Lye Lye Food Court, Terengganu Road

I meet Mum for dinner every fortnight (weekly nowadays) and one of our favourite haunts is this food court near our place called Lye Lye:

Lye Lye Food Court front view

We like to meet here for the simple fact that it has ample parking at the back and is near our respective houses. The main bulk of their business comes from beer drinkers who congregate here en masse in the late evenings, and not from any particular flagship stall.

Food stalls here have a high turnover rate. Having patronized them for 4 years we know what are the stalls that survive and which will close in a few months. Contrary to common wisdom, we avoid the mainstayers (nasi lemak, wan tan mee, western food...) and endeavour to try the newcomers instead in a bid to support their bravery. Bravery that is mostly in futility, I should add.

One new stall that I was really looking forward to was Lao Chiek (Old Uncle) Beef Kuey Teow. While usually pricey (RM7 in this case), eating beef kuey teow can be a delightful and heartwarming experience when it is cooked well. Check it out on the left: it looks pretty good doesn't it? Unfortunately...

Let me start with the good points. The beef slices were nicely done and not too chewy (I don't take offal so I can't comment on the innards). The kuey teow itself was of a nice texture. Even the soup stock had sufficient kick to it (but won't say no to a little more).

Unfortunately, all that was washed away by one simple fact: the soup was lukewarm. I'm sure it's not just me who hugely appreciates a STEAMING BOWL OF SOUP when ordering any hot soupy food? I don't need it to be bubbling like lava, but when my glass of warm water is warmer than the soup, something's wrong somewhere. And as a minor gripe, the cook only gave 2 beef balls. I'd prefer a better balance between amount of beef slices vs beef balls.

This stall also sells Mee Bakso (Indonesian beef noodles) and Herbal Soup, but I'm not quite sure I'll give them a second chance...

Mum ordered Chee Cheong Fun from this stall that has been operating for a good deal of time. The stall owner also sells Popiah. Both of which are in the strictly Average category. You won't feel an intense regret ordering it, but you won't have tears of joy streaming down your face either.

Chee Cheong Fun (RM2.60 for large)

To round things up, we have a feeling that this new Mee Goreng/Mee Rebus/Pasembur stall will last the test of time provided he improves on his cooking speed. That is indeed a big portion for just RM3 and it has the right amount of heat and fragrance. We waited almost 15 minutes for this even when the food court was barely occupied, which is either a testament to the care he gives to each plate, or he really needs to brush up on mass cooking.

Mee Goreng (RM3)

Mum commented that the gravy he used isn't manis (sweet) enough to her liking, so it might be something to remind the cook if you like your mee goreng slightly sticky and sweet (mmm... don't we all?) I look forward to trying the Mee Rebus and Pasembur from this stall, and will update when I do.

Lye Lye food court is open everyday, and most stalls operate from 6.30pm onwards. The Wan Tan Mee is pretty good during lunch, but dinner is the time to go to catch all of the above.

Coordinates: 5.406993,100.308604

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