When a restaurant is located in a busy spot, you’d expect it to be packed – not necessarily because the food is good, but because it’s convenient.

But what if it’s a spot that’s out of the way, yet still popular with both locals and tourists? Either the food or the vibes is going to be a draw. At Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee in Chow Kit, it’s both.

Tucked within a row of shophouses along Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman, this old-school establishment specialises in what is now a beloved Malaysian Chinese dish: chilli pan mee.

Invented by Tan Kok Hong in the 1980s, it is a spin on the traditional Hakka noodle dish, featuring wheat noodles served dry and topped with a runny egg, sauteed chilli flakes, minced meat, shallots, and anchovies. You can still see Tan, who is now in his 80s, pottering about the shop, greeting new customers with a friendly smile and chatting with long-time patrons.

The interiors are no frills and decidely old-school: plastic chairs packed around mismatched tables, aged-looking fans spinning lazily from the ceiling. Everything is bathed in harsh fluorescent lights.

In spite of this, I find it all to be charmingly nostalgic, like a place frozen in time – especially with the vintage calendars and decor on the wall (including, out of nowhere, a dolphin painting that looks straight out of the 90s) !

Kin Kin serves a limited menu: besides chili pan mee, you can also have traditional pan mee in soup, yee mee (egg noodles) and accompanying side orders of fish cakes, dumplings, and meat balls.

Of course, it would be criminal to come all the way and not have their specialty, so N and I each ordered a bowl of dry pan mee (RM12). On each table are two plastic jars, one filled with garlic chilli sauce, the other with chilli flakes (which will turn aforementioned dry pan mee into the ‘chilli’ version). I like the fact that you can adjust how much you want in your noodles. For those who can’t take spicy food, I recommend just a tiny spoonful because it really packs a punch. The noodles come with a side of egg and sayur manis (sweet leaf) soup, which can help reduce some of the burn.

Kin Kin’s chilli pan mee lives up to its reputation as the OG. The egg is perfectly poached, with a runny centre that acts as the binding agent for all of the elements in the bowl, coating each noodle strand with silky umami, while the meat is perfectly seasoned, complemented by crunchy anchovies. Most importantly, the noodles are thick and al dente, with a satisfying bite. It’s simple, hearty food – food for the masses, but delicious.

Dining at Kin Kin reminds me, somehow, of my childhood. Growing up, I saw how hard my parents worked to provide my brother and I with a better life. Eating out was a luxury, and on the few occasions we did, it was always at places like these rather than fancy spots. But it always felt like we were dining like kings – just the break from the routine, the excitement of hopping in the car to go someplace new. While I can now afford to go to cafes and higher-end restaurants, it is these bustling, decades-old spots that will always have a place in my heart.

KIN KIN RESTAURANT (CHILLI PAN MEE)

40, Jln Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Phone: 010-220 4322

Opening hours: 7AM – 7PM (daily)

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