Ulu Yam Lama is a quiet little settlement that is located off Batang Kali and this village is famous for one thing and that is Loh Mee. This is a century old tradition which draws customers from all around Malaysia in bus loads daily. This is my second visit here. The last time I was here was some 30 years ago. The roads may have changed, eateries may have blossomed but the signature dish has not changed even one bit. The moment you come into this village, you would be able to see numerous restaurants on both sides of the road and they all have one staple dish along with the many others that they sell.
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| The Original Restaurant |
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| Mostly Buses and Singaporean Cars |
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| Lot's Of People From KL Too |
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| Simple Layout |
In fact, many of these restaurant owners come from the same family and the pioneer is this Restaurant Hock Choon Kee. Now it is run by the fourth generation. The founder was the one who initially started this business and earned a reputation for it. Being close to 95 years now, customers are still drawn to the same delicious food and I was not surprised to see that the place was crowded when we arrived. Some may prefer the restaurant opposite them which belongs to their cousin as that place is air conditioned and is perhaps more conducive for tourists. Us, being one who wished to stick to the original place, decided to stay with these guys.
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| All Set On The Table |
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| Cutlery In Hot Water |
We had to wait close to 15 minutes before getting a table. Since it was a non peak day, we were glad that the wait time was only 15 minutes. The signature dishes here are their Loh Mee, Hokkien Mee, Fish Paste, Fried Fish Balls, Black Pepper Toad and some Eel dishes. My Dad and brother are not as adventurous as I am. I love those frog dishes but they just don't. So had to stick with the basics. We then ordered Loh Mee, Hokkien Mee and Fish Paste. I had asked for the Fish Balls but it was sold out. Anyway, I was glad that I could at least try these signature dishes this afternoon. On some days, even those get sold out quite fast.
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| Fried Fish Paste with Dip Sauce |
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| Dip Sauce |
The first dish to arrive was the above Fried Fish Paste. It took them less than 10 minutes to prepare. And what a dish it was. My goodness! The Fish Paste was so soft like jelly. The freshness was evident in it's juicy taste and cotton like texture. I don't remember having one that is so good as this. A highly recommended dish, I would rate this at 10/10 .
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| Loh Mee |
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| True Delight |
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| Loved It |
I know that many call this dish as Lor Mee but here in this villages, it is known as Loh Mee and I would like to stick with that name. And for those from the northern and southern region of Malaysia, this would definitely be different to the usual one there. This is the common version found in the central region. Perhaps we over here prefer this over that. But again, I find it amusing to see many Singaporeans coming here solely for this dish. The common preparation in Singapore is similar to those found in JB, Penang and Kedah. Perhaps, they too love this variety. Coming back to this restaurant, it took them a little longer to get this dish out. But it was fine as we were having a hearty conversation. The noodles were heavenly. They were soft and so good and that kind of texture, one would never get from those factory made ones. And there was so much of lard and greens added to the dish. A dash of vinegar and you're set on having some excellent Loh Mee. We loved it and I would rate this at 9.5/10 . Highly recommended!
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| Hokkien Mee |
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| Hokkien Mee |
Once again the name differs to what the people in Penang, Kedah and Johor call this dish but this is exactly how we call it in the central region. Another excellent preparation. In fact, this Char Mee was the best that I have tried anywhere. Absolutely loved it. Such a skillful preparation and it was evident why this place is still so famous after all these years. Delicious! I would rate this at 10/10 .
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| Old Newspaper Write Ups |
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| Old Newspaper Write Ups |
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| Old Newspaper Write Ups |
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| History Of This Place |
These were just a fraction of the newspaper write ups that were put up on the walls. There were so many more but I believe these should be sufficient to show how good this place really is.
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| Contact Information |
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| Signature Dishes |
If you happen to pass this town sometime, I would strongly recommend visiting this restaurant. Well, when they get bus loads of customers coming from all parts of Malaysia, it surely can;t go wrong. Based on the dishes that we had including the drinks, the bill came to RM 45.00 which is quite reasonable. Good food, reasonable prices and truly an experience to remember.
Address: No. 22, Jalan Besar, Ulu Yam Lama, 44300 Batang Kali, Selangor, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 6075 1840 & +6012 676 8380 & +6011 2127 2837
Opening Hours: 0930 - 1930 Daily
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