Seri Kembangan’s legendary Yoke Heng needs no introduction. Tucked in an otherwise quiet commercial area, this nostalgic Chinese restaurant is always bustling with crowds come lunch and dinner. It also has its fair share of celebrity visits – photos of which are pasted all over its walls.

The restaurant spans two shoplots; one of which is air conditioned. We were lucky during our visit as we got in just before the lunch crowd. If you’re here during peak hours, expect significant wait time.

Don’t expect menus: the lady boss is the one who takes the orders, and she recites dishes off the top of her head at rapidfire speed when you ask for recommendations (ocassionally stopping in between to yell out something to staff). Many reviews have called her unfriendly, but I think she’s just harried – managing high volumes of customers is no easy feat.

Thankfully, our dishes did not take too long to be served!

Despite its name officially being Yoke Heng Seafood Restaurant, the place is actually best known for its Claypot Lou Shee Fun. Unlike typical Chinese noodles (mee) which are made from egg and wheat flour, lou shee fun (literally ‘rat’s tail noodle’ owing to their long and tapered shape) features a blend of ground rice flour from glutinous or non-glutinous rice plus water, which gives them a chewy, slightly gelatinous texture.

The version at Yoke Heng is unique. While most places serving Claypot Lou Shee Fun serve it dry in a dark soy sauce, Yoke Heng’s iteration comes swimming in a hearty broth with lots of egg and mushrooms. Since they cook it over high heat, you can taste the smokiness imparted form the wok hei (the breath of the wok – a result of Maillard reactions), and the broth is rich as well, coating each strand of chewy noodle with eggy, creamy goodness. Topping it off are bits of crunchy fried lard. If there’s one thing you have to order at Yoke Heng, I recommend this dish!

Our other carb order was fried rice. It was tasty, with a generous amount of pork, and had that same wok hei essence infused into the rice.

Asked the lady boss on the off chance that they have venison – and they did! Not many Chinese restaurants serve it these days, as it can be quite pricey. I like the meat as it softer than beef, and has a tender and chewy texture. We ordered it to be cooked in black pepper, onions, and green peppers. Venison is usually cooked with strong seasoning, as it can be quite gamey.

Last but not least, we ordered the signature Fire Pork Ribs, which are marinated in a sweet and savoury sauce, deep fried, then baked in tin foil. The pork was perfectly cooked, tender but with a bit of chew, and fell easily off the bone.

Our meal for five came up to about RM130 including drinks, which I felt was reasonable considering the venison dish. The highlight, for me, was the Claypot Lou Shee Fun. They are also famous for their Sang Har Mee (fresh water prawn noodles), which unfortunately we did not manage to try on this visit.

• Price: 3.5/5
• Food: 4/5
• Service: 3/5
• Ambience: 3/5

YOKE HENG SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

No 33, Jalan SR 8/4, Taman Putra Indah, Taman Serdang Raya, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor

Opening hours: 6AM – 2.30PM, 5PM – 10.30PM (closed Mondays and Wednesdays)

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