SEMENYIH, July 8 —There are pork noodles and then there are truly slurp-worthy pork noodles.
You know the sort I mean: sauce and oil slicked strands of hor fun that you toss unceremoniously with minced pork and pork lard, the garnish of chopped green onions almost an afterthought.
An ordinary bowl which somehow manages to be greater than the sum of its parts.
Why such a bowl remains challenging to come across nowadays is probably a discussion for another time. (Suffice to say, I have had more mediocre bowls of pork noodles than I care to remember.)
Cups of silky smooth ‘cham’. — Picture by CK Lim
Which is why, for certain readers who are born food sleuths and undeterred when it comes to longer drives, it might be well worth it to travel to Semenyih for a simple yet satisfying bowl.
The pork noodles I’m alluding to can be found from early morning till around noon at Restoran Mei Mei Seafood in Semenyih’s Eco Majestic township.
This is very much a breakfast or weekend brunch dish; come dinnertime, the shop offers typical dai chow or Chinese restaurant fare.
Mid-morning is the perfect time to visit, really. The lunchtime crowd hasn’t stomped in yet so you can sip on freshly mixed cups of silky smooth cham while waiting for your noodles.
Go for the dry version of the pork noodles. — Picture by CK Lim
The front-of-house, so to speak, is run by one of three brothers; all of them quite young. He’d first ask if you would like the soup or dry style of pork noodles.
For my money, I would always go for the dry version of the pork noodles though this is entirely up to personal preference.
There is nothing wrong with their soup pork noodles, mind you. The reason I prefer the dry type isn’t so much a case of sauce vs. soup so much as which style showcases the nuggets of pork lard best, but more on that later.
Our bowls of dry pork noodles arrived looking quite unassuming: a golden tumble of noodles, slicked in soy sauce and rendered pork lard. Liquid gold, that. A smattering of well seasoned minced pork.
We had a choice with the noodles themselves, of course. Some might prefer chewy loh shu fun; others go for yellow noodles cooked just long enough to have a bit of a spring.
It’s always hor fun – flat rice noodles – for us, the better to soak up the restrained coating of soy sauce and lard oil. A garnish of chopped green onions adds sweetness and crunch in equal measure.
The highlight, without a doubt, is the fried pork lard – the real reason I opt for the dry noodles instead of its soupier sibling.
The pork liver is still tender and not overcooked (left) whilst the croutons of pork lard are fresh and crunchy (right). — Picture by CK Lim
When the croutons of pork lard are this fresh and crunchy, I wouldn’t waste them getting soggy in broth. Instead, when tossed with the noodles, minced pork, sauce and oil, what you have is a textural surprise in every bite.
Smooth and crispy, oily without being greasy, so full of flavour.
The rest of the porcine protein is kept warm in the hot soup, a separate bowl awaiting our attention. The pork liver is still tender and not overcooked whilst the sliced pork and meatballs remain tender and bouncy.
You can mix and match or ask for less of certain ingredients. Some might not enjoy the chewy pork intestines. Sometimes I ask for only the freshly shaped meat patties, which have a more velvety mouthfeel compared to the lean sliced pork.
The curry mee is another standout dish here. — Picture by CK Lim
For fans of spicier breakfast bowls, the curry mee is another standout dish here. The broth was thick, almost creamy, coloured a deep red thanks to a higher ratio of chilli oil to coconut milk.
There is that unmistakable waft of fermented shrimp paste and chunks of parboiled chicken. Soft tofu puffs soaked through with curry, the surprisingly vivid green of long beans and juicy bean sprouts round out the ingredients.
The noodles underneath are a mix of yellow mee and rice vermicelli, usually, perfect for soaking up the broth without getting too soggy.
But for most of us, the real draw has to be generous toppings of blood-red see hum. A saucer of sambal and a wedge of lime, and you’re all set.
These are ordinary bowls of noodles that will offer even the most fastidious of appetites some quiet satisfaction. And in uncertain times like now, that is quite extraordinary indeed.
Generous toppings including blood-red ‘seehum’. — Picture by CK Lim
Restoran Mei Mei Seafood
32-1, Jln Eco Majestic 9/1B,
Eco Majestic, Semenyih,
Selangor.
Open Tue-Sat 8am-9:30pm, Sun 8am-10:30pm, Mon closed
Phone: 016-631 5865
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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