TO satisfy your craving for beef noodles or ngau lam fun, look for the stall operating in Sin Kong Meng coffee shop, along Jalan Bandar Timah in Ipoh old town.
Its beef noodle is an all-time favourite of many people and has become the gastronomic destination for locals as well as tourists.
It is rare to find any eatery that has been operating over three generations, totalling over 70 years. Kong Meng coffee shop, which has changed its name to Sin Kong Meng, holds the record.
Cheah Lee Moi, 54, took over from her father six years ago and now her son Chen Wai Fong, 28, is helping her in the business. Cheah’s father, now 85, will occasionally drop in.
Family affair: All in a family of beef noodles seller. Cheah Lee Moi (right) with her son Chen Wai Fong (left), Cheah’s husband (next to her) and shop owner Chan Khin Yin (second right) are seen happily preparing the famous specialities.“I have been helping my father prepare the beef noodles since I was 13,” said Cheah, who knows her regular customers well while new ones will soon become well acquainted thanks to her easygoing and friendly nature.
With the “newbies,” she would take time to introduce and recommend her signature beef noodles.
Each bowl of noodles-mee, hor fun, or mee hoon — comes with tender beef steeped in a beefy, herbal soup.
“Customers will get a whiff of the aroma as the bowl is delivered to the table,” said Cheah, and happily revealed to this writer the ingredients of her specialty.
The ingredients, she said, included carrots, ginger and Chinese dates while the specially prepared soup takes five hours of stewing the meat and bones to extract the unique flavours and sweetness, the oomph that makes the soup so special.
The bowl of noodles is served with an assortment of tender beef slices, beef tendon and innards.
When asked why her beef noodles were so special and stood apart from others, Cheah said:“The beef is fresh. I buy it at the market and will personally choose the cuts of meat that I like and think will be the best to satisfy my customers’ tastebuds.”
Apart from noodles that come with slices of tenderly flavoured beef, Cheah also prepares beef balls that are known for their firm texture and have easily become a foodie’s favourite.
Cheah starts her business at 8am and the noodles are sold out by noon.
But her job is far from over as she spends the rest of the day getting the ingredients and stock ready for the next day of business.
10 copies of “Eatpoh — Ipoh’s Best Eating. Easily”, a 84-page food guide, courtesy of Haven Lakeside Residences developer, will be given out to MetroPerak readers on a weekly basis for the next 26 weeks.
To receive this book, e-mail us at metroperak@thestar.com.my to tell us their favourite eating place and its location in Perak.