Currying Favor

Do you know this man? If curry mee floats your boat, you darned well should.

You won't often find the word 'best' in our posts. How can we know the 'best' of any food, when we haven't sampled all the versions? 'Best' is even more subjective than 'good'; label something 'the best' of its kind and you're opening yourself up to all manner of catcalls.

But in this case we're going to go out on a limb. We didn't grow up supping on curry mee. We don't even eat it every week. We're miles from having tasted every version of curry mee served in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. And yet, yet ....

...we simply can't believe that this isn't the best bowl of curry mee to be found in the City and its 'burbs.

The fantastic flavors in this bowlful might lead you to believe that Steven K and his wife have been dishing up curry mee for decades. Not so. It was only seven or eight years ago that Steven, contemplating retirement from his job as world-traveling senior technician for a German printing press company, set about deciphering the curry mee code. After learning technique from a curry mee shop-owning relative in Hong Kong he returned to Malaysia, tinkered with the recipe (Hongkies prefer their mee more sweet and less spicy than Malaysians do, he says), and opened his stall in Petaling Jaya's Section 17.

He hasn't looked back. Business is so good that on weekends he's often sold out and closing up shop by noon. Regulars flock to his stall for the sublime curry that successfully straddles the thin line between lemak (coconut milky rich) and overwhelmingly heavy, that is far from sour but not too sweet, that dances on the tongue but isn't too spicy.

'My curry is easy on the stomach,' says Steven. 'Eat my curry today and you'll wake up tomorrow wanting more.'

He isn't kidding.

Top-notch, fresher-than-fresh ingredients are the other secret to Steven's success. He buys his seafood (blood cockles are at 6 o'clock, second photo) directly from a dealer in coastal Kuala Selangor and is involved in every step of the process that leads to a serving of curry. In addition to noodles and cockles, in a bowl of Steven's curry mee you'll find generous slabs of pork skin (not too common, these days) and fucuk (tofu skin), deep-fried tofu puffs, and - a nice touch - crisp-tender long beans.

And there's more. Prawn wonton with translucent wrappers that maintain their texture even after a swim in Steven's light broth, and a perfectly toothsome filling that tastes so just-from-the-sea fresh it should be jumping.

Meaty pork balls incorporating a nice bit of sotong (squid) evince a good amount of chew but no rubber-ball bounce. Ask Steven to add them to your curry mee, combine them with noodles in broth, or enjoy them on their own.

Steven's love for his job, despite the hours - up at 3 am most mornings to cook curry, stuff dumplings, and mold pork balls - is evident.

'What's to complain about? I enjoy it. Everyday I see my friends, work with the missus, have a good time.'  He takes justifiable pride in his product, observing that 'it's hard to find good home-cooked food like this anymore.'

He also holds some pretty strong opinions about the competition: 'Those curry mee at Petaling Street are just no good.'

Curry mee stall, Restoran Hong Seng, right on the square, Section 17, Petaling Jaya. Closed every other Monday. Open early morning till, technically, 2 or 3pm. But best to arrive before 12 to avoid disappointment.

Comments

[Sui Mai]

That sounds just sooooo good... any chance for recommendations for curry mee in HK?? Maybe his friend whom he learnt it from?

[phiz]

will be back in KL for Xmas. Planning a trip to s17.

[Bobbie]

That curry mee looks amazing! I thought the one in PJ New Town opposite the Menara MPPJ was good, but now will definitely be off to Section 17 when I'm next back in town.

[Robyn]

Bobbie, I thought every KL-er alive knew abt Section 17 curry mee. This is one of the few places that we have been to more than once ... and I made myself hungry doing this post!

Phiz - you go girl!

Sui Mai - will try to find out relative's shop's details for you.

[Pat Wong]

Thanks Robyn for the post. I am a curry mee addict and will be sure to head straight to Hong Seng the moment I step off the plane when I visit In January.

[unkaleong]

Mouth-watering. Will definitely visit it the next time I'm back. Have you tried the one at the Section 14 Glutton Square? Serves Assam Laksa as well. There's a pretty decent Char Kuey Teow in the same square as well.

[wandernut]

Oh wwowwwww... you take excellent photos!
Lots of great food in that area.
Next door (across the road) the coffeeshop sells great very nice wantan mee with good charsiew... and across the square there's another place that sells EXCELLENT charsiew... drool drool...

[bayi]

I have been eating at this stall for years and I can say that I have not tasted better curry mee else where. The stall used to be in another shop but moved to its present location across Southern Bank about 2 - 3 years ago.

The stall is closed on Mondays and usually Tuesdays too. Some weeks it's open only from Thursday till Sunday.

Apart from the delicious food, the owners are extremely fussy about hygiene and cleanliness, which is a plus point. They are also very proud of the quality of the ingredients they use. That's why the food tastes so good!!!

[toniXe]

His curry while fresh and tasty is however more towards the medium to mild range. Perhaps u could try La Manila's minty spicy version in Mid Valley, KL ( even tho Malls r not your cup of tea ! ) which I consider heavy and strong, and more suited to Malaysian palates. Then u would have experienced the bests of the bests of curry mee !

[yummy]

umm... it taste so well... i have try it.. it's reli taste good... cum and try it.. u will like it... Is DELICIOUS.... Is the best curry mee in the world...

[Kong Kah Keen]

The curry laksa taste very good .This laksa is very special from all the curry laksa.i dont like to eat curry but i know this curry is very nice

[Chris Seah]

Hi Robyn,

I'm going to be in PJ next weekend and am planning to check this out. Realised that this posting is in 2006. Is this shop still in business in the same location?

Thanks.

Chris

[Robyn]

Still in the same place, but if on a weekend be sure to get there early, like by 10am latest. Also - sometimes he just doesn't open w/out warning. But the pan meen at the corner coffee shop at the opposite end of the same row, or the char siew and duck liver sausage at Weng Kee coffee shop exactly opposite across the square (corner shop), are fine consolation prizes.

[Steven Chia]

Recently they just disappeared from that coffee shop. I've been eating thus curry Nee since 1998. Wonder where have they gone? Please do let me know. I miss the so much.