Ipoh Big Tree Noodle

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

We headed to Ipoh Big Tree Noodle (怡保大树脚料粉) at SS2 Petaling Jaya. This eatery is the commercialized outlet of the popular roadside stall in Ipoh. The original stall is located under a large tree, hence lending its name. Although I have not tried the original stall, I am curious of the food at this new outlet.

Ipoh Big Tree Noodle is renowned for its noodles with yong tau foo (酿豆腐) pieces. A dozen types of yong tau foo are provided at the self-service counter for customers to select from.

Most yong tau foo pieces are priced at RM1.20 each. There are several soup-based types such as okra (lady's fingers), and deep-fried ones like crispy wanton.

For noodles, we opted for the Spicy Dry Noodle (干捞加哩面, RM3.90). The noodles are unfortunately bland in taste. They are not as springy or "QQ" as one expects. Nevertheless, it comes in reasonable portion size with decent amounts of minced pork.

As for our bowl of Noodle Curry (加哩汤面, RM4.90), we requested for Hakka Mee for a change. The curry is solely made from curry powder; there is hardly any creamy taste from coconut milk.

Yong tau foo ingredients are served in separate bowls for soup-based and deep-fried ones. The fish filling in the yong tau foo is somewhat acceptable to our taste buds, though there is nothing to shout about. I fail to sense any delectable fish taste like the ones sold in Ampang.

As for deep-fried yong tau foo, they are quite soggy due to excessive oil used at the fryer. I suspect this is because the fryer is not sufficiently hot, therefore the yong tau foo pieces have to be cooked longer, which in turn allows more oil to seep into them.

We ordered a cup White Coffee (怡保白咖啡, RM3.50) since this is Ipoh's defining specialty. The coffee is served in a traditional ceramic cup reminiscent of old coffee shops. The coffee is bold in flavor, substantially more enjoyable than the food itself.

On the other hand, our order of Herbal Tea (凉茶, RM2.90) and Ipoh Soya Bean (怡保豆奶, RM3.20) turns out quite normal.

The operation of Ipoh Big Tree Noodle is rather messy because there are several wrong orders. I have no concern that most members of the staff are foreign workers. However, I think the management should focus on streamlining SOP to improve efficiency.

Taste-wise, the kitchen needs to improve both the recipe of both noodles and yong tau foo as they are seriously below my expectation.

Address: 22, Jalan SS 2/67, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Contact: 03-7873-0429
Business hours: 9:30am-10:00pm
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