KL Hokkien Mee – Where’s the best/your favourite?

Rebecca Saw
Rebecca Saw

There’s an obsession among Klites for the black KL Hokkien Mee. It is a craze that I can’t quite fathom.

Personally I don’t fancy KL Hokkien Mee because of the distinct kan sui taste in the fat, doughy noodles and the fact that 9 out 10 Hokkien Mee that I’ve had so far were just plain salty and reeking of grease.
And the very reasons why it is popular – “wok hei“, umami-ness from dried sole/flounder powder and fresh, crunchy lard are the 3 crucial elements that are sadly missing in MOST versions of hokkien mee in KL/PJ.

Imagine a bland, soggy, greasy plate of fat noodles – you mean to say you actually find that enjoyable?

So then why this list? Is it a compilation of the “best Hokkien Mee in KL/PJ“?


Well, this is a personal challenge I took up in an attempt to understand this “enthusiasm” for Hokkien Mee.

At the same time, I’m taking my own counsel to heart, which is – “Sometimes it is not because a dish is bad, but it could be that you haven’t had the best version of it.”

So here goes, 18 plates down, another 10 more to go.
In the process, I discovered that I do enjoy Hokkien Mee (amazing!) but only a select few. I’ll be continuing my quest next week as I need a break for a bit. Just the sight of Hokkien Mee makes me feel queasy now! 😀

NOTE:
1. The list is in no particular order.
2. I PAID FOR EVERY PLATE of Hokkien Mee here (except the one at Oriental Cravings).

My personal picks are (in no particular order):
(1) Ming Heang Hui Coffee Shop – PGRM
(2) Tong Shin Hokkien Mee Stall
(3) Soong Kee – Puchong
(4)..?

1. Hau Kee Seafood Restaurant

Address: 12, Jalan Kaskas 2,
Taman Cheras,
56100 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Restoran Hau Kee Seafood”
Tel: –
Hours: 6:00pm – 2:00am.
Close on: 4 days within a year, no fixed date.

 

Summary: A good portion with fair amount of ingredients considering that Hau Kee is a restaurant, not a hawker stall or coffeeshop. Generous amount of lard cubes, pork slices, 1 prawns plus baby octopus.
My minor gripe with it was the lack of wok hei and the overall sweetish profile.
Chilli so-so.
Price: RM8.50.

2. Big Tree Hokkien Mee Stall @ Taman Connaught

18A, Jalan Cerdik,
Taman Connaught,
56100 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “KK Mart Taman Connaught”
Tel: –
Hours: 6:00pm – 1:00am.
Close on: Wednesday.
Summary: Mild wok hei, well braised noodles (no kansui taste), fair portion with pork lard cubes, cabbage and some meat. The chilli was alright – mildly spicy and sour. Charcoal fried.
PS: I got distracted by the fried chicken though – juicy meat and crispy skin!
Price: RM8.00 for Hokkien Mee. RM8.00 for the chicken.

3. Fatt Kee Hokkien Mee Stall @ Win Heng Seng Restaurant

No. 183 Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Fatt Kee Hokkien Mee Stall”
Tel: –
Hours: 5:00pm – 12:00am.
Close on: Second Monday of each month.
Summary: No wok hei (I’m serious), greasy and heavy on the soy sauce. Other ingredients include green vegetables, pork slices and fish cakes.
Price: RM10.00.

4. Nameless Hokkien Mee @ Ming Heang Hui Coffee Shop

Jalan Cheras, Taman Pertama,
55300 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Petronas Lot 353 Cheras”
Tel: –
Hours: 6:00pm – 1:00am.
Close on: Second Monday of each month.
Summary: This place is dirty. Do not go to the back.
Food-wise, it was the tastiest of the lot so far (as I’ve said, I have more shortlisted places to visit so I might discover a better one in the future) and boast of discernible, alluring wok hei in every bite. Unlike those swimming in gravy, the noodles were merely moist and imbued with the tasty sauce. We detected no kansui aftertaste. One of the staff told us that their hokkien mee are specially made to their specifications. Another popular item is the Hainanese fried noodle. And oh, the chilli is good. Not that you would need any.
Charcoal fried. This outlet has been around for 18 years.
Price: RM8.00.
The cheerful cook:
The no-name outlet:
Our order:
Each plate is lined with banana leaf, not particularly greasy yet possessed good umami flavour that made every mouthful enjoyable.
Do note that it is perpetually packed and I’ve visited 3 times since in an attempt to verify its consistency but every attempt was thwarted by the crazy wait!

5. Restoran Aik Yuen

Jalan Sarikei, Off Jalan Pahang Barat, Pekeliling,
53000 Kuala Lumpur,.
Waze: “Restoran Aik Yuen”
Tel: 0193632629
Hours: 4:00pm – 1:00am.
Close on: Open daily.
Summary: No wok hei, greasy and tasted all of dark sauce and nothing more. The prawns, meat and small squid were leathery/chewy. The chilli bordered on bland and certainly didn’t help to make the noodles taste better. The fried siew yok dish we ordered were all tough meat and overly salty.
Price: RM8.50 (single pax Hokkien Mee).
Our order:

6. Damansara Uptown Hokkien Mee

121, Jalan SS 21/37,
Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Waze: “Restoran Damansara Uptown Hokkien Mee”
Tel: +60 13-334 5550
Hours: 5:00pm – 2:00am.
Close on: Open daily.
Summary: I actually visited twice! No, not because it was great (it wasn’t) but because I had 2 different makan partner who wanted to try it.
The hokkien mee lacked wok hei and tastewise it was akin noodles in a puddle of soy sauce. The cantonese horfun was bland so splashing some soy sauce over it helped. You have the option to top up on the lard croutons for RM0.50 (small – as per pic below) or RM1.00 (BIG). Each portion include pork slices, cabbage and some lard croutons.
On a separate note, the roast duck is decent.
Price: RM9.90 for each of the noodles.
Another visit when I ordered the duck:

7. Restoran AhWa ( Jalan 222 PJ)

66, Jalan 14/48, Seksyen 14,
46100, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Waze: “Restoran AhWa”
Tel: +60 12-212 0623
Hours: 6:00pm – 2:00am.
Close on: Open Daily.
Summary: Mild wok hei, noodle were tasty though it was a tad greasy. I reckon one of the reason Ah Wa is immensely popular is due the generous of lard croutons showered over each portion! Serving size is quite big for the price too. The noodles were broken up shorter and dry (not the braised-with-gravy type). I liked the chilli too as it has strong belacan fragrance.
Charcoal fried.
Price: RM9.00.
Crazy amount of fried lard cubes right? This is the standard portion for one. There were prawns, cabbage and pork meat underneath these, somewhere.

8. Tong Shin Hokkien Mee Stall (Tengkat Tong Shin)

1951, Tengkat Tong Shin, Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Ngau Kee Beef Noodles”
Tel: –
Hours: 6:30pm – 12:30am.
Close on: Tuesday.
Summary: This guy got an attitude. Only two men man the stall each evening and both will take their own sweet time to set up the stall. There is no official opening time (both will just grunt and say “wait, ready soon”) but we reckon it is about 7 – 8 pm.
I’ve personally tried it twice and though there are slight inconsistencies on both visits, the Hokkien Mee possesses decent wok hei and the noodles were well infused with flavour. We reckon there’s dried flounder/sole fish powder to it. Other popular choices are the stir fried kuey teow with fresh egg and braised loh mee. Chilli is good. Charcoal fried.
Price: RM9.00

9. Tong Lian Kee Hokkien Mee

215, Jalan Sarawak, Pudu,
50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Tong Lian Kee Hokkien Mee”
Tel: –
Hours: 7:30pm – 2:30am.
Close on: Sunday.

Summary: Mild wok hei with flavours mostly tasting of black soy sauce. We found the noodles to be strong in kansui taste too. Our plate had 2 prawns, a few pieces of squid, generous amount of meat, cabbage and lard croutons. Charcoal fried. The chilli was pretty standard stuff.
Price: RM 9.00.

BELOW: The no signage “outlet” – just a makeshift kitchen and some tables. Would you believe it if we tell you that this stall has been in business for 30 years?

10. Hokkien Mee Roadside Hawker

Jln Dua Off Jln Chan Sow Lin
55200 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Nissan Service Centre Chan Sow Lin”
Tel: –
Hours: 5:00pm – 11:00pm.
Close on: Sunday.
Summary:  The noodles, though still possessing lingering taste of kansui, were decent with a pleasant aroma and mild umami flavours (we suspect there’s added flounder/sole fish?). Personally I felt it could be tastier though. Overall it was neither overly oily or salty plus it possessed fair wok hei. The portion is decent for the price. Our plates had plenty of fresh, crunchy pork lard and pork meat. The chilli was ok.

Price: RM8.00.

BELOW: The stall is one of these at the side of the road.
We chatted with one of the helpers and found out that the stall has been operational for over 40 years. The current cook is the second generation of the family business. He doesn’t speak much at all (barely looked up from his wok) and fries each order at his own pace.

11. Nameless Hokkien Mee @ Petaling Street

Jalan Petaling, City Centre,
50000 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Bunn Choon” – this will take you to the Bunn Choon egg tart shop where this stall is. 
Tel: –
Hours: 6:00pm – 1:30am.
Close on: No fixed day.
Summary: This is one of the few stalls that adds liver to Hokkien Mee! And for the price of only RM9.00 too. The noodles were more of the braised type (with more gravy) and we could detect the pleasant fragrance from flounder/sole fish. Overall it was tasty with mild wok hei. No prawns were included but he was generous with the meat and cabbage. Since we enjoyed our Hokkien Mee, we added an order of yee mee which turned out to be better than the Hokkien Mee.
The chilli was decent but in this case was unnecessary.

Price: RM9.00.

BELOW: Look out for this set up at the side of the road.
Uncle Cheong has been here for 40 years. But no, he didn’t chat with us. One of his assistants was friendlier and answered our queries.

BELOW: Hokkien Mee.


BELOW: Yee Mee.

12. San Ching San Hokkien Mee

No.29, Jalan Metro Perdana Timur 3
Taman Usahawan Kepong, 52100 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Restoran San Ching San Hokkien Mee”
Tel: +60 12-200 5851
Hours: 5:30pm – 1:30am.
Close on: Open daily.
Summary: The wok hei in this was discernible and the noodles possessed good umami flavour. Our portion had 2 prawns, some meat, lard and cabbage. Overall it was pretty good.
The chilli deserve a mention too – strong kick and sour.
Price: RM9.00.

13.Uncle B Hokkien Mee @ Restoran Sin Hup Seng

Jalan 21/1, Sea Park,
46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Waze: “Restoran Sin Hup Seng”
Tel: –
Hours: 6:00pm – 12:00am.
Close on: 2 days, uncertain.
Summary: This was quite saucy with good fragrance and decent overall umami-ness (again, we suspect there’s flounder/sole fish powder added) and wok hei. Our portion had pork lard cubes, cabbage, green vegetables, prawns and slices of pork meat. Another good option for the PJ area. Charcoal fried.
Price: RM9.00.

14. Kim Lian Kee – Petaling Street

I had this years back and it was terrible. I haven’t bothered to revisit and it is here for my records.

Oh, why was it bad?
It was greasy, bland, noodles stuck in clumps plus strong kansui taste in the noodles.

15. Oriental Cravings @ 1 Utama

Address: 1 Utama Shopping Centre,
60000 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: Look for HSBC Bank in 1 UTama and Oriental Cravings is just a few steps away.
Tel: –
Hours:
Close on: Open daily.
Summary: Overall a decent version of Hokkien Mee. I would recommend the Claypot Loh Shi Fun or the Curry Mee instead.
Price: RM (TBA) – can’t remember.

16. Restoran Yew Kee

Address: Old Klang Road,
58100 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: Not on Waze. Anyhow, it is just opposite Scott Garden. Look for the tall structure that bears the “SJK (C) Choong Wen.
Tel: –
Hours: TBA.
Close on: TBA.
Summary: This was pretty run-of-the-mill. I left two-thirds of it untouched since it was a tad bland. My plate came with liver, fish cakes, vegetables and 2 small prawns. I didn’t detect any pork lard cubes.
Similarly the chilli was ordinary.
Price: RM9.00.

17. PORK FREE – Ah Mang/Jamal Tan

Address: Stall No. 8
Medan Selera Jati, Jalan 1/12 (Opposite Good Shepherd Lutheran Church)
Section 1, Off Jalan Othman, PJ.
58100 Kuala Lumpur.
Waze: “Good Shepherd Lutheran Church“.
Tel: +6 016-3976887
Hours: 5pm to 10pm
Close on: Monday and Tuesday.

Summary: A friend of mine loved it and her description was pretty apt –  no heavy, greasy, bloated feel after eating and I can understand why. The Hokkien Mee here is almost soupy, quite bland on its own though the crunchy chicken fats did help for flavour. I had to add quite a bit of the chilli to impart some taste to the noodles. Thankfully the chilli was good. My order came with 2 prawns, some chicken meat and cabbage. No kansui taste detected.
Price: RM6.50 (the cheapest so far!)
The business is in its 3rd generation with the son (4th generation) helping out at the stall. I was there on a Sunday (6 – 7pm) and they were doing brisk business with a fair amount of Muslim customers and takeaways.
Could chicken lard be the next obsession?
Well, I do think salted egg yolk chicken skin would be awesome!

18. Soong Kee Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee

Address: 47, Jalan Bandar 1, Pusat Bandar Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia.
Waze: “Soong Kee Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee”
Tel: –
Hours: 5 pm to 12 am.
Close on: TBA.
Summary: Dryish, sticky, tasty sauce that coats every strand of noodles. No kansui taste detected. Chilli is fair. Wok hei was mild but the noodles possesses good aroma and umami-ness overall. In short, one of the better ones in this list. I got 2 prawns, 2 pieces of liver, a few slices of meat and combined duo of cabbage and mustard greens for my order.
Price: RM8.00.

MORE TO COME!

That’s all for now. If you could, please share with me your favourite Hokkien Mee place so I could go, check it out and perhaps add it to this list. 🙂
Lastly, do note that all summaries given are my personal opinions and may or may not be aligned with yours.

This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. Sean EDKL 13 Aug 2017 Reply

    ooo, i haven’t tried as many hokkien mee as this … i think from the ones you’ve listed, ahwa is probably the one that i prefer. they also do a hokkien bee hoon, if i recall right ;D

    1. Rebecca Saw 14 Aug 2017 Reply

      I have to admit, Ahwa has a convenient location and the food (though many had said to have gone downhill) is still acceptable. Portion is fair for the price too. They do have many versions – you just tell them what kind of noodles you prefer and taddaaa! They will whip it up for you, using pretty much the same sauces for the Hokkien Mee 😀

  2. Dan 14 Aug 2017 Reply

    Hua Xing (Hokkien cuisine) – Sungai Way
    Ah Wah Hokkien mee (Millennium 88 Restaurant) – Taman Paramount PJ
    Old Klang Road Hokkien mee (look for sing pao dim sum)
    Fried Hokkien pan mee – Jalan Sepadu off Old Klang Road. Behind Pearl Point, corner stall second block of flats on the right.
    China town hokkien mee – SS14/1, Subang Jaya (End lot next to 7/11)
    Another hokkien mee towards Caltex SS14/1 Subang Jaya
    Sentul Ah Yap Hokkien mee

    1. Rebecca Saw 14 Aug 2017 Reply

      Thanks Dan!
      I hope i can find the 2 Old Klang Rd stalls u mentioned. I Was told OKR got good hokkien mee but it was just out of sight. I drove up and down the damn long road but only found Yew Kee. LOL!

  3. jeff 16 Aug 2017 Reply

    i went to try Nameless Hokkien Mee @ Ming Heang Hui Coffee Shop yesterday. In my opinion, it’s standard is lower than Ah wa.

    my first order was hokkien mee for 3 people – i tasted some burnt taste in the gravy, the cook must have missed the timing or he didn’t even bother to wash his wok after frying the previous batch of noodles.

    sent it back and requested for a fresh batch of noodles. It came and again i was disappointed.

    both plates lacked wok hei and lacked the umami-ness that came from roasted sole fish powder (the very essence and soul of hokkien mee).

    pork lard cruttons were soggy and not as crispy as ah wah.

    in my opinion, ah wah is still better. my friend who is a hokkien mee expert told me that the best hokkien mee can be found in oriental group of restaurant – noble mansion jaya 33. RM45 per plate but very good, nevertheless, his top pick would be the one at Reunion Bangsar (now closed down). He told me that his greatest regret was that he did not get the contact details of the cook back then.

    1. Rebecca Saw 16 Aug 2017 Reply

      I wasn’t able to head back for a second plate but that plate I had was good. i’ve heard of inconsistencies before this thus I’ve made 2 more attempts to try it again. For me I still prefer here over Ah Wa. I agree on the umami-ness frm the sole/flounder fish and too many hokkien mee shops seem to skim on this.
      And no, I don’t like Hokkien Mee enough to pay RM45 for it. RM45 can buy me a good Japanese meal with quality seafood!

  4. Bob the Builder 18 Aug 2017 Reply

    Ah Wa is overrated . It’s dry, and tastes all of black soy sauce, lacks depth of flavour, noodles thin and broken up. And I had it twice on different occasions. Poor sods in PJ and their crappy tastebuds

    Mun Wah also lousy. Bland. Soft thin half dead noodles. Totally forgettable

    The one on Old Klang Road (with the wantan mee stall) also forgettable.

    For an out of the way ‘gem’, Restoran Foong Foong Puchong, near Yap Chuan BKT is good. Braised, slightly different ‘style’. The old man manning the stall (not sure if he’s still there) cooks ’em one by one so when there’s a crowd waiting time is up to 40mins. Slightly wet, has a natural sweetness and nice depth, slight wok hei, prawns, pork, cabbage, lard

    1. Rebecca Saw 18 Aug 2017 Reply

      I dislike Mun Wah. If only I could find my previous pics frm my previous visit. It was one of the reasons why i never liked Hokkien Mee. Ah Wa – always a mixed bag of reviews. I didn’t include it in my list since I somehow didn’t like it as much. Thks – Will chk out the Foong Foong once i get someone to go with me..

  5. Alicia 15 Sep 2017 Reply

    Hakka Marble Restaurant 美浩天 @ Taman Bukit Anggerik, Cheras

    1. Rebecca Saw 16 Sep 2017 Reply

      Hahha.. im more interested in the fried laksa for this one! 😀

  6. Daryl Lau 15 Jan 2018 Reply

    These are the ones I’ve tried:

    – Sentul Ah Yap Hokkien Mee @ Jalan Sentul
    – Sentul Ah Yap Hokkien Mee @ Publika Food Village
    – Kedai Makanan Ming Hoe @ Jalan Ipoh

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