GETTING A HEAD START
Malaysians are crazy about fish head prepared in a myriad of styles, from fish head meehoon to the ubiquitous Chinese, Nyonya and Mamak curries. But did you ever try plain steamed grass carp head with ginger? If you haven’t, you’re surely missing out on one of KL’s most sought-after dishes.

It’s a small, simple shack of a restaurant. Located along the busy thoroughfare that is Brickfields’ high street, a long, lean row of shops that has been in existence for over fifty years, Hoi Kee is a household name to KL old timers, having fed generations of Malaysians, from the shapely kebaya-clad women who used to joget in BB Park in the 50s to today’s modern salaryman, complete with loud voice booming into a mobile phone.

Hoi Kee specializes in Hing Hwa food, which is a dialect cuisine from China’s Hokkien province. It’s specialties are many – fried squid salad, stuffed chicken wings, pork ribs with orange sauce and other delectables – but it’s main claim to fame would be its popular grass carp fish head, which is prepared with lashings of minced ginger and topped with a mini jungle of cilantro. Owner and chef Thomas Yee says, “My father created this dish many years ago. At that time, no one dared serve grass carp fish head as it was infamous for its muddy taste and smell. The fish head itself was almost worth nothing. Today, it’s in such great demand and it’s our restaurant’s main draw!”

The affable Thomas who was born in the year of the horse is now running the show with the help of his wife since his father retired. Hoi Kee also enlists the help of ten other staff as things get really busy during lunch and dinner. Muses Thomas, “The Cantonese often say that the minute you run your own business, you’re in it up to your nose!”

“Food has to suit many palates so I keep on experimenting with new and different tastes,” says Thomas. “I enjoy visiting places like Hong Kong and China for food ideas but there’s not too much time to indulge in it seeing I do most of the work myself, from the cooking to the bookkeeping,” he laughs. “Still,” he adds, “ I believe all good chefs do their own marketing,” he says proudly.

The evidence surely lies in each steaming dish that exits from their small but clean kitchen. Tureens of famous Hing Hwa seaweed soup to mountains of fried noodles, particularly their popular fried mee sua and of course, the grass carp, it is clear that the customers appreciate Thomas’ philosophy on serving up good food. As do we. We stopped by for lunch one day and found the food so addictively good, we went again the next evening. And not a single dish disappointed. From the fresh and juicy oyster-loaded omelette to the rich and creamy mayonnaise-tossed squid fried with waterchestnuts, they were all delicious and satisfying. So, if you are keen to sample Hoi Kee’s famous cooking for yourself, drop by one day and rest assured, the prices are as pleasing as the dishes.