Jalan Yew is always bustling with traffic, thanks to the market located a short distance down the road from the roundabout. I’ve never seen a day when there isn’t a traffic jam, and the traffic is at its peak on weekends when housewives and working adults jostle each other to get the best deals at the market. Along the road, owners of shops selling tidbits, hardware, pets, prayer items and other interesting wares carry on their daily lives with a slowness that doesn’t reveal their true grit to survive in a fast-paced city.

In the past, I’ve blogged about two giants: Mei King with its lam mee and Hup Yick with its ginger wine chicken. Today, the focus will be on Heun Kee which is located in a corner nearest to the roundabout. You can’t miss it as you will be greeted with several charcoal stoves propping claypot receptacles as a couple of young girls man the pots.

Our anticipation was clear as the claypot was placed in front of us. Having heard so much about the claypot chicken rice here, we expected nothing less than perfection. In the past, high expectations have led to disappointment. But it doesn’t stop me from getting that tingling sensation – after all, how can one control one’s feelings? Tell myself to shut up and not think about it? I only end up thinking about it even more.

As I stirred the rice with all its condiments and meats, I knew that I was in for a treat. The rice was fluffy, each grain whole and separate, and there was a generous portion of chicken, lup cheong (chinese sausage) and salted fish. A faint aroma of sesame wafted. Topped with chopped spring onions, it was probably one of the best claypot chicken rice dishes I had ever eaten.

We couldn’t resist ordering a bowl of pig’s stomach in white pepper soup which we thought was rather good. The pig’s stomach was not overcooked, nor did it have a rubbery texture. Being a person who enjoys her soup, I had no trouble finishing it up.

Business Hours: 11.00am – 9.30pm.
Closed every 1st and 3rd Thursday.
Open on public holidays.

When my friends and I want to eat chee cheong fun with yong tau foo, we prefer going to Yap Hup Kee (YHK) at Pudu instead of the more popular Ampang Yong Tau Foo, not because it tastes much better than the Ampang version, but because of its location which is much nearer to our office. On this occasion though, we were sorely mistaken as the traffic was heavy on Jalan Pudu and we ended up taking half an hour to arrive at the already congested area. This restaurant is just a stone’s throw away from the famous Pudu siew yoke. You can find parking at the open air area a short distance away.

The chee cheong fun here is very good – smooth with a sprinkling of fried shrimps which provides a different dimension to this gastronomical experience. We ordered both versions of chee cheong fun – served with sweet black sauce and curry. I love the black sauce version, and curry lover, Pretty Pui, gives the chee cheong fun here the thumbs up.

The requisite order of yong tau foo was made as well. This place serves interesting versions of yong tau foo; I saw brocolli wrapped with fish paste, and kacang botol (four angled beans) stuffed with fish paste. But I tend to be less adventurous with yong tau foo and went with the usual favourites of brinjals, meat balls, fish balls, ladies fingers, fried foo chuk (beancurd sheets), etc. It is hard to be experimental when you’re craving for brinjals!

The main reason why I like to come here is to eat the claypot sui kow (stuffed dumplings) in herbal soup. The herbal soup tastes somewhat like bah kut teh soup, and the sui kow is stuffed with minced pork and a large piece of prawn. Button mushrooms and vegetables completed the dish. Our claypot dish came with seven sui kows – the minimum order. So order this only if you have a large appetite. Heck. Order it anyway. You won’t regret it.

Yap Hup Kee
45, Jalan Brunei Barat, 55100 KL.
Tel: 03-2148 9220