A popular Macau indulgence has popped up in KL, thanks to this stall that opened this week in Lot 10's bustling Hutong basement food court.
Pork chop buns are Tai Lei Loi Kei's guilty pleasure, a no-frills treat featuring little more than bread & meat for not much more than RM10.
What's surprising is how satisfying these seem: hearty enough to halt hunger, with a crisp sliced bun & bone-in pork that's distinctively sweet-savory.
Has it really been more than two years since the last time we visited Hutong? Astonishingly, yes. Since then, more stalls have sprung up, such as this one specializing in Penang's duck egg char kuey teow.
Certain to spark a love-hate reaction. Love how this tastes, in all its egg-cockle-&-pork-lard glory, hate what havoc that must wreak on our arteries.
Another relatively recent addition to Hutong is Woo Pin's famed fish head noodles.
A big bowl of milky broth, slippery-smooth bee hoon & fresh, fleshy fish head (albeit bony).
Also strolled past this Yong Tou Foo outlet, where business is not as brisk as expected.
Almost tempted, but our stomachs pointed us elsewhere in the end. Maybe next time.
The one that got away: Campbell Popiah has been around in Hutong since Day One, but it used to close by 5pm everyday, so we never made it in time to try this.
Regular & egg-skin versions are available, both not bad at all, though we'd love some crunchy pork lard to add more texture to this.
Blast from the past: Found this newspaper clipping from more than three years ago hanging at the popiah stall. A very pleasant surprise.
Final destination: Hutong's own kopitiam area, called Nanyang Ten Coffee Shop.
Cakes & kaya are among the attractions here, but we stuck to the caffeine.
Old-fashioned fulfillment, milky-chocolaty in a manner that brings us back to our pre-espresso childhood. A fitting finish to this stroll through one of KL's best food courts.
Tai Lei Loi Kei Pork Chop Buns,
Hutong, Lot 10, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.