Yi Bao (Formerly Yee Cheong Yuen Noodle Restaurant)

Cool comfort but disappointing hor fun

I see this as a good alternative for me as the air-conditioned food court has been taken over by Sushi Tei - comfort wise, but not the food.

I have to admit I only picked this place as I was seeking refuge from the afternoon heat on a weekday. I remembered very vaguely about trying their ipoh hor fun so decided to try something else this time:

Dumpling hor fun ($4.50) - I chose to have it dry instead of soup. A relatively good-sized portion of hor fun, 5 mid-sized dumplings, and a handful of kailan pieces came in a thick blanket of dark sauce. It looked quite good but unfortunately the taste didnt quite make it.

The sauce was ultra bland. Not sure what was in it but whatever it was, it was just really really bland, not even a slight tinch of saltiness. Suspected the hor fun was not dipped in cold water before it was served, thus it was just stuck in one lump which made eating it tricky. The dumplings were the best part of the dish, tightly-packed with fresh pork and vegetables which added a much needed crunch to the entire dish.

If they use the same bland sauce for all their dry dishes, then I struggle to understand what's the fuss about the place?

The sambal sauce they provided on the table provided a little relief from the blandness, so good for that. Service was okay, with 1 staff taking care of the few filled tables around. Prices are good if you're looking at non-expensive food in comfort.

I will come here again, but just to escape the heat.

What used to be called Yee Cheong Yuen Noodle Restaurant in a coffeeshop, is now air-conditioned and renamed as Yi Bao. The used-to-be queue and order system has also been upgraded to a serviced system restaurant.

I remembered hordes of people used to queue up at the counter before the revamp on a Sunday afternoon, as families would gather there for lunches. However, when I visited them on a late Sunday morning, the crowd was not to be seen. Being a noodle stall, people would not usually associate it with the authentic chicken it served.

However, as it dishes out its famous Ipoh Hor Fun, you will come to realise it produces a mean piece of chicken (Remember to order the Chopped Chicken version instead of the Chicken Slices version usually served in hawker centre). The chicken is always served cool so that the skin is firm and there is that layer of gelatin just under the skin. I assumed it was dipped into a bucket of cold water before served, just like how Tian Tian Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre does it. What I also like about the Hor Fun is that it comes in thin version – similar to those I had when I was in Ipoh earlier this year.

However, I did find the oyster gravy too starchy for my liking. So if you happen to be around the corner do give the chicken a try! I’ll bet you anything that it tastes better than Wee Nam Kee’s.

You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.