food

Ipoh’s best in a bowl of noodles

BY YAP PIK KUAN
October 03, 2015

Thean Chun's kai see hor fun is the stuff dreams are made of. – The Malaysian Insider pic, October 3, 2015.Aside from its picturesque green hills and stunning limestone caves, Ipoh is also known for its delicious food. There are a few things that you just have to eat to say you've been to Perak's capital city at all. Taugeh (beansprouts) chicken, pomelos and dim sum are just a few.

The kai see hor fun (shredded chicken noodles) was high on our list during a recent trip there as we didn't manage to have it  on a previous visit. For this, we headed over to one of the oldest kopitiams in Ipoh's old town, Thean Chun.

It's also known as the Hall of Mirrors for the large rectangular mirrors that line the wall. Spotted and dusty with age, it added to the whole nostalgic experience of the coffee shop.

We arrived just a little after 1pm and the kopitiam was packed! With many patrons hovering around waiting for seats, we were lucky to get a table just as we walked in. We've heard that the coffee shop is usually crowded from when it opens around 9.30am till it closes after lunch so we'd suggest diving straight in rather than waiting for the crowds to thin out.

We could see the old uncle manning the kai see hor fun stall chopping away and preparing bowls of noodles non-stop. He looked like a permanent artefact, fitting perfectly into the old kopitiam setting. We put in our orders with the stall's many helpers.

At our table, we could see bowl after bowl being sent out to their tables. It was apparent that the kai see hor fun (RM7 for large) was the main draw of Thean Chun.

The kai see hor fun stall is located right in front of the kopitiam and is hard to miss. – The Malaysian Insider pic, October 3, 2015.We waited almost an hour (lost or forgotten order, we reckon) but, boy, was it worth it.

The stars of the bowl had to be the flavoursome chicken broth topped with prawn oil and the silky, almost translucent kway teow tinged orange with the oil.

Made from boiling prawn shells and used to cook countless numbers of chicken, the broth was positively brimming with savoury flavours with a sweet edge. Now, we can understand why locals and tourists alike flock to the kopitiam for their kai see hor fun fix. The stall in neighbouring Kong Heng didn't have the same depth of flavour as Thean Chun's.

The kway teow, with delicious prawn oil clinging to it, was so smooth that it felt like it just melted in our mouths. Together with the broth, it made for a winning combo.

While we would have liked just a little bit more broth, we made short of of the kai see hor fun.

Shredded chicken, prawns, spring onions and all were slurped up in a matter of minutes!

The kai see hor fun stall is located right in front of the kopitiam and is hard to miss. – The Malaysian Insider pic, October 3, 2015.We finished off with Thean Chun's popular egg custard (RM2.60). The soft, smooth texture was complemented by a mild eggy taste but, doused in caramel sauce, it turned out a little too sweet for our liking.

Other dishes you can order include pork satay, chee cheong fun and popiah.

Even if it might seem a little intimidating, we say go fight the crowds and waiting time, if only just to try the kai see hor fun once. We'll definitely be going back for more! – October 3, 2015.

Thean Chun Coffee Shop | Add: 73, Jalan Bandar Timah, 31650 Ipoh, Perak | Tel: 05-2553076 | Opening hours: 9.30am – late lunch daily, Closed on Thursdays | GPS coordinates: 4.596305, 101.077783 | Non-halal

* All of The Malaysian Insider food reviews are incognito and reflect the personal opinions of our merry band of foodies. If you know of any restaurant serving awesome grub, share it with the rest of the world and drop us a line with details at [email protected].