Places to get the best ‘Ipoh sar hor fun’ in Malaysia
Ipoh sar hor fun is flat rice noodles in clear soup with fresh prawns, shredded chicken and chives.
Thean Chun
For this dish, we take you to Ipoh, its city of origin. Legendary vendor Thean Chun, also known as the ‘House of Mirrors,’ is perpetually crowded with locals and tourists. This means a double wait, for a place to seat and for your food to arrive. A really popular sar hor fun stall here sets the benchmark for this local favourite, serving the best example of superbly fine, silky noodles in bright, flavourful soup. For dessert, try the kopitiam’s sensational caramel custard.
Soo Kee
Operated by a mother-and-son team, this simple restaurant has only three items on its menu – Ipoh sar hor fun, poached chicken and prawn wantans. It has been around for 20 years, and fans keep coming back for its rich and tasty soup, smooth kuey teow and beautifully poached chicken, doused in a delectable sauce. Contents of the soup are a well-kept secret, but we’re assured it’s made of the best-quality ingredients. The prawn wantans are succulent morsels to round up the meal.
Ipoh is famous for good food, which locals attribute to mineral-rich water from surrounding limestone hills.
Lee Tong Kee
Back in the day, Lee Tong Kee in Chinatown was the go-to spot for Ipoh sar hor fun in KL. The restaurant has moved around to settle at its current location in Brickfields, where Jade Lee continues her father’s legacy of offering the full-flavoured dish. Although no longer homemade, the rice noodles are produced to the family recipe. Flavours are robust and service is friendly. Check out other items like chicken curry noodles and prawn wantans. This family business has a shop of the same name in Singapore.
Pau Kee
Pau Kee has been around the block since 1972 and retains its reputation among Ipoh sar hor fun fans. Its fame has reached as far as Singapore and Hong Kong. Once a staple at Tengkat Tong Shin, it moved a few years back to its current location in Imbi, where it continues to dish out its popular signature dish. Other things to try here are curry egg noodles, chicken with beansprouts and fresh prawn and meat dumplings.
Chan Toong Kee
Visitors to the Taman Tun Dr Ismail wet market would know of this no-frills restaurant serving good Ipoh sar hor fun and Hainanese chicken rice. A neighbourhood joint for the last 10 years, the proprietors have kept their noodle dish light and simple but delicious. The soup is flavourful, aided by generous splashes of prawn oil, and the ingredients are fresh. Top it with succulent poached chicken, which runs out quickly by lunchtime, and you have a winner on your hands.
House + Co.
Tucked at the back of Bangsar Shopping Centre is this bright, breezy restaurant serving premium Asian and Western cuisine. At House + Co. you’re paying top dollar for local fare, but it’s so good, you’ll save your pennies to treat yourself. The kuey teow soup is top-notch, with sinfully rich double-boiled soup enveloping silky noodles, fresh giant prawns and chunks of chicken. Best taken with super-hot red chillies in soya sauce.
Discover
Directories
Thean Chun
73 Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh
Soo Kee
33 Jalan 21/17, Seapark, Petaling Jaya
Lee Tong Kee
58 Jalan Padang Belia, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur
Pau Kee
10 Jalan Utara, Off Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur
Chan Toong Kee
18 Jalan Wan Kadir 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
House + Co
1st Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur
