This well hidden restaurant was recommended to me by a friend. According to him, it serves the best pan mee he has ever had. With such a glowing testimonial, how could I resist? So I took down detailed directions and went on my journey. My co-pilot was Smoking Salmon. We lost track of where we were half way through the journey but somehow managed to get there without turning back or making any u-turns. I guess it was destined that I eat the pan min. So anyway, the restaurant is located along a road just off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, near Chow Kit and the infamous Lorong Haji Taib area. Parking isn?t a problem as there are many lots all along the street.

At the restaurant, there probably wont be any place to sit. But don?t worry, sharing tables is the norm here. You will be ushered to a table with occupants and will be put in the uncomfortable situation of sitting and facing people you don?t know and probably watching them eat. Once you are comfortably seated, someone will come take your order. Please note that the pan min here comes in 1 size and with only 1 type of noodle. The only variable will be whether you want it dry or in soup. Seeing as to how this place is famous for the dry one, I opted for that. Next, you will be faced with a long wait for your food.

They prepare the dishes in bulk but due to the number of customers, the wait is inevitable. When the food finally arrives, you will notice that it does not look very appetizing. It is rather pale looking and there isn?t much meat in it. Also, there will be a semi-cooked egg on top. The most obvious difference between this and normal pan min however is the fact that the noodles are round instead of being flat. A nice old lady will then put a container of chilli that looks almost black in colour on the table. This is what people come here for. You will notice that the chilli has a 50% chilli seed content. Scary?

After taking your 1st bite, you will realize what all the hype is about. The pan min is absolutely delicious. The noodles have a very nice texture, not too hard and not too soft. The flavour is also very unique. The only ingredient I could identify was the egg I mixed in. For my next bite, I added some chilli. My friend, knowing that I have a weak stomach, warned me that the chilli is extremely spicy, and so I only took a tiny little bit of it. But even that little bit made the dish even tastier, although I did suffer from tummy burn later.

A problem for me here was that 1 bowl was insufficient to fill my burning tummy. However, a 2nd bowl could not be put into my tummy without experiencing some nauseous feelings later. I estimated my remaining stomach capacity at ? of a bowl. And luckily, Smoking Salmon is a 1 ? bowl guy, so we both filled up nicely. A lot of people come here and have 2 bowls to themselves. I think that this is due to the size and also to the tastiness of the pan min.

Once you are done with your meal, make your way to the stall in the front of the shop and pay the nice man with a pouch on his waist for your meal. One bowl of pan min costs RM4.60, and is rather expensive for pan min. However, as many others will testify, it is worth it.

Rating ? 9/10

Disclaimer ? I am not a voyeur. I am only an amateur photographer and therefore the photographs provided in my reviews are merely for educational and not aesthetic purposes.

UPDATE

Due to popular demand by all 1 of my readers, I enclose herewith a map for your easy reference.

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE

New and improved map.

?MAP

(Please click on image for larger map)

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