Wils reviews: Goon Wah Restaurant @ Kuchai Lama

Being an avid fan of fish, I’d be constantly scouring the best places in town for fulfilment. Fish head noodles has always been one of my top personal favourite because of the rich soupy flavour and the overdose of fish in each bowl. This is where Goon Wah Restaurant came to the fore. It has been a highly populated and raved destination to have Claypot XO Fish Head Noodles so it was a no brainer for me to make a trip down town with a couple of gluttonous friends. A little background on Goon Wah, the establishment was earlier primarily set up as a buffet catering business that eventually converted into a restaurant on its own from its tremendously made dishes.

Despite the restaurant being jam packed with people, even at 11am, we were promptly ushered to our table by one of the waiters. Once seated, they were very proactive in taking our order and brought cutleries almost immediately.

For our beverage cum dessert, we ordered a bowl of ice cooling Sea Coconut Drink. On a hot sunny afternoon, its the perfect tonic to settle down. It was your everyday average sea coconut drink but what I personally liked was that it was not too sweet nor too bitter. Priced at RM2.50 a bowl.

Then came what we’ve all been waiting for, the city renowned Claypot XO Fish Head Noodles. With an option of small, medium or large pot, we opted to go small as we wanted to try as many dishes as we can without wanting to feel gastronomically greedy. At RM13 for the small pot, it was served in a rather generous portion that can feed 2-3 people. What sets this Fish Head Noodles apart from its counterparts is the added abundance of preserved salted vegetables, added sour plum, sliced chillies and tomatoes and not forgetting FRIED YAM. The noodles were extremely tangy and bouncy that it was as soothing as the all action soup. The XO factor in the soup creates an extra dimension to fish head noodles where it can be a little sated over a few mouthfuls. Not this one. Saving the best for last, the fish was very meaty and fresh. The essence of this particular dish which is the fish can be a tough one to get right, but they got it absolutely spot on.

The other renowned dish at Goon Wah is its Claypot Lou Shu Fan which in direct translation means Rat Tail Noodles. Unlike other conventional Lou Shu Fans you get in and around town, this particular one was served on top of a box with a burning flame right at the bottom to keep it hot and fresh. Topped with a generous amount of minced meat, dried shrimps, pork lard and spring onion, we were expecting this dish to be as good as it looks as sound.

After having our little stir frying session on the pot, we were all set and ready to dig in and dig in we did. The first bite was heavenly largely from the wealth of ingredients used and while still hot, releases a smoked experience that is rare to come by in Lou Shu Fans. Some people might find this dish dry but on a personal level, it is exactly how I like it cooked. Priced at RM8 a pot, it was an absolute bargain for the returns we received.

Next in line was ‘Wu Tao Khao Yuk’, better known as braised pork belly with yam). This being another signature dish, it was one that was approached with a tinge of skepticism.

The gravy was probably the only factor in favour of this dish albeit a little too oily. As for the meat, majority of it consisted of fats so it isn’t exactly one I would recommend unless you’re willing to risk it. Priced at RM18.

Thankfully for the Steamed Buns, it made the ‘Wu Tao Khao Yuk’ a little more edible.

Sandwich it with the pork slices (and fats) with sauce simmered, and you have it in a traditional Chinese styled bread dish.

As Goon Wah’s Restaurant being only part of their business model, it is therefore only opened on weekdays from a mere 9.30am – 3.30pm. It is recommended to be there as earlier as possible as they usually attract large crowds of people and even from bus tourists.

Goon Wah Restaurant
G13 & 14, Jalan 3/115C,
KP 2, Taman Kuchai Lama,
Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 KL
Tel: 03-7982 0048 / 03-79840722

Map *here*