Relishing Pan Mee

        I look forward to my weekday brunches with my parents. One of my staple brunch choices is the pan mee or ban mian at Sun Sun Cafe. 
        For the uninitiated, pan mee is a Hakka dish of handmade egg noodles served in a flavourful soup with pork slices, minced pork, strips of wood fungus, crispy anchovies and potato leaves. Creative Malaysian hawkers have come up with different albeit tasty variants like dry pan mee tossed in dark soya sauce, spicy pan mee topped with a poached egg,  pan mee in curry, pumpkin pan mee and more. The noodles itself can come in various shapes; some like them in hand-torn slices, others prefer thick strands like fettuccine while I prefer thin strands. The direct translation of pan mee is board noodles, attributed to the original Hakka method of cutting the noodles. Convenience has dictated that present-day hawkers use the pasta maker to cut the noodles.
        I used to favour the dry version but having made the decision to tame the rebellious cholesterol levels, I now opt for the noodles in soup. Dr. Lee should be oh-so-proud of me!  

It may not be dripping in oil, but this bowl of pan mee is so yummy! 

        Unlike many dishes, where the focus is on the ingredients, the benchmark of a scrumptious bowl of pan mee lies in the texture of the noodles as well as the broth in which it is served. Penny Lau at Sun Sun Cafe serves an excellent rendition of the pan mee as her noodles are springy and her anchovy-stock soup is so good that I slurp it up to almost the last drop.

Sun Sun Cafe at Medan Ipoh Bistari

The signboard says it all.

        Just typing this post is making my mouth water. I can hardly wait for tomorrow morning to come so that I can pay Penny Lau a visit and relish a bowl of springy pan mee in a delightful broth. And that makes it visit #2 for this week!