Sunday, March 7, 2010

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.

17 comments:

Sean said...

i hope your recovery is complete! i'm going for a health screening next week (no compelling reason, just a precaution), and i'm hoping for the best but bracing for the worst!
thankfully, i'm not a pan mee devotee though, so i wouldn't have any trouble giving that up if need be =)

Bangsar-bAbE said...

I can't get enough of spicy pan mee, despite this weather. I'll be sweating like mad after I slurp the last drop of soup! The spicy pan mee looks good too. Must pop by this place since it's quite nearby. ;)

qwazymonkey said...

Mmmm, i think I'd find my recovery in a plate of fried tikus noodles too!

Little Inbox said...

The dried chili pan meen looks the best!

J said...

Uh oh... How are you now? Feeling better yet? :(

UnkaLeong said...

Hope you feel better! Nothing a good spicy meal can't cure, huh? I dig the CKT that they dish out in the evenings ;)

beetrice said...

oh god...stop tempting me!! i'm dreaming of it already!! :(

less boozing, more munching - come on babe, when you bringing me there ah? :D i'm back this weekend, and seriously missing comfort food!!

Ciki said...

i am one of the legions of Chilli Pan Mee devotees!! i am! call me next time ar.. call ar.. :P

thebaDderMen said...

Pretty amazing that your cravings for this forgotten noodles have taken you to this dangerous edge of PJ , right here !
Well done !

Big Boys Oven said...

awesome awesome, such an affodable luxury! :)

minchow said...

Sean, recovery almost complete, save for one scabby eye and what seems to be permanent distaste for work after a week away! :-S All the pan mee in the world couldn't fix the latter!

Bangsar Babe, yes sweat-inducing stuff, this! I am totally sold on the health proposition of sweating buckets!

J, all good now, thanks!! Eating up a storm does help! :-)

Qwazymonkey, I did have a taste and yes, they were awfully therapeutic!

Little Inbox, I keep suspecting that there are all these hidden nooks and corners around the Valley that remain unexplored for chilli pan mee! I must scour them out!

minchow said...

Unkaleong, the older generation would have it that one should stay the hell away from spice and everything nice in sickness. I don't subscribe to that, nope, no siree!!

Beetrice, how often are you making your way back babe? We need to sync up our weekends! I'll be in the clear after this week, I think!

Ciki, I WILL!! Chilli-thon incoming! :-D

The Badder Man, dangerous edge? I certainly didn't think so! Why, what's so dangerous about Old Town, pray tell?!

BBO, I know, only in Malaysia, right? I complain to death about having to stick around here but at times like this, I know I should feel so very blessed!

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

I like pan mee with killer chilli...the more I feel like dying, the better! Yummy.

HairyBerry said...

I lurve pan mee, especially the stringy ones. There's this dry tossed tom yam version that's not quite original but definitely adds an interesting tang to the dry, chilli type. Oh, squeeze some calamansi while i'm at! Hope you are feeling much bettet now!

Rebecca Saw said...

I'm really glad you are better ;)
Hope to catch u soon. Meanwhile, balance out yr work & play ;)
U wil be up & abt in no time! (missed u on twitter!)!

Unknown said...

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Do email me: desmond.lua[at] malaysiamostwanted.com

minchow said...

LL, yes I've often given thought to what I'd ask for my last supper before execution... pan mee hovers in the top 10!

Nic, what's the pan mee situation down south? You being taken care of there?

TNG, thanks babe! Really a wake up call to start taking better care of myself! Let's do catch up soon!

d_luaz, thanks for dropping by! Will get in touch soon. :-)