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Motormouth From Ipoh

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Meng Kee Char Siew @ Tengkat Tong Shin, Kuala Lumpur

The luscious taste of the char siew (BBQ Pork) from Famous Seremban Favourites (read my previous visit HERE) is still fresh on my palate, although 2 months had passed since then. Certainly in a class of its own, I still could not find a replacement until this very day ...


Situated in the middle of a row of heritage shophouses

Meng Kee Char Siew has a following of its own, probably due to slightly higher exposure than any other Char Siew stalls in Kuala Lumpur. Yup, various TV shows had done coverage on this simple unassuming shop, famed for its Char Siew, and steamed chicken.


Glistening, caramelized pork ...

During lunch hours, the place is usually packed to the brim. Even more so on public holidays, when tourists from all over would drop by, just for the one single dish that had brought so much fame (and fortune) to the proprietors with such an amazing culinary delight.

Rice cooked with chicken oil

Probably I did not request for a specific cut, therefore only lean meat was served to us. Tough and chewy, the Char Siew did not manage to impress me, more so due to my previous (absolutely) positive visit to Famous Seremban Favourites. Comparison is unavoidable. Though coming in a close second, the Char Siew served here still trumps the other stalls in Ipoh that I've tried so far.

Classic, nostalgic feel of the interior. Notice the crowd?

A meal for two, including rice came to around RM12. Yup, definitely not hawker level of pricing. But you're paying for its history, a legend in its own league, slightly over-rated I'd say, but satiated my carnivorous appetite nevertheless. Least this provides me an opportunity (and excuse ... =P) to embark and continue my search for the BEST Char Siew there is in Malaysia?

Choose your favourite ambience. Inside the shop, at their corridor, OR at the sidewalk. LOL

Location : Tengkat Tong Shin, a road that is parallel to Jalan Alor. A short walk from Bukit Bintang shopping paradise.

12 comments:

Little Inbox said...

Wow! Juicy char siew. Nice to eat with rice in chicken fragrant.

CK Lam said...

The meat must be very tasty... judging from the crowd and also from your photos.

CRIZ LAI said...

Hmmm.. RM12 for two person's share of char siew can be considered quite reasonable with that much meat served. Well, in Penang itself, 2 boxes of char siew rice with that amount of meat would cost roughly between RM9-RM10. I won't complain about the extra RM2 :P

P/s: Since you are in Ipoh, maybe you can review on Yim Kok Kai. I'm trying to get hold of the contact for the two famous ones in Ipoh. I heard one of them is in Bercham (with a branch somewhere there too) and another one I'm not sure where. Haha.. new assignment from Penang here :P

Ciki said...

this plc is too expensive for us! but if we are in the area, of course we still stop for the "PUN FEI SAU" (must have FAT!) :)

J2Kfm said...

little inbox : yeah, though the rice is nothing to shout about.

CK Lam : I'd say it's OK, not up to my expectation, but still good enough.

criz lai : Oh, haha. such coincidence. I just ate Salted Chicken 2 days ago, and took some pics. will post them up if you need the contact, no worries! :)

cumi & ciki : yeah, I'd have the half fat-half lean meat too, just that I did not expect them to serve all lean meat. Hmm, probably they see my body size and worry for me? =P

See Teck said...

This is my favourite char siew restaurant in KL since the late 1998.

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

damnit..really miss the char siew..so fattening hahaha..

J2Kfm said...

see teck : 10 yrs and still your fav? wow, guess you deserve some loyalty award/VIP discount card then? :)

joe : I wished it was more 'fattening' than the ones I had that day.

HairyBerry said...

wah...they still serve char siew using that old-skool plate lar...classique!

Hulk said...

hey!! I eat here late just last year while spending Christmas holiday with my Bro-in law. He was telling me how popular this place it...with high expectations or probably my weirdo taste buds..sad to say "Not great". Just simply Good to eat & not bother asking for 2nd helping of extra rice.
Donno my kind of Char Siew is of thinner slice piece with bit of fats.

J2Kfm said...

nic : yeah, the metal plate housing the pieces of glistening meat functions to preserve the authenticity, and boost a point or two in terms of uniqueness.

hulk: your tastebuds are OK, as I did not find the char siew extremely, mind-bogglingly yummy either.

cheap viagra said...

I and all my family usually eat the same meat because Red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb, contains many essential nutrients necessary for healthy growth and development in children.!!!22dd thanks for the recipe!