Ming Chai Kee, Damansara Uptown (CLOSED)

In the aftermath of the pandemic which saw many restaurants in my area closed, hope springs eternal when new ones emerge.

One such eatery is Ming Chai Kee which is situated along the same row as Texas Chicken. That stretch of shop houses has seen many restaurants (and other businesses) come and go.

If I am not wrong that spot was last occupied by the short lived Embassy Cafe (and Tables of Joy before that) which moved out of The Starling sometime last year. Well, I am not surprised after my last visit while they were still at The Starling.

I spotted Ming Chai Kee while running errands and in the process found a few more new restaurants (yay!). So of course with my revenge dining out mood kicking in big time, I had to drop by.

The interior is very neat and clean with SOPs strictly adhered to. Before you are seated, the staff will disinfect your table and give it a good wipe down.

Ordering is by way of order chits which makes things very easy.

Their specialty is wonton noodles which I understand is Hong Kong style.

They serve fried noodles too.

And of course sides and desserts.

They have also added new dishes to their repertoire.

When I saw Wat Tan Hor Fun on the menu, I could not resist. Oh I do miss Wat Tan Hor Fun but the places that I loved  have closed down. Haiz...

When this came to the table, the first thing I noticed was the beautiful plate. I am a sucker for plates with blue designs, so pretty!

This serving of Wat Tan Hor Fun is very generous. I give Ming Chai Kee thumbs up for portion size. 

You get loads of ingredients too in your noodles and I assure you, you will not leave hungry. However, in terms of taste, I would have liked more depth of flavor and the wok hei aroma that I have come to expect of wat tan hor was lacking. If you prefer light and clean tasting food, this wat tan hor is for you.

The black coffee was a little thin for me, I prefer my kopi o a bit stronger. 

Of course I had to come back to sample more. On my way there I spotted this little fella enjoying a jolly time in the hammock.

So cute! Every time I see a cat, I fall hopelessly in love. Haiz....

There you go, another grand lunch. This is the Three Toppings Wonton Noodles. I chose dry style but with benefit of hindsight, I reckon the soup version would be better.

The noodles are thin and springy, cooked just right and tossed with a very flavorful sauce. It may look pale but the taste is anything but. I thought it was very tasty.

The three toppings are fish balls (giant sized ones), prawn wonton and beef slices. A rather odd combo but you get to taste all three topping, decide which one you like and then next time just choose one or you might actually like all three hah..hah...

I thought they were all good (the beef was very tender) but what stood out for me were the prawn wontons. There is a big prawn (very fresh too) in each one. 

This time I opted for Iced Lemon Tea which was refreshing and best of all, not sweet.

On yet another visit I had to try the Char Siew Wonton Noodle. And because I loved the prawn wontons from before, I added Prawn Wonton Soup.

Oh, before I forget, the only chili condiment served here is chili oil which is why I skipped it. I would have preferred pickled green chilies or simply sliced chilies with light soy sauce but I am not one to kick a fuss.

The soup had a strong prawn flavor but I also found it a little fishy (not in a bad way though). I don't know if it was meant to taste like that or it's just me. But I was more focused on the prawn wontons.

Nyum! I love this! There are 6 prawn wontons in a bowl. The prawns are of a respectable size and very fresh.

No, I have not forgotten about the wonton noodles and char siew.

I would say that this is very decent char siew, well marinated, tender and moist and slightly different from those char siew usually found at chicken rice stalls (or the one at Annie 1) which has more charring and hence a stronger flavor (but may sometimes result in a drier/tougher texture). 

The wonton noodles, like before, were thin and springy and tossed with a delicious fragrant sauce. It was good though I have to admit that I prefer local style wonton mee. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my meal and left happy.

Finally I had to try the Stir Fry Beef Koay Teow (not to be confused with Spring Onion Ginger Beef Koay Teow which is the gravy type). 

This dry style version was as good as I had hoped and I would say that this is my favorite order thus far. 

You get good smoky flavor, well balanced seasoning and lots of sliced beef and crunchy beansprouts.

For once I enjoyed the chili oil because it went so well with the fried noodles.

I hope that with consistency of good quality and generous portion sizes and with the support of happy customers (like me heh..heh...) Ming Chai Kee will be here to stay.