KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — It’s a nondescript little stall on an unremarkable road named after a kind of ox.
Just off the main drag of Jalan Pasar – in busy, busy Pudu – on Jalan Seladang, you will find what is literally a lean-to against the wall of one of the shophouses.
Lim Meng Soon, 45, practises time-sharing with a chicken rice stall which only operates during the day while his chap fan stall is open from 8pm to midnight. How very clever, and economical.
What is truly remarkable though is the food that this little chap fan (mixed rice) stall turns out. On an average day, Lim serves about 20 dishes ranging from fried chicken to wild boar curry and a variety of vegetables like brinjal and bittergourd stuffed with fish paste.
The fried chicken is to-die-for (you will want seconds) and the plain vegetarian meehoon is good enough on its own but super yummy if you pour some curry over it.
The “menu” is not fixed except for the fried chicken and the stuffed veggies. “It depends on what I get at the market every morning,” said Lim.
Think of this as the Pudu equivalent of the Japanese omakase or chef’s selection.
Yes, this is good honest food that hits the spot after a hard day as the long line of people queuing up every night (except Sunday) testifies. You see all sorts of people here; taxi drivers on a break, office workers, neighbourhood uncles and families, and even working girls.
And even before you take your first bite of the delicious fried chicken, you know it’s got to be good. After all, the people here are not going to spend their hard-earned money on crap food right?
This story was first published in the print edition of The Malay Mail, August 23, 2013.
