Hainanese have been running a long history of business in food and beverage industry, ever since the Colonial times, where they served as cooks for the British or coffee shop operators. Authentic Hainanese restaurants are not easy to find these days, however Wan Li is one of them which are still operating today, ever since the year of 1997.
1). Situated in the middle of Jalan Kota, same row with the famous Kok Beng Chicken Rice & Taiping Magistrate Court, easily missed the signboard if you're not closely looking on your left.
2). As lunch time approaching, the restaurant starting to be filled with local folks taking the economy rice from the front stall at the restaurant, makes you wondering whether you're in the right place for Hainanese food.
3). Looking closely at the menu at the side of the restaurant, there's the food we are looking for! You can have a choice of Chicken Chop or Pork Chop in Hainanese style or black pepper, at an affordable price!
4). The best drink to have in a hot sunny afternoon, is a cup of Iced Mocha Coffee, priced at RM2.00 per cup. The overflowing foam definitely excites your taste bud! And indeed it was simply nice but ordinary.
5). The highly anticipated Hainanese Chicken Chop has been served! It was topped with a brown gravy, filled with sliced onions, peas, carrots and not forgetting the potato fries. The meat itself doesn't tasted special, however it was marvelously paired with the gravy, which bring out the flavours, especially taking together with the sliced onions.
6). The chicken chop is made out of boneless chicken thigh and drumstick, marinated with herbs and spices, then pan fried into golden crispy and lastly topped with the signatured Hainanese gravy. Priced at RM7.00 per plate, and the portion was generous and it's a steal at such an affordable price!
7). The second dish we ordered was the Pork Chop in Hainanese style. The presentation was exactly resemble the chicken chop, except there were two thin slices of pork chop. In comparison, the pork one tasted a bit dried and the the portion was rather small. For the same amount of money, I'll rather place my bet the chicken.
8). Lastly we try out the traditional Spring Rolls, priced at RM2.50 each. The spring rolls were stuffed with minced meat, carrots and Chinese turnips, which renders the chunky taste; and there were wrapped around by a deep fried bean curd skin, which gives it the crunchiness. The rolls was served hot and crispy, freshly made from the oven. The other specialties at the restaurant which you can give them a try are dumplngs, lamb stew, and assam fish as well. It might not worth the drive to Taiping just for the chicken chop, however there are no better place around to try some authentic Hainanese cuisine.
Restoran Wan Li at Taiping (万里中西饭店）
Address : No.48, Jalan Kota, 34000 Taiping, Perak.
Tel. : 05-8086092, 019-5774616
Business hours : 8.00am - 3.30pm, 6.00pm - 10.00pm
(Closes on every fortnight of Tuesday)
GPS coordinates : N04 51.161 E100 44.557
(Closes on every fortnight of Tuesday)
GPS coordinates : N04 51.161 E100 44.557
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