Lian Bee Hokkien Mee is a real hole in the wall. Located in one of the sketchiest part of KL, this is not the place you want to bring your date. Think roaches and rats. But if you take interest in traditional food, Lian Bee warrants a try because of the history behind it.
Established since 1946, the current owner is the 3rd generation proprietor and has been frying Hokkien Mee for 20 years since the age of 18.
Although he had acknowledged before in an interview that a good Hokkien Mee must be fried using charcoal fire for ‘wok hei’, he was seen employing a gas stove during our visit. I hope that didn’t affect the original taste.
The Hokkien Mee was drier than usual (their signature style), pleasantly aromatic with a subtle saltiness. It derived most of the flavor from the pork meat, offal and prawns that went into frying the noodle as well.
We tried two versions, one offal and the other without, and the one with offal was noticeably tastier. Overall, the Hokkien Mee was alright, not great but definitely better than what Kim Lian Kee churns out – by a mile.
Besides Hokkien Mee, Lian Bee also offers a couple of other Hokkien dishes such as Loh Mee, Kungpao cuttle fish and pork meat soup. Although the Hokkien Mee didn’t really impress, the pork meat soup was really good and memorable. The meat slices, seasoned and coated in starch, were cooked upon order and they had a soft and smooth yet bouncy texture. Recommended.
Lian Bee Hokkien Mee 联美福建面
Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok (diagonally opposite the arch entrance to Petaling Street)
Business hours: 4.30pm – 11.30pm, closed on Tuesdays
