Loke Yun Ampang Restaurant

From The Star

Lessons learnt from father contributes to restaurant's success

By TAN KARR WEI

One of the best in town: The Loke Yun Ampang restaurant in Pekan Ampang.

Good food, cleanliness and excellent service secured Phang Kee Kim the 'King of Hainanese Chicken Rice' award. Phang who runs the Loke Yun Ampang restaurant, was given the title by Guang Ming Daily in July.

“When my father passed down the business to me, he said we have to treat customers well to make sure they keep coming back. He also stressed the importance of cleanliness when running a business, from the front of the shop all the way to the back,” said Phang.

His father Phang Kwi learnt how to make Hainanese chicken rice when he worked at the Kim Hing coffee shop in Jalan Tun H.S, Lee, then known as Jalan Bandar.

The senior Phang then decided to open his own chicken rice stall in 1971 in Pekan Ampang.

“When we were younger, my sister and I would help out at the shop. After I got married, he handed the business over to me and we've been running the business since,” said the 42-year-old Phang.

His sister Phang Kim Lian, 48, said they used fresh raw ingredients to ensure the taste and quality of the food were never compromised.

“We get the chickens from a supplier who already knows our requirements as his father used to supply chickens to our father,” said Kim Lian.

A family recipe: Phang chopping the Hainanese steamed chicken into smaller pieces.

“My brother sells vegetables and we buy it from him so he makes sure we get the best produce,” said Phang's wife Kareen Lim, 38.

Besides the usual steamed Hainanese chicken dish, they also serve a variety of side dishes like steamed vegetables, braised chicken feet, chicken intestines and fishballs.

Customers can opt for the regular steamed chicken or village (free range) chicken.

“We have regular customers who frequent our restaurant every week. Some of them used to come with their parents during my father's time and now they are bringing their own children to eat our chicken rice,” said Phang.

Loke Yun Ampang Restaurant is located at 158, Jalan Besar, Ampang, Selangor (near the Ampang Jaya traffic police station). Telephone: 03-4291 9884. Business hours: Mondays to Sundays, 10.30am to 3pm and 5.30pm to 8.30pm.