Despite its prominence in local history, Kampar is surprisingly an underrated town when it comes to tourism. Nowadays, it is mostly treated as a university town. In reality, there are lots of things to see, do and eat in this once-prosperous mining town.
Yau Kee, home of chicken curry bread
If you ever visit Kampar, one restaurant you should consider visiting is Yau Kee, located close to the town centre. This restaurant has been around for decades and is a household name among locals. More importantly, though, this is the place to go for chicken curry bread.
What is it?
Image Credit: Warren on Google Review (Left), Phillip Chew on Google Review (Right)
When we are talking about chicken curry bread, we aren’t talking about a thin bun with a dry curry paste inside. We are talking about a large, fluffy loaf of bread hiding a packet of steaming hot chicken curry inside. Essentially, instead of cooking inside a pot, this chicken curry is cooked inside a vessel of wheat flour. Crazy, isn’t it?
Popular among S’poreans
Image Credit: Escar Ong on Google Review (Left), Sharon Oh on Google Review (Right)
In addition to the classic chicken curry bread Yau Kee also offers several other variants, including herbal chicken, lamb curry and salted chicken. It is the chicken curry bread which has gotten Yau Kee featured in several television programmes. Its fame has spread beyond Malaysian borders too, as busloads of Singaporeans are a regular sight at this restaurant.
How best to eat?
The loaves of curry bread are available in big and small sizes. The small size can feed up to four people whereas the large one can feed anywhere from eight to ten mouths. It is recommended to eat them fresh out of the oven, whether you’re eating the buns in the restaurant or as a takeaway.
Before the bread is served to dine-in customers, the top of the bread is first coated with melted butter. This is the part where most tourists will whip out their cameras to start snapping photos. Afterwards, the bread will be cut open, revealing the delicious curry waiting to be consumed inside.
Enjoy it barehanded
Like any good Malaysian, the best way to enjoy this fluffy curry bun is by tearing away at the soft, warm bread with your bare hands. Afterwards, dip your chunk of bread into the curry before savouring its taste. The chicken curry is spicy, but not overwhelmingly slow, and a little on the salty side. The portions are also generous, with many chunks of chicken and potato to share around.
First inventor?
Image Credit: Ooi Poh Ean on Google Review (Left), Inkid Loke on Google Review (Right)
In an interview with FreeMalaysiaToday, restaurant founder Yau Hong Wah claimed that he was the first person to sell the chicken curry bread in Kampar, starting in 1986. According to him, he was inspired by beggar’s chicken and replaced clay with bread dough. “It’s also a convenient food,” he said, as one doesn’t need to carry the bread and the curry separately.
Worth a try?
Image Credit: Yupin Chai on Google Review (Left), Escar Ong on Google Review (Right)
From recent Google Reviews, it appears that people are somewhat divided on the chicken curry bread, with some people loving it while others have complained that the curry is too salty and oily for their tastes. That said, there are praises for Yau Kee’s other offerings, including its noodles and sweet and sour pork. Regardless, given how chicken curry bread was supposedly born in Kampar, it couldn’t hurt to give it a try and see which camp you belong to.
Yau Kee Restaurant
Address: 55 & 57, Jln Idris, Kampung Masjid, 31900 Kampar, Perak
Opening Hours: 7 am – 9.30 pm daily
Contact: 05-4651738
You should also check out: For authentic Penang curry mee or any noodle cravings, this KL shop has got you covered
Feature Image Credit: Takayoshi Tetsuka on Google Review (Left), Josephine Ong on Google Review (Right)
