Pun Chun

Pun Chun (品珍) used to be a very popular wanton mee (雲吞麵) restaurant in Bidor, Perak. In the days before the North-South Highway, motorists on the trunk road used to stop at this shop for a bowl of their very popular duck drumstick soup noodles (鸭腿面). And the place was usually jam packed. The shop most probably prospered because of this motoring patronage. They were also famous for their chicken biscuit (鸡子饼), which was a gross misnomer for they were made entirely out of pork and lard. 

I do not know why it took them so long. They finally found their way to the Klang Valley. And in my neighborhood too. When I saw their outlet in Ara Damansara, I wasted no time visiting it to relive the day when we used to relish their delicious noodles.

 

Their Ara Damansara branch is located on Jalan PJU 1A/3, on the other end of the row of shops where E-San Thai Kitchen is located. Besides this branch, they also have outlets in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam and Bandar Puteri Puchong.

Contrary to my expectations, the place is very simply furnished - plastic chairs, cheap table tops and almost devoid of decor. They have a food counter at the back where the food is efficiently prepared entirely by foreign nationals.

They have racks at the side where on display for sales are cookies, white coffee and of course their famed chicken biscuits.

Their duck drumstick soup noodles (鸭腿面) topped their menu offering. Their duck soup is totally drumsticks. They do not serve other parts of the duck. I wonder where they get so many duck thighs, and what happen to the other parts of the ducks. The duck thighs are deep-fried or perhaps roasted and then boiled or steamed with a combination of herbs in a soup. Wanton noodles are added to this soup.

You could order the soup without the noodles. Personally I prefer this. Without being diluted by the noodles, I find the soup rich, tasty and very pleasant. I really do not care much for the meat. It is the soup that I relish and it is definitely better without the noodles.

For noodles, I prefer their good old wanton mee (雲吞麵). My choice is kon-lo (干捞) or dry, with some char siew  (叉烧) for toppings. The noodle is Pun Chun is very good. It has the nice texture and it is not over-cooked. 

Besides char siew (叉烧), you could also have curry pork ribs...

... or pork knuckles with your noodles.

And mushroom and chicken feet, which you can have with the noodles or just by itself.

And the wanton. Don't forget about their nice big wanton. Their wanton is not the typical pathetic wanton with meagre fillings that we find in most Malaysian shops and stalls. The wantons here are big with generous pork and prawn fillings - much like those we find in Hongkong. I enjoy the wantons here.

Lastly, I have to mention their pickled green chillies. I know it is trivial. But their pickled chillies is very nice - fresh and well pickled. Wanton noodles must be eaten with pickled green chillies, and each time I am there, I have my full share of this wonderful condiment.

Pun Chun is not fantastic. Still it offers a decent meal, with reasonable varieties and at affordable prices. Certainly it brings back some memories. And I am glad they have a branch in our neighborhood. Anytime I have a craving for a nice plate of wanton mee, it is just around the corner.