PETALING JAYA, Dec 18 – I first discovered Shui Kee Steamed Chicken in 2019 as I frequent the Jalan Penchala food court.
It's the busiest stall in this small food court hidden at the back of PJ Old Town, where the factories are located.
There's always a crowd in front of the stall that has been in business for more than 40 years.
There's no sign board but it's the second last one from the end of the row of Chinese stalls. This food court is divided into various areas, where stalls selling Chinese, Indian and Malay food are sold.
Last week, when I visited the food court, it was actually to check out another stall but since that did not pan out, I jumped over to Shui Kee Steamed Chicken for a quick lunch.
During the weekday, lunch seems to be a hurried affair as customers are eager to get their food quickly. It's a mix of office workers and people who live nearby.
You will spot a few bringing their own tiffins to take away the food too.
Squeezed into the small stall, you find the whole family at work. There's the patriarch who is busy chopping chicken in the front. At the back, a younger man helps out with chopping the chicken. It's quite laborious as they even debone the chicken, which is what I noticed when I got a half portion of chicken.
The matriarch is the one taking orders and ensuring it's quickly fulfilled with her army of foreign ladies. It feels like organised chaos but they do have their own system of remembering things.
Walk up to the stall and place your order. Just let them know where you're seated and they will attend to you.
If the matriarch is not sure what your order is, she'll send one of her helpers to double check. If they forget your order, just walk up to the stall again to remind them.
Seats are available in front of the stall. Some patrons like to also go to the back of the stall and sit at the longer wooden tables there.
In order to be efficient, they pre-cut some chicken that are placed in metal trays for you to select from, during the weekdays.
What I noticed when I revisited again on Sunday is the vibe was busier and all those pre-cut chicken had vanished.
Maybe it's because demand is more, hence the chicken is all freshly chopped, which I tend to prefer since it doesn't dry out so much.
So go on a Sunday, if you like your chicken to be chopped only upon order. You may have to wait a bit though but nowadays with your phone, you're kept entertained.
There are two types of chicken on the menu. You have the pak cham kai, which graces almost every table. At RM7.50, you get your choice of chicken part accompanied with a bowl of noodles.
Then, there's the kampung chicken or free range chicken. This, of course, is priced much higher. It's only sold in half or whole chicken portions. It's RM40 for half a bird, which is double the price of the pak cham kai.
In terms of texture, the pak cham kai is smoother and the meat is juicier. For the kampung chicken, the meat has more bite. The skin has a nice crunch to it too.
On its own, it has a plain taste. Hence I like liberally spooning the soy sauce over the chicken to give it more flavour.
Those who prefer stronger flavours may find the taste to be bland since the flavours are very homestyle and lean towards a lighter taste profile.
You're only served soy sauce with chopped chillies, so there's no potent chilli sauce to hide behind.
The popular choice for noodles is the silky hor fun. I discovered the loh shu fun this round. Almost every diner will order the soup version. The clear broth has a light chicken taste that pairs beautifully with the hor fun.
You can also have it dry, where the noodles are tossed in dark soy sauce that lends a slight sweetish taste to the whole bowl. You still get a bowl of the broth, served on the side.
If you prefer, there's an option to add fish balls or even fish cake slices.
You can also order a bowl of kai see hor fun, adding on fish balls and fish cake too. There's beansprouts too.
As it had been four years since I last ate here, one noticeable difference is how they used to liberally add fried chopped garlic on top of the chicken to give it extra flavour but now it's just a light sprinkle.
If you're there during the weekday, drop by Uncle Batumalai's stall for his superb teh tarik. It's creamy and not too sweet, which is the way I like it.
Usually customers will order drinks from the stall next to Shui Kee but I prefer a little walk to the back of the food court to get my teh tarik fix. Unfortunately, that doesn't work on Sunday, since that stall is closed.
This whole area is a hub for good food. Further down, there's Restaurant Hong Kee, where you also have another free range chicken or tai shan kiok paired with kuey teow thng. Also housed in the same restaurant, you can have a spread of homestyle Indian dishes with your rice.
Shui Kee Steamed Chicken, 4, Jalan 2/27. Jalan Penchala Food Court, Section 2, Petaling Jaya. Open:7am to 2pm or until food runs out. Closed on Monday and Thursday. Tel:016-6573919.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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