KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — There is comfort, and then there is the comfort of wantan noodles — that quiet bowl of steaming broth, chewy strands and plump dumplings that finds its way into our hearts.
We find an exemplary bowl at San Hao Wonton and Dumpling, a shop that serves Hong Kong favourites, specifically their Fresh Prawn & Pork Wonton Noodles.
The broth is clear and contemplative, carrying a restrained salinity, with umami whispers of dried flounder.
Each thin-skinned wantan reveals a blush of pink from the prawn within, the pork filling seasoned just enough. The noodles are firm and springy — the sure sign of a cook who knows exactly when to lift them from the pot.
Every mouthful carries a memory of all our past visits to Hong Kong, particularly Mongkok where old school cha chaan tengs abound.
Except we are not in Mongkok. We are in Taman Desa, under the shadow of Faber Plaza’s open-air car park, opposite De Market supermarket. The shop itself is unassuming, with exposed red brick walls and colourful posters.
By now, regular readers might expect my ritual order of cham panas. But in a Hong Kong-style eatery, propriety demands a cup of Yin Yong — that similar yet subtly different blend of coffee and milk tea.
When done poorly, it is confusion in a cup. Here, it’s harmony: the tannic tug of tea balanced against coffee’s roasted darkness, both rounded by the gentle embrace of evaporated milk.
It tastes like a Hong Kong morning — brisk and pragmatic, if you will. The quick sips before the first swirl of silken strands.
Beyond the aforementioned wantan noodles, we also ordered the HK Chasiu Rice with Fried Egg. The barbecued pork glistens under its honey-soy glaze, a perfect match for a single fried egg, its molten yolk hidden beneath a small mound of crunchy fried pork lard.
Again, this is what comfort food tastes like.
For those who are game for more gamey flavours (pun quite intended), then the Lamb Belly and Tripe Rice is a must order. The lamb belly surrenders to the spoon; the tripe, honeycombed and silken, carries the perfume of star anise and rice wine. Heady and nourishing.
And of course, there are Curry Fish Balls. Every cha chaan teng worth its salt — or curry powder — must have them.
Here, the curry leans sweet and thin, clinging to the fish balls just enough to stain those bouncy orbs. This is not meant to be gourmet food but a snack from the street corner, if one is in Hong Kong, that is.
The menu continues with other Hong Kong delights: Chaoshan beef balls, cuttlefish balls, lamb bone soup with white radish, fried chives and pork dumplings. Tempting but they will have to wait for another visit, because we are quite full already!
For now, we are content. Because sometimes, the measure of a good meal isn’t how much you can eat but how gently it reminds you of other satisfying meals you had in the past, perhaps in other cities miles away and years ago.
San Hao Wonton and Dumpling 三好云饺
LG 01-3A, Faber Plaza,
Jalan Desa Bakti,
Taman Desa, KL.
Open Thu-Tue 7am-12am; Wed closed
Phone: 018-254 1018
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
