PETALING JAYA, June 15 — With its narrow, densely packed roads and many businesses still run out of converted homes, Sungai Way has an aesthetic unlike other suburbs in Petaling Jaya.
While rapid development has transformed much of the city into a landscape of shopping malls and bustling commercial hubs, Sungai Way retains its distinct roots.
Established as a Chinese new village under the Briggs Plan, it remains one of the city’s last visible vestiges of Malaysia’s colonial past.
As in many former new villages, the eateries that have become pillars of the community are often still run out of a family home, with the people behind them still living under the same roof.
Kedai Kopi Hoh Piah is one such spot, and despite the kedai in the name, it is pretty clearly the front of a house.
“Kedai Kopi” Hoh Piah operates out of a house. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The time-honoured setup is full of worn tables, old but not obsolete, and many regulars come from the neighbourhood for their breakfast, particularly on the weekend.
Young families with kids still in their pyjamas, young couples still in their pyjamas… or maybe everyone just felt like pyjamas that morning, and I missed the memo.
Everyone’s gathered here today for the simple, soul-soothing bowl of noodles that is pan mee.
In addition to the standard offerings of dry and soup pan mee (both RM9), there are also left-field options like tom yam, mala soup pan mee, and even a bak kut teh noodle.
Noodles being made from scratch. — Picture by Ethan Lau
It’s telling, then, that when I walk in, it’s not the medicinal scent of bak kut teh or the sharp sting of chillies and tom yam that greets me, but the mild aroma of anchovy broth.
Soup is by far the most popular order, and it’s easy to see why. The broth is clear and very light in colour, but it has more depth than it lets on, with a gentle sweetness carried by the anchovy base.
A scoop of minced pork adds a touch of savouriness, but the real punch comes from a handful of well-fried, crispy, salty anchovies.
Tying it all together is a smack of spicy, tangy sambal. Whether you go for the hand-torn or thick-cut noodles, it’s a satisfying bowl.
I personally prefer the dry preparation, as I like to really ruminate on the texture of hand-torn mee hoon kueh.
The noodles aren’t tossed in a particularly noteworthy sauce, but they’re fairly thin, with a smooth, slippery texture that makes for an easy eating experience and doesn’t demand much chewing.
It looks light, but the soup ‘pan mee’ is filled with depth from the anchovy base. — Picture by Ethan Lau
I suspect that’s part of the appeal for much of the crowd here.
Hoh Piah is far from the only eatery in Sungai Way that operates out of a home, and it’s not the only pan mee shop in PJ either.
But there’s something about it that feels undeniably Sungai Way. Maybe it is the way it stays put, holds on, and keeps feeding the people around it the same way it has for years.
Dry ‘pan mee’ is my favourite way to eat these noodles, which have a satisfying texture. — Picture by Ethan Lau
As PJ continues to grow and businesses come and go in the name of progress, I suspect we’ll come to miss places like this — even if the parking never really improves.
Kedai Kopi Hoh Piah
75, Jalan SS 9a/4,
SS 9a, Petaling Jaya.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am-2.30pm
Tel: 03-7875 5910
• This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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• Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
