Malaysian hawker sends wonton mee ‘flying’ for full flavour
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Malaysian hawker sends wonton mee 'flying' for full flavour
Flying Wan Tan Mee in Seapark, Petaling Jaya in Selangor. (Photo: Vincent Tan)
15 Mar 2022 06:05AM (Updated: 14 Dec 2022 x:44AM)
PETALING JAYA: Mr Lee Wan Hiong dipped a wire sieve into a boiling pot of water and fished a package of egg noodles out.
The noodles were dripping hot water, but non for long.
With a casual picture show of the forearm and wrist, built-in of a decade of practise, Mr Lee easily tossed the bundle of noodles high into the air and deftly caught information technology in his sieve.
He then transferred the noodles to a basin, ladled a adept helping of lard and shallot oil likewise as night sauce over the springy strands, and gave them a good mix. The plating was complete with a decent serving of char siew and fair-skinned choy sum, with a separate bowl of wonton dumplings in soup.
The stall's name, Flying Wan Tan Mee, says it all for Mr Lee, 45, who has been plying his trade for the by xiii years. He offset operated a street stall, earlier shifting to his present location at Paramount Kopitiam in Seapark, Petaling Jaya in tardily January this year.
"The higher yous toss, the more than hot water gets dispersed. And so when you mix the noodles into the gravy, they absorb better, the overall gustation doesn't experience watered down," he explained to CNA.
INSPIRED BY WASHING MACHINE
When he first started selling wonton mee, Mr Lee operated from a parking lot at night, setting up a few folding tables and plastic chairs for customers to have a quick roadside dinner.
The moniker of "flying noodles" came about as he wanted to drain the h2o from the egg noodles faster. He did not foresee information technology becoming his trademark that would aid him gain a loyal following.
Mr Lee said he got his inspiration from washing machines, which spin in loftier speed to remove excess water from the laundry.
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He showed off his "boxing scar", a big white callus on his wrist, formed where the wooden handle of the sieve keeps rubbing against his wrist thank you to countless plates of noodles he has prepared.
The odd mishap however occurs sometimes, where he fails to catch the noodles in time.
"It'due south very rare, but I'm only man. Usually information technology's because my attention is divided, when I'thousand cooking and have to nourish to the customers, or I accept to manage my workers at the aforementioned time," Mr Lee laughed.
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Wonton mee, a common Chinese hawker food, is available all over Malaysia.
The coffee shop Mr Lee moved into already has a wonton mee stall, and they take made arrangements so that the latter operates in the forenoon, while he takes the evening shift.
"It's the trivial details, maybe that final ten per cent of the procedure, that brand all the difference," he shared.
Ninety per cent of the piece of work is the same for every other wantan mee seller, similar the limerick of the dish, the menses of cooking and putting it together.
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The "little details" he meant include slowly cooking pieces of lard in a large wok of oil, until the oil has absorbed the pork season. Besides, some other wok is filled with chopped shallots, slowly cooking until they become crisp.
"I have to brand sure the fire is small to moderate. It takes longer to cook, but it also gives the lard and the shallots more time to infuse the oil," Mr Lee explained.
A lot of the condiments are made daily. So is the char siew, which Mr Lee roasts in ii large metal ovens over charcoal fire.
A foodie himself, Mr Lee has expanded into selling chicken rice equally well, using the same charcoal ovens to roast his chickens.
SIDE HUSTLE TURNED Twenty-four hour period Task
When Mr Lee first started his stall - originally a side hustle for him to indulge his hobby of cooking and eating - he sold 60 plates a nighttime. And then business merely kept growing.
"I found myself spending more and more fourth dimension on it, and I gave up my landscaping chore," he explained.
Before moving to his current location, his roadside stall was doing over 300 plates a dark.
Now, work starts from 9am each forenoon, well before his stall opens from 3pm till 11pm. A minor portion of his wonton mee costs RM7.fifty (US$1.76).
"Returning customers have given this new place the thumbs-up considering information technology'due south in a coffee shop, it'south well-lit, and yous aren't at the mercy of the weather.
"And because y'all're not seated past the roadside, it's safer," Mr Lee smiled.
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As for how long he sees his business continuing, Mr Lee gave himself another 10 years or so.
"I recall after that, I'd like to go back to landscape and horticulture, or mayhap open my ain shop where I tin still cook, just at a much more relaxed pace," Mr Lee said.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-flying-wonton-mee-paramount-petaling-jaya-seapark-195516
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