In Sungai Way New Village, discover home-cooked tastes for good value

PETALING JAYA, Oct 18 — As a child who lived in nearby Petaling Jaya, the Sungai Way new village was often viewed upon as a scary spot since it was such a haphazard place peppered with a mix of wooden houses and car workshops. Luckily that notion was dismissed once I was older.

However, the once predominant Chinese new village has changed since my younger days. Due to the nearby factories, it’s been “invaded” by foreign workers so it’s not unusual to walk down a narrow street here and spot a sign selling bakso or even soto. 

Development has also been creeping into the new village as you see apartments and even multi-storey office buildings rising amidst older buildings. It’s also been renamed as Kampung Seri Setia. 

Despite those changes, the place still holds an undeniable old school charm where life moves on at a slower pace. It has also became a choice spot for eateries that give you good value for your ringgit.

The busy nasi lemak stall in the morning where all hands are on deck to pick out their choices.

Start your day early and join the crowd at Wing Lee Kopitiam from 5.30am onwards. Expect a group of middle aged men, aunties and even office ladies jostling for attention at this 30-year-old Chinese-style nasi lemak stall, as they put their orders in. 

Be patient... you will be rewarded with a plate of nasi lemak with the requisite sambal, fried anchovies and peanuts plus a whole hard boiled egg. Most importantly, you get to pile on chicken curry, cockles, sotong, long beans and potatoes from the containers laid out on the table.

Notice how everyone spoons the mildly spicy curry liberally over the rice. According to the camera-shy owner, many of her customers love dousing the rice with her homemade curry to keep it moist, as the nasi lemak is often packed for their lunch. 

Even her rice contains less coconut milk or else the rice will be too oily and the coconut milk separates since it is often kept till midday. She starts cooking the dishes from 3am onwards. 

As she uses whole chickens for her curry, you find regulars snapping up their favourite chicken pieces, like the chicken feet that always finishes first.

The entrance to the Seri Setia wet market and food court.

Just further up the coffeeshop is the multi-storey complex that houses the wet market and a food court on the highest level. In the morning, it’s a hub of activity as people rush around to buy their supplies. 

Take a slow walk upstairs via the walkway and you will discover an airy food court with high ceilings. The atmosphere is incredibly laid-back, as patrons sit around reading the morning news as they sip their cup of coffee. 

Spacious food court with high ceilings all the way on the third floor of the wet market building.

You will spot old men putting up their legs on the stools as they slurp down their hot porridge. Even the drinks stall owner has one eye on crushing candies on his handphone as he delivers your cup of coffee.

Look for stall C16 run by the friendly Leow Yoon Yow or Ah Kim who sells mushroom curry chee cheong fun. With a legacy of 42 years, this stall was passed down to Ah Kim by her parents who had inherited the recipe from an old Ipoh native. 

Chee cheong fun is paired with a mildly spicy curry and mushroom sauce.

Originally, the stall was located next to the cinema but she moved to this spot in 1988, when the complex was built. A plate of her chee cheong fun is a striking combination of dark brown from the shiitake mushroom sauce and bright orange from the thick curry sauce. 

The vibrant colours are attributed to the use of dark soy sauce for the mushroom sauce, and an imported ingredient that lightens the usually red colour of the curry sauce. Enjoy the flavourful sauce with the piquant pickled green chillies for a satisfying breakfast.

Simply known as tai shi tow, people flock here from morning to night for well cooked Chinese food (left). Fresh vegetables laid out at the stall under the big tree (right).

If you prefer lunch, look instead for the big tree just further up from the market and nearer to the Chinese school. Under the shady branches, you will find a stall just simply known as tai shi tow (literally translated as big tree in Chinese), which starts as early as 7am for fried noodles. 

The patriach of the stall beneath the big tree is still busy at the kitchen.

Originally a place that just served fried noodles, this family-run stall has expanded into one that serves all sorts of Chinese home-style dishes. It’s quiet for breakfast but during lunch time, everyone flocks here for some hearty Chinese fare. 

What I love about this place is how they cater to the solo eater, giving you a choice of fried fish or even meat with a fried egg and vegetables to accompany your plate of rice. Their fried ikan kembung is simply best eaten with your fingers as you relish the sweet white flesh and crispy golden bones. 

The stall under the big tree does an excellent fried kembung fish topped with finely minced fried garlic and chopped chillies (left). Get your greens with the fried kailan and siew yoke at the stall under the big tree (right).

It’s topped with an addictive mixture of fried garlic with chopped red chillies and soy sauce, which will see you polishing off your rice in minutes. Even the fried egg is perfect with frilly golden edges and a soft golden yolk that melts in the mouth. Pair it with a plate of wok fried kai lan with pieces of siew yoke and you will walk away from the place, one happy person.

Wing Lee Kopitiam Nasi Lemak
627, Jalan SS9A/1,
Sungai Way, PJ
Open: 5.30am to 8am (Tuesday to Friday), 5.30am to 9.30am (Saturday and Sunday)
Closed on Monday.

Mushroom Curry Chee Chong Fun
Lot C16, Medan Selera Pasar Seri Setia, PJ
Open: 7.30am to 11.30am
Closed on Monday.

Big Tree Stall (Tai Shi Tow)
Jalan SS9A/14,
Sungai Way, PJ
Open: 7am to 9pm
Closed on Saturday and Sunday.