Is it Malaysian or is it Chinese? Many have asked me that question. My answer is that it is uniquely Malaysian Chinese. Malaysia is a multi-racial country consisting of people from different ethnicities. And one of them is a Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity. Although heavily influenced by Chinese cultures, there are also many things that are uniquely Malaysian Chinese. Food is one example.

Back in Malaysia, one of the places that I frequent is the ‘tai chow’ stalls or restaurants. Tai chow literally translates to ‘big fry’; mainly because these eateries serve food that requires wok frying. They normally have a big variety of dishes from single portion noodles or rice to dishes like pork ribs and steamed fish. 

This round, we visited a ‘tai chow’ restaurant here in Koh Pich, Phnom Penh. Ah Fatt Wanton Mee, as the name suggests, serves their signature wanton noodles alongside an impressive 300 item menu ranging from fried noodles, fried rice, meat dishes, seafood to vegetables. The owner himself is the main chef here. We’ve shortlisted 4 items from the menu to try.

First on our list is the Mee Hoon Kueh ($4.00) also known as pan mee to some. It’s a type of hand-torn noodle that is served with soup or as a dry noodle. Topped with minced pork, fish balls, vegetables, and fried anchovies, it adds a punch of flavor to the dish. I personally liked the soup version as the soup is very flavorful and the texture of the noodle is good too, not too soft nor too thick. 

Next is the Cai Tou Kueh ($3.00) which is fried radish cake. In the northern states of Malaysia, this is also known as Char Kway kak. The main ingredient is the radish cake that is prepared and steamed ahead of time. It is then cut into cubes and fried with sauce, bean sprouts, preserved radish, and eggs. There are two options which they call black and white. The darker one is fried with dark sweet soy sauce hence giving it a sweeter taste. I like the lighter one better as it is more savory and tastes closer to the ones I have back in Malaysia.

We moved on to the Wat Tan Hor ($4.00), a fried rice noodle topped with egg gravy. The noodles are first fried with sauce and topped with thick egg gravy with prawns, fish cakes, vegetables, and pork. In Chinese cooking, we are very particular about the ‘wok hei’. This Cantonese term literally translates to the ‘wok energy’ which refers to a complex flavor imparted by a hot wok on food during stir-frying; something which you can definitely taste from this noodle dish. Aromatic and not overpowering, the noodles and gravy go very well together. One word of advice; eat this while it’s fresh and hot because a cold ‘wat tan hor’ will spoil the experience. 

And of course, we can’t miss the signature dish here, Ah Fatt Wanton Mee ($4.00).  It’s nothing new and there are plenty of wanton noodles around in Phnom Penh but what sets it apart is the fried pork and minced pork on top. The minced pork is cooked with strips of black fungus and pork lard which gives the noodle that aroma. It comes with a side of 3 wantons in soup. 

We finished it off with a glass of Soya Cincau ($1.50), which is grass jelly in soya milk. Overall, the food is fantastic, the place is clean and it’s a fuss-free casual dining experience. Definitely on my repeat visit list!