KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 14 — Walk into Restoran Paik Siong and it will feel like you’re transported to laidback Sitiawan.
The unpretentious place run by a mother-and-son duo brings traditional Hock Chew or Fuzhou fare nearer to our doorstep.
Much patience is required here as they only cook everything upon order but the air-conditioning is heaven sent in this crazy hot climate.
The menu is minimal, with eight noodles and two fried rice options.
Everything is prepared with a big helping of heartwarming flavours, like how your mother or grandmother does it.
Fuss free dining (left) is found at the restaurant (right) that is located at the quieter side of Kinrara. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Pictures of each dish is plastered on their wall, clueing you in on what you’re getting, especially if you’re a stranger to Fuzhou cuisine.
Red Wine Mee Sua sits at the prime number one position in the photo line-up, signaling its most wanted status, since many regard it as the high priority Fuzhou dish.
What I was more interested in was the ordinary sounding Fuzhou Rice Flour Cake Soup (RM7).
In Chinese, it’s known as ding bian hu, which roughly translates to dough cooked at the edge of the wok.
The noodles are a breakfast favourite in China’s Fujian province. In Malaysia, one can find it in Fuzhou strongholds in Sibu and Miri.
In Sitiawan, it’s extremely uncommon, limited to just a few families who make it at home. Even my friend who once resided in Sitiawan was clueless about it.
True to its name, a thin rice flour batter is poured at the side of a hot wok as the broth cooks underneath it.
Once it’s cooked, a spatula is used to break it into pieces, plunging it into the pool of broth below.
In this version, sliced pork belly, fish cake, lily bulbs and wood ear fungus with vegetables is added into the wok to cook.
Take your pick, whether you prefer silky smooth Fuzhou Rice Flour Cake Soup (left) or chewier noodles served with Fuzhou Egg Yan (right). — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
When I was served a bowl of the Fuzhou Rice Flour Cake Soup complete with billowing steam, it was actually raining.
That bowl infused me with warmth as I ate spoonfuls of the silky, uneven sized pieces of flour cake mingling with the voluptuous thick broth that has a light flavour minus any additives.
I added a little of the liquid from the pickled garlic jar that was strangely tinged green like the Hulk, zapping it with an appetising zing.
It’s not laden with ingredients but you won’t care much as the treasure is those handkerchief pieces of rice flour cake.
In my mind, it bears a resemblance to Hokkien mee hun kueh but here, the texture is just softness without any of the chewiness one craves for in noodles.
Should a bouncier bite be your preference, order the Fuzhou Egg Yan (RM7) instead.
Also known as Long Yan in Fuzhou circles (long means egg in Fuzhou dialect), this homemade noodle is made with a combination of beaten eggs and rice flour.
Ratios of these ingredients differ among families but essentially, you want delightfully chewy strands.
The batter is cooked like a crepe and cut into strips to form the noodles.
Using the same broth and ingredients, a bowl of Fuzhou Egg Yan is just as comforting but with noodles that have a subtle elasticity to it.
This version of Fuzhou Red Wine Chicken Mee Sua will not intoxicate you as it’s suitable for all ages. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Next, the Fuzhou Red Wine Chicken Mee Sua (RM13) took the stage.
One may expect it to knock you out with its booziness but this one was definitely child friendly for all to savour.
The mee sua, laboriously pulled to form silken strands, is the perfect palette for that extremely drinkable red broth dotted with pieces of chicken.
Simple, tasty Fuzhou Fried Noodle is best enjoyed with a dollop of the burning chilli sauce. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Fuzhou Fried Noodle (RM8) is what one would whip up from kitchen staples at home but the flat noodles were brimming with wok hei and slick with a dark soy sauce gravy, which we all slurped down.
Remember to add a dollop of an impossibly bright vermillion chilli sauce from the jar to the noodles as its spiciness brightens it up with a lingering heat that is strangely addictive.
Fuzhou Fried Soup Noodle may sound like a menu mistranslation but it’s literally stir-fried noodles braised in broth. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Fuzhou Fried Soup Noodle (RM8) sounds like one of those weirdly written menu items, lost in translation. But it’s literally noodles stir fried and braised in a brown soy sauce based soup.
The simple flavours with a not too salty broth appealed to us, bringing memories of Sitiawan days to my friend.
Now Fuzhou Loh Mee (RM8) isn’t my favourite as I’ve eaten the version found in Sitiawan’s market that includes pickled bamboo shoots, transforming it into a pungent, gloopy mess that frankly stinks like a smelly longkang.
Thankfully, the bamboo shoots are banished here saving our olfactory nerves from going into overdrive.
Eat the gloopy, dark sauce with the smooth noodles mixed with pickled garlic and chilli sauce for a tangy, spicy hit.
There’s also fried rice and asam laksa, which you can mix with the loh mee, to create a Fuzhou dish called Loh Lak, where thick gooey sauce is married with tangy assam to create a tangy-sweet love child to tickle your tongue.
Fuzhou Loh Mee (left) omits the pungent bamboo shoots while the Eight Treasure Rice (right) is the perfect way to end your meal here. — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
Hold out for their Eight Treasure Rice (RM6.50) for dessert as it’s a rarity in the big city.
The glutinous rice treat is crafted in-house, layered with soft taro paste, ground peanuts, candied winter melon and red dates.
It’s not pretty like those bejewelled layered creations found in restaurants in Sitiawan but you’ll be scooping up every last bit.
Restoran Paik Siong,
Lot 14381, 7 ½ Miles, Jalan Puchong,
Taman Paik Siong,
Kinrara, Puchong.
Open:7am to 3pm (Monday to Friday), 7am to 1pm (Saturday). Closed on Sunday.
Tel: 03-80824568.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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