PETALING JAYA, May 14 — For those in PJ hankering after genuine Penang white curry mee, head over to Section 14, PJ where the Kuantan Road Curry Mee stall just opened on April 3.
It is a branch of a stall located at Restoran Sun Sea, Overseas Union Garden (OUG). The PJ stall is run by David Tan, 47, while the OUG stall is now manned by his two sons: Adren, 25, and Alvin, 23.
The recipe is traced back to David’s father, Tan Boon Eng, in Penang. In 1971, he had set up a pushcart stall outside a coffee shop in Kuantan Road to sell the ubiquitous curry mee after picking up the recipe from a sifu.
The business is now carried on by the elder Tan’s five sons; David opened his OUG stall here about nine years ago.
David’s brothers run their own stalls all around Penang e.g. the Genting Coffee Shop and Pulau Tikus. His elder brother and father work together to prepare the white curry ingredients for a wholesale business.
As his sons are adept at running their own stall, David decided to branch out to open this stall at Mei Keng Restoran upon a friend’s recommendation.
You will notice that unlike the typical Penang curry mee broth that is usually pale white, this version is pale orange instead. He admits that he adds a little chilli paste in the broth so the colour is more appetising.
The thin broth is made from a mixture of coconut milk, chilli powder, salt and water. You will notice that David’s version is a little sweeter and fragrant which makes it more appealing.
All of the ingredients are prepared here except the coagulated blood cubes which he gets from a supplier. Much care and work is taken to prepare the chilli paste, the important flavour component in the white curry mee.
That darkish red paste is made by blending dried red chillies, garlic, shallots and oil, then slowly fried in oil for around one hour or so, until it is fragrant.
A typical bowl of white curry mee is priced at RM6 (small) and RM7 (big) and served with your choice of noodles, bean curd puffs, long beans, raw cockles, shelled prawns and coagulated blood cubes.
Usually, it is served with cuttlefish, but David has omitted it for now since he does not have workers to cut the cuttlefish. For those who love their curry mee with prawns, there is an option to add bigger prawns for RM9.You also have the option to add ingredients for RM8.
Kuantan Road Penang Curry Laksa stall
Mei Keng Restoran
No. 42, Jalan 14/48, Section 14, Petaling Jaya
Open: 7.30am to 1.30pm
Off days are usually end of the month for two days
