KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — To the naked eye, Lim Kee is nothing more than a patch of curbside covered by a corrugated zinc roof.
Beneath it, people gather around loose tables and chairs, their faces illuminated by the pale glow of fluorescent lights.
All are here to eat some form of fried noodles – Hokkien mee, wat tan hor and even fried pak kor, a seldom seen chewy Hokkien rice cake – but most are here for the signature dish: bitter gourd fried dong fun.
But Lim Kee is more than just a plate of noodles.
Those familiar with the area will remember its origins as a shack next to Full Gospel Assembly, just across the road.
Around 2010, it moved into a corner shop in Kuchai Business Centre, becoming a full fledged “restaurant”.
Unfortunately, this was short-lived; as the original proprietor’s health declined; he couldn’t head the kitchen like he used to, and the restaurant closed.
Six years ago, Lim Kee reopened in its current location – a shack once more – this time with the younger of two sons at the wok, carrying on their father’s legacy.
So is the cooking kung fu – and more importantly, the dong fun – a case of like father, like son?
Many returning regulars seem to think so.
In fact, a lot of these regulars played a pivotal role in helping the young chef – who’s still in his 20s – get it right.
The older brother, who takes orders and waits tables with their mother, shared that it was rough at the start; their father’s condition left him unable to communicate and pass down his knowledge, so trial and error with feedback from regulars became the method of instruction.
One cue from regulars proved especially helpful: the egg in the dong fun should be well dispersed, with a fluffy, almost dry texture – described to them as 棉花, or cotton.
I’m more than happy to report that they passed with flying colours.
Our order of bitter gourd fried dong fun for two people (RM27) with kar liu (additional toppings, adding RM14) not only sported those sought after cotton like eggs, but was dotted with a shower of crispy lard and garlic.
Slivers of pork, prawn and squid accompanied the springy, starchy noodles that had taken on plenty of wok hei flavour, while the thin slices of bitter gourd retained their crunch.
It’s taken me a long time to get over the hump of bitter gourd, but these utilised its subtle bitter notes to balance out the oily mouthfeel – top marks across the board!
Side note: We were advised to pair this with the pickled green chillies rather than belacan, and I think it’s the right choice.
The acidity brings the dish to life, bitter and sour come together to become much more vibrant than it would with the savoury and spicy belacan.
Lim Kee’s menu used to be bigger, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be left wanting.
Other highlights include a rustic spring roll (RM11) with an ultra-crunchy crust, and a slick, smoky plate of dry fried hor fun (RM12). The latter was excellent with the belacan, as the spice and savouriness matched the rich, oily mouthfeel of the strands of hor fun.
I want to say this despite the risk of coming off mawkish, because I think there is something to the point I’m about to try and make.
This is a story of a family soldiering on in the face of adversity that in time, hopefully, will become a story of a family legacy being passed to the next generation.
Stories like these remind us of the quiet resilience that defines so many family-run places like Lim Kee.
It’s a tale of skill and spirit carried forward, in which each dish holds both history and hope.
And even if it’s not the last story of its kind, it’s one worth savouring.
But if at the end of it all, you find that you have a heart of stone, and none of that matters to you – it’s still a pretty dang good plate of dong fun.
Restoran Lim Kee Sdn Bhd
Shack on the corner of Jalan 1/114 and Jalan 4/114, Kuchai Business Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Open Friday to Tuesday, 6-10.30pm. Closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Tel: 017-655 9363
• This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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