At Lai Foong, it is the tantalising claims of the beef noodles� aphrodisiac qualities that take centrestage. From the tongue to the penis, right up to the slivers of tendons and brisket, the diner will find some very exotic parts of the cow in the aromatic broth.
Whether the claim is true or not, the reputation of Lai Foong�s beef noodles for being able to give �strength� is almost as old as the building.
Surprisingly, Thomas Tan, 44, the beef noodle man, is blissfully unaware of the Viagra-like properties attributed to his popular fare. The only thing he will vouch for is the stamina-giving effect of the soup which is based on an authentic 80-year-old Hainanese recipe passed down by his late grandfather, Chou Jou.
Thomas surmises that it is the constant tasting of this vintage brew that has enabled the beef noodle stall to open every day without fail since his father, Len Chuan, started business at Lai Foong in 1956.
�My father was a disciplined man in the sense that he never missed a day of work until he retired 15 years ago,� reveals Thomas who started helping at the stall during his primary school years.
�There were three things my father always observed. The first is to be at the stall by 4am every day for the preparations. The second is to be punctual with the opening and closing times. The third is to maintain consistency in taste and quality. There was no such thing as �Aiyah, nevermind-lah. I�ll take a rest today and open tomorrow�. He would never tolerate such behaviour from any of us,� says Thomas, the seventh of 11 siblings.
Recalling the earlier days, Thomas reveals that Len Chuan had left the island of Hainan and had come to Malaya by boat in 1953.
�My father�s first job was at a tin mine in Perak. After three months, it dawned on him that there might be better fortune to be made in Kuala Lumpur. I guess it was also due to my grandfather�s influence as he was a firm believer that it is always better to be one�s own boss,� says Thomas.
Recalling how his father came to settle at the present location, Thomas says he had chanced upon an advertisement offering the rental of stall space at the then newly-built Lai Foong coffee shop while he was scouting around for a place to set up his business.
Today, this old world coffee shop is run by Len Chuan�s children. One is Daniel, 40, Thomas� younger brother. Both are former students of SM Vivekananda in Brickfields.
Daniel who entered the business in the 80s, reveals that the coffee shop is named after the original owner before his father took over the lease of the shop from The Rubber Trade Association of Selangor and Pahang.
Though Daniel does not know the current whereabouts of the owner�s family, he remembers meeting a Wong Lai Cheong, believed to be the owner�s daughter who managed the shop and ran a dim sum stall within the premises. Three other hawkers who sold fish ball soup, prawn noodles and chicken rice beside Len Chuan�s beef noodle stall when he started in 1956 have also retired due to old age.
Still, there was no doubt that Lai Foong had been a �happening� place back then and it was rumoured that famous names like Yeoh Tiong Lay and Teng Peck Kheng would eat here.
The 80s also saw visits from Hong Kong film star Liu Wai Hung (better known as Ah Charn) who was a popular name in the 80s and 90s.
Expectedly, the hawker menu has retained much of its reasonable pricing and traditional flavour with offerings like fried kway teow, pork noodles, chicken rice and wan tan noodles with thick slices of char siew.
There is a personal endearment to the wan tan mee here as Loo Yoke Ying, 45, the wan tan lady, makes the loveliest meat dumplings. There is also a certain springiness to the egg noodles, which are best savoured dry with black sauce.
Sharing star billing with the beef noodles is the peppered pork stomach soup. Yeow Peck Sze, 56, the stomach soup lady who has been at Lai Foong for the past 10 years, says this traditional dish is becoming rarer in hawker food circles due to the complicated cleaning process of the pig stomach. But it is still much sought after by diners as it is believed to improve vitality and stomach functions.
Interestingly, it is a Chinese belief that eating a certain part of an animal�s internal organ holds parallel benefits for the diner�s inner functions as well.
The chicken rice stall run by Wooi Juin Kit, 22, is also notorious for long queues at lunch time. This can be attributed to the flavourful roasted meats. Naturally, the crackly skin of the roasted pork is a delicious but sinful indulgence.
The tiger prawn yee mee is another yum yum. Lathered with egg sauce, the tiger prawns come with thick, rich orangey roes. There is much to look forward to from this talented sei chow cook, Lee Yong Cheng, 25. From observation, he also does great Hokkien noodles as well.
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