KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — There is something very comforting about a bowl of mee hoon kueh especially during the rainy season. The dough is made from a combination of flour, water and eggs, which is flattened and smoothened in a noodle machine.
Usually, the dough is prepared ahead and kept covered to prevent it from drying out. The dish is prepared upon order — the dough will be pulled and pinched into small pieces — cooked in boiling water and scooped out when it’s ready.
The cooked dough pieces are combined with a sweet tasting ikan bilis broth and topped with pork slices and deep fried ikan bilis. Usually vegetables like choy sum are used for this version rather than the distinct leafy sayur manis often served with pan mee.
In Klang, this home-style Hokkien dish is popular with many who prefer the irregular hand pinched dough’s chewiness compared to pan mee, which is made from the same dough but cut through a noodle machine for a more consistent thickness.
Fatty House Mee Hoon Kuih, No. 19, Lebuh Bangau, Taman Berkeley, Klang. Open daily: 10am to 10pm.
Opened since the 1980s, this popular stall is now run by the second generation. The pinched dough is silky smooth and served with pork slices, pork liver, choy sum, crispy ikan bilis and a clear ikan bilis broth. After 7pm, there’s no mee hoon kueh served and only pan mee is served as the brigade of Indonesian ladies who stand over the row of pots to hand pinch the dough will have retired for the day.
Restoran Kah Ping, Lot 5, Lot 205, Jalan Gelugor, Off Jalan Meru, Klang. Open: 8am to 2pm. Closed on Thursdays.
What makes this mee hoon kueh stall a must-eat is their sweet clear tasting ikan bilis broth enhanced by the use of small prawns, just like in the old days. The hand pinched dough pieces are thin and silky with a slight chew. It’s served with choy sum, fried ikan bilis and thin pork slices. The stall also serves loh mee. Every Friday, they serve Foochow red wine mee sua.
No name shop, 21, Lintang Gangsa, Klang. Open: 8am to 3pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
Everyone flocks to this well-hidden shop in Taman Melawis for their noodle fix. It specialises in all kinds of noodles, like mee hoon kueh, red wine mee sua, curry mee, loh mee and yee mee. Their mee hoon kueh is a generous portion with a sweet-tasting ikan bilis broth topped with a large spoonful of fried ikan bilis and shallots that enhance its tastiness. The dough slices are a bit thick with a slight chewy taste. You also get pork slices and vegetables in your bowl. If you still have stomach space, look for the famous char kway teow on the same street. This stall serves an almost black-coloured char kway teow with decadent lard fritters.
Ho Kien Pan Mee Stall, Restoran Lian Heng, 22, Jalan SS19/6, Subang Jaya. Open: 7.30am to 3pm. Closed on Sundays.
Take a queue number and wait for your turn, especially during peak times at this popular stall. The irregular sized pinched dough bits are served with sayur manis, minced pork and fried ikan bilis. You can also dip the dough bits into the spicy green chilli sambal served on the side.
Lian Kee Pan Mee Stall, 4 ½ Miles, Old Klang Road (Near Scotts Plaza), KL. Open: 8pm to 12pm
This is one of the rare spots where you can indulge in mee hoon kueh at night. It offers the pinched variety with soup and the pan mee version. What makes the ikan bilis and pig bones broth different is they flood the bowl with a generous scoop of fried ikan bilis and shallots. It’s also served with sliced pork and shiitake mushrooms. The texture of the pinched dough is thin and smooth. My only gripe is the soup can be quite oily with the addition of the fried items. The stall is located opposite Restoran Wai Kei and also sells tong sui and snacks like yam cake and fried popiah.
