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This one’s for spicy food lovers everywhere. If you’re into burning your innards and peeing acid, then you can’t go wrong with the spicy pan mee (ban mien/board noodles) at Restoran Kin Kin. To get there, go along Jalan Chow Kit. The restaurant is located on the backstreet off Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Take a left turn at Pizza Hut followed by a right. You’ll see a nondescript shop at the end of the road marked by a bright yellow signboard.

The restaurant is a family owned business and has been in operation for a very long time. It has come a long way since it’s humble beginnings as a small stall set up under a tree with two tables at the end of the same street. They have since upgraded to the shoplot that they now occupy and business has never been better. It is so good that the noodles are prepared in a way akin to an assembly line, churning out bowl after bowl with quick efficiency.

Lunch is its peak period and you’ll often see a long queue outside waiting to get in. To avoid the crowd, it is best to time your arrival before lunch hour (11.00am) or schedule for a tea break (3.00pm). Official business hours are 7.30am to 9.00pm on weekdays and while weekends they close shop at 4.30pm. The last Sunday of every month is their day of rest.

The restaurant serves a variety of noodles, both soup and dry. But as the title suggests, the specialty is spicy pan mee. Pan mee is basically stretched dough noodles. The dough is prepared daily by the restaurant itself. The secret ingredient is the spicy condiment that is added to the noodles.

I have no idea what they put into the spicy concoction. The only two ingredients that I’m quite certain of is chili flakes and oil. I suspect they throw in some dried prawns (ha mai) for flavour but that’s just a guess. The combination is cooked to a flaky dry mix which you add to the noodles. It is up to you how much or how little to add but I usually take three large scoops. Mind you that it is really spicy and my suggestion is to try a taste to gauge your tollerance level. If you can take it, then by all means add more.

1. Take one bowl of dry pan mee
2. Add spicy chili flakes to taste
3. Mix well and dig in
4. Fin

A bowl of pan mee comes with the standard issue ingredients. Fried anchovies (ikan bilis), minced pork, and crispy fried shallot sprinkled over springy noodles with a dash of oil and flavouring and topped with an egg poached to perfection. The dry (konlo) noodles is also served with a small bowl of soup and sayur manis.

Unfortunately, the serving is pretty small. One bowl (RM4.50) is rarely enough. They used to allow patrons to upsize the noodles for RM1.00 but they’ve since discontinued the practice. I’ve found that one and a half bowls is ideal for a meal. That means three bowls for every two persons. One way or the other, you better decide how many bowls you want and place a single order. Otherwise, you’ll go to the end of the queue if you decide to order extras later.

On a side note, I should warn you that while the food is great, the brothers that run the place are rather hot tempered. If you catch them on a good day, they’ll laugh, joke and oblidge your requests for special orders. Otherwise, you best be sure of what you want or you’ll be waiting a long time for your meal.

There were six of us and we shared nine bowls of noodles between us. We also polished off two basins of the spicy condiment. The entire meal including an assortment of drinks cost RM49.90. While it was a little on the pricey side, I think it’s safe to say that everyone was satisfied. I definitely recommend the place for chili lovers. However, if you have a weak stomach, then this might not be for you.

The last time I checked, you could also purchase a pack of the chili mix for your own consumption. However, I’m not sure whether they are still selling it that way. If you’re interested, you can always check with the owner.

Restoran Kin Kin
40 Ground Floor,
Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1,
Off Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman,
Chow Kit, KL.

Business Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7.30am - 9.00pm
Saturday - Sunday: 7.30am - 4.30pm
Closed on last Sunday of every month