PETALING JAYA, Feb 13 — At heart, I’ve always been a PJ boy. Sea Park, in particular, holds a special place for me; it’s where I had some of my earliest food memories, from curry mee and asam laksa to fried lo bak gou, especially along the streets surrounding the morning market.
But the neighbourhood has changed a great deal since then.
Like much of Petaling Jaya, it’s become increasingly gentrified, with newer, trendier cafés and restaurants moving in, replacing old favourites and, little by little, eroding some of the area’s original character.
Some places, though, still hold out.
On Jalan 21/11b, a few doors down from Restoran Sun Fatt Kee, is Char Yuan Cafe.
Like most of the older coffee shops in the area, it opens as early as 5.30am — and just a short walk away is another well-known curry mee stall that starts at 4am — catering to early risers who come to get their morning shopping done before the day properly begins.
Char Yuan is sandwiched between branches of Tang Fei Dessert, a tong sui franchise originating from Kuchai Lama, and Xi Yue Asia Happiness Asia Chicken, a chicken rice chain from Kepong with a strong social media presence and a viral moniker — “the most expensive chicken rice” — a label it willingly embraces.
Unlike its shiny neighbours, Char Yuan is decidedly faded, and its patrons are decidedly old.
We brought the average age down significantly, even with my parents.
It’s a small coffee shop, and of the two stalls, the first — selling yong tau foo, chee cheong fun, and curry mee — is by far the most popular.
At 8am on a Friday, a short queue had already formed, a mix of takeaway and dine-in orders, while the lady running the stall stuffed fu pei à la minute.
Most tables were filled with yong tau foo, but I was here for the curry mee (RM10).
I’ve made no secret of my love for curry mee, and even though the calories are creeping up on me, I love that no two bowls are ever quite the same.
This one is no different: the broth is rich and particularly lemak, the white flecks standing out against its light orange hue.
The sambal on the side, studded with tiny anchovies, adds a huge boost of savouriness.
I even went to ask for a second plate, which was much needed.
The toppings are fairly standard: tau foo pok, green beans, bean sprouts, and big chunks of chicken rather than strips.
Oh, and slices of spongy zhu pei (pig skin) too!
The plump, juicy cockles deserve a special mention on their own, beautifully briny and satisfying.
That said, this is not a noticeably spicy curry mee.
At best, it is gently warming.
Enough for some, maybe not for others, but it’s undeniably well put together.
We also ordered some yong tau foo (RM2.50 per piece): a mix of stuffed tau foo pok, fu pei, eggplant, bitter gourd and zhu pei (RM1.50), either fried or served in soup.
They were credible, if not particularly memorable, though the chilli sauce was a slight letdown.
As we left around 9am, I overheard the lady mention to a customer that she was almost out of curry mee.
On some days, it sells out well before the coffee shop closes at half past noon.
The pan mee and wantan mee with braised mushrooms and chicken feet from the other stall seemed a popular alternative among regulars, and might be worth considering instead if you miss out.
Char Yuan Cafe will be closed during the first week of the Chinese New Year and will reopen on the tenth day, February 26.
Char Yuan Cafe
10, Jalan 21/11B,
Sea Park, Petaling Jaya
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5.30am-12.30pm
Tel: 016-264 7774
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and occasionally self-deprecating humour.
