Happy New Year 2010 everyone! Overall, 2009 was quite a sad year for the world. Let’s hope 2010 will be a good one!
Mention Bidor and food like duck thigh noodle, chicken biscuit (Kai Jai Peng) and ‘Sat Kei Ma‘ (squarish, sweet dessert made of flour and chicken eggs) immediately come to mind. For frequent travelers along the North-South Expressway between Ipoh or Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Bidor is surely a familiar town.
The last time I drove back to Penang from KL, I decided to make a stop at Bidor’s famous Pun Chun Restaurant for dinner. Instead of trying to finish the journey as fast as possible, sometimes it is nice to visit some small towns along the way, have some food and feel replenished to continue.
Pun Chun was very easy to find because it is located along Bidor’s main street, which is only about 5-10 minutes’ drive from Bidor Toll exit. Upon reaching the restaurant we were shocked to see the number of people eating at the restaurant, what a buzz!
We finally found a table and made our orders but then we were told that we had to wait at least 30 minutes due to the sheer number of customers at that time. Well, I didn’t really mind actually because it would give me some time to nose around the restaurant and observe their operation lol.
A lady busy blanching noodles for orders that came in non-stop.
To complete the order, individual double-boiled duck thighs are taken from a huge cooker and served together. Double boiling ensures that no water loss will occur and it also locks in the flavor and essence of the ingredients.
A closer look at the steaming hot containers of duck thighs.
And this is the famous ‘Ngap Pei Meen‘ (duck thigh noodles). Although the noodles look dry, it was actually still quite springy and tasted not bad at all. Each plate costs RM5-6 if I remember correctly lol.
As good as the wantan noodles could be, the herbal duck drumstick is the ultimate reason for Ngap Pei Meen’s tastiness. I remembered the first duck thigh noodles I had when I was small, it had a very strong herbal taste – so strong the broth was actually bitter instead. After that experience I never dared to touch any duck thigh noodles anymore.
But Pun Chun’s version changed my mind, the broth was a little sweet, savoury and fragrant with the whiff of herbs (dried longan, wolfberries) smell – which I feel was very acceptable even for those who dislike herb tasting food.
Because of the double boiling, the drumstick’s flesh was also fall-off-the-bone soft in addition to its smoothness and tenderness.
For the soupy version, they simply pour the whole steaming container of duck thigh with its herbal broth into a bowl of already-blanched wantan noodles. Somehow the herbal broth tasted a little diluted if taken this way, making it less tastier if compared to the dry version.
If you are wondering, me and my friend had 2 bowls each – both the dry and soup version lol. We thought since we came all the way, what the heck why not try all.
One of the many Pun Chun’s colorful Chinese logo.
Along the street where Pun Chun is located at, there are many fruit stalls with Petai (stink beans) being the majority. Anyway, I was quite happy with the duck thigh noodles dished out by Pun Chun. But according to some of my friends who have eaten there many years ago, the quality has dropped.
This made me wonder, if the food is already good before the quality went down, I can only imagine how great it was back in the years. I think the key is to try these rare and traditional foods as quick as you can to capture its taste at the possible best. Do you agree?
Address: 38 & 40, Jalan Besar, 35500 Bidor, Perak.
Telephone: 05 4341554, 05-4341562
GPS Coordinates: N4 06.699 E101 17.259 (malfreemaps)
Just happen to visit this Pun Chun during the Christmas season, jam-packed ! The amount of customers …eating…waiting to get seat….standing n looking… Is more than entire Bidor population. End up eating KFC at the main road.
Duck thigh herbal soup noodles. How come there are none in KL?
I would love to try this one day. Thanks for the info VK.
I’ve went to the one in Seri Kembangan. very good noodles I must say.
I miss the duck! My hubs is from Taiping and we would stop by when we drive bk to kl. haven’t had it in ages! Happy new year!
i miss this a lot… had this once back in few years ago
happy 2010 :)
I’ve been wanting to find this place.. thanks for sharing… and btw, happy new year to you :)
they are now at Kota Kemuning, nearer to us!!!
ah yes in Kota Kemuning, not Seri Kembangan. I always get these 2 places mixed up.
One of th best wantan mee around as well, still remember before the highway is completed, needs to pass by Bidor to get to Ipoh. So this is like the stop we needs to make for some food!
to AppleFoodness:
There is one at KL. =D
to Vkeong:
yes indeed the quality has dropped. My father used to go Ipoh every month back then and on the way back to KL, he’ll drop by this restaurant to buy me their shat kek ma.
Even their shat kek ma quality has dropped. Good shat kek ma is very rare at Ipoh now. Really good ones like the one at Weng Heng Kopitiam at Ipoh old town needs reservation prior to purchase.
ah, this is like a must-stop-over restuarant every my dad drives from ipoh-kl-ipoh. i thought they’re famous for their wonton, didn’t know duck thigh is their speciality. gotta try this next!
Happy new year!
excellent food blog u have there… with impressive detail in your photos… will be checking out ur posts for food scouting.
lechua, you flatter me. Your photos are very great yourself :)
Oh , i did went to this restaurant long time back then . The duck thigh is superb !! It sactually melt inside your mouth !! Haha , the soup base for the noodle is simply awesome . The sense of herbs and the smoothness of the soup …. ~~ Oh GOSH !!! Overall , it is fokken awesome XD
i tried the one in seri kemuning, i think should be from the same tauke… the duck thigh is superb! the soup strong with ginger taste…
I have taken once at this restaurant, I ordered the duck dry wantan mee. Regretly the soup bowl was very dirty, it has already became black color. The taste of the mee also just soso. I prefer the same terrace where is selling the duck mee also. nicer and of cos CLEAN. I forgot the name of stall.
Just went to try this duck thigh noodles on 15/12/2012 with my wife.
Found that it is nothing special, just ordinary duck thigh steam in a pot.
Not worth the long drive from Singapore to eat such food.
My friend brought me to eat the Duck Tight Double Boil Soup about 34 years ago, 1979. It was good, I rate it 7.5/10. Went to eat 30 years later in 2010. It tasted bitter and really ‘pui hou shui’, spit out saliva.
The one at Tanjong Tokong Food Centre, Penang, tastes so much better. My daughter lift the bowl up and drank ALL the herbal soup. A simple, light colour and fragrant soup. There is another Duck Tight suop at Lor Melayu/Lebuh Cheronvan, Penang. It always sold out at about 10.30am and I have no Chance to try it. Wake up late-lah. This year, 2014, die…die must wake up early. The Duck egg Char Koay Teow in the same corner coffee shop is very good. There is another Duck Tight Double Boiled Soup someway near Chun Ling High School, Penang, is super good. According to my friend, you can smell the fragrant long before the soup reach your table!!! Go from Dato Kramat to Ayer Hitam, after Chun Ling turn right into one of the lane. I try to find it in year 2012, (I am from S’pore go back to my home town at Teluk Intan every year and then go to Penang to eat and tour) But the Traffic Jam turned me off. I U-turn to Mcollum Street, Xi Teow Lou – 4th street, to eat ROJAK KING at 5th street.