JALAN Maharajalela, which was formerly known as Birch Road, is the gateway to the Southern sector of Kuala Lumpur and is well known for its hawker fare, especially among night birds.
Despite being overshadowed by the city's development, many of the makan places that were found along this busy road many years ago are still intact.
Tasty: At 80 sen a piece, this is the standard fare at Jalan Maharajalela's yong tau foo stall.
This is also one of the few places at the fringe of the city centre where you can find double–storey colonial homes that were built with a chimney in the kitchen.
If you love post-war architecture, this is one place where you can go on a photographic safari. Here, you will find an architectural potpourri from at least five different eras.
During “soccer season” in the 70s and 80s, many Chinese fans would make a detour for supper at a Fukeen chow (Hokkien stir–fried noodles) stall and a coffee shop famous for its curry laksa.
These makan places do exist, but I want to concentrate on what you can find during daytime for breakfast – well, late breakfast – and lunch.
First, there is a yong tau foo (stuffed vegetables) stall managed by an elderly couple, located next to the Ho Wah Genting building off Jalan Maharajalela.
No-frills dining: A couple having their meal at the yong tau foo stall at Jalan Maharajalela.
This eatery has been around for at least three decades and is a popular haunt among office workers and yong tau foo lovers.
What sets it apart is the soup and dry gravy noodles that are served here to complement the stuffed vegetables. And, prices are pretty standard at 80 sen per piece.
So, a simple helping would set you back by RM4.50 (that is roughly five pieces of vegetables and a bowl of noodles) and RM1.20 for a glass of iced barley.
I was introduced to this stall by a friend who frequented a few fishing tackle stores around here. Apart from the yong tau foo stall, there is also a chicken rice and chap fan (Chinese economy rice) shop here that is sandwiched between two large trees.
Business is brisk here during lunch hour and the highly recommended offering here is the chicken rice. The best time to savour your lunch here is from 11am and if you are early, the best seats are on the house.
Moving on, there are some noteworthy makan places at Jalan Choo Cheng Kay, which runs parallel to Jalan Maharajalela.
But, before I get down to the juicy details, here are some interesting notes which I had gathered through the years. My buddy C.M. Khor, who was with a real estate company in the 80s, told me that the Choo Cheng Kay apartments had the largest balcony for high–rise living quarters of its class.
This was, of course, undisputed throughout the era. And, well, the apartment itself has a dark past. At its peak, the area was well known among the hamsap-lou (randy men) as a red light district.
Many of the apartments here were Kuala Lumpur's top brothels. But that is a thing of the past as frequent crackdowns by the authorities have driven vice activities away from this neighbourhood.
Wholesome: Braised pork ribs (front), and chicken and roast pork.
Okay, hamsap matters aside, let's get back on track with food. I was told by my friend Lee Hon Yew that the best mun phai kuat fan (braised pork ribs rice) could be found here.
And, it did not take me long to discover Wing Wong noodle shop, which is located in the middle row of a four–storey block of flats in Jalan Choo Cheng Kay.
It occupies the car porch area of two lots and there is a colourful signboard with an arrow pointing to the shop. So, what is good at this place?
For starters, the curry laksa and ching thong meen (soup noodles) came highly recommended. But the gist of it – is the braised pork ribs rice.
At RM5.50 a plate, I cannot complain. The serving is generous and it tastes pretty decent. The ribs are crunchy outside and soft in the centre.
And, since it is a stand–alone dish, you can also order Wing Wong's wat-kai (boiled chicken) as a side dish. This will set you back by RM4.50. I would not recommend the siew yuk (roast pork) because it was tough and quite salty.
Word has it that the noodles here are on par with the offering at the night coffee shop at Jalan Maharajalela, but that will have to be my late breakfast on a follow-up visit.
Other than Wing Wong, you can also check out a wantan mee stall located in a lane off Jalan Choo Cheng Kay, which is passable.
To get to Jalan Maharajalela, it is best that you take the monorail from Brickfields and get off at the Maharajalela station. The yong tau foo stall is roughly a five-minute walk, while Wing Wong is 10 minutes away from this location.
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