Ipoh. Decades ago, this particular town is home to many coffee shops of old, where our parents' parents would hang out, sipping coffee and gossiping away but today, the ever-bustling town has grown to house many a few modern cafes, further bolstering the culinary food scene in Ipoh. And speaking of the food scene, Onn Kee restaurant has been one of the few restaurants of old that has consistently contributed to the growth of Ipoh's food scene. All through the making and selling of chicken beansprouts, an all-time Ipoh dish.
Located directly opposite the renown Lou Wong, also selling a similar -if not identical- fare of chicken beansprouts, this two giants have been at it for years, Onn Kee remained unfazed in challenging Lou Wong for the title of the best of the best, chicken beansprout-wise.
At any rate, Onn Kee's rendition of the chicken beansprout a.k.a Ngar Choi Kai, comprises of decadently poached chicken, that has a tenderly smooth texture. The sprouts are blanched to a crunchy consistency, oozing juice from every bite. Legend says that the sprouts from Ipoh are only ever that good due to the natural limestone hill water used in tending to them. Rather sensational, right? But that aside, to accompany the chicken and sprouts, patrons can opt for fragrant ginger-infused rice or smooth rice noodles that will undoubtedly pave way for a healthy appetite. Also worth the mention is their meatballs, that are surprisingly wonderful in texture and savoury to boot, after being immersed in the flavoursome stock laden with the sweet essence of the chicken.
