On Writing What You Know, and Kuala Lumpur's Old Kitchens

 

Sek Yuen's head chef has been with the restaurant since the beginning - over fifty years

Much of what I write for publication, whether it be in old-fashioned print or on the web, is about what's new or relatively new, or about things or phenomena that have some relation to or bearing on what's happening right now.

As one of my editors says: 'Timely, not timeless.'

But if left to my own devices (like this blog) I'm more often drawn to the latter than the former. For instance, I couldn't tell you what's 'new' and 'hot' on KL's culinary scene because it's something I just don't pay attention to.

That said, I like being 'forced' ('challenged' is a nicer way of putting it) to pitch and accept assignments that lie outside my comfort zone, to research and write about things that are not so intrinsically 'me'. Stretching my wings makes me better at what I do, I think, even if the process is sometimes a pain in the a#%.

 

Yut Kee's justifiably famous breaded pork chop

Once in a great while I get a chance to write about something I know inside and out, places and people that I really feel something for. And it makes me happy.

Such was the case with an article Dave and I did for this month's Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, on a few restaurants in KL that have stood the test of time. These 'old kitchens' feel like our second homes; they're as comfortable as a broken-in pair of flip-flops. We go knowing that when we walk in the door we'll be greeted like old friends and fed very, very well.

 

Another day, another packed dining room at Yut Kee

And though we've been trumpeting the virtues of Yut Kee, Sek Yuen, and Hong Ngek on this blog and in other places for almost five years now, it's such a pleasure to be able to shine a brighter light on them. A way to return the favor for all the wonderful memories they've given us.

Yut Kee's prep cook slices and dices beneath a garland of Chinese chives

I want to share a story about Hong Ngek.

We first dined there way back in 2006 (!) The meal was fantastic and we loved the restaurant's genuine old-style vibe, but somehow we lost track of it until about nine months ago, when a Hong Ngek thought bubble suddenly broke surface in my brain. We headed down to Tun H.S. Lee at noon, braved the crowded dining room, and snagged a table.

Hong Ngek near the end of a weekday lunch rush

After we placed our order owner Liew Hing Ling sauntered over.

"Long time no see!" she said, her sometimes stern mien breaking into a grin. "What's it been, three years?"

Well yes in fact, it had been almost three years exactly. We and Liew had exchanged maybe five words on that first visit to Hong Ngek in August 2006. But almost three years later she remembered us, and welcomed us as if we'd been dining at her restaurant once a week in the interim.

 

Hong Ngek's vegetarian masterpiece: three varieties of mushroom, gingko nuts, tofu skin, and gluten wrapped in lotus leaves

In reference to Liew, I don't think I can say it better than I did in the article:

"I don't forget faces," she smiles, displaying an attention to detail that's as evident at the table as it is at the front of the house.

 

Hong Ngek owner Liew Hing Ling (r) and co-workers

(A hint: Hit Hong Ngek two or three times and you're a regular. And that's when outstanding off-the-wall-menu dishes -- like steamed razor clams or 'two-way' pomfret, a whole fish stripped of one fillet, then steamed and served on a platter with the missing half, which has been cut into chunks, deep-fried, and cooked in dark soy sauce with red and green sweet peppers, Chinese celery, and loads of black pepper -- will begin finding their way to your table.)

Hong Ngek, 50 Jalan Tun HS Lee. Lunch only, closes at 7pm. Closed Sunday, and Saturday's a bit stripped down in terms of selection.

Sek Yuen, 313 Jalan Pudu. Lunch and dinner. Closed Monday.

Yut Kee, 35 Jalan Dang Wangi. Breakfast until 5pm or so. Closed Mondays and the last Sunday of the month.

Comments

[foodcrazee]

good suggestion . . .

[Nate @ House of Annie]

That first shot is so worthy of a coffee table book. Seriously, I think we'll see EatingAsia - the hardcover edition, coming one day.

I much prefer the timeless stories to the trendy ones.

[Rasa Malaysia]

Congrats, I can almost taste the vegetarian tofu skin dish. Love that kind of cooking style. There are a lot of great old-time kitchens in Penang and I bet you know them all. Hope to read your piece on that, too.

A looooong time ago, I had a very good Chinese-Cantonese style soup/stew at an old-time restaurant at the backstreet of Petaling Street. Don't know the restaurant's name but it was the best soup ever - daikon, dried oysters, and fatty pork belly. The flavor still lingers in my mouth.

[Tuty]

There's something about the classics... That's why I feel sad to see that many of the old kitchens were pushed and replaced by chain restaurants in the name of "revitalizing" the neighborhood.

[Eatanddust.wordpress.com]

After months of silent following, I thought I'd just say how much I love your blog. Photos are amazing, the copy heartfelt and although I've never been to your part of the world (too much food ground to cover here in India first!), every time I look in feels like a weekend break.
Thanks
Pamela

[the lacquer spoon]

Your lively photos and text reassure me that both cooking and eating are the social glue to connect families, relatives, friends and people. Hearty :)

[Katie]

Your photos are so professional, I love the first one the most. The breaded pork chop looks like a delicious meal, especially with all those chunky vegetables, yum.

[hockman]

Hi Robin:

A little note that I love following your blog. Lots of M'sian foodblogs are by people who love to eat but not necessarily discerning about food. Often they are easily impressed by the form rather than the substance. You on the other hand seem to take food seriously, and focus very much on the real food of Asia, ie. the street food.

The 3 places you mention are ones that I used to visit regularly when I worked in the KL area. I remember going to Sek Yuen as a kid as my father knew the original owner. My father, an old DBKL officer, knew all the above places and their owners well.

My last few visits to Yuk Kee were very disappointing; the food seems to have gone downhill perhaps because of the foreign help preparing food in the kitchen. I often wonder why they are now often mentioned in various food blogs and travel books as excellent.

I was reading your earlier post on Hong Ngek. I think the original location of the restaurant actually used to be across the street, and they moved when the present location became available. There was an excellent old teochew porridge restaurant there previously, one of the old fashioned places that served simple but tasty teochew porridge dishes like meat loaf, anchovies etc without all the extraneous fancy stuff. Sadly it closed down earlier in the decade. I have yet to find an authentic teochew porridge place in KL.

[Robyn]

Nate - thanks. Maybe, one day.

Bee - Thanks. We've filed have something kinda same kinda different. When it's out you'll read abt it here. Thanks for the props.

Hi Pamela - thank you so much for those nice words. That kind of comment makes our day!

lacquer spoon - Amen to that.

Katie - the photographer makes his living as a, well, photographer. Actually the corn/peas/carrots are frozen! Part of the nostalgic appeal of the dish. :-)

Hockman - Thanks for your comment and your compliments. We'll definately take substance over form.
You're right about Hong Ngek -- it was originally across the street. In reference to Teochew porridge, we have had a very nice one in the Kampar food court (you could probably find the post if you google eatingasia kampar) but it's been a few years. Every one of the little dishes we ate with our porridge was so full of flavor, simple but delicious. Actually the old couple running the stall with their son were from Guangdong.
As for Yut Kee -- we order pretty much the same thing when we go (toast/kaya, beef noodles, pork chop) and I can't say I've noticed a decline in quality. The chop I had several days ago was delish. And if you haven't tried their recently introduced rolled pork roast you really should.
Thanks for reading.

[J2Kfm]

great post, Robyn. I do agree with your views on Timeless eateries, instead of Timely ones. They come and go, the latter. But the Timeless ones stood through the test of time, and garnering the newer generations slower yet retain their clientele with much ease.

they're CHARMING, after all.

[Gastronommy]

As a new writer for a food/travel magazine publication in Singapore, I can only relate too well to your frustrations about writing about topics that are not "intrinsically you." Good to hear from someone else that this is just how the business goes.. so I just have to suck it up and hope for those moments when I get to write about something I know and hopefully love inside and out. In the meantime, I'll just settle here outside of my comfort zone.

Do you ever have trouble moderating between what you write for publications and what you write on EatingAsia? Any conflict of interest?

[Robyn]

Gastronommy-I've found it's really a good thing to be forced to write outside my comfort zone occasionally. I think it makes me a better writer.

As for blog versus for publication writing, I try not to 'scoop' anything I've written for publication on the blog. When article X Y or Z is published, I publicize it here on the blog and then use the opportunity, if possible, to expand upon the topic or write about something related. There's always stuff that's edited out, or more to the story than could be fit into the article, so I use this space for that. Or we (the photographer and I) use it for more visuals. A way to get more bang for the buck, so to speak.

[r becklund]

What a great post and the pictures are amazing. The food looks awesome!!