KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — The best thing about chee cheong fun is its versatility. The flavours change depending on what you dress the steamed rice noodle rolls with.
In Ipoh, less is more as they prefer it plain with just a dash of soy sauce, sesame oil and crunchy pickled green chillies. This way you can appreciate the delicate rice aroma of the silky steamed rice noodle rolls.
For a heavier flavour, there’s the sweet sauce or thim cheong that is drizzled over the chee cheong fun. Its red hue comes from the use of red glutinous rice grains.
Unlike the thicker brown sweet sauce served in the Klang Valley, this version is of a more liquid consistency and has a more savoury taste. Another popular pairing is mushroom sauce where sliced shiitake mushrooms give a hint of savouriness, making it more delectable.
Yooi Kee Chee Cheong Fun stall, 49, Jalan Hang Lekir, KL
Operating for many years, this place is an institution for its silky chee cheong fun with its signature sweet sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds. From morning up till lunch, they serve chee cheong fun but as night falls, Kim Lian Kee takes over the corner to fry Hokkien mee.
Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun stall, SS2 Morning Market (in front of Nikudo Seafood), PJ
Ipohans favour this stall that used to trade at the corner coffee shop in SS2. The draw is their chee cheong fun that is made in Ipoh and sent down each day. For those on the go, grab one of their pre-packed boxes of chee cheong fun that has a selection of the sauces ready.
If you have time to linger, ask for the mushroom sauce chee cheong fun. The brown sauce is prepared using a light broth that is not too salty and has an appetising taste with sliced shiitake mushrooms.
The couple also trades from 4pm onwards at Lot 80, Medan Selera SS2 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. However the days are not fixed since it depends on the availability of their hired help. It’s still best to catch them at the morning market.
Restoran Hai Keng, 24, Jalan 14/20, Section 14, PJ
Wake up early to catch this hidden corner stall that is run by an old man. The chee cheong fun is incredibly fresh and doesn’t stick together, it has the light aroma of rice. Here it’s served with a more KL style brown coloured thim cheong but you can ask for it plain with pickled green chillies and sprinkled with sesame seeds
Restoran Ipoh Sedap, 94, Jalan SS2/60, PJ
This eatery in SS2 serves their chee cheong fun sourced from Ipoh with a sprinkle of dried shrimps. If you prefer, ask for it plain served with the crunchy pickled green chillies with thim cheong.
You can select from their assortment of stuffed yong liew at the counter like beef balls, bitter gourd stuffed with fish paste and so on. Shop for salt baked chicken from the famous Aun Kheng Lim and heong peng or fragrant biscuits here.
Annie1 Family Restaurant, 20, Jalan SS21/58, Damansara Utama (Uptown), PJ
Located in the busy Damansara Uptown area, this eatery is better known for its crunchy wantan noodles paired with either a thick aromatic curry or luscious char siew. You also have a selection of Ipoh favourites like white coffee, creme caramel and chee cheong fun here. There’s a few selections here as the chee cheong fun is offered either plain with red hued thim cheong or served with curry (a choice of pork or pig skin) and mushroom sauce. The mushroom sauce is pretty good and not too salty.
