, Jalan Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
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