Fish Head At Pudu...

I haven't been posting up any food reviews of late, and that's either because the places I've been to recently didn't warrant much mention.

This place, I had to post up a review.

Imagine this, a very very old (possibly pre-war) shop literally a few feet away from the dusty and noisy Jalan Pudu, with no signage of any kind, with 7 or so tables, and where you have to wait for like an hour (usually more) before you get any food. Why then would anyone of a sound mind put themselves through the ordeal?

I have seen the crowd lining up during lunch hour on those rare occasions when I forayed into Pudu, and have always regarded the situation with a mix of curiosity and disdain. Last Saturday I lunched at this place, and came away with the former satisfied and the latter dismissed.

According to my father, this place has always attracted the crowd in droves since 30-40 years ago. I have also apparently eaten there when I was a child, which I suspect could have only been an unpleasant childhood experience. It's apparently acquired a near legendary status as the sam chi mui (3 sisters) fish head stall. True to its name it's run by 3 sisters.

We sat outside along the kaki lima (shaded corridor) on plastic stools waiting to be seated, whilst entertaining ourselves looking at the wares of the next door shop (industrial filters and pumps!) One of the sisters (Crocs-wearing, bob-headed, hair-dyeing) came to take our orders whilst we were seated waiting in a brusque businesslike fashion. Thankfully, we were seated not long after.

Rice arrived in a not-seen-for-very long-time porcelain container, chipped almost all around the lip. And then the piece-de-resistance arrived in a large platter. The Hong Siew Yu Tau or stewed fish head was a whole Soong fish head deep fried and smothered in a luscious gravy. Accompaniments were stir fried sang cheong with kow choi fah, and veges. Excellent!

Went to the back looking for the washroom and surprisingly the whole place was quite clean and organised. No greasy floors, pots and pans and empty bottles strewn about, you get my drift. Saw a single lady (no doubt one of the sisters) furiously cooking on a, get this, wood fired stove! Now, you hardly find these anymore, which undoubtedly added to the flavour. No doubt the single cook also contributed to the legendary waiting times.

Best of all though, lunch sufficiently filling for 5 hungry people cost a mere RM48! Definitely recommended, but you have been warned about the waiting time...

Oh yes, though there was no signboard on the outside, a small one inside the seating area proclaimed it to be Kedai Kopi Hock Seng Hin. Not much help though as you can't see it until you're actually inside.