Wantan mee that‘s worth the wait

The char siew wantan mee. The noodles are springy while the salt and sweetness are well balanced in the sauce.

I HAVE never seen people queuing for food at a yet-to-be-opened eatery until I came across a wantan mee stall run by an old uncle in the heart of Bukit Bintang.

Every night, city folk arrive as early as 9.30pm and wait for this nondescript stall in Jalan Sahabat, Bukit Bintang, to open so they can get a taste of the popular wantan mee.

Phang Kok Keong, 80, has been serving up this popular street food to eager diners, who come from all over the city, for more than 40 years.

A quiet man, Phang prefers to focus on the task before him and not involve in idle chatter with customers. Regulars know that upon arriving there – you queue, find a seat, place the order, eat and leave.

Every night, people come as early as 9.30pm and wait for this stall in Jalan Sahabat, Bukit Bintang to open.

Sounds methodological but people do anything for good food.

He serves four types of wantan mee – the ever-popular char siew wantan mee, dumpling wantan mee, chicken feet and mushroom wantan mee and steamed chicken wantan mee.

I ordered my favourite char siew wantan mee and I was impressed with the consistency in the taste of the dish.

The noodle was springy and the amount of salt and sweetness in the sauce was balanced. I preferred if there was less oil in it but the overall taste was good that I did not mind overlooking that bit.

The char siew stole the show, and is what people come back for.

Phang serves four types of wantan mee – the ever-popular char siew wantan mee, dumpling wantan mee, chicken feet and mushroom wantan mee and steamed chicken wantan mee. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/ The Star

It is hard to get tasty char siew these days, especially since many make it too sweet and some have yet to master the art of making it tender on the inside and firm on the outside.

Uncle Phang, however, prepares his speciality dish to perfection.

The red-rimmed pork was not too sweet but the meat was flavourful.

To my surprise, the fatty parts melted in the mouth, allowing a non-fat lover like myself to appreciate every part of the char siew.

Served on the side were four big dumplings in the soup which, to me, was a generous serving. The dumplings were stuffed to the brim with a combination of pork and prawns, flavoured generously with scallions.

Uncle Phang’s stall, located right opposite the KK Mart on Jalan Sahabat, off Tengkat Tong Shin, is open until 2.30am.