SEREMBAN, Feb 8 — Depending on who you ask, it’s never too early in the morning for a spread of Chinese braised meats or luwei.
Certainly regulars of Restoran Xin Kee in Seremban come as early as seven in the morning for their signature braised duck and braised pork.
The shop is located along the always bustling Jalan Kong Sang in the town centre. Easy enough to find given it’s the first unit and a corner lot. (Parking can be a challenge here; I’d suggest parking around the corner off Jalan Tuanku Munawir.)
The shop is located along the always bustling Jalan Kong Sang — Picture by CK Lim.
Unlike many other establishments nearby that retain a more antiquated façade, Restoran Xin Kee has a cleaner, more minimalist décor beginning with its bright white walls and large signage. (Translated, its name in Chinese means, quite simply, “Xin Kee Braised Foods”.)
Upon entering, one first notices the spacious prep station near the entrance. This is where the various braised meats are sliced by the friendly owner in pigtails. She will be happy to entertain your questions about their offerings, to help you decide on what to have.
Prep station where the various braised meats are sliced — Picture by CK Lim.
In our case, we began with some local coffee; we had driven into town early from KL and needed a bit of a pick-me-up.
Happily, we get caffeinated with their robust-tasting Hor Kar Sai (equal parts local coffee and malted hot chocolate) and Cham (half kopi, half milky tea). The oily swirls full of flavour, the smoky aroma, the hit of sweetness – these are all we require to wake up good and proper!
Get caffeinated with their robust-tasting Hor Kar Sai and Cham — Picture by CK Lim.
Instead of traditional Hainan Toast with a couple of half-boiled eggs, we opted for something less conventional but no less tasty: their Salted Egg Chicken Floss Toast.
Salted Egg Chicken Floss Toast — Picture by CK Lim.
Now this might sound gimmicky, but it’s now part and parcel of most kopitiam bread offerings beyond the usual roti bakar or steamed buns. Now we can have croissants (albeit frozen ones that are reheated) and polo buns with thick slabs of cold butter just like those in a Hong Kong cha chaan teng.
Here at Restoran Xin Kee, one might have a pick of one’s personal rainbow — a Matcha Almond Toast or a Purple Potato Taro Bread, perhaps? Our Salted Egg Chicken Floss Toast is a guilty, savoury pleasure – the specks of dried seaweed upped the umami — and it goes down a treat with our coffee.
But the star of the show has to be the shop’s main offerings — their braised meats that have been cooked slowly for hours.
We try their highly recommended Braised Duck with Homemade Noodles as well as their Braised Pork with Aromatic Rice.
Braised Duck with Homemade Noodles — Picture by CK Lim.
The former is tender without being gamey, made for chewing and slurping together with the “QQ” noodles. The latter is a dream come true for any fan tong (“rice bin” in Cantonese, or rice lover), the moist and slightly fatty cuts of pork a swimming match for the rice soaked in braised gravy.
Each order of braised meats (they have braised chicken too) comes with sliced braised tofu and half a hard boiled egg. Add some cabbage and a complimentary bowl of soup, and this makes for a most satisfying meal.
Braised Pork with Aromatic Rice.
Checking with a Seremban based friend later confirms Restoran Xin Kee as possibly the spot in town for luwei. Our only regret is not getting some braised duck and pork for takeaway, something we plan to rectify when we next drop by.
Restoran Xin Kee 心记卤味轩心记卤味轩
Open daily 7am-3pm
Phone: 016-611 7808
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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