beef noodles – Eris Goes To

Review: Shin Kee Beef Noodles @ Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

September 16, 2019July 18, 2021Posted in FoodTagged Asian cuisine, Asian food, beef noodles, Chinatown, Chinese cuisine, Chinese food, dining, eating, eats, Featured, food, food blog, food review, historical, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, restaurant review11 Comments

When it comes to good food in Kuala Lumpur, Shin Kee Beef Noodles is practically an institution. Tucked in an old colonial-style building in Chinatown, the establishment has been run by the Koon family for over 80 years. That’s basically older than Malaysia as a country. And for something to have been around for that long, you best believe they’ve got a recipe to their success.

The kitchen is at the restaurant’s entrance, so you can watch the chef in action as he boils and tosses the noodles, ladles pieces of beef and soup into each bowl, or tops off the dry noodles with a smattering of savoury minced meat.

The restaurant space is cramped, so expect table sharing when it gets busy. There is also a small room at the back which is non-air conditioned, so it can get pretty warm. This is a strictly eat-and-go kinda place.

The lady boss comes to your table to take your orders, and you pay once food arrives. Diners get a choice of three types of noodles – bihun, yellow mee or kueyteow – in either soup or dry form. We opted for the dry. N had beef soup, while I had the beef + meatballs. You can also get tripe. The ‘small’ (which was not very small at all) costs RM9: a fair price in the heart of KL.

Verdict: A solid bowl of beef noodles, and I can see why people have been flocking to the place for decades. It’s hearty, it’s comforting, and it’s substantial. Most impressive were the beef balls, which were so springy you can practically use them as ping pong balls – not a trace of tendon or whatnot left. The noodles were al dente and slathered in the savoury meat sauce.

Shin Kee fans might crucify me, but in my humble opinion, the best bowl of beef noodles still goes to another iconic decades-old beef noodle spot – Soong Kee. I simply prefer their version of meat sauce and the thinner noodles. N, however, said he liked Shin Kee better, so it’s all a matter of preference.

Better yet, try both!

SHIN KEE BEEF NOODLES

7a, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 50000 Kuala Lumpur

Telephone: 012 673 7318

Opening hours: 10.30am – 7pm (closed Wednesdays)

Review: Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap Sabah Beef Noodle, Bandar Putri Puchong

April 5, 2018April 5, 2018Posted in FoodTagged beef noodles, dining, Featured, food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysian food, Puchong, restaurants in Malaysia, Southeast AsiaLeave a comment

There are loads of things to eat in Bandar Puteri Puchong. Competition is fierce, especially around the ‘main’ hub (around the PFCC Tower), but parking can be such a nightmare that it has put me off eating there during peak hours.

Was looking for some place to eat dinner after work and decided to drive around the newer shoplots across the road from the market. This area was a stark contrast; quiet, with a couple of pubs. Spotted a restaurant called Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap and decided to give it a try.

The resto is a branch from a popular stall in Sabah and specialises in noodles with mixed beef parts. It was a weekday night and the place was rather empty, but I like it that way – more privacy and space for me! 😀

Cow decor

My order of lai fun noodles came in a soup of mixed beef parts, comprising tripe, tendon and beef slices. Also in it were two big chunks of radish. Not completely soft, but they were nice and juicy. As for the soup, it was rich, flavourful and lip-smacking, with a consistency to it that was similar to collagen (ie it left a slight stickiness to the mouth after you’ve slurped it up).

Bouncy lai fun noodles. Meat was cooked well, soft and tender.

The shop prides itself in its signature fiery hot chilli sauce (which they also sell in bottled form). Tried it and they weren’t kidding – although I don’t like the flavour as it had a bitter aftertaste.

Fried beef wontons. The minced meat on the inside had a nice balance with chewy bits of fat. Great to snack on!

Prices are on the premium side, with a bowl of noodles starting from RM12+ onwards.

KAH HIONG NGIU CHAP

G-13, Jalan Puteri 4/8, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM

Tangkak Beef Noodles, Bandar Puteri Puchong

May 22, 2016May 22, 2016Posted in FoodTagged Asian, beef noodles, Chinese, dining, eating, food, Johor, Malaysia, Puchong, restaurant review, Tangkak Beef NoodlesLeave a comment

When it comes to franchises, I can be a little skeptical. The original may be bomb, but the franchises often fall short because of poor quality control.

A famous beef noodle franchise from Johor is the Tangkak Beef Noodle chain, with dozens of restaurants in KL, Melaka and several other states. The nearest one to me is the one in Bandar Puteri, Puchong – which I stopped by recently for lunch. And it didn’t disappoint!

Clean, air-conditioned, cosy. Appetising displays of beef noodles plastered on the wall and menus.

You can choose a few types of noodles, such as yellow noodles, kuey teow, mihun and lai fun. I opted for the latter, which has a chewy texture and a transparent/glutinous appearance. You can also pick parts of the cow you want in your soup: beef, tenderloin, tendons, stomach, etc.

I got the beef + stomach. Beef chunks were tender and juicy, while the offal was cleaned well and had absorbed the full flavour of the beef stock. I was taken aback by the generosity of their servings – at only Rm11.90, it was a steal. Most places would give you a few sorry pieces of meat, but not this one. My bowl was practically loaded, so much so that I couldn’t see the noodles beneath lol.

Jasmine Green Tea, which was frothy and milky. Not a fan of the froth, but it was otherwise a good thirst quencher.

I have not tasted the original Tangkak Beef Noodles so I can’t put it as a benchmark, but the franchise dishes out a good beef noodle. Now I know where to get my fix.

TANGKAK BEEF NOODLES (Bandar Puteri)

Jalan Puteri 1/2, Bandar Puteri, 47100, Puchong, Selangor

Soong Kee Beef Noodles @ Lot 10, KL

October 27, 2015October 26, 2015Posted in FoodTagged Asian, beef noodles, Chinese, eating, food, Malaysia, restaurant review, Soong Kee1 Comment

In the heart of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur lies a gem of an eatery, rewarding hungry travelers with a simple yet unforgettable meal – a bowl of freshly made beef noodles. Soong Kee Beef Noodle is certainly no stranger to the city’s food scene, having been around for over 67 years at their outlet at Jalan Tun H.S.Lee. Some of its patrons span across a few generations! (ie Grandparents, parents, kids).

The good news for new-gen customers (like me!) is that they’ve ventured into the comfy confines of shopping centers. Whenever I’m in town, I go for the one at Lot 10’s basement food court. Their quality control is top-notch so the taste has hardly changed. 🙂

Only RM10 for a bowl, which comes with a soup of either beef balls or tripe. The noodles are thin and silky smooth, thanks to the minced pork sauce. It’s like an Asian sloppy joe, clinging to each strand of noodle. Ah, bliss.

The flavourful beef tripe soup comes with springy beef balls, tender sliced beef, chewy tendons and liver. The portion is satisfying enough even for big eaters.

Definitely one of the better beef noodles out there and a not-to-be-missed if you’re in KL ! 🙂

Soong Kee, Hutong Food Court
Lower Ground Floor
Lot 10 Shopping Mall
Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.