Yut Kee – 83 Years of Legacy & Going Strong

Yut Kee – a name that most KL folks aware of. In fact, when you Google about Yut Kee, you’ll see tons of food blog links on this icon of Kuala Lumpur, raving about their famous Roti Babi (pork sandwich), Hainanese chicken chop and so on.

The heart of KL is one place I would stay away especially during peak hour, but on a bright Sunday morning, the usual horrendous traffic jam is no where to be found – much to my delight. Therefore, we finally found our way here to check out one of KL’s remaining Hainanese coffee shops in town. If possible, I would really love to order everything they have on the menu, but alas, the two of us only managed to have 3 items, plus two iced milk coffee. The steamed version of the toast with home-made kaya (coconut jam) was a pretty standard fare but we like the kaya for its thick consistency, egg-y aroma and not too sweet to the palate.

While waiting for our other orders to arrive, I sweeped my camera around for pictures and then it struck me. This place has an air around it, most possibly similar to those back in Ipoh. The atmosphere filled with noisy chatters of the patrons from all walks of life (multi-generational families!), the old-fashioned tiles, aroma of freshly brewed coffee permeates the air, the round marble-topped dining tables etc. How long was it since my last visit to such nostalgic eatery like this that I used to grew up with?

Although I only been here once, but I was saddened by the news that the 83 years old Yut Kee would only have approximately one year more to continue its business at the current location. The owner of the premise apparently have plans to redevelop the area. It seems like “change” is inevitable in these modern days, where history would have to make way for progress and developments. For those regulars who have been a loyal customers to Yut Kee all these years, it is definitely something hard to accept, especially the ambiance that they have accustomed to for so long. But heck, that doesn’t mean Yut Kee will stop their business. They will relocated to a new premise, possibly to Bodhi Tree restaurant which is also managed by the same Lee family.

Anyway, I digress.

The Roti Babi (RM 7.50) arrives and my dining companion was not impressed. Egg-coated and fried, the bread was stuffed with shredded pork, crabmeat and onions (some praise lyrical on the additional waxed Chinese sausage but we found none) but taste-wise, I think my dining companion was right. It was a bit bland. We realized it too late that we should have added a few dash of Lea Perrins Worchestershire sauce… by that time, we’ve wallopped everything down. That thought alone warrants another trip, don’t you agree?

Yut Kee is also famous for their other Hainanese fare, such as the Hainanese Chicken Chop (RM 7.00), which is served drenched in Lea Perrins Worcestershire sauce-infused brown gravy, plenty of onions, mix vegetables, tomato and potato wedges. The chicken fillet was succulent, juicy and the best part, it was the lightly-battered. Very much reminds me of mom’s cooking (especially her fried chicken), where simple marinade would be sufficient to do the trick.

Let’s hope that miracle would happen and Yut Kee would still be seen standing strong on its current location when the time comes.

Kedai Makanan Yut Kee
35, Jalan Dang Wangi (Campbell Road),
50100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2698 8108
Business hours: 8am to 5pm
Closed on Mondays and the last Sunday of the month.

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