PETALING JAYA, June 14 — The Sea Park area in Petaling Jaya, and in particular the streets surrounding the wet market, is one of the Klang Valley’s best spots for food.
During the day, there is an abundance of kopitiams with stalls serving all kinds of hawker fare, in the midst of which, a stall in Restoran MJ Wang serving beef noodles is up there with the very best.
Yang Ki has been in existence for 50 years now and is currently run by Stanley Siew, who has succeeded his older brother and father in continuing the business.
His story is a fascinating one as he went through rigorous training with his brother.
You can hear the whole story better from the mouth of the man himself in a YouTube documentary called Local Legends, in which he and a number of other veteran hawkers were the subjects.
The documentary talks about their background, the hardships and what they want for their future.
Walking into the coffee shop, it’s really hard to miss Yang Ki. They’ve got the prime placement, right in the front corner and the signage is impressive, hanging from the ceiling and drawing your attention like a fast food menu.
The mixed beef noodles (RM9) is the main draw here.
Topped with a dark, thick helping of minced pork, they are paired with a small bowl of sliced beef, tripe, brisket and beef balls in a clear soup.
The topping of minced pork is characteristic of tai bu noodles, a Hakka dish, though it is not so common for it to be seen with beef soup.
What can I say about the noodles that haven’t already been said about all things delicious?
They’re tasty. They’re satisfying. They’re perfect. They’re springy, almost sponge-like when tossed with the minced pork and the very embodiment of the coveted "QQ” texture.
The minced pork has been cooked down so long that it barely resembles a mince, resulting in a sauce that perfectly coats the noodles, not unlike pasta sauces diluted with seasoned starchy water.
I’m not entirely sure what goes into the sauce; garlic and dark soy sauce stand out to me on the palate, but what I’m entirely sure of is that one bowl simply isn’t enough. I always end up getting seconds.
As for the beef, the slices are barely cooked in the clear broth and have an almost velvety texture as a result.
The broth itself is tastier than it looks, and the chilli sauce is a bright, fresh and fiery dip that’s seriously addictive.
The only thing that might dampen any visit here is the struggle for parking, but I’ve always found it worth the trouble.
Restoran MJ Wang itself is fairly spacious and has plenty of tables, so parking is really the only hurdle.
Yang Ki Beef Noodles
Restoran MJ Wang
1, Jalan 21/17, Sea Park, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Open daily, 8am-1pm (no regular off days, check their FB for updates)
Tel: 016-348 8141
FB: https://www.facebook.com/yangkibeefnoodles
IG: https://www.instagram.com/yangkibeefnoodles
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