Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist @ Sunway Pyramid

Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist started off their business with a shop in Subang Indah shop lots in the early 90's. Back then, they were considered to be one of the shop that serves better wonton noodles around the Subang neighbourhood area.

When Sunway Pyramid opened it's door to the public in 1995, Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist expand it's business by opening a branch here. Even though it has shifted from it's original shop location in Sunway Pyramid, it still continues to present until today.

Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist

Various drinks are there to be chosen from the menu. But, I'm into Chinese tea as of late.

Chinese Tea (RM 1.60)

Throughout the years, beside the wonton noodles, there are many other type of cuisine that is added to the menu. However, my preference would still be their wanton noodles.

Hong Kong Wanton Noodles (RM 8.50)
Whenever I opted for wonton noodles, I am very particular with the textures of their noodles. The noodles here were on the springy side and there is no hint of unpleasant lye water taste, much to my pleasure. As for the gravy, I would rate it as very average as it lacked the fragrance that brings out a better a flavour to the noodles.

Hong Kong Crispy Roasted Duck Noodles (RM 10.50)
The duck meat were tender and juicy but the skin were not as crispy as it claims. The roasted duck were lacking in flavour as well. I would rate it as very average despite it's fancy name.

Shrimp and Meat Wanton in Soup (RM 7.20 for 6 pcs)
The wanton tasted alright but the shrimp within and the meat portion were very small. Judging from the price attached to it, I expected a bigger size of wanton.

This stall used to be one of the stall where I can get better taste of wanton noodles. However on my previous visit after a long absence, I find the taste and the quality has deteriorated. The only thing that I saw an increase is the price tag of the food (with 10 % service charge on top of the total bill).

Atmosphere: 5/10

Food: 5/10 (non-halal)
Price: 4/10
Verdict: Not a place anymore to satisfy my craving for wanton noodles. The taste and the portion of the food do not justice to the price attached to it!

Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist
Lot LG2.52-53, Lower Level Two
Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall
3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway
46150, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 603 - 7492 6028

Ulu Yam Loh Mee Restoran Hong Ling @ SS 14, Subang Jaya

One would find it rather difficult to satisfy the craving of Ulu Yam Loh Mee simply because you will need to drive to the rural area of Ulu Yam. However, unless you happen to be passing by there, driving all the way to Ulu Yam for a bowl of Loh Mee is unpractical.

As for me, I satisfied my craving for Ulu Yam Loh Mee by visiting this stall in Section 14 of Subang Jaya, Restoran Hong Ling. Little did I know about this stall, until I've decided to give it a try after passing by it numerous times.

Restoran Hong Ling

Just as their signboard suggested, one should really try out their Ulu Yam Loh Mee.

Restoran Hong Lin, Ulu Yam Loh Mee (RM 5.50 per pax)
It was brimming with flavour with a perfect amount of black vinegar that make it pleasantly tangy. My first try on it resulted to an amazement, wondering am I actually in Ulu Yam?

Besides Loh Mee, they do serve other type of occasionally eaten fried noodles.

Fried Hokkien Noodle (RM 5.50 per pax)
I find it slightly salty otherwise I would have rate it as pretty decent. A plus point is that the noodles were homemade and you will not find the unpleasant smell of the boric acid found in the typical yellow noodles.

Fried Cantonese Style (RM 5.50 per pax)
Pretty standard with a little hint of wok hei, neither great nor too bad.

Fried Fu Chuk stuffed with Fish Paste (RM 8 per plate)
It was crispy and fairly fluffy with a decent bite of fairly spongy fish paste. Credits should be given considering this is not a stall specializing in yong tau foo. An ideal appetizer to call upon while waiting for the main course to be served.

Most of the fried noodles here are reasonably priced at RM 5.50 per pax and they come in a decent portion. Thus, if you are looking for some decent Ulu Yam Loh Mee, but not willing to travel far, Restoran Hong Ling might one be your choice.

Ulu Yam Loh Mee: 7/10 (non-halal)
Fried Hokkien Noodle: 5/10 (non-halal)
Fried Cantonese Style: 5.5/10 (non-halal)
Fried Fu Chuk stuffed with Fish Paste: 7.5/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: You will not be disappointed with their Ulu Yam Loh Mee!

Restoran Hong Ling
48, Jalan 14/2
Subang Jaya
47500, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 6012 - 379 8938 (Lui Xin Rong) / 6012 - 625 9930 (Ah Ann)
Business hours: 11.30 am - 9.30 pm daily

Curry Mee Hup Kee Coffee Shop @ Pulau Tikus, Penang

It was my last day in Penang for my previous mid year holiday in Penang. Started the day by checking out from Tune Hotels before headed to Pulau Tikus for breakfast.

Heading to Pulau Tikus is easy, especially by car. Just travel along the Burma Road, and you will reach Pulau Tikus within 10 minutes from Tune Hotels. There are abundant of coffee shops here greeting you on both side, along the main road. As such, I tried my luck with Hup Kee coffee shop, hoping it does offer me some good breakfast before I headed home to KL.

Hup Kee Coffee Shop, off Lorong Leandro's

Popular with the old folks having their morning tea

Just like typical coffee shop, Hup Kee offers the usual hawker food such like fried and soup noodles. I was moved by the strong scent of curry mee and thus, I decided to order a small bowl for my breakfast.

Hup Kee Curry Laksa Stall, Pulau Tikus

Hup Kee Curry Mee (RM 2.50)
Just like a standard Penang Curry Mee, the soup is clear but it offered a decent curry taste that came with a spoonful of sambal to spice the soup up. With the generous servings of the accompaniments like prawn, tau pok, fish ball and pork blood cubes (chu hong), I thought it was a steal at it's price. Oh yes, I love the extra topping of the mint leaves too which adds in some minty taste to the soup.

Pei Yee did ordered a plate of fried koay teow from the auntie that operates this hawker stall.

Hup Kee Fried Koay Teow Stall, Pulau Tikus

Hup Kee Char Koay Teow, Pulau Tikus (RM 3)
There was hint of wok hei but overall it was lacking in flavour. It was near to tasteless and it makes me wonder was it fried without salt or soy sauce. Definitely not a standard of a decent Penang fried koay teow.

The curry mee is pretty enjoyable and I would not mind returning here for another bowl as my breakfast on my next Penang trip. Maybe I should try out some other stalls as well but definitely not on the fried koay teow stall.

Curry Mee: 7/10
Char Koay Teow: 4/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 7/10
Verdict: Curry mee was up to my expectation of Penang standard but the Char Koay Teow is forgettable.

Hup Kee Coffee Shop

Lorong Leandro's
off Jalan Burma
10250, Pulau Tikus
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 7am - 2pm daily

Ah Leng Char Koay Teow, Kafe Khoon Hiang @ Jalan Dato Keramat, Penang

According to a food survey, Char Koay Teow is the number one food most sought after in Penang by the tourist and even locals. As such, you can actually find Char Koay Teow stall in Penang virtually almost everywhere from the roadside to the coffee shop.

Frying a plate of Char Koay Teow is not hard but to result in a good taste is hard. I have been disappointed countless times by the taste of a supposed good Char Koay Teow. There was this stall in Penang along Jalan Dato Keramat that served really good Char Koay Teow. By the name of Ah Leng Char Koay Teow, it is located in Khoon Hiang Cafe and it is one of the famous Char Koay Teow in Penang.

Khoon Hiang Cafe, along Jalan Dato Keramat

Ah Leng Char Koay Teow

The boss aka Ah Leng

You can never see Ah Leng stop frying the koay teow. He don't even smile, and just glance at you when you placed an order before switching back his focus to the wok.

Focused on the wok most of the time

Char Koay Teow is prepared by frying the flat thin noodles (koay teow) together with egg, garlic, bean sprouts, and prawns. It is optional to be fried spicy or non spicy.

The art of frying koay teow

It was almost 2pm on my previous visit, and the place was still largely crowded with people waiting for their orders.

Crowd patiently waiting for their plate of Char Koay Teow

I'd ordered a plate of special Char Koay Teow and it was served after 25 minutes of wait.

Ah Leng Special Char Koay Teow (RM 9)

The special plate came with extra fried mantis prawn on top of normal ingredients.

Big, succulent and juicy prawns

The scent from the Char Koay Teow proved too hard to resist. You just can't wait to have your first mouth on it.

One of the best Char Koay Teow in Penang

Fantabulous! It was full with flavour and the wok hei was superb that it lingered in mouth for a while. Each bite on it unfolded the awesomeness of the flavour that packed with fragrance of the slightly charred chili that coated each on the flat noodles so well. It it neither too dry nor oily, just perfect for a great plate of Char Koay Teow!

Should you are not a fan of mantis prawn, you can opt for the normal plate of Char Koay Teow which tasted as great and come with 3 big prawn as well.

The normal Ah Leng Char Koay Teow (RM 5)

This is where famous Char Koay Teow equals to best that resulted a lip smacking good fried koay teow. One plate is never enough indeed. Definitely one of my most memorable Char Koay Teow to date.

Char Koay Teow: 9/10

Atmosphere: 5/10
Price: 4/10

Verdict: It is a little pricey but it is all well worth for a great plate of Char Koay Teow!

Ah Leng Char Koay Teow
Kafe Khoon Hiang (Opposite Federal Place)
Corner Lot
Jalan Dato Keramat
Penang
Tel: 012 - 498 3962
Business hours: 8am - 2pm daily, Closed on Thursday

Prawn Noodle Ah Soon Kor Har Mee, Hokkien Mee @ Sin Kim San Coffee Shop, Penang

There's another food that I will not missed out when I'm in Penang. Prawn noodle or the Penangites referring them as Hokkien Mee is another Penang delicacy with yellow noodles being served in a rich taste of prawn soup base with the accompaniment of pork slices, fish cake slices and bean sprouts before being topped off with shallots and prawns.

With tourism industry blooming in Penang, you can get your bowl of prawn noodle in almost every coffee shop. The tag line of Penang Famous Hokkien Mee is a common sight amongst those seller, but how true is their claim? Recently, I was at Sin Kim San coffee shop to try out the prawn noodle of Ah Soon Kor Har Mee during the breakfast time.

Ah Soon Kor Har Mee at Sin Kim San coffee shop

The boss aka Ah Soon Kor

A normal bowl of prawn noodle is selling at RM 3 while adding on roasted pork will cost one ringgit extra at RM 4. They also offer premium prawn noodle that consisted of added roasted pork and mantis prawn which is selling at RM 5 bowl each.

Since 1968

During my previous visit, it was 10 on a Sunday morning and the coffee shop is already almost full house.

Almost full house on Sunday

It took about 10 minutes before my bowl of prawn noodle was served. Since it was my first time trying them out, I ordered the premium prawn noodle.

Ah Soon Kor Premium Prawn Noodle (RM 5)
Consisted of normal and added ingredients of roasted pork (siu yok) and fried mantis prawn.

Prawn Noodle that lived up to it's expectation
It was bursting with the aromatic prawn flavour. I'd particularly like the sweeter taste of the soup because it brings out a richer taste of the soup. It was less spicy as well, so a good choice for those without chili tongue. Together with the added fragrance of roasted pork and mantis prawn, a bowl of this prawn noodle will surely delight your breakfast time.

There are times that claimed famous food were overrated. But as for this Ah Soon Kor Har Mee it has what it takes to be claimed as famous and definitely lived up to my expectation of a great prawn noodle. Even my parents agreed so, although they are not really a big fan of prawn noodle.

Premium Prawn Noodle: 8/10 (non-halal)

Atmosphere: 5/10
Price: 7/10

Verdict: One of the better prawn noodle in Penang!

Ah Soon Kor Har Mee
Kedai Kopi dan Minuman Sin Kim San
168 , Jalan Rangoon
off Jalan Mcallister, 10400
Penang
Tel: 012 - 435 9933 / 016 - 419 9993
Business hours: 7am - 2pm daily, Closed on alternate Monday

GPS Coordinates: N05 24.994' E100 19.429'

Asam Laksa Air Itam Market @ Jalan Pasar, Penang

A visit to Penang is incomplete without a bowl of Asam Laksa. If you happen to visit the famous Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, do not miss out having a bowl of Penang Asam Laksa at the Air Itam wet market. Even if you are not keen on temple visiting, do get your way to this laksa stall if you are a big fan of asam laksa.

The stall has been in operation for more than 30 years and needless to say more, the business has been passed on from one generation to another. Throughout the years, it has been selling at the same spot, by the side of Air Itam market. When one mentioned Air Itam Asam Laksa, it got to be this stall that they were referring to.

Famous Air Itam Asam Laksa Stall

The surrounding ambiance might not be so welcoming, but you will eventually forget the unwelcoming surrounding, the moment your asam laksa is being served to you.

By the side of Air Itam wet market

Running a business is not an easy task, but with the help from family members, the task not only seems to be easier but enjoyable. You can always see them putting a smile on their face no matter how busy their hands are.

A family business for decades

The constantly boiling fish broth

A good asam laksa is best served when it's piping hot from the broth till the root of the thick rice noodles. To ensure such, you can actually see the uncle pouring in and out the broth on each bowl for a few times.

Pouring in and out the broth

They might be crowded most of the time, but you need not to wait long before your bowl of laksa is being served to you.

Air Itam Asam Laksa (RM 3)
The strong aroma of the herbs from the laksa can be scented even before your first mouth.

One of the best Asam Laksa in Penang
The broth is not only thick but is brimming with flavour. It is reasonably perked up with tamarind stock and perfectly sweetened with the drizzling of prawn paste. With the eventual aromatic lemon grass kicking in together with the spiciness of the chili, it really puzzled your taste bud with the awesomeness combination taste of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Just like many others, should a bowl of laksa is not enough for you, you can always take away.

You can opt to take away

Everyone has their preferred type of food and this is no exception to asam laksa. Some might say the taste has deteriorated throughout the years while some might say it is over rated. But as for me, I still find the taste as superb as when I had them the first time many years ago. Definitely one of my favourite asam laksa stall in Penang.

Asam Laksa: 8.5/10

Atmosphere: 1/10
Price: 7.5/10

Verdict: Arguably one of the best asam laksa in Penang with thick broth!

Asam Laksa Air Itam Market
Jalan Pasar (beside the Air Itam Wet Market)
11500, Air Itam
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 11am - 9pm daily

Restoran Kar Cheong Chicken Rice @ SS 14, Subang Jaya

When one mentioned about bean sprout chicken rice, one will automatically think of Ipoh. Honestly, I think that Ipoh bean sprout chicken rice is over rated and one need not to travel all the way to Ipoh just for bean sprout chicken rice.

There is this stall that serves very good bean sprout chicken rice, if not better than those of at Ipoh. Named as Restoran Kar Heong, it is situated at Section 14 of Subang Jaya and this is where I satisfied my craving for bean sprout chicken rice ever since I knew their existence.

Restoran Kar Heong Chicken Rice

One thing I like about here is that you can actually choose your type chicken, the commercialized chicken or kampung chicken. Kampung chicken meat is more tender and cost slightly more expensive.

Steamed Chicken (RM 5 per plate)
Smooth, tender and juicy chicken meat drizzled with the perfectly flavoured soya sauce. Pure bliss and it went so well with their chicken rice.

Bean Sprout (RM 2)
Thick, fat and short are the attributes of Ipoh bean sprout. Not only that they uses genuine Ipoh bean sprout, it was very fresh as well, making it my must-order dish whenever I visited this place.

Pork Ball and Prawn Wan Tan (RM 3.50 per bowl of 5)
Another signature dish that should not be missed. The pork ball were very meaty and full with porky aroma while the prawn wan tan were just simply succulent and sweet.

Ipoh Hor Fun with Prawn Wan Tan (RM 5)
I'm not really a fan of Hor Fun soup, but I must admit that the Ipoh Hor Fun here really caught my attention. The soup was very flavourful and comes together with the smooth Hor Fun. Together with the generous serving of vegetables, it has what it take to be my favourite Ipoh Hor Fun.

The next time you heard people telling you how good the Ipoh bean sprout chicken rice was, do share with them about this stall. Perhaps they will have second thought after trying the food here.

Atmosphere: 5/10
Food: 7.5/10 (non-halal)
Price: 6/10
Verdict: Steamed chicken is simply awesome! Do not missed out the prawn Wan Tan as well.

Restoran Kar Heong Chicken Rice SS 14
60, Jalan 14/2
Subang Jaya
47500, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 012 - 605 6696
Business hours: 9 am - 9pm

GPS Coordinates: N3 04.366' E101 35.432'

Tang House of Fishball Happy Hour @ Sea Park, Petaling Jaya

If you think that only beer has happy hour, you might wanna rethink again. Happening only in Malaysia perhaps, there is a noodle shop offering selected food at happy hours price.

The shop which I was referring to is Tang House of Fishball which claimed to serve 60's Teow Chew fishball. Located at the shop lots of Sea Park (the same row as KFC restaurant), it offers happy hours food from 9.30pm to 11pm daily. The price during the happy hours is actually 30% - 50% off the normal price.

Tang House of Fishball

The premise is decently renovated and it is fully air-conditioned. So no worries about the humid and hot weather when having your bowl of noodles here.

Decent ambiance

Bean Curd Skin and Barley Dessert (RM 2)

Home Land Mee Dry (RM 3.80 per bowl)
A very much resemblance of the Hakka noodles apart from the extra slices of fish cake. It was decent but nothing really to shout about.

The noodles did come with a complimentary soup with fish balls.

Complimentary fish ball in soup
The fish ball deserved some mentioning as it tasted pure with fish paste. It was neither too soft nor spongy, unlike those typical fish ball that you had in those normal fish ball stall.

Soup Noodle (RM 3.80 per bowl)
I find the soup base a little too salty. Even the bland taste of the flat noodles could not reduced the saltiness of the soup.

Besides noodles, they served other finger and fried food as well.

Fried Dumpling (RM 0.80 per piece)
No doubt it was freshly fried, however, it cannot make up the disappointment in taste. Consisted just purely fish paste and some diced veges, it could have beeen better should there is some shrimps and pork.

Fried Fish Cake (RM 2.50 per whole piece)
Spongy and full with the fragrant of fish paste, I could not find any reason for not loving this!

The total bill came to RM 16.10 inclusive of the drink. I supposed the price is very decent judging from the food quality and the ambiance of the place. They have other food to offer during the normal business hours but obviously, I'd only visited this place during the happy hour promotion time. I always believe that why pay more when you can pay less!


Atmosphere: 5.5/10
Food: 6/10 (non-halal)
Price: 6/10
Verdict: Be sure to grab the happy hour deal from 9.30 pm -11 pm daily.

Tang House of Fishball Seapark Branch
No 12, Ground Floor
Jalan 21/19
Sea Park, 46300
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: 603 - 7876 5461

Business hours: 7.30 am -11 pm