Among the many types of noodles sold on Malaysian streets, wantan mee is almost always a crowd favourite. It’s hard to say “no” to springy egg noodles drenched in sauce and served with tender pork slices!
Say, if you are a fan of wantan mee, where’s the best place to go looking for the good stuff? Well, depending on where you are, you will probably get a lot of different answers. We, on the other hand, decided to check out a spot in Setapak recommended to us.
A Setapak hotspot
This wantan mee stall is run by one Vincent Lim aka Uncle Lim and can be found at Restoran Shuang Ling, a Setapak establishment. He has been featured on social media videos before. Thus, we just had to see if he lived up to the hype.
Hi, Uncle Lim!
Uncle Lim has been a hawker for about 15 years now, and the hardworking man wakes up at 6 am daily to prepare his ingredients. The recipes that he uses are largely self-developed. He also told us that he can sell up to 200 bowls on a good weekday.
A secret weapon
But what is it that draws people to his wantan mee? What makes workers, students and locals alike flock to his stall in the morning and afternoon? The answer? Probably his use of pork lard oil!
This pork lard oil is used to season the noodles, alongside the conventional soy sauce and dark soy sauce. The addition of pork lard oil not only enhances the taste of the wantan mee but also its fragrance. He also throws in pieces of fried pork lard, which have an addictive crunch.
How does it taste?
Okay, since we’ve gone over the ingredients, it’s time for the taste test. Normally, most of the flavours in wantan mee come from the sweet char siu. For Uncle Lim’s wantan mee, the noodles pack an impressively flavourful punch.
The noodles are delightfully springy, bouncing around the chopsticks as you pick them up. According to Uncle Lim, the factory which produces them makes them according to his specifications. No wonder it has such the perfect texture to go with the seasoning!
Bowls vs plates
Some places serve their wantan mee in plates, but Uncle Lim does not. He uses old-school porcelain bowls. You know, those ceramic bowls with a rooster emblazoned on the side? Bowls let the delicious sauce pool at the bottom of the bowl, making it easier to drench the noodles.
In fact, during peak hours, you are likely to see several bowls filled with noodles on standby. These noodles are pre-blanched, so once an order comes in, Uncle Lim can get it out ASAP. He does so after giving the noodles a quick dip in boiling water.
Char siu to die for
A wantan mee without a side of char siu is not wantan mee at all. And Uncle Lim’s char siu is to die for. Dark and sticky, it’s so tender you’d think it will melt in your mouth. Alternatively, you could go for the roast pork, which has a delightfully crispy skin.
Worth your time?
And if you’re not in the mood for wantan mee, Uncle Lim also has sells chicken rice, made using his own recipe. Overall, whether you want wantan mee or chicken rice, a meal made by Uncle Lim is guaranteed to be a satisfying one.
Uncle Lim @ Restoran Shuang Ling
Address: 34, Medan Makmur, Off Jalan Usahawan 9/23A, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: 7.30 am – 3 pm daily | Closed on Tuesday
Contact: 019-3147836
Halal Status: Non-halal
You should also check out: We queued for an hour to try Cheras’s iconic 30-year-old wantan mee—would we go back?
