Mak’s Chee Wonton Noodle Is NOT For Everyone
NOT for YOU, if you are a Malaysian (or Thai) wonton noodle lovers.
NOT for YOU, if you already have preconceived opinion of how wonton noodle is supposed to be (ssshh … I am guilty of this too)
NOT for YOU, if you think that RM 10+ is ridiculously priced, vis-a-vis our RM 5 Malaysian wonton noodle. (You’ll be paying so much more if you eat the Mak’s Noodle in Hong Kong, folks)
It is human nature to compare between Mak’s Chee and our own wonton noodle.
I can almost hear bf advising not to:
Different countries, different cultures, different ways of cooking. Words of wisdom.
I nearly ate at Mak’s Chee Authentic Wonton (麥奀雲吞麵世家) 2 weeks back with friends. But there was a long queue when we were there on a Sunday afternoon.
I was alone for lunch yesterday. I tried my luck again, before my Skybus ride from 1 Utama to KLIA2. Ahhh … The wonder of solo travel, you can do as you like, whenever you want to. Bliss.
Arriving around 12pm, before lunchtime crowd, there was no queue!
I was ushered to ‘single seating’ area: side-by-side seating, with own cubicle. I really like the layout. I was told that if there are available seats, single diner will even be allowed in, without the need to queue.
The setback of single dining is I can’t order much. I ordered their (麥奀雲吞麵世家) Sea Prawn Wonton Noodle Soup (RM 12.90 + 6% GST = RM 13.70), which I later found out it’s known as ‘Sai Yung 細蓉‘ (in Chinese). From what I Googled, it basically means miniature bowl of wonton noodle. There is also a long history to Sai Yung, so do look it up if you would like to find out more. Medium and large bowls of wonton noodles were called jung yung and dai yung.
To carry on the cooking tradition of their ancestors, Mak Chee’s wonton is always put underneath the noodle. Soup is poured in last to maintain the springiness and texture of their noodle. It is also served in small bowl / small noodle portions, to maintain their desired noodle texture. Eat ASAP as the bowl is delivered to you, for the best noodle texture and culinary experience.
Now I understand why Hong Kong is the Mecca of Wonton Noodles.
Let me make this clear right upfront. I ain’t no food expert, and I didn’t managed to eat at Mak’s Noodle when I was in Hong Kong. So, below is my view points based on my first bowl of the famous Mak’s Noodles, kay? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, same goes to our taste palette.
Noodle
I saw friends commenting about the noodle texture. Indeed, the noodle texture is different than Malaysia’s wonton noodles. It’s also different than the wonton noodles I had in Hong Kong. It’s thin and springy. This is what I read: their noodles are made of quality flour and golden duck eggs with multiple dough flattening techniques. If you do not like thin noodle, they also have thick or hofun, and it’s all same price. I will try their thick noodle next time, perhaps this version will be closer to Malaysia’s wonton noodle.
Stock
I appreciate their slow-cooked soup a lot. The soup taste lingers on my lips till dinner time. The soup is made out of dried halibut, prawn roes, pork bones, etc. Definitely worth paying for. I overheard that if you order their dry noodle, you’ll be served a small bowl of the soup.
Wonton
Despite having no preconceived notions, I was slightly disappointed with the size of the wontons. But nevertheless, the prawn was fresh and bouncy, and that’s what wonton is all about. I remember staring at the wontons (4 pieces altogether, and that’s the quantity in a sai yung, just like in Hong Kong), thinking that it is shaped differently. I didn’t read any reviews before, so I wasn’t aware that Mak’s Chee wontons are shaped like a goldfish tail, how ignorant of me. They take pride of their thin and almost translucent wonton skin, which is made out of flattened dough, coupled with their century-old wonton-wrapping technique. The goldfish tail was hand-made, by the way.
Great food to warrant a second visit. I would like to come back for their Dry wonton noodle (RM 14.90), the thick noodle version, and also their Noodle with dried prawn roe sprinkle (RM 14.90). Jom?
MAK’S CHEE AUTHENTIC WONTON (麥奀雲吞麵世家)
(opposite Cold Storage)
Lot LG 311D, 1 Utama Shopping Centre,
1 Lebuh Bandar Utama
Bandar Utama City Centre
47800 Petaling Jaya
Tel: +603 7722 2788
Website: www.makschee.com (but not updated)
Business hours: 11am – 10pm daily
Cash only, no takeaway, no reservation