KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — This is a stunning bowl of kampung chicken curry mee.
Separately, either the smooth and tender chicken or the creamy and aromatic curry broth would have been fantastic. Together, they are a winning combination.
But first, how did we even come across this dish?
Sometimes it can be fun to walk into a random shop and try whatever is on the menu. Other times it’s far more reliable to count on the restaurant recommendations of friends whose taste you trust.
This is one of the latter scenarios.
Look out for Jiu Ding Ji’s bright red signage. — Picture by CK Lim
My friend Ivy, who knows Cheras like the back of her hand, had told me to try out a relatively new kopitiam cum siu mei (roast meats) shop along Jalan Kaskas in Taman Cheras.
Beyond her well proven credentials (she hasn’t disappointed me yet with her suggestions), Taman Cheras is already one of my favourite neighbourhoods for food.
Which is why we find ourselves at Jiu Ding Ji’s Roaster & Coffee Maker bright and early one morning.
I had walked past the shop some time ago when I first visited Lubiantan ABC along the same street, but back then only the bright red signage was up.
Robust ‘kopi’ and ‘kopi O’ (left). ‘Roti bakar’ with butter and ‘kaya’ (right). — Picture by CK Lim
Now clearly the shop is up and running, with queues outside the door from mid-morning onwards.
Fortunately we arrived a little after 9am when tables were still plentiful. There are plenty of staff running around, carrying orders from the kitchen while announcing “Panas!” (“hot” in Malay) to prevent any untoward incidents.
Most of the time, however, is the matriarch of the entire enterprise that is welcoming you to your table and taking your orders.
The way she is able to do this while being efficient, no-nonsense yet with a genuine warmth is admirable in this day and age when service is often an afterthought.
Fluffy, steamed to order ‘chasiu bao’. — Picture by CK Lim
Given that part of the shop’s name proclaims it to be a “Coffee Maker” (there is, in fact, a large sculpture of a roasted coffee bean on one feature wall), we have to try their coffee, naturally.
Not espresso-based beverages like Americanos or lattes, but steaming cups of robust kopi and kopi O that left a favourable impression.
We had forgotten local coffee can taste this intense; perhaps too many watered down renditions at other shops recently.
To go with such splendid coffee, you have to have some roti bakar with butter and kaya, as well as half-boiled eggs.
‘Siu yoke’ (left). Roast meats in the kitchen (right). — Picture by CK Lim
The eggs were fine but the toast brought a smile to our faces, likely due to the generous smear of butter on our lips.
If roti bakar is not your breakfast bread of choice, try their fluffy, steamed to order chasiu bao instead. Better than the ones we had at many a dim sum restaurant, to be quite frank.
(The table next to ours apparently came to the same conclusion; they ordered three more chasiu bao as takeaway!)
We also ordered a side order of siu yoke (about 140-150 grams of meat, which is plenty for three people; we were just a table of two).
Roast duck leg ‘wantan mee’. — Picture by CK Lim
There are other roast meats available; we observe the range, from chasiu to roast chicken, hanging in the kitchen.
Indeed we decided to sample their signature roast duck in the form of a plate of roast duck leg wantan mee. The duck itself was satisfactory but it was the springy texture of the noodles that truly won us over.
I wouldn’t mind having a plate of plain wantan mee sans the meat, if the noodles are cooked this way consistently.
Still, the star of the show for me has to be the kampung chicken curry mee. My choice of meehoon mixed with horfun added a slippery contrast to the plethora of toppings, from the fresh bean sprouts and long beans to the requisite taufu pok and excellent fried pork skin.
Quick service (left). Red bean glutinous rice ‘tongsui’ (right). — Picture by CK Lim
You could have this curry mee with chasiu, siu yoke or ordinary steamed chicken, but I must advise — nay, I insist — that you order it with the kampung chicken. The meat and brilliantly yellow skin: so deliciously wat (smooth).
We agreed that we would return anyway if only for the polite and quick service, not to mention how clean the premises were. But it is the food that clinched the deal, as it should.
To complete our meal, Cantonese style, we had to have some tongsui, of course. Sweet endings and all that.
We shared a bowl of their red bean glutinous rice tongsui and it absolutely hit the spot. Fragrant, well-made and no skimping on the ingredients either. Perfect.
Jiu Ding Ji’s Roaster & Coffee Maker
No.114, Block P/C,
Jalan Kaskas,
Taman Cheras, KL
Open daily 7am-5pm
Phone: 010-378 4131
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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