Enjoy HK-style wanton noodles in a PJ coffee shop

PETALING JAYA, July 24 — When it comes to wanton noodles, it’s hard to get all the elements right. You need noodles with a lovely bite and springy texture, a fragrant sauce, juicy succulent char siew and satisfying wantons stuffed to the brim with filling.

One place that gets almost everything right is the Bamboo Prawn Wanton Noodle Stall at SS2. Unfortunately it doesn’t hit a perfect 10 since their sauce follows the lighter Hong Kong style that will never sit well with KL palates used to a darker and lard enhanced version.

Nevertheless, it’s still an excellent bowl of wanton noodles and you are sure to return for more.

This iconic coffee shop in the SS2 area, where this stall is located, is popularly known as “Chow Yang” even though it has changed hands quite a few times due to financial woes.

The best way to enjoy these springy noodles is soup style with the char siew slices placed on the side.

From Chow Yang Coffeeshop it became Lim Mee Yoke Coffeeshop. Later it was converted to Restaurant Ho Ho Sek where the eating area became air-conditioned.

This March, it reopened under a new operator who named it Restaurant WDS that stands for wan dou see which is Cantonese for “found something to eat” or “found a livelihood.”

Most of the operators who used to trade in the old restaurant like the popiah stall and even the interestingly-named James Bond char kway teow stall returned.

The wantons are filled with a whole prawn and minced pork (left). Chef Vincent Koh will wrap the wantons (right).

One of the new stalls is Bamboo Prawn Wanton Noodle Stall operated by Andy Lew and Vincent Koh. Also assisting them at the stall is Louis Lum.

Both Andy and Vincent once ran a restaurant known as Little Canton a few years ago that was located at Uptown Sungai Buloh and Subang 2. As Andy relates, the business folded as the locations weren’t that good.

A bowl of dry wanton noodles is topped with char siew slices, prawn wantons and vegetables (left). Previously involved in construction, Andy Lew picked up cooking out of interest (right).

Subsequently Vincent who was the restaurant’s chef went to work for another popular Hong Kong-style restaurant. For the previous restaurant, Andy was just a shareholder as he was involved in the construction business. Later, he took the time to learn how to cook so he also helps out at the stall. In fact, Andy’s not even a fan of wanton noodles, as he personally prefers the yellow coloured mee or the smooth kway teow noodles!

When their acquaintance who manages the first Restaurant WDS in Kepong Industrial Park decided to take over this coffeeshop, they were offered a space so they took up the opportunity to start their business again.

Dine in air-conditioned comfort at Restaurant WDS.

In September, they will be opening a full-fledged restaurant that covers around 4,000 square feet at Bandar Utama’s Centrepoint. The restaurant will offer more menu choices like dim sum and rice dishes aside from their signature wanton noodles.

Since they opened in SS2, they have been slowly winning fans with their wantons. It’s pure pleasure to bite into their goldfish-like wantons, made the Hong Kong style.

The char siew slices are placed on top of the noodles just before the sauce is added.

Each wanton has a whole prawn that has a lovely crunchy texture with a bit of minced pork. These are definitely heads above our local style wantons that are usually filled with minced pork and chopped prawns.

Their thin refined noodles are made according to their recipe by a trusted manufacturer. Also known as bamboo noodles or chuk seng meen, the springy strands are yellow in colour because of the usage of duck eggs.

Their soy sauce chicken is one of the best in town (left). The braised beef brisket has a slight fragrance of star anise (right).

Even though most locals prefer the dry version, you should consider eating these noodles just like how the Hong Kongers eat them... in a rich broth or tang sui, as Andy calls it.

According to Andy, the MSG-free broth uses kam wah foh tui or Jinhua ham, and dried sole fish or chor hau yee to give it a deep flavour. The broth is made daily and takes a tedious six and a half hours to cook.

You can order tender braised chicken feet with mushrooms.

The pairing is sublime, with each spoonful of delicious broth and the springy noodles. If you do order the dry version, it’s tossed in a sauce that is made from 13 ingredients like dark soy sauce, spring onions and lard.

Another element they get right is their char siew with its succulent texture and caramelised top. Only pun fei sou or half fat half meat cuts are used to prepare the BBQ char siew in an Apollo oven, so you won’t get a hard piece of char siew.

Following feedback from their customers, they are now serving their BBQ meats separately on a plate so it won’t get drenched in the broth. With this change, you get to relish the caramelised char siew with its juicy layers of fats.

The char siew uses only half fat and half meat cuts for a juicier texture.

Another delicious must-eat here is the soy sauce chicken that has a silky texture. What makes it incredibly addictive is the fragrant soy sauce the chicken is cooked in... pour it over a plate of rice and you will finish every grain.

According to Andy, they had originally wanted to sell rice with their meats but due to the lack of staff that idea was shelved and reserved instead for their Centrepoint outlet.

Other goodies you can also order with your bowl of noodles is their braised chicken feet with mushrooms and the tender beef brisket or ngau lam cooked in the chee hau sauce and star anise. There is also roast pork or siew yoke available.

Bamboo Prawn Wanton Noodle Stall, Restaurant WDS,
No. 157, Jalan SS2/6, Petaling Jaya.
Open: 7.30am to 4pm. Closed every second Thursday of the month.
A bowl of noodles, char siew and two pieces of wantons is priced at RM7.