Tribute to Ipoh curry mee

Curry mee with a mixture of meats such as steamed chicken and roast pork from Yee Fatt, not that you could tell the difference from this picture! — photos: KyspeaKs

Our guest makes a trip to find a hidden gem.

I think Ipoh doesn’t get enough credit for their contribution to the curry mee category in Malaysia; more specifically, their dry version of curry mee.

Ever since I’ve been introduced to this not so long ago, this dish has become one of my favorites and a must-have whenever I’m in Ipoh, which is quite a fair bit since it is my wife Jean’s hometown.

You’d be amazed at the amount of lor mai kai that goes through this place, and sometimes they’re sold out before noon.

For our latest trip to this old tin mining town, Jean suggested that we visit Kedai Kopi Yee Fatt for breakfast, and so we did. The coffee shop has been in operation since 1955 and is just about as old school as you can get, having existed even before Malaysia did.

The menu here is quite straightforward, a choice of either wet or dry version of curry mee, and lor mai kai (glutinous rice with chicken). The curry noodles usually come with poached chicken, but you can also have it with roast chicken, roast pork, barbecue pork, or a combination of all four.

estaurant yee Fatt is as old school as it gets.

We started with a lor mai kai with curry gravy poured over it (RM6); it was absolutely delightful how great a combo this turned out to be. The glutinous rice was soft and carried a slightly sweet, savoury note, while the curry provided that extra umami, taking it to the next level.

Definitely a unique dish that is a must-order here when you visit.

The dry curry mee with poached chicken and roast pork (RM13) is one of the reasons why this shop is always packed. You experience an explosion of flavours, thanks to the super thick curry gravy that has a consistency akin to lava with a spicy note to match.

I can only think of one way to improve on this – if they could de-bone the chicken, instead of chopping through the bones, as it can get a bit tricky separating them visually when that thick curry masks everything.

This place opens from 7am to 2pm, but on weekends, things may sell out by 11am!

Opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and food at his own expense.

KY Teoh has been trying to influence your food cravings since 2005. He was NTV7 Foodie Blogger 2014, R.A.GE Food Fight Judge 2015 and Versus 1001 Rasa Baba’s Guest Judge 2018. Read more about his food jaunts at KYspeaks.com