61: Mrs. Hon's

After driving back from TCHT with Carol, my mum drove us to a place she has been recently frequenting for lunch. Vague directions aside, it's a coffee shop tucked alongside (or behind, actually) the Section 17 wet-market.

Before I actually continue any further, I need to forewarn the masses. Because the place is located next to a wet-markets, you will experience (on your way in):
1) Earthy smells from all the leeks and fruits (not like that's really a bad thing, depending how you look at it).
2) Occasional sightings or roaches and other pests in the drains (must mean the food is good, am I right?).

Jokes aside, (1) and (2) will be totally out of sight and out of mind once you actually read in to the coffee shop; plenty of ceiling fans, brightly lighted and clean. No wonder the place is popular with your typical office worker (from what I can see, they actually made up the majority of customers). Of course, parking will be lacking around lunch time.

Aside for our target, that was the pork noodles, Mrs. Hon's shop also serves things like chee cheong fun, woon chai ko (or chwee kueh) and curry laksa (take note, this is just a partial list!). Honestly, it seems to be trend in that area. Each food stall's menu would offer about 10 over dishes, ranging from wan tan mee to Nonya chap fan (did anyone think of the production cost?!). But they all seem to be doing well for themselves.

That's the stall to look out for; the stall we ate at: Mrs. Hon's. The prices are actually really cheap from other places I've seen before. I mean RM3.50 for a "size" small bowl of pork noodles was a total steal. Now before you judge me by saying, "Gee, I can find a RM3.50 bowl of noodles anywhere, so whats so special?" take a look.

This is the works, man. A RM3.50 bowl of steaming hot pork noodles, with liver, intestines and of course meat. Not to mention the crunchy vegetables, topped off with plenty of cilantro, and served with a side of chili with a nice acidity to it (limes or vinegar, maybe). Even small eaters couldn't finish the whole bowl (I'm looking at you, Carol) and usual big eaters were left stuffed (I'm looking at you, me). Strangely, my mum did well with no complaints (I smell a conspiracy!). Of course, the broth makes noodles (or was it other way around?). The broth had a nice pork based, without being too strong, and of course, the broth was not too salty (read: just nice).

And now I'll move on to an ingredient of the pork noodles so powerful, it deserves it's own paragraph. Chee yao char! Fried pork lard to the rest of you out there (WMW would be proud). The owner was actually nice enough to give us more when my mum asked if it was possible to "add some more" chee yao char. Hurrah.

This place might actually be able to hold a candle to the pork noodles down in Imbi, because the minute I tasted the broth and noodles, I am suddenly reminded of the vaguely simillar style back in KL. Typical cina peks would like this place, hands down. Good eats for a horrendously good price (too good to be true?).

For convenience sake, located just right next to Mrs. Hon's is a tong sui stall selling all manner of delights from tau foo fa to bubur cha cha, and hong tau sui (red bean dessert) to (if I must add, oversized) wrapped dumplings (only RM3.50 each).

So we all ordered hoi tai yea, a dessert which consists of dried longans, sea coconut and snow fungus (or "cabbage mushrooms" as Charlie Trotter calls them).

Another fun fact is that all the desserts there costs RM1.60. Look at all of that ingredients. Not bad if you ask me. And it tastes pretty good to boot.

My verdict is short and simple: why not?