KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 — Mention the Loke Yew Flats and everyone assumes you’re going to talk about Hien Kee Fish Ball Noodles but that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the food offerings at these flats built in 1968. 

The two blocks that face Jalan Loke Yew are peppered with a few old school eateries, feeding curry mee, pan mee, wantan mee and more to residents and those who work around here.

Even the students and teachers from Tsun Jin Chinese School, located right after the flats, pop over here for their meals; some stalls only close after the school finishes for the day. 

A friend has been frequenting Kedai Kopi Ban Fong for the simple chee cheong fun, which got me curious. 

It’s hard to spot the place as the shop is covered with shades to block out the sunlight so look for the second lot from the corner of the other block next to Hien Kee, 

Limited space inside the shop sees the dining area spilling out onto the passageway. 

There are two stalls inside the shop: left hand side is a stall that sells wantan mee, pan mee and fried rice, while the right hand side is the neatest stall in stainless steel where a man tends to his assortment of yong tau foo. 

So where’s the coveted chee cheong fun, you may wonder?

He hides it inside a stainless steel box like precious treasure, all covered to protect it and only taken out whenever an order is placed. 

It’s the hard-to-find type of chee cheong fun fashioned purely from ground rice, with a soft, slippery texture best relished with minimal sauces.  

Most sellers mix in tapioca flour to improve the elasticity of the steamed rolls to allow easier handling but you compromise on the texture, as too much gives it a rubbery bite. 

Opt for his sweet sauce (thim cheong) – laboriously slow cooked by the stall owner for a few hours – using soybean paste and sesame seeds. 

The brown coloured sauce has a mellow soy flavour that isn’t salty like the typical ones found elsewhere. 

Even the chilli sauce doesn’t hit you with its spiciness but complements the savoury taste of the brown sauce. 

My second helping of chee cheong fun was dressed only with soy sauce, oil and a shake of sesame seeds, allowing me to thoroughly enjoy its silkiness and slight rice flavour. 

One can of course, bulk up one’s meal by adding an assortment of stuffed vegetables, beancurd or soybean skin crackers too, 

This stall with 30 years of history used to be at the makeshift eating area in between the blocks of flats but when it was torn down by the authorities, the stall moved into the coffeeshop. 

While he doesn’t make the chee cheong fun himself, his source is a small outfit keeping to the traditional methods to make these steamed rice rolls. 

Two sheets of chee cheong fun was RM2.40 and RM7.20 with an assortment of yong tau foo. 

If you’re still peckish, try the wantan mee stall that goes beyond char siu with a daily rotation of special toppings like curry with chicken or pork ribs, Hakka style braised pork (char yoke) or even braised ginger duck or chicken. 

This round, I tried the braised pork leg with its slippery skin and chunks of meat slowly cooked in dark soy sauce and dried chillies for a satisfying take-away meal for RM13. 

What makes it even more special is this coffeeshop is the chatter of the old neighbours exchanging gossip on long-term residents, making for the best soundtrack as you slowly savour the slippery chee cheong fun. 

Kedai Kopi Ban Fong

Block 32, Loke Yew Flats

Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur.

Open: 7am to 4.30pm. Closed on Sunday.

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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