You can now get Ipoh's Khueen Kee egg tarts and their unique sour curry noodles at Pandan Indah's Khueen Kee Chayang

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Hitting the road to find far-flung eats seems like a thing of the past, as more outstation places seek greener pastures in the Klang Valley.

The latest is Ipoh's Khueen Kee Chayang.

It's not a name I am familiar with. Maybe some of you who are seasoned travellers to Ipoh would have come across Khueen Kee's shop along Jalan Theatre.

There they sell various food souvenirs to bring home including their signature egg tarts. With the upcoming Mid-Autumn festival, they also offer mooncakes. You can also grab various snacks from Ipoh like fragrant biscuits, coffee and more to keep you happy.

This outlet that debuted in mid-August sports a different concept from the Ipoh shop and is designed to be a place to dine on local fare and grab their baked goods home.

If you can't wait to go home to indulge, order a plate of baked goodies (from left to right) like their chicken floss egg tart, 'ham tan sou' and egg tart.

Who knew sour curry is a thing! Try their grandfather's legacy recipe by ordering the Chayang Curry Mee.

The egg tarts (RM2.70 per piece) will brighten up your day.

Who can say no to sunshine yellow egg custard coddled within a multi-layered pastry case.

This version may not have as many layers as my favourite Choy Kee egg tarts in Kg Simee market but I enjoyed the contrast of textures. You get a crisp bite followed by a flakiness from the layers.

The egg custard is great for those seeking a less sweet confection too. It calls for a cup of hot coffee and of course, some time off to savour it.

You can pack back the egg tarts to share with others or just enjoy them at the eatery.

Snack on these plump fried wantans with your Chayang Curry Mee.

Camera happy folks can snap shots for social media as the place sports an old fashioned theme.

As you walk in, there will be a counter with various baked goods to tempt you. I spied siu bao, pastries with salty egg floss (ham tan sou) or salty red bean fillings.

A variation of their signature egg tart is the unusual chicken floss egg tart (RM3 per piece). Essentially, the egg tart is just crowned with the shredded chicken floss.

On paper, that salty sweet combination would work. However, as the floss lacked a distinct saltiness, both items just felt like two strange bedfellows.

It's a similar story for the ham tan sou. The pastry was flaky but the pairing of lotus paste, salted egg yolk and chicken floss, just felt mismatched since flavours didn't shine out.

On the savoury side, try their unusual Chayang Curry Mee (RM14.90) that is sour! Purists may say this is blasphemy though. Apparently it's a family recipe passed down to the owner's grandfather.

It's not curry mee. Neither is it assam laksa. Whatever it is, it was a tasty bowl and I drank every drop of the broth.

Need a snack to say you visited Ipoh rather than Pandan Indah? They have you covered here.

The front of the restaurant is where you can order baked goods and mooncakes to bring home.

It tastes like tangy assam broth minus the fish element and laksa leaves. I was told it is boiled with pineapple to give it that appetising taste. It's spicy though, so my sinuses weren't too happy.

You get thin rice noodles and all the toppings of curry mee like char siu, roast pork, pig skin, long beans and fishball. On top, there's fresh mint leaves.

I liked how they gave a piece of crispy beancurd skin like a cracker. Dip this into that appetising broth for ultimate yumminess. And if the broth is not tangy enough for you, there's also calamansi lime to add on.

The roast meats tend to be quite mild tasting too. In a way, that's good since if it's too sweet for the char siu, it will probably mean a bowl of weird flavours. You can also have it with chicken which probably is a better pairing.

I paired my curry mee with Fried Wantans (RM6 for a small portion). These plump babies were really good with crunchy skins. Again, I dipped them in the tangy broth rather than the chilli sauce given to me.

You can buy mooncakes for gifts since Mid-Autumn festival is coming up.

The Klang Valley outpost of Ipoh's Khueen Kee is hidden inside Pandan Indah.

There's also a jumbo version in the style of those viral looking Volcano curry noodles. It is designed to be shared between two to three people for RM33.80. It's not available at the moment though but slated as an upcoming attraction.

Scrolling through their menu, there are some Ipoh classics like glutinous rice served with a choice of kaya or chicken curry, chee cheong fun with sweet sauce or curry (with chicken and without) and Chinese herbal tea dessert with egg.

The menu reads like a typical Nanyang kopitiam offering — a mix of HK cha chaan teng classics like polo bun, luncheon meat, ham and egg with noodles — placed side by side with nasi lemak, Hainanese chicken chop rice, a selection of dim sum and tong sui.

This place also caters to those seeking camera ready opportunities with its nostalgia look. I reckon we see enamelware, old telephones, flasks and classic sewing machines all the time at these places sporting the olden days theme. What I really liked was the use of old records as decor with recreated album covers featuring classic Chinese songs.

Khueen Kee Chayang, 46, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6b, Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily: 8.30am to 6pm. Tel:012-5554331. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khuenkeebakery1975

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