A piping hot bowl of prawn mee at Choon Prawn Mee House.
FOR more than four decades, folk in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, have been flocking to Choon Prawn Mee House to satisfy their craving for authentic Penang prawn mee (Hokkien mee).
It began as a humble prawn mee stall at O&S coffeeshop in Taman Paramount in 1981 and has flourished, even introducing its own Baba Choon retail series inspired by the owner’s Peranakan heritage.
There are three products in this new series, namely Baba Choon Prawn Mee, Hotpot Pack and Signature Sambal.
According to general manager Jonathan Kang, son of shop owner Peter, they wanted customers to savour their prawn noodles wherever they were.
“The idea stems from wanting our regulars to enjoy the taste of our prawn mee even when they are not in town.
“So we came up with the idea of offering the packets to people to take home and share with their family and friends,” said the 25-year-old.
Jonathan, who had spent a couple of years in the corporate sector, said this was his pilot project after joining his father’s venture in March last year.
Peter (left) and Jonathan with Baba Choon Prawn Mee, Hotpot Pack and Signature Sambal products at their outlet in Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya. — Photos: CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
The research and development for this project took six to eight months.
“We launched the series in October and have sold 800 packets,” said Jonathan.
“They are pork-free and we are looking into applying for a halal certificate in the near future so that the retail series can reach a bigger customer base,” he said.
The Baba Choon Prawn Mee product comes in two servings consisting of air-dried ramen, dried shallots and prawn soup paste pack.
As for Signature Sambal, it can serve as a dipping sauce for the prawn noodles or as a marinade for other dishes.
Customers can also savour prawn mee soup as a hotpot base with the Hotpot Pack.
“The ingredients for the Baba Choon Retail Series were prepared by different halal-certified factories specialised in their own fields.
“We are using the retort technology system which sterilises the products at high temperature for a longer shelf life without use of preservatives,” Jonathan said.
Choon Prawn Mee House celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and its recipe has remained unchanged.
Peter, 61, who is fondly known as Ah Choon to some regulars, said what set his prawn mee apart was the way the soup was cooked.
“We crush the prawn shells to extract more flavour for the soup.
“Unlike most prawn mee in Kuala Lumpur, ours is on the sweeter side because of our Peranakan and Penang heritage,” said Peter.
His wife Angela Wong helps with restaurant operations.
The robust broth is served with prawns stir-fried with its signature sambal, taugeh, kangkung, fried shallots and half a boiled egg plus noodles.
Those who want a spicier kick to the broth can add the signature sambal served on the side.
Choon Prawn Mee House is also keen to collaborate with other restaurants or stalls wishing to serve prawn mee or are in need of the soup paste.
For business-to-business transactions, call 011-5421 5979 (Jonathan).
Customers can make reservations via 012-265 8193.
