Authentic Ipoh kai si hor fun (or shredded chicken hor fun) has a rich prawn and chicken soup base with white rice noodles (hor fun) melts in the mouth.
There are many places to order this dish in Ipoh. Interestingly, most of them get their noodles from the same supplier.
What really makes a great kai si hor fun is the soup. As well as how generous the stall keeper is with the toppings. Here in Ipoh, we have not one but several places to savor this dish.
1. Restoran Thean Chun
Some call this place a tourist trap. But this old-school coffee shop is still our favorite venue for kai se hor fun. Even at RM10 per bowl, the crowds are relentless from morning to lunch time.
As locals, we still visit this place. From our experience, the richness and hence, taste of the soup varies on the timing of your visit.
On public holidays and weekends, be sure place your order before the breakfast crowd starts pouring in (9am is peak time). Go too late, and we have experienced receiving a diluted version of the soup before.
On a less busy day (not a public holiday or weekend), the soup will be its usual delicious self even at lunch time. The original taste is still there – the soup is neither too salty nor sweet. And the flavor of prawns is notable in each slurp.
We’ve noticed that the toppings now include an additional half of a prawn (so you get 1 and a half prawn per bowl now) along with a generous helping of shredded chicken on top.
Address: 73, Jalan Bandar Timah, 31650 Ipoh, Perak
Opening hours: 8am to 4:30pm on most days (Closed on Thursdays), on Wednesdays, they open from 7:30am to 1pm
2. Restoran Moon De Moon
This is another crowd-favorite and by that, we mean it is equally loved by tourists and locals.
They have a fabulous curry mee although it’s not always available. This is their signature dish in addition to their tasty kai si hor fun.
We strongly advise coming before 9am to escape the thick breakfast crowds on weekends though. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait up to 30 minutes for your bowl of kai si hor fun. Sometimes, longer.
But there are other stalls to try in the same coffee shop while you wait – like the chee cheong fun.
And finding parking here is not as stressful as finding parking in Ipoh Old Town (where Thean Chun is).
Note: Get a table outside instead of inside the coffee shop if you’re going in the morning. It’s much cooler than sitting close to all the food stalls.
In our opinion, the kai si hor fun at Moon De Moon is one of the best in Ipoh. It is especially nice if you like your soup on the sweeter side.
Address: 148, Hala Wah Keong, Taman Mirindi, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
Opening hours: 7:30am to 1pm (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
3. Kedai Makanan Loke Wooi Kee
Come to this humble coffee shop for a dream combination of getting apam balik and kai se hor fun in the same place!
Kedai Makanan Loke Wooi Kee is a corner lot in view of Aun Kheng Lim Salted Chicken in Ipoh New Town.
We do prefer the richer broths of the kai se hor fun at the previous two mentions, but this one is not bad either.
Plus, this coffeeshop still serves a very nostalgic ice cream soda float here which we love. Other treats they have are egg custard. Meanwhile, their rich coffee is not bad (go for the iced version).
PS: If you like rojak, there’s a stall here that sells it.
Address: 26, Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
Opening hours: 8am to 2pm (Weekdays), 8am to 3pm (Weekends)
Conclusion
Ipoh kai se hor fun is a just one example of good food in Ipoh. There are many others to try like yong tau foo and Hakka noodles, etc.
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