Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles @ Petaling Street | Malaysia Food Guide
Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, is full of old-school hawker stalls. Those 1960s, almost-claustrophobic stalls with obscure signs, no website and trademark dishes that have been in the family for generations. Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles (新记牛肉粉) is one such stall & the perfect meal stop if:
- You’re somewhere close to Petaling Street (茨厂街) – the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur
- Don’t mind queuing for a seat along the main road. The lines move fairly fast, but it’s very hot and there isn’t any shelter from the weather.
- Don’t mind the small space & sharing tables with other strangers. On the upside, you get aircon & fast service!
- And most importantly, you love beef noodles.
Because as far as the locals are concerned, Shin Kee Beef Noodles serves some of the best Hakka beef noodles in Kuala Lumpur.
If you’re rushed for time, save this post for a later read!
Table of Contents
About Sin Kiew Shin Kee Beef Noodles
Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles (新记牛肉粉) is operated by Ah Lai and Koon Dai Shin (whose parents operated the stall back in the 1930s), and are third-generation owners. They used to also run a night stall at the crossroads of Jalan Hang Lekir and Jalan Petaling but their focus has since shifted to the particular stall we were now in.
The stall has been awarded many prizes, including:
Ctrip Gourmet List
Trend Setter Top 10 Around
The beef noodles are prepared prior to being ordered and you basically need to make 4 choices:
- Type of noodles;
- Whether you want your noodles wet (i.e. noodle soup) or dry (noodles and soup are served separately);
- Size of bowls: Small (RM 9 / USD 2.15) or Big (RM 11 / USD 2.70)
- Type of beef soup; and
- Drinks (if any)
4 types of noodles to choose from:
- Yellow noodle
- Mee hoon (or rice vermicelli)
- Kuih Teow (flat rice noodles)
- Lo Shi Fan (also known as “silver needle noodles” or “rat’s tail noodles”)
The beef soup is made of boiled beef bones served with a sprinkling of chopped spring onions, fried onions and coriander. The type of beef soup available include:
- Beef meatballs
- Beef stripes
- Beef brisket
- Beef tripe
- Beef mix, which carries a little of everything
Drinks:
- Coca-Cola / 100 Plus (can): RM 2.50
- Herbal Tea: RM 1.50
- Mineral Water (S): RM 1.00
- Chinese Tea: RM 0.50
Funny Story:
I didn’t grow up on lo shi fan. Stall owners don’t serve this type of short, stubby noodles in East Malaysia. So the first time I tasted lo shi fan – in a thick, gravy-like BLACK sauce served in a clay pot – I was shocked. Because the shape of it tasted like… worms!!
Not that I know what real worms taste like but it really felt that way. It’s a little thick but tapered towards both ends. Like how I would roll my playdough as a child into thin strips and run out of material so a little tail would material at the end.
Eating at Sin Kiew Yee Beef Noodles
We went at 1 pm, which was the peak lunch hour and it showed with the long queue outside. Just look at that photo!
Happily, the line moved fast and we were shown a seat in less than 15 minutes.
Because there was just two of us, we shared our table with other strangers. The waiter immediately came with a simple one-page menu for us to choose.
I opted for the regular seized bowl, which was more than enough for me. We were told that many patrons might even ask for up to 3 bowls of noodles, depending on how hungry they were!
Like many old school street food places, the food itself was served really, really fast.
My dry noodles were topped with minced meat. Simple yet filling!
We ordered the beef brisket soup and mixed beef soup. The beef brisket was really tender and even came with a generous piece of tendon! The photo above shows the beef brisket soup.
The mixed beef soup came laden with an assortment of beef parts. My favourite part was the beef balls, which were incredibly flavoursome, although some might find it a little too “hard”.
Interestingly, the mixed beef soup was much more flavoursome compared to the beef brisket soup, which tasted almost bland and watery in comparison. Maybe because the former has more ingredients in it?
The table has its own chopstick holder, which you use to eat. The spoons come with the noodles. You will also find a gigantic bottle of homemade chilli sauce on the table. A special fiery blend with a sour tinge. It’s a local favourite, so definitely give it a try.
I didn’t find it exceptionally spicy, and I’m not someone who can take a lot of spicy in the first place!
Verdict
I can see why Shin Kiew Yee Beef Noodles is a longstanding local favourite. It is fuss-free, cheap and good. Couple that with nostalgia from the years patronising this stall, and it is little wonder that it does so well!
Happily, you don’t need to be able to speak Chinese or Cantonese to come here. The pictorial menu is in English & Chinese and the server can also speak in multiple languages (typical of Malaysians, really!).
If you’re looking to try street food in Kuala Lumpur, come here. Then head over to the nearby Soong Kee beef noodles for comparison if you’re still feeling peckish.
Take note of some of these things at Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee:
- No pork
- No lard
- No Halal certificate
- No smoking / vaping
Opening Hours
10.30am – 7pm
Closed on Wednesday.
Address
7a, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles faces Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, with the entrance to Petaling Street / Chinatown to its left and a mere 1 minutes’ walk away. To its right, just across the street, you will find the blue/white facade of the Central Market Kuala Lumpur.
You can find Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee’s business Facebook page here.
How to get to Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles (新记牛肉粉)
If you prefer going by car, then get a Grab.
Otherwise, the Pasar Seni MRT Station or Masjid Jamek LRT station are two of the closest train stations around. Provided you don’t mind walking 10 – 15 minutes first. I personally don’t have an issue with walking.
TL;DR
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Other Things to Do Nearby
If you’re looking for more food/beef noodles near Petaling Street, a similar noodle place that is equally popular among locals is the Soong Kee beef noodles.
Let me know if you’ve been to Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodle or have any other recommendations to share! I’m always on the hunt for the best street food in Kuala Lumpur and as the saying goes, sharing is caring. 😉
And if you are heading to Kuala Lumpur and making a list of places to eat, make sure you put Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee down on your list. Then spend the rest of your day exploring Petaling Street and its myriad nearby Chinese and Hindu temples, speakeasies, old school shops and amazing street art!
It is all too easy to spend a full day in Petaling Jaya, even if you aren’t there for the beef noodles. Just make sure you bring an umbrella and LOTS of sunscreen. Malaysian weather being what it is, you will either be hit by intense heat or rain!
If you love short but scenic hikes, check out the KL Eco Forest Park. It is FREE to enter & its canopy walkway is one of the most instagrammable spots in KL! And it is located at the base of Menara KL (Malay for KL Tower), which is another KL hotspot.
If you’re willing to travel 2 hours out and LOVE adventure, then try the 4-hour spelunking at Gua Tempurung. The ULTIMATE caving adventure and by far my most favourite thing to do!
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20 Comments
Sage Scott
I know I’m slow to the Ramen/noodle party, but I *just* tried real Asian noodles at a ramen house in the Bronx a few weeks ago. Holy cow, were they amazing! I don’t know why it took me so long to give it a go!
Iuliya
Oh my, it’s a whole new world! Also, ramen is a completely different beast from beef noodles. 🙂 It’s time to head over to Southeast Asia for a taste of some authentic local dishes! 😉
Kavita Favelle
I am a huge fan of Malaysian food even though I’ve only visited KL briefly, and not the rest of Malaysia. I also have Malaysian friends who are foodies, plus a favourite Malaysian restaurant in a food court we also love to visit. I bet they don’t hold a candle to enjoying food in the country itself though. It looks like queuing in the heat is worth it to try Shin Kee Beef Noodles food. I appreciate your run down of all the dishes you tried.
Iuliya
Hope you get to try Shin Kee for yourself one day! Time to make a visit back to KL 😉
Michelle
This sounds like such an authentic food experience. Just the kind we like to have! Thanks for a great share!
Iuliya
You’re welcome!
Anna
I really loved the food in Malaysia! In fact, one of the best aspects of that trip was food, I just couldn’t choose anything from the menu that I didn’t like. Since then I’ve become vegetarian, so I hope there’s tofu version – I didn’t look out for that last time 🙂
Iuliya
Oh dear, unfortunately, there isn’t! When it says beef noodles, it is literally the only thing it sells 😉 BUT there are plemty of vegetarian options around KL!!
Lina
I love beef noodle soup! This looks like a great place for some good soup!
Iuliya
It was pretty good! A real classic 🙂
Alex
This place looks amazing, authentic and delicious. I’ll have to put it on my radar when I’m back in KL.
Iuliya
Great!
Jessica kokoszki
This looks delicious and what a fun food experience.
Iuliya
It definitely was! And really quick too 🙂
Raquel
I love all kinds of Asian food, but there’s something about eating it in its place of origin that makes it so much better! This sounds and looks delicious (:
Iuliya
I agree!!
Nomads RTW
We do love street food and noodles, so if we ever go to Malaysia this is going to be extra helpful! Thanks
Iuliya
You’re welcome!
tarun D
never tried Malaysian food! it looks too spicy for me…is it as spicy compared to indian or mexican food?
Iuliya
NOT spicy at all! Malaysian food can definitely be very, very spicy, but the beef noodles here is one of the dishes that isn’t spicy in Malaysia. But you can also add in their special in-house sour chilly sauce for that kick if you want!