Pan Mee Underdogs around PJ Old Town

Sometimes the body just needs to slow the eff down. And no, sometimes it's really not an option regardless of what work deadlines are looming or I'm inclined to have one more night out. When I blithely refuse to take heed after a few weeks in a row, the body will retaliate, I've learned. But enough about that, I've had enough loopy and lonely monologues justifying my feeble, febrile condition while detained up in recovery.

Rewind to weekend pre-Illness: habitual breakfast hunt after noxious, hard drinking nights. This particular weekend saw a couple of tasty, under-the-radar, relatively unknown but solid Pan Mee finds.

First up - Medan Selera at end of Jalan Penchala, near PJ Old Town. I went for the Spicy Soup Pan Mee (only hand torn ones for me!). The soup arrived sour, not quite the jolt of a good tomyam but nevertheless an invigorating wake up call. It was the first of this variant of Pan Mee I'd seen, and not a bad one at that.

My companion had engineered the visit here for the Fried Lou Shu Fun, a gleaming plate of lard and Aunty wok power. Very inspiring stuff. Aunty also offers the same treatment to koay teow and noodles.

Upon seeing the fun I was having with my meal, my companion, a non-Pan Mee believer, ordered the regular Dry Pan Mee. I found it well above average (and I've tasted a LOT of average Pan Mee), a perfectly balanced rendition of soy, crunchy anchovies, wood's ear fungus and minced meat. The hand torn noodles were also a nice, buoyant bite - not too thick that it feels like biting into a shapeless mass of starch.

The accompanying bowl of anchovy-based soup featured my favouritest colour. Tasty too! Subsequently, I found out that there's a popular Pan Mee stall not too far away from this food court, off Jalan Penchala. Next time in the area then!

The next morning, we found ourselves back again in PJ Old Town again, at Soon Lee Coffee Shop.

I was spoilt for choice but got drawn to this stall. Maybe it's the monkey wearing the chef's hat or maybe it's the prospect of tons of fiery red chilli but I found myself with yet another bowl of pan mee.

Now I join the legions of Chilli Pan Mee devotees who have been disappointed and disheartened by the likes of Kin Kin and Super Kitchen. Perhaps, I'd retuned my expectations so to not suffer the same blow but Keong Kei's Dry Chilli Pan Mee was more noteworthy than its distinguished peers'.

O' lustrous yolk, extra serving of radiant rogue, a vigorous toss and I am yours!

Soon Lee also houses a koay teow soup stall which appeared to be doing very brisk business the morning we were there. The Char Koay Teow stall in the evening (different from the one in the morning) is apparently also pretty decent.