Hawker Fare @ Mei Sin Eating Shop, Jalan Imbi

Before I start the post, I would like to wish all our Muslim countrymen a “Selamat Hari Raya”!

It was a bright and sunny Sunday, what a good day to wake up with a smile. T has been craving for chicken rice for the past few weeks hence,  after our Sunday mass we went to our favourite Mei Sin in Medan Imbi, our weekend joint to savour our favorites.

Traffic was a breeze and  It was almost surreal to drive around town as the usual notorious traffic in KL had momentarily disappreared. It was quiet as many people have “balik kampung” to celebrate the Hari Raya holidays which stretched over the long weekend. It was such a pleasure to drive around with this kinda traffic but the traffic at Mei Sin eating shop is entirely opposite from what I experience just a few minutes ago on the road. The place was packed and we have to hoover around for a table. Yet, the vibe was a very leisurely Sunday  morning brekkie with neither a need to rush one’s meal.

Chicken Rice (白切鸡饭) @ RM 6.00 ~ Chicken drumstick tastes good, firm, smooth and juicy.  It is not deliberately undercooked just for the extra tenderness. That being said,  you also won’t get any bloody sight from the bones of the chicken. Slightly pricey than the usual that’s for sure but you can appreciate the pleasure of enjoying it. On the other hand, the quality of the rice is a little below par. It would be great if the rice grains were seperate and cooked to perfection and tinged with a slight fragrance from the chicken broth. A must try nonetheless if you visit this place.

Char Kway Teow (炒粿条) (L) @ RM 5.5o ~ This delicious plate of “halal” Char Kway Teow is fulfilled with ingredients which is pleasantly fresh and brimming with that elusive wok hei and savoury flavour despite the fact that “NO PORK LARD” was used. The end product is a Char Kway Teow that was lively, smooth and infused with the umami flavour of the prawns which  were super fresh and wonderfully sweet but, the generousity of the stall owner is questionable as you may find only two pathetic prawns in a plate at most, a mid sized and a small one. Unbelievable but definitely worth overlooking the stinginess in exchange for a tasty plate of CKT!

We ordered a dry version of hor fun for E to accompany his pork soup that he enjoyed most.  The fact that the hor fun were not tossed with excessive  amount of oil, nor black soy sauce but instead tossed in a light dressing of soy sauce and shallot oil, garnished a spoonful of crackling pork lards .

Pork Noodle (猪肉粉) @ RM 5.00 ~ This bowl of pork soup certainly looked very normal to me  until I have a sip of the soup with some minced meat, then it hit me – the soup is actually very rich and filled with the flavorful porky aroma. I bet the flavor was derived by simmering huge amount of pork bones for long hours. The meat was not tough but succulent and smooth while the vege is free from the green stench, crunchy and fresh. Worth a try but be prepared to wait as business is brisk with this particular stall.

Kai Si Hor Fun (鸡丝河粉) @ RM 6.00 ~  Lou Yau Kee’s  who is famous for  churning out the velvety smooth signature “Kai Si Hor Fun” is another must try if you visit MS. The version here is  served  in a  dry version tossed in a dollop of specially brewed dark soy sauce before the hor fun is bathed in the gravy and garnished with lots of fried minced garlic which gives the ho fun a certain kick that you don’t get elsewhere. The hor fun is exceptionally smooth and not clumped together like a ball of string  which was great to slurp on. As a reminder, do ask for chicken drumstick otherwise you’ll be served with tough slices of chicken breast meat @ RM 1.00 less which makes a lotsa difference to this plate of signature dish from Ipoh.

Wanton Noodle (云吞面) @ RM 5.00 ~ This used to be my favorite stall when the “old man” was manning it. These days the Indo maid does the job (standard dropped horrendously) while the “old man” sits around watching the day go by, but he does cook occasionally, that is if you are lucky catching him doing so! The noodles arrived a little soggy and the Char Siew was nothing much to shout about.  The wontons fell short too as they were tiny and the fillings were minimal. This was disappointing.

Ice Teh-si @ RM 1.80 ~ Liberal amount of evaporated milk and tea powder produces this “so-so” only chilled glass of tea. 

Mei Sin is an old school coffee shop  facing the bustling Medan Imbi and is adjacent to the Soo Kee. Business starts from 7am to 4pm daily, catering no-frills breakfast and lunch. They are off on Tuesdays. I believe that this could be the next best alternative around the area apart from Restoran Win Heng Seng which is famous for its Sam Kan Chong (三间庄) pork  noodle which is just around the corner.

• Mei Sin Eating Shop 
• N0. 16, Jalan Melati
• Medan Imbi
• Off Jalan Imbi
• Kuala Lumpur.
• Tel – 603-2142 6169
• Business hours – 0700-1500
• Closed – Tuesdays
• GPS Coordinates
• E03°08.644  E101°42.822