KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Few dishes are as inextricably linked to a place as kai si hor fun is to Ipoh.
Still, its sweet broth of chicken and prawns has long settled into many a Klang Valley belly, slurped up with silky-smooth hor fun.
In KL, there is no shortage of places purportedly selling “Ipoh” kai si hor fun, but when an acclaimed chef (and a native of Perak, no less) tells you about his go-to spot in Setapak, you go and check it out.
For the best taste of the broth, order your ‘kai si hor fun’ in the ‘dry’ style. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Located on the ground floor of Wisma Mutiara Genting, along Jalan Genting Kelang in Setapak, is Restoran Ipoh Delicious.
Beyond kai si hor fun, the restaurant also offers simple fish and pork ball noodles, poached chicken, and bean sprouts.
On Sundays only, a dry curry chicken noodle is available.
What makes a good bowl of kai si hor fun? It comes down to balance.
A harmony between the base chicken and sweeter crustacean notes in the broth, often a shimmering, clear pool-tinged orange.
Then there are the tender, supple strips of flattened, shredded chicken, the smooth, slippery rice noodles, and the long, thin sticks of green onions.
Here, their version (RM8.50) is mostly satisfying, but I couldn’t help feeling that the broth was… muted.
It had all the right stuff, like a song with a driving instrumental and lush vocals layered on top, but you’re hearing a muffled version from the next room.
To really taste the broth at its optimum level, you should order the kai si hor fun “dry”.
All the same ingredients are mixed with a light soy sauce mixture, but the difference is that the broth on the side is no longer diluted by the rice noodles.
Now the broth is allowed to shine, singing crisp, clear notes of sweet, sweet prawn oil and chicken stock at the top of its lungs.
Poached chicken is another highlight here. — Picture by Ethan Lau
As a test of reliability, the fresh prawn wantan (RM4 for two pieces) featured plump, firm specimens inside translucent wrappers, served in the same broth, bold and undiluted, without the noodles.
It would be silly to visit a restaurant named Ipoh Delicious and not order the bean sprouts (RM7), especially since the variety here is thick, short and crunchy, just as Ipoh taugeh should be.
Pair them with an order of moist, tender poached chicken (RM16), slick and savoury from an excellent seasoned soy sauce mixture and peppered with crispy garlic, for a truly delicious Ipoh experience.
It’s not the most life-changing bowl in town, but Ipoh Delicious offers a faithful take on the essentials.
For those chasing a taste of Ipoh without leaving KL, you could do a lot worse, and there is not much room for better.
Look for this faded yellow sign. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Restoran Ipoh Delicious怡美食怡保雞絲河粉
270-G, Wisma Mutiara Genting,
Jalan Genting Kelang,
Taman Ayer Panas, Kuala Lumpur.
Open Thursday to Tuesday, 7am-2pm
Tel: 012-292 9208
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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*Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
