Claypot Lou Shu Fun & Fried Chicken Wings @ Chee Wah, Ipoh
October 24, 2010 | 11,519 views
The famous Chee Wah claypot Lou Shu Fun – Setting the stove ablaze with the charcoal fire; cooking up pots of Lou Shu Fun (silver thread noodles/rat’s tail noodles) in a soupy broth.
Happy Sunday first and foremost, dear readers. Pardon the lacklustre posts as of late, and the lapse in between. For Motormouth’s going through turbulent/dire times, constantly sprouting grey hair in the process. 🙂
Anyway, if you’re thinking that dinner/supper in the older parts of Ipoh town at night seems like a hassle (instead of the more commercialized eating paradises like Ipoh Garden East, Greentown, Menglembu and such), and you’re not fond of the idea of jostling with the crowd for a taste of Bean Sprouts Chicken at Lou Wong or Onn Kee, then this post might just ignite your interest of eating in town again.
The signatures of Chee Wah; the claypot lou shu fun (unlike the conventional ones in Klang Valley) and fried chicken wings (fresh from the wok).
Chee Wah has been around since more than three decades ago. Yes, still on the same road of Jalan Che Tak (map to come at the end of this post), and exuding a very classic kopitiam ambience with a devil-may-care-about-hygiene attitude. So you’d better be seated on the outside of the premise (al fresco dining; sounds finer?) so you can take a breather and eat in peace. Yes, the street’s literally deserted, although it was a Saturday night.
Fried Chicken Wings (RM14.40/6 pieces) – Either take this plate of SMALL serving, or the BIG one with more pieces to be shared. No one-two piece nonsense though.
I was informed about the notoriously fickle-minded proprietors of this shop. Sometimes they choose to close for a few days. On the others, they would be opened at random hours, late into the night. So it’s best to call up before you go; much like the equally menacing Cowan Street Tauge Ayam*.
*Which by the way, chose to CLOSE on that same Saturday evening. Surprise, surprise?
High on the MUST-ORDER list would be the Claypot Lou Shu Fun, and the Fried Chicken Wings. But of course, they do not pride on an endless list of dishes, but instead concentrating on those few, with a minimal range of fried noodles thrown in for good measure.
The man cracked a raw egg freshly on the spot (but I was not prepared for the shot), into the cauldron of bubbling hot translucent broth with the rice noodles, minced pork, and the sinful lard fritters.
Unlike the usual Claypot Lou Shu Fun that we’re used to seeing in the Klang Valley (SS2’s Murni‘s would be a choiced comparison, while Chinatown’s Seng Kee’s version was pathetic in my books), Chee Wah’s version of the claypot noodles seems a far cry from the drier and dark-coloured, tossed with soy sauce and dark soy sauce rendition.
Instead, comparing this with a Wat Tan Hor (smooth kuey teow cooked in a braised gravy with egg, vegetables and meats) would give you a better idea. Appearing rather pale and bland, the sizzling hot broth was actually packed with a mean savoury/umami taste, albeit laden with MSG (monosodium glutamate) too, mind you.
The addition of crispy lard fritters added much punch to the otherwise lacking in ingredients pot. Chunks of minced pork and a cracked raw egg were the only other sources of protein, while there was nary a piece of seafood in sight.
RM14/USD4.50 for a small portion, RM18/USD5.80 for a big portion.
Fried Rice Vermicelli Noodles (Bee Hoon) @ RM5/USD1.60 for a small serving.
Though not as impressed with the Claypot Lou Shu Fun, we were rather impressed with the freshly fried chicken wings, although a minimum portion of 6 pieces would be required. So don’t go ordering one or two pieces, unless you feel like stirring up a hornet’s nest. Arriving piping hot from the wok, the chicken wings (at RM2.40/USD0.80 per piece) needed no dipping sauce for added oomph. Marinated well prior to frying, the wings are served in two parts; the lower and upper part of the wings separated.
Just go for the claypot lou shu fun and the fried chicken wings. The fried bee hoon (rice vermicelli noodles) tasted normal, although lacking in the smoky, charred aroma (termed ‘wok hei’) I usually crave.
This man fries the noodles, while another fries the chicken wings. And don’t leave out the Grandma In Shades. Scroll to the end of the post for a view. 🙂
Chee Wah @ Jalan Che Tak – A throwback to the Golden Years of Ipoh’s Culinary Gems.
Don’t fear. Grandma in Shades is here. She single-handedly cooked up clay pots after clay pots of Lou Shu Fun, without breaking into a sweat. Or were you expecting her to brandish an M16 instead?
CHEE WAH – Claypot Lou Shu Fun & Fried Chicken Wings
No. 10-12, Jalan Che Tak,
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-254 1106
Business Hours : 7pm – 12am+
Off-days not fixed.
GPS Coordinates : E101 5′ 6.3″ N4 35′ 31.7″
Google Map to Chee Wah
Lol, i think you post more than me! the chicken wings look yummy!
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Hahaha.. how dare you stalk the grandma like tat huh.. she really looks cool in that black spec 😀 The claypot lou shu fun looks so delicious, I ate claypot yee mee a lot but not this..
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 8:03 am
I dare not stalk her lah, she looked intimidating in her shades.
So I just curi-curi snapped a few. 🙂
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Haven’t been there for long…wonder if the standard has dropped.
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 8:04 am
It was my first time there. So I can’t say about the possible change in quality. Though the place was not as packed as expected.
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Definitely one of the better places. One thumb up.
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The standard of the LSF is still the same as the cook is still the same “Grandma in shadz” Have been eating at this stall since the early 80’s..A bit pricy but it’s still the best claypot LSF in Ipoh. I don’t think there are any other shop that serves claypot LSF like Grandma does…
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 8:08 am
True also lah, first time seeing claypot lou shu fun in Ipoh. Of course, maybe some food court stalls are selling this, but I have not seen before.
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am a big fan of the chic wings there… well marinated, juicy too….LSF- is great too, BUT my past few visits there, gotta wait quite a while before the food came…
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Hmm, the wait was bearable. I think only 10 minutes or so. Maybe coz the place was not packed that night.
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The claypot mice tails…look kinda yucky for me. :p
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stylo ah ma!
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Stylo Milo? Hehe …. she did exude a certain aura. So much so that I dared not stand in front of her and snap.
Dunwan another case of Pasir Pinji CCF’s aunty’s sarcastic remarks.
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Hahah… You are like paparazzi – snapping a celebrity’s picture from far far… 🙂
(But yeah, she’s kinda cool, with her special style)
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Nolah, I was seated there ma. So ngam can see her in action from the thick foliage. So just snapped around.
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LOL…I love the last picture!
I think 6 pieces of chicken wings wouldn’t be enough for me…a dozen would do. =P
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
One dozen?! Cannot lah, liddat how to eat the noodles leh?
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No, I don’t fear Grandma in Shades but yeah, I might have been expecting her to wield a Machete or something.. MWUAHAHAHA! Very cool lady. no wonder the food is so good!
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wow, trendy ah mah!!! Why she wear sunglasses ar?
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Dunno. Maybe cataract operation? Or maybe the flame was blinding her eyes, since very bright sparks. Or maybe she’s just …. too… COOL. 🙂
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LOL Aah this makes me want to eat there tonight!! Yea the owners of the shop are very fickle, if I recall properly, the have been closed for a few months, and only opened this month!! That is because the constant boiling of lou she fun finally damaged the grandma’s eyes, so she had to go for an operation, therefore the glasses XD We are well acquainted with the shop owners (the Tans) though judging from your picture, the normal chicken wings cook isn’t there heheh (the younger brother and sometimes his or the older brother’s wife)
…I REALLY WANNA GO THERE NOW T_T
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Eh Cheryl the guy frying the wings was there lah. Just that I missed snapping him in action for I was eating my food. You’re a loyal fan huh?
The chicken wings are good. But did not really enjoy the lou shu fun.
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CherylHew Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Haha after I posted the comment, I peeked at the photos again and spotted him sitting at the table XD I’m not a big big fan of the lou shu fun, though it does taste good with loads of chilli IMHO XP When we first went there after the long closure, seems like grandma lost her touch a bit cause she forgot to put salt/MSG in our bowl ^^;; I LOVE the fried chicken though, quite rare to find fried chicken wings like these in Chinese stalls. We don’t go there often because the prices are quite high, we just close cause the chicken fryer’s daytime job is at my mom’s office haha
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Oh no wonder lah …. Haha, you should ask your mum to get the recipe from them. And fry your own Chee Wah’s famous chicken wings back home. 🙂
Wow claypot lou she fun in its original form indeed! With egg to boot.. Very interesting to try out!
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this shop is “black shop” !!!
dont go to eat, u will be regret because very expensive and food is not tasty.
thank you
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Haha, thanks ‘loyal’ customer of theirs. 🙂
Indeed, the price was far from dirt cheap, about the same price if you’re dining in a restaurant, even.
But I wouldn’t say that this is a ‘black shop’, as you mentioned.
There ARE loyal customers (real ones, pls) frequenting the place from what I saw on my first visit.
Although I doubt that I will return in the near future.
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Alex Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Disagree!!! The food is tasty enough..
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 26th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Thanks Alex for standing up for Chee Wah. Every eatery has their fans and detractors.
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anonymous Reply:
October 26th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
u have no taste at all…if u tink this is not nice then i tink u dun understand the meaning of nice
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Alex Reply:
October 26th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Thumbs up for anonymous!!! This shop’s food is tasty enough, maybe some ppl will feel the price was a bit unreasonable, but still acceptable..
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Oh wow the grandma is super cool!
And the loh shu fun broth… looks unique.
What’s a ‘black shop’? Blacklisted?
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 26th, 2010 at 9:19 am
Che-Cheh – In Cantonese, a “Hak Tim” means a place that either charges unreasonably, or with unscrupulous intent on cheating the customers.
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I love their fried chicken wings a lot! and also the KAP TAI fried noodle
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Thanks so much for the promo J2Kfm and many thanks to our loyal customers. We are actually considering to introduce our “Cheeken Wing” to the Klang Valley and also to better serve our loyal KL customers. But the plan is still in early deliberation. We are now seeking for a strategic location. Stay tuned! =)
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 27th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Hi there. Fancy seeing a response from someone from Chee Wah. Pardon the ‘grandma in shades’ moniker and such. Just being my sinister self.
Anyway, good to hear that Chee Wah’s planning to expand to KL.
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CheeWah: Glad that you have intention to introduce “Cheeken Wing” to Klang Valley but there is another “Chicken Wing” Tai Kor in KL call “WAW” meaning Wong Ah Wah located at the ever popular Jalan Alor..Delicious.. The aroma is fantastic and taste mmmmmmm…
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 28th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Wong Ah Wah = grilled chicken wings basked in honey.
Chee Wah = fried chicken wings.
Nuff said?
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Andrew Chin Reply:
November 6th, 2010 at 12:01 am
You’re right..Different way of cooking but I beleive WAW is one of the best
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 6th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Yup, cannot deny that. Very … complete, charred, glistening and moist.
I can down many pieces at one go.
is this the one next to kompas institute? hmm heard a lot of ppl said it’s good but i never tried before coz of hygiene prob. famous for unreasonable price and erm…big rats lurking around the shop. that’s what i heard.
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 28th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Erm, no rats running around. But even if you’re eating by the streets elsewhere, the hygiene matters will always be there lah.
Just that we see people going back again and again for the FOOD instead of the environment loh.
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i went to the shop last saturday night. I dont think the price is reasonable in Ipoh. It is too expensive. The place is not comfortable . I think now people prefer a more comfortable environment than good food.What i mean is if the hawker do not upgrade service like more comfortable place, service etc, people wont come back next time even though the food is tasty.
Anyway, the claypot lou shu fun is delicious, the fry mee also good.
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Currently it appears like Movable Type is the top blogging platform available right now.
(from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
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