Chun Kei Tai Bu Noodle Restaurant: Nearly a century of homemade hakka tai bu mee & authentic dumplings at Pudu
Hakka mee, also known as tai bu mee, is a representative dish among the Hakka community in Malaysia. As someone with Hakka Tai Bu heritage, I’m very ashamed to admit that I’ve never tried tai bu mee before. It was by chance that I came across Chun Kei Tai Bu Noodle Restaurant at Pudu while looking for lunch options near the train station.
Apparently, this eatery is well-known among locals across generations; it holds childhood memories for many. Established in 1931, Chun Kei Tai Bu Noodle Restaurant boasts an impressive 93-year legacy— it’s even older than Malaysia! It’s amazing to think that this place has witnessed the independence of the country. According to the owners, the business has now been passed down to the 4th generation.
Most of the patrons are retired uncles and aunties, giving it a very down-to-earth vibe. It felt like a perfect spot for some authentic local flavours. My stomach was already rumbling!
What I tried at Chun Kei Tai Bu Noodle Restaurant
The noodles come in 3 varieties: kolo (white sauce), soup, and black sauce. Notably, the soup version uses silver needle noodles, which are only available on Fridays and Saturdays. With that option off the table, I was left with only 2 choices and I decided to go for the signature Kolo Hakka Tai Bu Noodle (RM9).
The bed of noodles was topped with a generous blob of minced meat, adorned with some char siew, vegetables, and spring onions. The noodles somewhat resembled the one in wanton mee, but these were slightly thicker.
The noodles didn’t turn out as chewy as expected, based on social media reviews, but they were cooked to perfection, featuring just the right texture for this dish. The saltiness of minced meat added a hint of flavour to the otherwise bland noodles— both elements complemented each other super well. Having either of these alone would taste rather lacklustre. The noodles were enjoyable but fell slightly short of being amazing.
Next, I moved on to the char siew. It was made with lean meat but wasn’t as dry as I had anticipated, and was infused with a subtle sweetness from the seasoning. I usually find it hard to consume char siew made with pure lean meat, as is commonly found in this kind of noodle dish, but I finished the one here.
Next on the menu was the Black Hakka Tai Bu Noodle (RM9), accompanied by the same sides and toppings as the kolo option. It had a similar taste to the white version, but with a darker colour. The dark sauce added a touch of saltiness to the noodles, unlike the previous version which tasted somewhat bland.
Both of the noodles came with a bowl of soup consisting of 3 wantons. The soup was exceptionally refreshing, and consuming it with the noodles made the meal less heavy. It must be said that the wantons were perfectly sized; I could easily slurp them up in one go. Their delicate, thin skin soaked up the light broth while encasing flavourful meat filling, creating a harmonious blend of flavour that danced on my taste buds.
Based on the staff’s recommendations, I decided to add on a piece of Dumpling, which cost me RM2.50. The portion was delightful; it was neither too big to seem intimidating nor too small to leave me unsatisfied.
To be honest, I was expecting a filling of minced meat mixed with vegetables. However, I was pleasantly surprised with my first bite; there was an entire prawn inside! The succulent and sweet prawn elevated the flavour profile of the whole dish. Trust me, it’s so good!
Final thoughts
My first experience with tai bu mee was definitely great. There’s actually nothing particularly fancy about the noodles, but there are some details that amazed me. For example, the portion of every dish, the char siew that wasn’t too dry, and the luscious prawn in the dumpling.
It was quite a worthwhile experience, and its location is exceptionally convenient. It only took me 4 minutes to walk from Pudu LRT station. Having said that, I wouldn’t specially make a trip down for the noodles. I might only visit again if I happen to be in the area, but it still won’t be my top choice.
Expected damage: RM9 – RM12 per pax
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