KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — While on the look-out for new places to try, I often find it's good to pause and go back to the older stalls.

Experienced hands weave a magic that no young upstarts can.

There is a legacy passed down many years to hone say, brewing a bowl of beef broth that resembles bak kut teh!

That's what you taste when you visit Ngau Wong in Pudu. Literally translated from Cantonese, it means Cow King.

The stall has been ping ponging around various locations in Pudu. Previously behind that famous big tree in Pudu, they're now at Kedai Kopi Hung San.

One needs a keen eye to spot the stall. Find it right at the back, just on the outside part of the restaurant just like hidden treasure.

Started about 30 years ago, the stall is now run by second generation owner Ngiaw See Hin. The 50-year-old started working at his father's stall when he was 19.

Be like their regulars and order the dry egg noodles that is served with minced pork.

Ngiaw's father left Kuching to seek a better life here. As the food scene at that time was dominated by pork noodles, he decided to the not-so-easily available beef noodles instead.

Ngiaw attributes the unique broth to his family's Hakka roots and Thai influences.

He uses beef bones and a mix of herbs and spices to brew the broth for about four hours. While the actual herbs and spices combo is a family secret, Ngiaw did divulge that he omits dong quai in his broth since it can clash with the presence of beef as both ingredients are believed to give warmth to the body.

The regular portion of dry beef noodles is served with a small bowl of sliced beef, tendon, beef balls and cow's stomach.

The default order is of course the beef soup noodles. I ordered the special one that has a larger portion of goodies. There's varying sizes (RM25 to RM27), depending on how much you wish to bulk up your carbohydrates.

It's a satisfying bowl with beef balls, tendons, cow's stomach and tender sliced beef brisket. There's also thin strips of preserved vegetables to balance out the broth's flavours.

The beef balls may not be made in-house but it's by a trusted supplier. Hence it has a nice bouncy bite that I appreciated.

The egg noodles have little alkaline water but they have a nice bite to them (left). Each bowl of beef noodles is given a final flourish of fresh herbs (right).

What I really enjoyed were the slippery jelly-like tendons. The sliced beef brisket has been softened using the traditional Chinese "velveting" technique too, making it a tender bite.

And of course, the satisfying black tea-like broth was drunk down to the last spoonful. You also have a mild chilli sauce with just a hint of lime to lift up your beef too.

Now, here's the secret only the regulars know. Go for the dry version instead with egg noodles!

Look for the stall right at the back of the restaurant.

The thin strands have less alkaline water than the bouncy commercial ones, hence the texture is superb with just a slight bite.

Here, it's like Hakka noodles as it's crowned with minced pork. There's very little added to the noodles but I slurped down each strand and wished I had ordered a bigger bowl.

This was the regular portion for RM12, with a mix of items.

The corner Kedai Kopi Hung San now houses Ngau Wong or Cow King Beef Noodles.

If you want just beef ball noodles, it's RM11 for a small portion. Or fork out RM14 for 10 beef balls minus noodles.

I reckon next time, I'll upsize my beef noodles for RM13 (medium size), opting for the dry type with egg noodles. And if I am feeling super indulgent, I'll add a bowl of just beef tendon for RM25.

Cow King (Ngau Wong) Beef Noodles, Kedai Kopi Hung San, 1, Lorong Brunei 2, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 7am to 2pm. Closed every second Tuesday of the month (the last time was September 12). Tel: 012-3511593.

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