SEMENYIH, Jan 28 – There are some dishes that you long for once in a blue moon. It might be a particular dish at a fancy restaurant or something which might require hours or days of preparation.
Then there are dishes that you can enjoy almost every day without getting bored.
Take this simple dish of Fried Pork & Minced Pork with Handmade Noodles. The pale nuggets of minced pork and croutons of fried lard hint at a traditional Hakka mee, easily found elsewhere.
Head to Xin Chu Shi Guan for fuss-free daily meals. — Picture by CK Lim
But the slices of fried pork is what elevates this to a truly three-star one-dish meal. The aromatic namyue (red fermented bean curd) marinade brings out the best in these fattier cuts of meat.
Of course, the springy and chewy handmade noodles don’t hurt; every mouthful is a delightful dance.
This is possibly my favourite breakfast or early lunch at Xin Chu Shi Guan in Semenyih, a popular shop in the Eco Majestic neighbourhood for residents and office workers alike to drop by for fuss-free daily meals.
Butter ‘kaya’ toast, perfect when dipped into a saucer of half boiled eggs. — Picture by CK Lim
One can’t go wrong with their butter kaya toast either, to be dipped into a saucer of half boiled eggs or a hot cup of Hainanese kopi, creamy and caffeinated in equal measure.
Come for lunch during weekdays, and your server will offer you some of their daily herbal tea on the house. It’s a small gesture that lifts one’s spirits after a busy morning.
Hainanese ‘kopi’. — Picture by CK Lim
The staff here might well be the other secret weapon besides the comforting one-dish meals that get whipped up in the kitchen in rapid-fire succession.
Their briskness of service and courteous manner shouldn’t be taken for granted, given this isn’t always the case at most eateries nowadays.
Many customers order their rice dishes for a tasty and time-efficient midday meal.
Creamy Butter Pork Rice. — Picture by CK Lim
Standouts include their Creamy Butter Pork Rice, given a nice punch with curry leaves and a generous amount of fiery cili padi, as well as their Curry Chicken Rice, which is surprisingly well spiced while keeping every morsel of meat moist and deeply flavourful.
This is unpretentious food, the sort of quick lunch that satisfies the office crowd but goes one step further by being executed well.
Curry Chicken Rice. — Picture by CK Lim
There is something for everyone. Noodle lovers can opt for Curry Mee with Fried Pork, Wantan Mee with Braised Chicken Feet & Mushrooms or a delicate Fish Ball Noodle Soup.
More of a fan tong (“rice bin” in Cantonese)? Try their Bitter Gourd Braised Pork Rice, Pork Belly with Salted Fish Rice or the fragrant Kam Heong Chicken Rice. The Sweet & Sour Pork Rice is exemplary; crispy, sticky and appetisingly tangy-sweet.
Fat, juicy ‘wantans’. — Picture by CK Lim
Still, most times that we visit Xin Chu Shi Guan, we will both have a plate of the shop’s Fried Pork & Minced Pork with Handmade Noodles. It’s basically a signature dish by now (or our signature move to order it, perhaps).
As a bonus, there is always a small bowl of light soup filled with a trio of fat, juicy wantans. Not really necessary when we are already very pleased with the fatty slices of namyue fried pork, but it’s a nice touch, no?
Xin Chu Shi Guan 鑫厨食馆
51-1, Jln Eco Majestic 9/1A,
Semenyih, Selangor
Open daily 7:30am-11pm
(Note: Open throughout CNY period)
Phone: 012-674 8248
• This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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