KUALA LUMPUR, August 3 — The first time my father took me to Restoran Sin Kee in Brickfields was on one of the rare occasions when he picked me up from school.
There I was, sweaty and hungry from a long day of paying no attention in the classroom, greeted with a rather peculiar sight of a plate with a bowl turned upside down on top of it.
Excuse me, I think you left a bowl on my plate.
This was, of course, the dish synonymous with this historic restaurant, the Sin Kee steamed rice (RM13), or mun fan as it is also commonly known.
My father gestured for me to lift the bowl, revealing a mound of rice which contained an assortment of ingredients including stewed pork slices, Chinese sausage (lap cheong), bits of squid and an omelette.
The entire mixture is thoroughly drenched in a thick brown gravy, with no grain of rice left untouched.
It’s comfort food in every respect, but for schoolboy me it was also something wholly new and exciting.
When I had that same dish again recently, it unearthed something deep inside my brain, activating whichever receptors are responsible for a familiar, comforting sensation.
It’s no longer something particularly exciting, in fact, it was never the most exciting dish in the world.
There’s no crazy technique, no fancy ingredients but I love it all the same, for what it is.
It has been decades since I last ate the mun fan here, but one bite took me straight back to being a schoolboy without missing so much as a beat.
But there’s more to Sin Kee than mun fan.
In all the decades of being open for business (since 1968), they’ve also become known for their Hainanese chicken chop, as well as an array of classic Chinese dishes.
We ordered the Deep Fried Whole Black Pomfret (RM43), which stared at us from beyond while looking as crispy as can be, topped with a wedge of lime, some fresh chillies and dressed in a concoction of seasoned soy sauce and sesame oil.
The fairly unique preparation really allowed the pristine, flaky flesh to take centre stage, flanked by a congregation of citrusy, spicy and savoury flavours.
Next was the Steamed Pork with Salted Fish (RM29), a medley of sliced pork, white beancurd and Chinese sausage all steamed together in a bed of seasoned soy sauce again, topped with bits of salted fish and thinly sliced ginger.
This is a classic dish executed proficiently, as the mastery of balance in both taste and texture makes clear.
Finally, we ordered the Belacan Stir Fried Sweet Potato Leaves (RM18).
Yes, I tend to order this pretty often, and yes, it is often relegated to just a participation prize.
But not here. At Sin Kee, the dish actually tastes and smells incredibly potent, unlike many versions out there where the chillies dominate.
The belacan brings the funk like the singer George Clinton and his band Parliament did in the 1970s, with each bite of sweet potato leaf lighting up your taste buds with salty and spicy notes.
At this point in the meal, we noticed a "cash only” sign that induced what can only be described as general panic and unrest among the table.
We scraped enough together, but I’d recommend having cash on hand for your visit.
Prices are far from steep here, so you won’t need too much anyway.
Restoran Sin Kee
194, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 12-2pm, 6-8:30pm
Tel: 012-380 1842
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