Mention Ipoh and the first thing that comes to mind is Ipoh Nga Choy Kai or Beansprout (Tauge) with Chicken. Ask anyone where to find the best place to eat the steamed chicken rice or noodles with bean sprouts in Ipoh and you may be directed to either of 2 places – Onn Kee aka Ong Kee or Lou Wong.
These 2 shops sell the exact same food stuff and are located at opposite corners at a crossroad, facing each other – talk about competition! Ong Kee also has a shop right next to Lou Wong cunningly named Onn Kee and its easy to be misled if you aren’t careful. I was in the area recently so I decided to run a taste test! Onn Kee vs Lou Wong Beansprout Chicken!
Steamed Chicken Test
I ordered a single portion of chicken in both shops. The picture for Onn Kee was taken a while ago when I had a double portion so you have to excuse that. Portion wise, Lou Wong served a bigger portion.
Chicken texture wise, Onn Kee’s chicken had a firmer texture with more bite. The one at Lou Wong felt soft.
Taste wise, I found that the steamed chicken at Onn Kee had a sweetish taste while the one at Lou Wong has a saltier taste with a stronger taste of sesame oil. Its all in the sauce the pour over the chicken.
Scalded Beansprouts (tauge) Test
The scalded beansprouts in both the restaurants tasted about the same. Onn Kee’s however had a slightly sweeter taste. I think its the same sauce they use for the chicken. Portion wise, Lou Wong served a little bit more for a 1 person portion.
Hor Fun – plain rice noodles in soup
The portion size was about the same in both restaurants.
Taste wise, the plain soup noodles in Lou Wong was more tasty. You can eat it by itself as the soup is heavily seasoned. I also suspect there is more MSG 
The soup noodles in Onn Kee tasted a little more plain but because its plainer it actually goes better with the chicken which is already flavoursome. Pairing the hor fun with the chicken in Lou Wong left it feeling slightly cloying to my tastebuds.
Prices
The exact same 1 person portion of chicken, beansprouts and hor fun cost RM7.20 at lou Wong and RM8.50 in Ong Kee – a whopping RM1.30 difference in price! f you’re in a big group the price difference might end up substantial. It might explain why Lou Wong seems more popular with tourists – I saw many big groups of tourists eating there.
Verdict : Which Ipoh Nga Choy Kai restaurant is better? Onn Kee or Lou Wong?
I’d say it depends on your taste and what you’re looking for. For a combination of tastes, I think I prefer Onn Kee - it was less cloying overall albeit a bit sweet. Lou Wong had too much flavour going in all their dishes so it sits heavier on the tastebuds.
If budget’s your concern then Lou Wong seems to offer a better price.
Either way, both restaurants are always jam packed and mostly with tourists though I noticed more locals wandering into Onn Kee. Perhaps that tells you something? Or perhaps they are just eating elsewhere!
Note: Restoran Onn Kee (next to Lou Wong) and Restoran Ong Kee (opposite Lou Wong) are the same restaurant – the Chinese name is the same and I spotted them sharing the cooked chicken. However, I found the taste in Onn Kee a tad better than Ong Kee – maybe it lies in the skill of the man at the chopping board
No pork is served in both restaurants except in the form of pork balls in soup.
Restoran Lou Wong Tauge Ayam KueTiau
Restoran Ong Kee (Tauge Ayam)
Both are at the crossroads of
Jalan Yau Tet Shin,
30000 Ipoh
Popularity: 4% [?]
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Lou Wong looks more yummy.
Hmm, I’ve tried Lou Wong before and was not very satisfied. I have found better steamed chicken in KL and they don’t serve my favorite butter rice, just plain white rice. Maybe the next time I am in Ipoh I will try Onn Kee.
I love ONN KEE.. will only go there whenever I go home.. Such a treat!
Lou Wong is only good for their sales.. Locals will never go there…haha!!