Beef Noodles @ Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee, Kuala Lumpur

 

Nestled deep in serious real estate in the city, Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee, or usually called Shin Kee Beef Noodle, is local establishment that does not need any introduction. It has been a bastion for good beef noodles for many decades and has served many a satisfied customer especially during lunch times. 

The legend

Which makes this even more ironic. I spent most of my 20s around this area as the Bar Council is not far away. And yet I have not stepped into the premises before. Well it was with good reason. The lines were formidable and with only 60 minutes to spare I tend to get something quick than tasty. But now as I am visiting family and friends with no grumpy boss hounding me to get back to the office, might as well take this chance. As you might have guessed, they only do lunch. 

A modest menu honestly

Being a noodle shop, you are given the option to pick the carb of your choice. Specifically, kuey teow rice noodles, rice vermicelli and thin, bouncy yellow noodles. And from there you can choose the beef soup that will partner with your noodles. I got the yellow noodles and the soup with all the organs in it which stood at a modest RM 15. It should be noted that any combination will stand at RM 13 for a small portion and RM15 for a large. 

Yessss

As expected the line was intense, but fortunately the weather was quite forgiving and customer turnover was quite quick. And soon enough we were seated and the food came soon after. The combination of beef soup and noodles is so simple but just amazing. The noodle was drenched in a beef mince combo that is mesmerizing and punch at the same time. It was savoury, a bit zesty and incredibly fatty. Upon first inspection I suspect dark soy sauce blend mixed with Chinese bean sauce. But being surprisingly complex there could be more things inside this concoction. Still, a great noodle experience. 

Bountiful

Well lets not forget the soup. The mix bowl which has everything includes their trademark beef meatballs, classic sliced beef, beef tripe and tendons.  The soup was surprisingly crisp and clear, complimenting the red meat that it was covering. The meaty bits, especially those meatballs, are just stupendous. There are some tables who just get the meatballs and I can see why. Dipping it with their home made chilli sauce just makes them even tastier. 

Red velvet

In fact, their chilli sauce is so good, it is recommended to be added to your noodles. It actually changed the entire complexion of the dish. So much so it feels like a different order entirely. The sauce latches onto the strands of noodles like slick oil on metal but yet is sour and refreshing, cutting through the savoury elements of the initial beef based mince sauce prior. The chilli kick too was really intense. It was not something that can knock you out, but that zing really woke me up. 

Another shot of the premises. 

Finally after so many years, I was able to step into this shop. With so much history tracing back to 1949, they have definitely done many things right. So despite the superlatives that I have used in this write up today, the praises are totally justified. And with that price? This is considered decent especially when you consider where in the city you are at. So if you are in the middle of KL and you have no idea what to have, Shin Kee Beef Noodle has got your back. Just make sure you are ready to wait with hungry office workers and random tourists since it has been recommended by the Michelin Bib Gourmand. The address is as follows:

7a, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia