Malaysian hawker sends wonton mee ‘flying’ for full flavour
15 March, 2020
Mr Lee Wan Hiong dipped a good wire sieve right into a boiling pot of water and fished a good bundle of egg noodles away.
The noodles were dripping warm water, however, not for long.
With a everyday flick of the forearm and wrist, born of ten years of practice, Mr Lee easily tossed the bundle of noodles high in to the air and deftly caught it in his sieve.
He then transferred the noodles to a bowl, ladled an excellent supporting of lard and shallot oil along with dark sauce over the springy strands, and gave them a good mixture. The plating was filled with a respectable serving of char siew and blanched choy sum, with a separate plate of wonton dumplings in soup.
The stall’s name, Flying Wan Tan Mee, says everything for Mr Lee, 45, who has been plying his trade for the past 13 years. He 1st operated a street stall, before shifting to his present location at Paramount Kopitiam in Seapark, Petaling Jaya in overdue January this year.
“The bigger you toss, the extra hot water gets dispersed. Consequently when you mix the noodles in to the gravy, they absorb better, the entire taste doesn’t feel watered down,” he told CNA.
INSPIRED BY WASHER
When he initially started advertising wonton mee, Mr Lee operated from a parking lot at night, establishing a few folding tables and plastic material chairs for clients to get a quick roadside dinner.
The moniker of “flying noodles” came about as he wished to drain the water from the egg noodles faster. He didn't foresee it growing to be his trademark that would support him gain a devoted following.
Mr Lee said he got his inspiration from washing machines, which spin in huge speed to remove excess water from the laundry.
He showed off his “battle scar”, a sizable white callus in his wrist, formed where in fact the wooden handle of the sieve helps to keep rubbing against his wrist thanks to many plates of noodles he has prepared.
The odd mishap nonetheless occurs sometimes, where he fails to catch the noodles with time.
“It’s very rare, but I’m only human. Generally it’s because my attention is normally divided, when I’m preparing and have to attend to the clients, or I have to manage my workers simultaneously,” Mr Lee laughed.
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Wonton mee, a basic Chinese hawker food, is available around Malaysia.
The coffee shop Mr Lee moved into already has a wonton mee stall, and they have built arrangements in order that the latter operates each day, while he takes the evening shift.
“It’s the little details, maybe that final 10 % of the process, that make all the difference,” he shared.
Ninety per cent of the work may be the same for every additional wantan mee seller, just like the composition of the dish, the flow of food preparation and putting it along.
The “little facts” he meant include slowly cooking pieces of lard in a big wok of oil, before oil has absorbed the pork flavour. Moreover, another wok can be filled with chopped shallots, slowly cooking until they turn into crisp.
“I have to make certain the fire is tiny to moderate. It requires much longer to cook, but it also provides lard and the shallots additional time to infuse the oil,” Mr Lee explained.
Most of the condiments are created daily. So may be the char siew, which Mr Lee roasts in two large steel ovens over charcoal fire.
A foodie himself, Mr Lee has expanded into offering chicken rice as well, using the same charcoal ovens to roast his chickens.
SIDE HUSTLE TURNED Time JOB
When Mr Lee first started his stall - originally a side hustle for him to indulge his hobby of food preparation and eating - he marketed 60 plates a evening. And then business simply kept growing.
“I came across myself spending increasingly more time onto it, and I gave up my landscaping work,” he explained.
Before moving to his current location, his roadside stall was doing over 300 plates a night.
Now, work starts from 9am every morning, prior to his stall opens from 3pm till 11pm. A little part of his wonton mee costs RM7.50 (US$1.76).
“Returning customers have with all this new place the thumbs-up because it’s in a restaurant, it’s well-lit, and you aren’t at the mercy of the weather.
“And because you’re not seated by the roadside, it’s safer,” Mr Lee smiled.
For how long he sees his business continuing, Mr Lee gave himself another 10 years or so.
“I think from then on, I’d like to go back to scenery and horticulture, or maybe open my very own shop where I could still cook, but at a much more leisurely pace,” Mr Lee said.
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