Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Fried Abacus Seeds (Suen Poon Zi) (RM10/USD3.20) – Stir-fried dainty morsels made of yam shaped like a button mushroom; or even ‘tang yuen’ (glutinous rice balls eaten during Winter Solstice Festival) with a myriad of interesting ingredients; minced pork, dried shrimps, wood ear fungus, shallots, chopped scallions and of course …. lard fritters.

It’s 2012. The end of the world? Nah …. leave that thought behind for now. At least, the year should start with a very positive outlook rather than a doomsday, dreadful fear for the uncharted future.

For this year, Motormouth’s resolutions are to eat less (yeah, right), recalibrate the work-life balance equilibrium, and to hunt for no-frills, delicious street fares from the most secluded nooks and corners of Kuala Lumpur/Selangor. Of course, on top of what I been doing AND will still do for Ipoh and Perak in the general scheme of the picture.

Dear hungry gluttons who have stayed with me through thick and thin, here’s a good start; Lim Kee Tang Hun Restaurant @ Kuchai Lama ….

Fried Tapioca Flour Noodles (RM7.50/USD2.50) – With shrimps, slices of lean pork, and I believe there were cuts of some pig’s offals too. So I forgot, sue me.

As if in a trance, we ventured back to Old Klang Road and then turned into Jalan Kuchai Lama for another faultless shot of undying hope. We failed to trace this place sometime back in 2009, after they have moved from the initial location of near to the FGA church nearby.

This time around, we geared up with …. a GPS. Haha, fail-proof method, I know. But still took us a considerable amount of time on a drive-about the neighbourhood. Because the shop is hidden behind rows of shoplots, and the only neon signboard they put up by the roadside was all in Chinese characters. Hmm. I wonder how hard is it to just carve the words Lim Kee Fried Noodles onto the contraption.

Fried Rice Cakes (RM7.50/USD2.50) – Chewy rice cakes sliced into thin layers then stir-fried in a starchy, black sauce commonly used to fry Hokkien Mee.

Still, this was actually much easier to locate than Pu Yuan, that other anthropophobic (fear of people and society) eatery off Old Klang Road; masquerading itself behind a very unassuming facade; best described as a warehouse or someone’s home. Go read that up when you’re free.

I managed to Google around for recommendations; and nothing that sounded alien to me. The usual Hokkien-style of fried noodles (in a typically darker gravy, crazy loads of lard fritters for that added punch/guilt, and with a side of sambal belacan to spice things up), and a few side dishes to go along with the noodles or plain white rice, if you’d rather have that.

However, unlike Pu Yuan, and Hua Xing @ Sungei Way, Lim Kee possesses another trick up its sleeve. In the form a much-revered Hakka Abacus Seeds also known as “Suen Poon Zi”. There are a few outlets doing this now, I remember trying this at the Hakka restaurant in Taman Paramount, and then there’s one other place (a chain cafe, but forgot which) I saw this on the menu.

Clockwise from top left : A request for a more caloric-laden/guilt-ridden affair (ie: PORK LARD FRITTERS), the sambal belacan that was pungent and complemented the noodles well, the plate of Fu Yong Dan (egg omelette with shrimps, long beans, onions etc for RM12/USD4) and the almost translucent pieces of tapioca flour noodles.

We shared 3 servings of noodles among the trio of us. And another serving of fried rice with salted fish (RM7/USD2.30) that was not in the pictures. The abacus seeds that came with a generous amount of minced pork and dried shrimps was a revelation; that yam beads stir-fried in a savoury, dark sauce can taste this good. The yam was of a mushy, yet velvety smooth texture. Something that I personally like.

The other fried noodles however, lacked the oomph of what Pu Yuan has to offer. The tapioca flour noodles in a gravy that was not flavoured as such to complement the bland sheets of noodles that well. The rice cakes (“peh koh”) were okay in comparison, yet losing out to Hua Xing’s.

You can see this view from the main road of Jalan Kuchai Lama … just have to look almost 90 degrees to your LEFT once turning in from Old Klang Road and proceeding a 100 metres away.

If you’re wondering how to reach this place, just turn into Jalan Kuchai Lama from Old Klang Road. You will pass by shops on your left and right. There will be stalls by the roadside on your RIGHT, with that famous Cao Cao Grilled Lamb Cutlets, and a wantan mee stall I believe. Almost diagonally opposite of the open air stalls would be the turn into Lim Kee. There is a yellow signboard with red characters to indicate where you should be turning in; though it’s a one-way street. Don’t worry, the place can be slightly desolated come evening hours.

RESTORAN LIM KEE TANG HUN (non-Halal)
2G, Jalan 3/114, Kuchai Business Centre,
Off Jalan Kuchai Lama,
58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel No : 03-7981 1972, 017-338 1508
GPS :3.091815,101.67705
Google Map to Lim Kee