BITE-SIZED
Of all Penang hawker food, hokkien mee is my favourite and the one I have a soft spot for. Like all Penangites, I love my char koay teow, laksa and nasi kandar, don’t get me wrong, but nothing comes close to the sheer pleasure that a good bowl of Penang Hokkien Mee can bring.
Also, if you thought I was referring to the Klang Valley version of Hokkien Mee, which is essentially the thick noodles wok-fried with dark soya sauce, then you’re wrong. I’m referring to your ‘har mein’ or prawn mee. In Penang, when you say Hokkien mee, no one is confused.
Anyways, it is very rare to get really good Hokkien Mee in these parts of the world. Simple logic dictates that if the hokkien mee was so good, the hawker would have been popular and made it in Penang itself. Therefore, the popular misconception that any Penang hawker food outside of Penang must necessarily be inferior in terms of taste or quality.
Well, this misconception may be true for lots of cheap Penang imitations here, but not this one. The Hokkien Mee here is pretty darn good and comparable to the very best of Penang.
Originally located inside the famous Cafe O&S in Taman Paramount, Ah Choon’s hokkien mee became so popular that they managed to open up a restaurant of their own, just a few shops away from Cafe O&S, selling all types of Penang hawker delicacies. Of course, hokkien mee is their specialty.
The restaurant itself, being relatively new, is very modern, clean and no-frills. Brightly lit, with WIFI, bright pictures of their dishes adorning the walls and an Oldtown-style write your orders onto an order sheet, it was a far cry from the authentic kopitiam where it used to be at Cafe O&S.
Service was relatively fast (maybe because it wasn’t that packed) and the pricing was reasonable for Klang Valley standards as long as you didn’t go for their premium, added ingredients stuff like giant prawns, pork ribs and all other parts of the pork you can think of. Menu is pretty extensive and has something for everyone.
Food came in a very short span of time since I ordered. And it did not disappoint.
I opted for the standard Hokkien Mee but with large prawns + pork ribs as my extras. Cost me RM13. Almost double the price you’d pay for a premium bowl in a Penang kopitiam but like I said, it is value for Klang Valley standards.
The soup was very thick, sweet and tasty. The aroma of prawns permeated every sip, and the chilli was really flavourful. Yellow noodles were very springy and the beehoon was very fine and absorbed the soup very well. Ingredients were pretty standard, and the portion was decent. Not too big, not too small.
If there was a single bone to pick, it’d be that the chilli was not spicy enough. Could not match the kick of certain Penang hokkien mee’s back on the island. But, it’s a very small thing only. And it was still good nonetheless.
RATING
Pricing: 7/10 – relatively good value for Klang Valley standards but nowhere close to Penang hawker pricing.
Quality: 8.5/10 -delicious and hits the spot when the sudden craving for Hokkien Mee strikes. comparable to the good ones in Penang
Environment: 7.5/10 – nothing to shout about. a very basic restaurant though clean and welcoming.
Service: 7.5/10 – relatively fast and good service.
Location: 7.5/10 – located in an old makan area in suburban part of PJ. parking may be slightly an issue during peak hours but generally easy to find.
Comeback Factor: Yes
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