Restaurant
When it comes to the best Chinese hawker fare in Kuala Lumpur, fried Hokkien Mee is always top on the list, not only because KL is the birth place of fried Hokkien Mee, but also because there are so many good restaurants in KL that offer top-notch fried Hokkien Mee. When mentioned Hokkien Mee, we have to differentiate the Hokkien Mee in the north and Hokkien Mee in KL. Most Chinese in the North, especially Penang, regard Hokkien Mee as prawn noodles, while most Chinese in KL refer to Hokkien Mee as a kind of stir-fried flat noodles with thick and black gravy.
Fried Hokkien Mee is believed to be invented by Ong Kim Lian, the owner of the now famous Kim Lian Kee at Petaling Street, in 1927. Today, fried Hokkien Mee has become so popular that it can be found at almost any dai chao restaurant. Lovers of fried Hokkien Mee would agree with me that the best Hokkien Mee has to be stir-fried with charcoal fire. Luckily, we can still find plenty of good restaurants offering charcoal fried Hokkien Mee in the city. Some restaurants have even opened new and modern outlets at shopping mall food courts to cater to a younger crowd.
Here are 6 must-visit restaurants for delicious fried Hokkien Mee! (Click on the restaurant's name for more info!)
Kim Lian Kee is the oldest Hokkien Mee restaurant in KL with over 80 years of history! It is famed for being the birth place of fried Hokkien Mee. Chinatown alone has two Kim Lian Kee restaurants located at the crossroad of Petaling Street. If you are looking for traditional charcoal fried Hokkien Mee, head to the old stall located opposite Hong Leong Bank. It is only open at night, and you can see how the noodles are stir-fried by chefs using a big wok. Kim Lian Kee’s famous Hokkien Mee is drenched in thick and black gravy and topped with crispy fried pork lard.
Lian Bee is another old Hokkien Mee stall located in Chinatown. Finding the exact location of Lian Bee can be quite a challenge, as it is hidden in a back alley near Lai Foong Kopitiam. The stall is now run by the third generation, who insists on stir-frying the noodles with charcoal fire. Their mouth-watering Hokkien Mee has a unique “burnt” smell, because the flat noodles are stir-fried using strong charcoal fire. Aside from Hokkien Mee, Lian Bee’s Pork Meat Soup is also one of the best in town.
Regarded by many as the best fried Hokkien Mee in KL, the hawker stall is located at Aik Yuen Kopitiam behind the famous Tawakal Hospital. Hence, the stall is also known as Tawakal Hokkien Mee. After placing an order, expect to wait for about half an hour before your noodles are served, because the place is always packed with customers, and it takes time to prepare a plate of delicious Hokkien Mee using charcoal fire. Their fried Hokkien Mee is always served piping hot with meltingly soft flat noodles and aromatic pork lards.
A traditional Teow Chew biscuit restaurant that has been around for more than a century! Apart from their famous traditional Teow Chew pastries, the restaurant also offers delicious Hokkien Mee prepared using homemade flat noodles. Their noodles are freshly handmade in traditional style using a long bamboo cane. The taste of their Hokkien Mee is superb, because the noodles are fresh and free from any alkaline taste (kansui). Also delicious is their Teochew Fishball Soup and Steamed Pomfret Fish with Mee Hoon.
The half-a-century old brand of Sentul Ah Yap is getting more and more popular in recent years, as the restaurant has opened many new outlets at shopping mall food courts, including Sungei Wang, Publika, and Avenue K. Even in food courts, Sentul Ah Yap insists on preparing all Hokkien Mee using charcoal fire to ensure the noodles are delicious and full of wok hei when served. The success of Sentul Ah Yap is so well-known that their story has once been adapted into a local TV drama called Romantic Delicacies.
Mun Wah is one of the oldest Hokkien Mee restaurants in Chinatown area. It is located at a shop lot that is not far from Maharajalela Monorail station. At night, regulars started to gather at the restaurant to satisfy their cravings for delicious charcoal fried Hokkien Mee. The noodles here are stir-fried by a seasoned chef who has more than twenty years of experience in the industry. Their Hokkien Mee is served with thick and brown gravy rich in the fragrance of fried pork lard.
If you love fried Hokkien Mee as much as I do, remember to pay a visit to all of them to enjoy the best fried Hokkien Mee in town!
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