Today I visited the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant.
This time, I ordered the Yee Mee with Hakka char yoke from the House of Hakka stall, which cost RM19.80 per plate.
This dish is a beautiful meeting point of noodle comfort and Hakka heritage. Served in a generous bowl, the braised yee mee is richly coated in a glossy, savoury gravy. Each strand of noodle absorbs the sauce, giving a deep umami flavour with every bite. On top lies the star of the dish – Hakka Char Yoke, a traditional braised pork belly cooked with red fermented bean curd (nam yee) until tender, aromatic, and caramelised around the edges.
Mixed within the noodles are crunchy greens, black fungus, cabbage, and spring onions, offering texture to balance the richness. A bowl of light, clear soup with spring onions accompanies the dish – a refreshing contrast to cleanse the palate between bites.
Char Yoke (客家炸肉) is a celebrated Hakka dish, usually made from pork belly marinated in fermented red beancurd, five-spice powder, and rice wine, then deep-fried and slowly braised. It gives a distinct reddish-brown colour and a savoury, mildly tangy flavour from nam yee. It is tender inside with slightly chewy, flavour-packed edges.
Hakka people, known historically as hardworking migrants in Southern China, created this dish as a hearty, long-lasting food that could sustain them during labour. It became a festive favourite served during celebrations, ancestral worship, and reunion meals.
Yee Mee is a classic Malaysian dried egg noodle, often deep-fried and later rehydrated in sauce. When braised, it becomes springy and slightly chewy, perfect for absorbing thick gravy. It’s commonly used in claypot or “wet” noodle dishes, making it ideal to pair with boldly flavoured Hakka-style pork.
This version from House of Hakka brings ancestral flavours into a modern food court setting. While simple in appearance, the dish carries generations of Hakka home cooking—comforting, hearty, and honest. It’s more than just noodles; it’s a taste of migration history, resilience, and tradition, now enjoyed in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
