16 hours ago
Three braised pork trotters ‘wantan mee' to try in the Klang Valley
KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Typically, wantan mee is paired with char siu and a bowl of wantans.
Some places offer different toppings, where the usual suspects are braised chicken feet with mushroom or curry with chicken or pork ribs.
Even poached chicken can be used as a topping as seen in Koon Kee Wantan Mee, minced pork with char siu as found in one of the oldest wantan mee stalls at Pudu's Kei Suk Wantan Mee or roast pork at Pudu's Kedai Kopi dan Makanan Pak Lok.
Other places go the extra mile with Hakka char yoke and a variety of braised meats, like mutton, duck and even beef.
The possibilities are endless, anchored by what customers' preferences lean towards.
What's rare is the use of braised pork trotters—tender soft meat and luscious skin—braised low and slow for a long time.
Here are three places to get this treat of a dish:
Yes Ah Fun Wantan Mee
On Saturday, many make a beeline for this stall inside the bustling wet market for their special pork trotters with wantan mee.
Some days, the pork trotters can be sold out by 9am, if you're unlucky.
This stall is operated by the friendly Fun Jeh who first started about 40 years ago, around the Yulek area.
The name of the stall is unique with the 'Yes' in front of her name, as she wants all of her customers to be satisfied with her cooking until they make a yes hand gesture.
Wake up bright and early on Saturday to get a plate of Yes Ah Fun's pork trotters with 'wantan mee' at Yulek Market. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Around 1998, she introduced the braised pork trotters, as a weekly special on the menu.
The braised trotters are enhanced with a broth made using dried scallops, pork and two whole chickens, infusing the trotters with all its goodness.
Each piece is glossy brown with a soft skin as you gnaw on the cartilage, making it a perfect pair for their noodles with a bite.
It's RM10 for a small portion and RM11 for a big portion.
Stall no 44, Yulek Market,
Jalan Kas Kas,
Taman Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
Open from 6am till 11am. Closed on Monday and Thursday.
Wing Kee Wantan Mee
Inside Taman Batu, just off Jalan Kuching, this wantan mee stall caters mainly for the neighbourhood.
As early as 6.30am, every table is occupied with diners, waiting for their breakfast order.
Regulars just pop over on their motorcycles, where their usual orders are relayed by voice to the man behind the stove by his wife.
On Friday, it's pork trotters day and everyone knows the drill.... the early bird gets their share of the stewed item or it's sold out by 8am!
The pork trotters are served in a separate bowl with an abundance of the broth which has a hint of spices.
Each piece of the meat falls apart easily and the skin is soft with a fatty layer underneath, making it a great pair with their thin, springy egg noodles.
If you don't manage to make it for the pork trotters, there's the usual char siu, braised chicken feet with mushroom, duck and ginger and chicken curry.
At night, a claypot chicken rice stall takes over the premises.
Second last stall at the end of the strip near Restoran Sin Teck Wah,
Jalan A, Taman Batu,
Off Jalan Kuching, Kuala Lumpur.
Open: 6.30am to 11.30am. Closed on Sunday.
Fun Kee Bamboo Noodle
This 56-year old shop is one of the very few still using a bamboo pole to press their dough, just like the old days, giving you egg noodles with a springy bite.
The variety of noodles is mind boggling with different toppings including the pork trotters that are available daily.
If you're not the type to wake up early, Fun Kee Bamboo Noodle is the place to visit as the pork trotter noodles is a permanent fixture in their vast menu. — Picture by Lee Khang Y
Here their pork trotters are braised till the skin is soft and slippery, while the meaty chunks tend to be slightly drier but pull apart easily.
What's most interesting is you get a stronger flavour of the dried red chillies, leaving a tinge of spiciness on the tongue as you relish the trotters, which seems to cut through the rich aftertaste of the braised pork trotters.
It's RM11 for a plate of wantan mee with the braised pork trotters.
174-5, Jalan Sungai Besi,
Kuala Lumpur.
Open: 9am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 8pm.
Closed on Sunday.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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