Toong Kwoon Chye: 4 generations of legacy with springy homemade wantan noodles at Bukit Bintang

At the corner of Jalan Bukit Bintang and in the midst of the hustle and bustle of KL is Toong Kwoon Chye. To the untrained eye, it might appear like any other ordinary coffee shop but it has actually been around since 1919 and is known for its old-fashioned handmade wantan mee. 

Toong Kwoon Chye first started out as a push cart noodle stall that moved around KL for 25 years. They then decided to move into a permanent location which is the coffee shop you see today. Now, the restaurant is run by the friendly Dexter, who is the 4th generation of the family. 

Once inside, it’s a full-on blast from the past. Chinese evergreen oldies play softly in the background as I take my seat on the old-school coffee shop furniture. 

What I tried at Toong Kwoon Chye

The highlight here is the wantan mee but if you want something different, you can opt for the Curry Chicken Mee (RM10), Hakka Pork Belly Mee (RM10), Oyster Sauce Chicken Wing Mee (RM10), Chicken Feet Mee (RM10), Mushroom Chicken Feet Mee (RM12), Mushroom Mee (RM13) or the ABC Mee (RM28). 

The ABC Mee is truly a sight to behold: a giant plate of noodles decorated with every topping imaginable— chicken feet, thick juicy flower mushrooms, char siu slices, leafy vegetables,  chunks of curry chicken and potatoes. I believe it would require at least 2 extremely big eaters or 3 small eaters to finish the entire plate of food.  

However, I was here for one reason, and one reason only: the Char Siu Wantan Mee (RM10). Customers can either order the noodles in a soup with dumplings or have the noodles tossed in a combination of soy sauces and barbecued meat drippings, garnished with homemade char siu slices, little cubes of pork lard, chopped spring onions and blanched leafy greens.

Juicy roasted duck & char siew chee cheong fun at Restaurant King Puchong Batu 14

I opted for the dry wantan mee. Thankfully, I was able to watch Dexter in action as he dished out the noodles. The homemade noodles were first blanched in hot water before being served out into plates. 

This was followed by a mixture of sauces before the noodles were given a generous toss to ensure the sauce is thoroughly mixed. Finally, thin slices of char siu were beautifully spread across the noodles. The finished plate honestly reminded me of a piece of art. 

The first thing that struck me was the physical features of the char siu. The lean meat did not have the usual fatty reddish colour. Instead, the surface had this whitish glaze of oil. It looked like a coat of polish was applied onto the pork. I later found out that this was because they do not add colouring or meat tenderiser to their char siu. Taste wise, it wasn’t excessively sweet, but still rather tender. 

Next were the noodles, which was my personal favourite. Unlike many wantan noodles served at other shops, this handmade one was thinner but more tender and chewy. I noticed that even after finishing an entire plate, I did not feel uncomfortably full. 

However, I wished that the sauces stood out stronger— in terms of flavour, it kind of faded into the background. But the addition of pork lard cubes and the crunchy pickled green chillies went well with the noodles. 

Of course, I simply had to order an extra bowl of silky-tasting wantan (RM6) which I devoured in minutes. Fun fact, the wantan skin wrappers are made in house and they do not use colourings and preservatives. The filling of the wantan consisted purely of minced pork and they have been following the same recipe for centuries. 

Final thoughts

I watched quietly as a party of 10 (they looked like regulars) chattered excitedly over their bowls of noodles before exchanging Chinese New Year greetings with Dexter. This brought a little smile to my face.

These bowls of noodles are more than just a passing dish— they’re practically a little piece of history shared between 4 generations. So, the next time some traditional good food in the heart of the city is on the menu for you, remember that for Toong Kwoon Chye, the adage ‘old is gold’ certainly rings true. 

Expected damage: RM8 – RM13 per pax

Fatty Mee Hoon Kuih House: RM6 hand-torn silky smooth mee hoon kueh worth queuing up for