Standing for 3 generations and yet Kedai Makanan Yut Kee is still going strong. The crowd was intimidating at first glance, rendering us shaking in our boots while walking by. Be prepared, we told ourselves, to share a table with wall-to-wall regulars. And indeed, we did.
When one steps into the corner shop, one is confronted with a slightly chaotic kopitiam, where everything happens at the same time, with noise probably the No. 1 complaint diners have about eating out in Yut Kee.
Apart from the digital TV commercial shown on a LCD plasma TV, there are a lot of framed newspaper write ups about them all over the wall as well.
Yut Kee is a traditional family-operated kopitiam that has been in business for three generations. I guess some of the switches on the electrical board here were from the first generation...
My friends and i ordered Iced Coffee @ RM1.70. The freshly brewed aromatic Hainanese Coffee was strong and smooth, which claimed by some, is Malaysia’s answer to espresso.
We ordered their Siew Yuk (Rolled Roast Pork) @ RM10.00. It is a special item, available only on Fridays and Sundays, from 11:30am till it runs out. They are carried out on a tray to the front of the kopitiam and placed on a folding table between cash register and kaki lima (sidewalk).
The Siew Yuk was moist and tender, with a dollop of house-made apple sauce on the side. The apple sauce goes perfectly well with the meat. The crackling was so crispy, even eating it on its own would render one feeling delightful.
One of my friend ordered Curry Mee @ RM5.50. Thick yellow noodles was served with fragrant and spicy chicken in red curry. The curry looked decent, but surprisingly the taste of spiciness was rather diluted.
This was the second time my friend had Curry Mee at Yut Kee, yet i was told that the dish was not as tasteful as the previous visit. Not to mentioned the excessive chilli seeds found afloat in the curry, which had very much spoiled the dining enjoyment.
Another friend of mine ordered Fried Mee Sua (炒面线) @ RM6.00. This dish sees thin rice vermicelli stir-fried with sliced cabbage and chunks of pork, fish cakes, chicken gizzard and squid(?).
I heard that a plate of fried mee sua can determine the skill of a Chef, in that the noodles cooked are not soggy and it's not stick together. If this is true, then i really doubt the skill of the Chef here as none the above is achieved. I was expecting something a bit more on the dry side and it was a tad salty for me.
As for me, i ordered Lum Mee (淋面) @ RM6.50. Lum Mee remains a notable nibbles at Yut Kee in which thick yellow noodles was served in a rather light and simple shrimp broth.
With prawns, crabmeats, pork and eggs thrown in, the price may be justified by the substantial portion. Tastewise, it was rather bland. I guess i'm not used to eating lettuce with noodles which is prepared in such a way. Not my cup of tea though.
Just drop by at Yut Kee if you happened to be around the area, just for the retro-style coffee shop or just for the childhood memories, perhaps. Never mind the price, which is a bit higher than your average generic kopitiam.
Add: No. 35, Jalan Dang Wangi, 50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2698 8108
Opening Hours: 8am - 5pm (Closed on Monday and last Sunday of the month).
[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]
That shop selling egg roll and cake also?
ReplyDeleteI used to eat 'mee yoke' at the stall behind this shop. But after the lady boss died, I have not gone back. That was nice and I think is still there.
Yes, Yut Kee does sell kaya roll and marble cake. I did saw a few stalls behind this shop and heard that the char kueh teow is nice. By the way, thank you for sharing. ;)
ReplyDeleteI like their service, real fast!
ReplyDeleteThis, i have to agree with you. Real speedy service!
ReplyDelete