Traditional Teo Chew dish provided sustenance for Chinese migrants in the past.

Lou Chee Yuk (braised pork in soya sauce) is a traditional Teo Chew dish that goes well with porridge.

It has been around the Klang Valley for ages but finding one good stall that serves this dish can be considered a bonus as preparing such a meat dish is considered a dying art.

In these modern days where middle-aged city folk are prone to diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, consumption of fatty foods such as Lou Yuk is considered unhealthy.

But in the past, Lou Yuk was the poor man’s nourishment among the migrant Chinese, who were mainly labourers.

A hard day’s work was rewarded with a bowl of porridge complemented by pig’s skin and fat. It was as simple as that.

Eating animal parts that are not considered as ‘prime cuts’ became a norm to sustain the lower-income group. Hence, the Lou Yuk with porridge.

Now, moving on, I have had the chance to try out a Lou Yuk stall with my in-laws in Restoran Millenium 86 coffee shop (GPS N 03 06 489,E 101 37 444) in Paramount Garden, Petaling Jaya.

Samo’s extended family trying out the Lou Yuk at Millenium 86 coffee shop in Paramount Garden.

Samo’s extended family trying out the Lou Yuk at Millenium 86 coffee shop in Paramount Garden.

This is a stall specialising in Lou Ngap (duck braised in soya sauce) and has a good variety of choice morsels from the pig such as Chee Thou Phei (pig’s face), Chee Yue Chai (pig’s ears), Chue Lei (pig’s tongue) and Fah Yuk (pork belly).

The meat dishes are also known as Luk Mei, which means six flavours in Cantonese), a term that is now “alien” in the city centre.

Our order came with duck meat, braised tofu, pig’s ears, duck’s gizzard and pork belly.

The bill came up to RM25 per plate and Pat, my mother in-law, complained that the dark soya sauce was too salty.

Aiya, this fella ah, his gravy very salty one la!,” she said.

Well, other than the gravy, I would say that the duck meat and the pork were brilliant and would go down well with a chilled glass of beer.

On the Samo-scale, I would rate this Lou Yuk stall a 5.8 out of 10.

Millenium 86 coffee shop opens daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the landmark to lookout for is the Post Office in Paramount Garden. From the LRT station, it is roughly a 15-minute brisk walk to this makan place.

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