Find prawn paste 'chee cheong fun' and 'pipa' duck at Ampang Mewah's 129 Food Court

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Here's an unlikely pair... prawn paste chee cheong fun and roast duck. That's the fun of dining in a food court. You never know what you will find.

This time, it's the vast 129 Food Court in Ampang Mewah. The space is nice and breezy with fans to keep the heat away.

On weekdays, it's quiet with tables filled with folks who live nearby. Some sit there just enjoying a pot of Chinese tea.

Weekends see the place being filled up with families. Variety is the draw here.

My mission for the day was tracking down the elusive Penang style chee cheong fun.

At Wei Wei Mei Wei Ji Cheong Fun, you will find that style of chee cheong fun. Operated by the friendly Kenneth, he admits he isn't a fan of the pungent smell but his customers are.

Here, the sauce isn't too thick like at other stalls but it retains that lethal prawn paste punch.

You can also enjoy the smooth rice rolls with brown sauce and a dash of chilli sauce (left). The curry version is mildly spicy but fragrant (right).

You can ask for the steamed rice rolls to be served whole, just like how they do in Penang. If the crowd is not too crazy, it is served slightly warm which makes for a much nicer bite. I do like the texture of the chee cheong fun, since it's supple.

Should you be averse to that pungent prawn paste, the stall also serves the typical brown sauce with a slight sweet taste. You can also add chilli sauce on the side for a spicy kick too.

Find the stall in the middle of the food court.

Or go for the curry version, made using a spice paste. It's a mild curry but fragrant with curry leaves, herbs and spices. The chee cheong fun is RM2.50 for two rolls, with curry or the brown sauce. For the prawn paste chee cheong fun, it's RM3 for a small portion of two rolls.

Bulk up the meal with their small selection of fried yong tau foo. Prices range from RM2 to RM2.50 per piece.

A random surprise find was this stall selling pipa duck and roasted herbal duck.

Golden brown roast duck in a row draws everyone's attention.

What drew me to this stall was that beautiful golden brown skin of the roast duck.

Just before they serve the pipa duck, it's given a hot oil bath, which makes its skin crackly and even more golden brown. It's best to eat it as soon as possible, for the crispy skin.

The 'pipa' duck is given a hot oil bath before serving.

A half portion of the 'pipa' duck is best eaten straight away for that crispy skin and juicy meat.

Here the duck isn't slathered with too many herbs and spices, letting you enjoy the taste of the juicy meat with the crispy skin.

Pair it with plum sauce, which is quite watered down and chilli sauce that packs a punch.

For the roasted herbal duck, the meat is juicier but the skin is not too crispy.

For a more fragrant taste, the roasted herbal duck is a better choice. Its inside is coated with dong quai powder. It's not overpowering but they layer just a little to give it a slight fragrance.

This duck is juicier too. The compromise is the skin is not overly crispy but still tasty.

You get chilli sauce and the juices of the duck, which you can dip the duck in to fully enjoy it.

The underside of the duck's belly is coated with 'dong quai' powder (left). Find the stall in front of the side entrance of the food court (right).

The pipa duck is priced at RM70 for the whole bird. A half portion is RM36. For the roasted herbal duck, it's RM38 for a half portion and RM75 for a whole portion.

Wei Wei Mei Wei Ji Cheong Fun

129 Food Court

Jalan Mewah 5

Ampang Mewah, Ampang.

Open: 7.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 8pm.

The stall is open throughout the festive season.

Ming Hao Roasted Duck

129 Food Court

Jalan Mewah 5

Ampang Mewah, Ampang.

Open: 11am to 7pm.

Closed for the first day of Chinese New Year.

Tel: 018-8739091

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

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