Motormouth From Ipoh

Hakka Minced Pork Ban Tiao (RM6/USD2) – Yes, for only RM6 per bowl and substantial portion too. And this .. was at Pavilion’s Ying Ker Lou.

Affordable eating in malls sounds so distant nowadays. Especially when you add cheap, delicious food and Pavilion to the mix.

Ying Ker Lou Restaurant has a few branches in the Klang Valley; all of them located in shopping malls. Naturally, the true Hakka food connoisseurs shy away from the rapidly commercialized brand. Paying almost RM20 for a bowl of Lui Cha rice is one thing, being served a feeble attempt of a classic Hakka fare is another story altogether.

Thankfully, the ‘yum cha’ session during high tea was met with rapturous applause. Though it was only two of us. But the vast selection of dim sum; coupled with reasonable price tags made it all so tempting to go crazy on the orders.

Braised Snow Pear with Rock Sugar & Snow Fungus (RM4)

Ying Ker Lou serves Hakka cuisine in a relatively posh setting; or rather comfortable compared to say, the ‘dai chow’ restaurants in your neighbourhood with a moustached-uncle behind the wok and a cigarette between the lips.

One thing led to another and we ended up at the lower ground floor of Pavilion searching for grubs after a heavy breakfast … which I have no idea what it was, since this was sometime last year.

From 3pm to 6pm everyday, Ying Ker Lou serves high tea dim sum priced from RM3 to RM6 only, and the selection of light bites, desserts and drinks are not too shabby to start off with.

Clockwise from top left : Hakka Stuffed Bean Curd (RM4), Preserved Mustard Vegetables Rice Rolls (RM4), Hakka Bamboo Shoot Dumplings (RM5) and Hakka Glutinous Rice Cakes with Peanuts (RM4)

The Fried Dim Sum category includes items such as Hakka yong tau foo; stuffed bean curd, bitter gourd and eggplant, pan fried turnip cake, fried yam cake, fried dumplings etc. Steamed Dim Sum on the other hand contains interesting range such as stewed duck feet, stewed duck wing, stewed beef stomach, the perennial favourite of many; lor mai gai and a funky sounding Chu Ye Ban that resembled the ‘kai see th’ng’ from the kuih stall at Pusing.

Clockwise from top left : Fried Hopo Vegetable Dumplings (RM3), Mei Chai Bao (RM4), Mixed Fruits Pudding with Fresh Milk (RM4) and Chu Ye Ban (RM5)

For something more substantial at times when you’re barely surviving the onslaught of hunger pangs from an abysmal breakfast, then go for the porridge or noodles. A total of 8 selections each, imagine dried scallops with pork porridge, prawn porridge, Hakka handmade pan mee and minced pork ban tiao which resembled the da pu mee to some degree.

All in all, the dim sum high tea at Ying Ker Lou was above average and I would highly recommend this to those seeking for an in-between meal that won’t burn a hole in the pocket, and shying away from conventional fast food outlets or posh eateries. They serve the same menu for breakfast too; from 10.30am to 12.00pm.

YING KER LOU (non-Halal)
1.03.00 & 1.04.00
Level 1, Pavilion, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur
*next to JCo Donuts & Coffee

*FYI, Motormouth will take a break from blogging for the entire month of April.