KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Just before Chinese New Year (CNY), a friend who is a Penangnite recommended this Kuala Lumpur-based person selling tu ka from Penang. She had ordered and was impressed with the braised pork knuckles.
I managed to get the braised pork knuckles and chicken feet before the CNY festivities started.
The braised pork knuckle is sourced from Lean Hup Bee, which has a rich 60 plus years heritage of cooking up this braised delicacy. Located in Butterworth, they had diversified their offerings during the lockdown to produce their braised items in easy ready-to-eat packets. All you need to do is heat the frozen packets for a meal within 30 minutes.
The stall is run by second generation owners Yang Kam Yong and Tay Chooi Lee. Their signature braised pork knuckles is cooked from a recipe inherited by Tay from his father who started the stall back in the 1970s.
In Kuala Lumpur, the seller who is known as Ah Bee is offering the Lean Hup Bee braised pork knuckles in two sizes. The big size packet for RM38 can feed four to five people while the smaller packet for RM28 is ideal for two to three people. You also can get braised chicken feet for RM18 which is served with braised shiitake mushrooms.
Currently they offer free delivery if you order three packets of the braised pork knuckles. Your items will be delivered to your doorstep via a third party service and payment can be made subsequently via e-wallet.
I boiled up the packets from their frozen state in a pot of water for 30 minutes. Just cut open the packet and you get a flat huge piece of braised pork knuckle minus any pesky bones.
What impressed me was the meat was tender and delicious with the gelatinous skin. They braise it with soy sauce and spices that add a lovely flavour to the meat. Since they braise the pork knuckles in the same sauce, it also has a more viscous texture. Think of it as a luscious treat for a meal. It fitted perfectly for the festivities too.
For the braised chicken feet, you get about 13 pieces of small sized chicken feet and nine pieces of small shiitake mushrooms. I enjoyed the tender chicken feet as these were so well braised that they had a silky, smooth bite.
You will notice they use smaller sized chicken feet that are trimmed which helps reduce the oily taste in this braised dish. Unlike the pork knuckles sauce, this braising sauce was not as delicious but tasted predominantly of just dark soy sauce and very little spices.
The restaurant just opened back on February 7, after a long break. Currently Ah Bee told me he is only taking down orders for the braised items. Once supply is available which he hopes to be soon since the restaurant has started business, he will resume delivery of the items.
You can contact Ah Bee at +6019-8146133 via phone or WhatsApp to place your order for the braised pork knuckles and chicken feet first. Once his supplies reach Kuala Lumpur, he will distribute them out via delivery.
It is best to converse with him in Chinese. If you order via WhatsApp, he will respond with voice memos. Usually, you need to call him a few times first or leave a message but he will respond to you after some time, which is what I encountered for my order.
