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Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

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Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby iJeff » Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:33 pm

I am not sure whether any of you has heard of Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun. Here is some history from its website:

"Funan Weng has a long history stemming from the 1950s out of the famed Hock Lam Street. As a renowned food street, it indulged its customers with a wide variety of delicious local delights. Though Funan Weng started as a noodle stall, our forefather had the vision and the culinary expertise to branch out into a less chartered territory - the Ipoh Ho Fun. While Ipoh Ho Fun helms from Ipoh in Malaysia, the method of cooking and preparation are chiefly Singaporean. With its unique blend of herbs and spices, Mr Ho Weng perfected the balance of the flavours in the Ipoh Ho Fun sauce. Our famous Ipoh Ho Fun has enthralled fans from all over Singapore for the last 20 years. Hoping to continue our culinary legend, we have brought Funan Weng to a modern and comfortable setting."

I went to their new outlet at Maxwell Chambers for lunch with my colleagues today.

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We ordered the Value Set Meal ($7.80) which comprised of:

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Ipoh Ho Fun with Chicken and Prawns

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Gourmet Dumpling (2 pieces)

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Vegetable with Oyster Sauce

The Ipoh Ho Fun was pretty good. The prawns were fresh and succulent while the ho fun was smooth and went well with the sauce. The Gourmet Dumpling (with one whole prawn inside) was nice. Vegetable with Oyster Sauce was average.

Overall, it is worth a try! :)

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Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun
32 Maxwell Road
Maxwell Chambers #01-07
Tel: 6238 5038
Mon-Sat: 11am-9:30pm
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby Morsels » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:28 pm

I remember eating at their stall at Capitol and Funan. During those days, their pricing was already quite ex but then their ipoh hor fun was chockful of ingredients (juicy prawns, mushrooms and shredded chicken) hence willing to pay :D When they moved to Ghim Moh, I have not been there often. So glad, they are able to continue their legacy.
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby makancamera » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:39 pm

May I know whether this eatery has better Ipoh Hor Fun than the guy in Hong Lim FC?
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby Morsels » Thu Nov 26, 2009 12:34 pm

I should say it is to each its own. The hong lim one is more "cheng" . To be honest, I have not eaten Weng for a long long time. My good was when they were at Funan :D

OT a little - if anyone knows the Hakka Beefball Beehoon soup that was also in the same Funan foodcout is still around? I loved their clear soup and power chilli.
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby kiasu » Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:21 pm

do they drizzle the red color prawn oil on the hor fun like in lee tong kee?
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby Tiantianchi » Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:27 pm

Kiasu, afraid there is no prawn oil.

Had the same set as iJeff for early dinner just now.

Here are my observation:

1) The prawns as iJeff described is fresh, succulent and big. His looks whole, but those I had were sliced in half and still fleshy and succulent.

2) Chicken unfortunately a litte dry and fibrous.

3) The soup is flavorful, I didn't get the MSG thirst after that.

4) The set comes with 2 deluxe dumplings in soup and a xiao bai cai in oyster sauce.

Agrees with iJeff the oyster sauce vegetable is not too impressive -sauce diluted and what I dislike most in many places ( not just here), the fried shallot is rancid and it spoils the whole experience. All it take is a little care in keeping them fresh and tasting them now and then to ensure the freshness (high hope though as it needs high turnover and diligent). If you can't do it well, might as well do away with it.

Also Xiao bai cai is probably the cheapest greens around and usually reserved for hawker stalls. It is rather redundant to have it served in the set when it is already served as one of the topping in the hor fun. I noticed in iJeff's photo, Chye sum was served, it would have been better if something different is served. Beansprouts would be nice also, even though it is as cheap (but more work), at least there is variety. And eh...Morsel, no mushrooms.

The deluxe dumpling tasted like a boiled siew mai to me. :lol: Not that it is a bad thing to some people. It is plump, the patty ( can't say is filling :lol: ) is like a meat ball, with crunchiness from prawns, spring onion, waterchestnut but it does not have the kind of satisfaction you get from normal shui jiao with its moist, juicy and not overly compact filling.

5) The hor fun is smooth but not smooth enough ( perhaps I am being spoilt having just visited Ipoh and KL). Similar to most Ipoh style thin hor fun elsewhere. There is still the rice flour taste and texture in it which I cannot blame, few people is not affected by this - a supply issue.

6) The gravy. It is light though smooth, savory but the flavor is not too integrated or complex until the black herbal (but does not taste too herbal) sauce was mixed into it. The taste is better with the sweetness from the black sauce, but it overwhelms.

7) Best to go with the preserved green chilli. The chilli sambal tasted too processed and does not go too well mixing into the horfun, the unpleasant sour tinge (probably from preservative) interferes too much. Perhaps a lighter chilli similar to those chicken rice chilli or go all the way out with a dense, moist, hae bee hiam would be nice.

Overall it is still a superior ipoh horfun compared to many mediocre hawkers out there, even though my preferred choice is still Lee Tong Kee.

On my way out, the young lady (owner?) asked me how it was, I told her it was nice and I meant it. I asked her whether this is Ipoh or KL style and she said neither as theirs is dry but KL and Ipoh are soupy. I told her then perhaps she should go try LTK as KL style has both ( in fact Ipoh also has both, except theirs is not so much the starchy gravy style) and speaking of this I think it is a waste if they do not do the soup version as the soup is rather well done. They should do an Ipoh Hor Hee style with it, topped with prawns, chicken or their dumpling and fuel it with green chilli padi instead of fishballs and hee kiow, I can imagine the shiokness now. :lol:

Will I still come back? Likely (they are slightly better than when they were at Ghim Moh), but I will bring my own prawn oil and green chilli padi, also I will ask them to use less black herbal sauce. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby SeeFood » Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:30 pm

I also like Lee Tong Kee but don't go there often because expensive and far. In KL, there is one shop at Chinatown, opposite Bak Kua shops, that have cheap and nice ipoh hor fun. Succulent chicken.
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby Tiantianchi » Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:44 pm

That will be Chen Tong Kee. Delicous, but also expensive ( even by KL, even Singapore standard). :(

4 plates of hor fun, 1 chicken and 1 wonton soup costs RM70.
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby 78volka » Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:18 am

HUH??Ipoh ho fun got fish ball,hee kiow,beansprout,hay bee hiam de meh???it sounds like bai chor mee,n satay bee hoon??hahaha..LTK have change to put hee kiow n fish ball,hay bee hiam into the hor fun NOW?OMG??? :-? I hope funan weng PLEASE dunt put such thing ,like hee kiow ,fish ball,n hay bee hiam,n bean sprout ,otherwise it really hard to find another delicious ipoh hor fun just like funan weng le... :lol: i LIKE funan weng fried wantan , N IPOH HO FUN n the dumpling soup with no msg, the dumpling soup was hot n taste sweet my kid love it so much ,n my son can finish THE WHOLE bowl DUMPLING souP,WITH NO WORRIES ABOUT MSG ..NOT LIKE OTHER !! :lol: ..whooo... yummy.. :D the most important thing is funan weng is very clean comfortable for us to sit down to enjoy our meals :wink: with air-con...N BB CHAIR... :D
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby Tiantianchi » Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:48 am

78volka wrote:HUH??Ipoh ho fun got fish ball,hee kiow,beansprout,hay bee hiam de meh???it sounds like bai chor mee,D


Perhaps, you need to re-read my post and Visit Ipoh and have a good bowl of Hor Hee (google if you don't know what this is) then come back and we can continue this dicussion. :roll: :lol: And anyway i did not say ipoh hor fun has hae bee hiam. I am putting a remark on the sambal from this place. Want to do it, go all the way out and do it better. This is not a $3 a plate hawker centre stall. Please....
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby 78volka » Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:25 am

7) Best to go with the preserved green chilli. The chilli sambal tasted too processed and does not go too well mixing into the horfun, the unpleasant sour tinge (probably from preservative) interferes too much. Perhaps a lighter chilli similar to those chicken rice chilli or go all the way out with a dense, moist, hae bee hiam would be nice..........This is the post you have posted... :-? ....lol...i did not get any share from funan weng or ltk,why should i be overprotective??This is just a comment that come over my mind when i have readed your post,like i say there's a lots of food that the oringin from oversea,that's does not mean in singapore we have to follow their style... :lol: and don't you tell me,if i want's to have a plate of hainanese chicken rice,i have to buy air ticket and fly over to hainan in china :lol: anyway we have our own style in food,and i am totally disagree in your comment with funan weng,why not you can give a try asking LTK to follow your style. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby 78volka » Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:29 am

:P
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby Tiantianchi » Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:42 am

Obviously you still don't get the point.

Firstly you commented that ipoh hor fun do not have fishball,etc. That is a flaw. Ipoh hor fun in Ipoh do come with that. It is inevitable when something is imported,it get changed to suit the local preference or to entirely different thing sometime. There is nothing wrong with it and in fact as I mentioned in my post, they did mention to me this is their own Singapore style, absolutely nothing wrong and great to have such ingenuity.

And yes....I won't ask you to go Hainan Island for chicken rice - chicken yes, rice no. Besides, I am just saying that it is a waste of their soup, if they don't do it hor hee style - with their own variation ( go back to read again what I wrote). Perhaps you are right. I don't think they should change, oops, correction they should not try introducing a new product, not until they perfect what they are already doing now.

Secondly, my comment about chilli is firstly, it tasted processed and that I prefer something else. Certainly there will be people who don't bother with quality or like it tasting that way. I have no issue with that. Taste is subjective.

My comment is exactly as what it is, my impression. A restaurant should be able to take comment positively and pick what works for them and what make sense. If I intend to try changing what they are doing, I would have told them there and then, and again I didn't because I am narrating what I tasted, what I observed and what I personally prefer.

As for your last comment about LTK, it is not my style to tell restaurant what to do. I give my remarks and it is up to them to decide whether it make sense. For them, certainly fewer remarks than Funan Weng.

My goodness, I sounded like promoting for LTK. :lol: :lol:
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby Bubao » Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:38 am

Tiantianchi wrote:Overall it is still a superior ipoh horfun compared to many mediocre hawkers out there, even though my preferred choice is still Lee Tong Kee.


I don't see much criticism in Tiantianchi's post. Everyone is entitled to have their own opinion lor.

Weng Funan I have not tried but I would like to recommend this stall just nearby. It is only a short walk down Tanjong Pagar at the food centre. It is called Dao Ji. Thick thick yummy gravy and the hor fun is very smooth. Only open on weekdays and close on weekends. Got mushroom as topping also and you must try the wonton which is not too big but very yummy and cheap cheap. If you go before lunch it is not so crowded and not so hot. :D
I am still hungry
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Re: Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun

Postby suede76 » Thu Jan 21, 2010 1:19 pm

78volka, nevermind what your aims of your posts are, it would be much more pleasant for general forum readers like myself if you sound less hysterical and breathless.
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