I was blog surfing recently when I came across an entry on Mak’s Chee, a new outlet in 1Utama Shopping Mall selling ‘authentic’ Hong Kong-style wontons and wonton noodles. They were having a limited time only promotion for new snacks; namely cheese-stuffed deep fried wontons and Muscular Man Milktea. The pictures looked so inviting that I decided to hop on over (despite the evening traffic!) and try it for myself.

The restaurant is spacious and divided into several sections. At the front, guests can watch the chefs in action through glass panels. I liked how they made a little nook where single diners can be seated at their own private tables – basically tall wooden ‘cupboards’ that separates each diner. You will often find similar setups in HK-style char chan tengs, where a table faces the wall instead of having another seat across from it. This solves the problem of one person dominating a table for four.

A breakdown of each bowl of noodles, ingredients and specialty.

The brand’s history can be traced back to 1920s Guangzhou, China, from one Master Mak Woon Chee. Wanting to do something different from the usual pork wontons, he came up with his own recipe for fresh shrimp dumplings. His signature was so popular it attracted notable figures such as former leader of the Republic of China Chiang Kai Shek and his wife, First Lady Soong Mei-Ling.

In the 30s, the Mak family moved to Hong Kong and Chee’s son, Mak En. carried on his father’s legacy. After many years, the recipe was passed down to his lineal descendant, who founded Mak’s Chee Authentic Wonton Malaysia today.

Available for a limited time only (until February 28 2017), the Champion Milktea (RM6) is a rich, strong and creamy brew in a buff man-shaped bottle. I like that it’s not too sweet; almost with a coffee-like hint. Comes served in a bucket of ice to keep it cold. You can also take the unique bottle home !

Of course, my main mission today: Cheesy Wontons. You can order 6 pieces or 12 pieces. The beautiful golden parcels come served in a small basket with a sweet chilli dip. Each wonton is quite sizable, with crispy skin wrapped around fresh, bouncy sea prawn and melty Mozarella and Cheddar cheese. Too many places skimp on their cheese, so I was happy that they stuffed a generous amount into these. The cheese won’t be as melty after some time, so it’s best to eat it hot.

Since their signature is wonton noodles, I got a small bowl (RM12.90) to try. The noodles were finer than the local version, thin and springy with an al dente bite. Soup was flavourful, and the wontons were juicy and fresh. I think I’ve found my favourite wonton noodle place!

MAK’S CHEE