Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Soo Kee Mee in Kuala Lumpur - Incredible King Prawn Crispy Noodle

Kicking off 2012 with a trip to KL, Malaysia, I really must tell you about this amazing tze char place near Jalan Imbi in the heart of KL.

It was situated in a junction of shophouses that are filled with a multitude of eating places, but this is the original one. The Soo Kee Mee place where they serve the most incredible plate of fried prawn crispy noodles.

Once we got there, we were immediately transported back to the 60s and 70s, where everything was still pretty much old school. No air con, and no menus, you had to look at the billboards behind the cashier to see what is on offer.

Cooking in open air

The kitchen was even more fascinating, as they were doing all the frying in the open air just outside the restaurant. It was a sight to behold, and what was more, it filled the whole place with delicious aromas and fragrance that simply made you even more hungry.

King Prawn Sang Har Crispy Noodle

The star was this beautifully concocted plate of king prawn (river prawn) crispy noodle bathed in a delicious superior broth. The prawns themselves were just huge and full of meat and flavor.

The broth and noodles had an aromatic taste of ginger and sweetness deriving from the prawns themselves, and was just delicious. Generous amounts of large spring onions completed the balance of this incredible dish.

There is no other plate of prawn noodles that I have tasted that was as good as this, and we commented that going all the way to KL just to have this dish was worth the trip alone. It was that good!

Beef Kway Teow

But wait, there was more great food. And this plate of stir fried beef kway teow simply beats anything else in Singapore. The beef was criminally tenderised, but then this is the Chinese way of doing beef and it was perfectly succulent and well-cooked.

The broth was laced with egg that simply made it irresistible, and the combination of the kway teow was perfectly fried with just the right amount of wok hei without going overboard. They had some really great cooks here!

Paper Wrapped Chicken

It is harder and harder to find this classic dish in Singapore these days, and boy, did they do it right here in KL. It may look sloppy, greasy and unappealing, but open of these and you will find a mouthful of explosive flavors within.

The chicken was tender and moist, though there were some portions that were a bit tough, but overall, the flavor combination was a winner.

Stir Fried Kai Lan

We finished the meal with a simple plate of fried Kai Lan, but even something as simple as chinese vegetables, they managed to surprise and delight.

While most restaurants would fry it and use flour solution to thicken the sauce, they simply fried it with wok hei and skill, and the result was a light refreshing sauce that was full of flavor. This is how you should fry vegetables. Not greasy at all.

The verdict from the traveling party was that this was the best food we have consumed in KL thus far, and tze char as good as this simply cannot be found in Singapore for the same price and quality.

Restoran Soo Kee Mee
14 Medan Imbi
55100 Kuala Lumpur


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