Tossed dry for better flavour

ARDENT fans of Ho Seng Kee's kon-lo-mee or dry-tossed-noodles who live outside Johor Baru still lament that they cannot find a substitute for this noodle dish elsewhere. So a visit to Mee Ho Seng Kee is a "must" on the itinerary of each trip to this southern city.

For one thing, the Ho family makes the egg noodles themselves instead of using the commercial variety. Then the family recipe for dry-tossed noodles is uniquely Johorean. The egg noodles are tossed together with various sauces and wantan until the mixture is really "dry". You can have it in varying degrees of chili spiciness, as according to personal preferences.

Grandfather Ho, an immigrant from Canton who first settled in Pontian, mastered the skill of making light soya sauce before going into the wantan noodle business back in the pre-war days some 60 years ago. Everyday, he sold noodles from a pushcart stall parked at the corner of Jalan Siu Nam and Jalan Meldrum, sometimes till as late as 2am. Working alongside the old man, his son soon picked up the skills of tossing bowls and bowls of appetising wantan noodles.

Ho Seng Kee dry tossed noodles made with
special egg noodles

With a growing clientele, the Hos moved operations to a permanent stall in Jalan Meldrum's landmark corner coffeeshop. After his father's demise, Ho carried on the business with the help of his wife.  Applying a combination of manual methods with modern machinery, the Ho family has continued the tradition handed down by the grandfather. They produce egg noodles, sauces and wantan wrappers, making them daily to ensure they are fresh.

Using generous amounts of farm-fresh eggs and high-grade flour but with little oil and no MSG or artificial colourings, their home- made noodles and wantan wrappers are uniquely smooth in texture and flavour.

Father and son team at Mee Ho Seng Kee

Mee Ho Seng Kee recently moved from Jalan Meldrum into new premises in Taman Century. Today, Ho's classic kon-lo-mee is served by Ho and his son, Elton, at their new outlet in Restoran Huo Lin, 187 Jalan Harimau, Taman Century, Johor Bahru.  When asked to share his comments on the business, the affable Elton volunteers: "About 88pc of our customers have followed us to our new stall!"

This clearly proves there's just no substitute for Ho's non- halal classic dry noodles. In fact, some customers buy the raw noodles and sauces to take home so that they can savour its distinct flavours any time the craving strikes them. The Hos even have customers coming from other states or Singapore and even as far as the UK and the US!



The Ho father-and-son team serves the ultimate wantan noodles topped with slivers of char siu and a sprinkling of spring onions, presented in three sizes - small, medium or large. They are open daily from 10.30am to 3pm except on Tuesdays. For more information, visit: http://www.hosengkee.com/

This article was first published in The New Straits Times, Travel Times on 25 January 2005

Info Update:  Mee Ho Seng Kee has moved to Level 6 of Johor Baru City Square.