4 generations of legacy with springy home made wantan noodles at Bukit Bintang

At the nook of Jalan Bukit Bintang and within the midst of the hustle and bustle of KL is Toong Kwoon Chye. To the untrained eye, it’d seem like another odd espresso store however it has truly been round since 1919 and is thought for its old school handmade wantan mee. 

Toong Kwoon Chye first began out as a push cart noodle stall that moved round KL for 25 years. They then determined to maneuver right into a everlasting location which is the espresso store you see at this time. Now, the restaurant is run by the pleasant Dexter, who’s the 4th technology of the household. 

Once inside, it’s a full-on blast from the previous. Chinese evergreen oldies play softly within the background as I take my seat on the old-school espresso store furnishings. 

What I attempted at Toong Kwoon Chye

The spotlight right here is the wantan mee however if you would like one thing completely different, you may go for the Curry Chicken Mee (RM9), Hakka Pork Belly Mee (RM9), Oyster Sauce Chicken Wing Mee (RM9), Chicken Feet Mee (RM9), Mushroom Chicken Feet Mee (RM11), Mushroom Mee (RM12) or the ABC Mee (RM26). 

The ABC Mee is really a sight to behold: a large plate of noodles embellished with each topping possible— hen ft, thick juicy flower mushrooms, char siu slices, leafy greens,  chunks of curry hen and potatoes. I imagine it will require at the least 2 extraordinarily huge eaters or 3 small eaters to complete the complete plate of meals.  

However, I used to be right here for one motive, and one motive solely: the Char Siu Wantan Mee (RM9). Customers can both order the noodles in a soup with dumplings or have the noodles tossed in a mix of soy sauces and barbecued meat drippings, garnished with home made char siu slices, little cubes of pork lard, chopped spring onions and blanched leafy greens.

I opted for the dry wantan mee. Thankfully, I used to be in a position to watch Dexter in motion as he dished out the noodles. The home made noodles have been first blanched in sizzling water earlier than being served out into plates. 

This was adopted by a combination of sauces earlier than the noodles got a beneficiant toss to make sure the sauce is completely combined. Finally, skinny slices of char siu have been superbly unfold throughout the noodles. The completed plate actually jogged my memory of a bit of artwork. 

The very first thing that struck me was the bodily options of the char siu. The lean meat didn’t have the standard fatty reddish color. Instead, the floor had this whitish glaze of oil. It seemed like a coat of polish was utilized onto the pork. I later discovered that this was as a result of they don’t add colouring or meat tenderiser to their char siu. Taste smart, it wasn’t excessively candy, however nonetheless slightly tender. 

Next have been the noodles, which was my private favorite. Unlike many wantan noodles served at different outlets, this handmade one was thinner however extra tender and chewy. I seen that even after ending a whole plate, I didn’t really feel uncomfortably full. 

However, I needed that the sauces stood out stronger— by way of flavour, it sort of pale into the background. But the addition of pork lard cubes and the crunchy pickled inexperienced chillies went effectively with the noodles. 

Of course, I merely needed to order an additional bowl of silky-tasting wantan (RM6) which I devoured in minutes. Fun reality, the wantan pores and skin wrappers are made in home and they don’t use colourings and preservatives. The filling of the wantan consisted purely of minced pork and so they have been following the identical recipe for hundreds of years. 

Final ideas

I watched quietly as a celebration of 10 (they seemed like regulars) chattered excitedly over their bowls of noodles earlier than exchanging Chinese New Year greetings with Dexter. This introduced just a little smile to my face.

These bowls of noodles are greater than only a passing dish— they’re virtually just a little piece of historical past shared between 4 generations. So, the subsequent time some conventional good meals within the coronary heart of the town is on the menu for you, keep in mind that for Toong Kwoon Chye, the adage ‘old is gold’ definitely rings true. 

Expected injury: RM8 – RM13 per pax

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