Turning 80 this year is Madam Heun May Lan, founder of legendary Bib Gourmand restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice. Despite her age, she remains, till this day, one of the most hardworking people in the restaurant.
"My grandmother would always arrive at the shop at 7:30 a.m. and leave around 7:00 p.m. — that's almost a twelve-hour shift every day! Her work ethic, grit, and tenacity are truly remarkable," says Bryan Yun, Huen’s grandson. Yun, a third-generation family member, is the only one taking the reins to carry on the family legacy. Yun started working at the shop a decade ago and is now in his late twenties, taking charge of the business. "My grandson is the boss now!" Heun teases.
What keeps Heun motivated even after forty years of running the business? "It all started with a need to make ends meet," she explains. Heun entered the business with a partner. They began by managing a claypot chicken rice stall in the same neighbourhood as where Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice stands today. "When we first started in 1985, the business was slow, and the flavour of the claypot chicken rice was subpar, so I began tweaking the recipe," Heun explains. Through her hard work and perseverance, she completely took over the stall within two years, but the road ahead was arduous.
For the next sixteen years, Heun relocated her stall six times due to landlords evicting her after seeing her business grow and wanting a piece of the pie. "The early days were tough. I had to start all over again with every relocation," Heun reflects. Her regulars, who complimented her claypot chicken rice, gave her the confidence and conviction she needed to keep going.
Finally, in 2001, Heun discovered a vacant shop lot on which the current restaurant resides and named it Heun Kee. With a kitchen of her own, she expanded the menu to include soup and dishes. When popular local TV host Jason Yeoh (Axian) featured Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice in 2013, it was a watershed moment for the restaurant. "Since then, the business has flourished and grown to what it is today," she explains.
What’s the secret to Heun Kee’s claypot chicken rice?
The humble claypot chicken rice may appear simple to prepare — consisting of rice, chicken, lap cheong (Chinese sausages), and sauces. However, applying an impossible eye for detail to make the perfect dish can lead to variables such as the length of time the chicken must be marinated to bring out its best flavour. Because temperature affects texture, the cooking time of the rice should also be calculated precisely so that the bottom part achieves that delicious crisp without becoming overly burnt and subsequently overcooking the chicken. Details such as knowing when to turn down the heat after the initial burst of high heat must be considered, too.
The secret lies in Heun's signature cooking technique, the "two-heat charcoal cooking method". Heun says, "the ‘two-heat charcoal cooking method’ is my own invention. Over the years, I have experimented numerous times to perfect this technique. In addition to cooking with charcoal at the bottom, the final step is to replace the clay pot lid with a tray of hot charcoal. The idea behind this method is to shorten the chicken's cooking time while keeping it tender and adding a smoky, aromatic flavour."
The cooks at Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice will simultaneously prepare several orders at a go with rows of charcoal stoves laid out. Every claypot chicken rice is made to order and cooked by rotating over different charcoal stoves of varying heat every five minutes, for the entire 30 minutes of cooking time. "We use about 700 kilos of redwood charcoal every week. And, of course, another secret is that we have our house-special marinating sauce for the chicken," Yun adds.
The Bib Gourmand Recognition
"When a letter from Hong Kong arrived, we were skeptical. The first thing that came to mind was, ‘is this a cash-on-delivery parcel scam?’” laughs Yun. “Furthermore, I recently replaced my Michelin car tyres. Gaining an accolade from MICHELIN was the last thing on my mind," Yun recalls.
To be certain, Yun called the MICHELIN headquarters in Hong Kong to double-check. When they knew the news was trustworthy, Heun encouraged her grandson to represent Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice during the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur held last year. "We were overjoyed. It is an honour to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other deserving establishments and to be recognised on an international scale," Yun says.
When asked what advice his grandmother gave him to help keep the business going, Yun says, "my grandmother always reminds me that the taste should always be the same from day one. There are no shortcuts; maintaining the quality of our food and taking care of our customers are of utmost importance.” Heun approves with a nod and adds, “and lastly, always pay our suppliers on time!"
What to Order
As the name implies, a visit to Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice is only complete by ordering its signature claypot chicken rice. One will find a small silver saucer of mui heong salted fish, the highest grade of fermented fish sourced from Kuantan, a city on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia in Pahang.
Nestled between the chicken and Chinese sausages, Yun suggests mashing the salted fish, pouring it on top of the rice, and mixing everything while the rice is still piping-hot. Larger serving spoons are placed alongside cutleries at each table for this purpose. One can order extra servings of salted fish, chicken parts, liver sausage, or even a raw egg to go with one’s order of claypot chicken rice.
Appetisers of fried chicken wings and house speciality seafood beancurd are available while waiting for the claypot chicken rice. Claypot smoked pork belly rice, claypot wax duck rice, claypot chicken with Chinese wine, pig stomach with white pepper soup, claypot curry garoupa fish head, pork knuckles in vinegar, and stir fry vegetables are other dishes to try. "The pig stomachs come from Canada,” Heun adds. Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice also serves special soups that are on daily rotation, such as old cucumber soup, watercress soup, and arrowroot soup.
Bib Gourmand • Inspectors’ favourites for good value
All images are from Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice unless stated otherwise. Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice (Pudu) is located at 59 Jalan Yew, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, 55100, Malaysia.
