Indulging in Seafood

by Audrey Lim, Mar 27, 2002 | Destinations: Malaysia / Kuala Lumpur

Curry Seafood and Tom Yam Noodles!

Image © Audrey Lim

If you are a fan of seafood noodles, then you have got to check out this place in Segambut*. There are no better or more delicious seafood noodles in the whole country. Perhaps you think I am exaggerating but I can only sing praises to this fantastic group of people who made eating seafood noodles a heavenly pleasure!

Previously, Ipoh City (located in the state of Perak and is very famous for good food) is the holder of this record, but now, no other place in Malaysia can match up to the delicious seafood noodles in Segambut. If you are ever in Kuala Lumpur, do not miss out on the chance to try out this great lip-smacking meal. I promise, you won't regret it.

For starters, this shop serves seafood noodles in three flavors - clear soup, tom yam soup and curry. Available seafood includes fish, mussels, prawns (big ones too), squid, and clams. They are really fresh too and this is due to the high turnover of patrons. For your meal, you can opt for either a choice of mixed seafood or simply choose the ones you like. I normally opt for just prawns and lots of mussels. As for noodles, you can have kuey teow, meehoon, mee, lou shue fan, yee mee or a mixture of any noodles. Please check out my article entitled "What Mee?" for a better understanding of the various noodles available here.

Despite the variety, the most popular choice amongst patrons is the curry seafood noodle. My taste tends to lean towards the tom yam noodles. Many claimed that the tom yam soup is too sour, and I must say so too. Unless you have taste buds that can survive really sour and spicy stuff, I'd say, stay away from the tom yam. On the other hand, the curry seafood noodles are just nice, not too spicy and not too heavy on the santan (coconut milk). The secret recipe that makes the curry noodles so good is a dash of condensed milk. For those who are familiar with the way curry noodle are made would never have guessed that a simple dose of the milk can make a world of difference! Those who cannot tolerate spicy food can go for the clear soup seafood noodles which is just as delicious as the curry and tom yam ones. The clear soup is made even sweeter and delicious by a generous dose of seafood. For those who are not too fond of the "fishy" smell of seafood should stay away from the clear soup noodles. The smell, however, is not very strong and to many, it is simply delicious. The clear soup seafood noodles also come with a sprinkle of seaweed.

When your orders arrived, don't let it shock you! The size of the bowls is BIG but you will not be complaining about it as you dig in your meal. The huge portion is mainly attributed to the generous amount of seafood, especially the large-sized prawns. The portion of noodles is quite small. The regular size of seafood noodles is priced at RM10 whilst the large bowl cost RM12. By Malaysian standards, it is almost three times the regular price of normal noodles, however, the higher price is justifiable as seafood is expensive. No matter what you order with your noodles, the price remains the same. If you choose just prawns for your noodles, the price is tagged exactly the same as a bowl that comes with the entire mixture of seafood.

Best times to check out this restaurant are an hour before noon or at about 1 p.m. (after the lunch crowd disperse). This place can get really crazy and bustling during lunch hour! If you are there at about noon, you will probably have to wait quite a bit before getting a table at the air-conditioned section of the restaurant located on the 1st floor. As this restaurant is housed in a two-floor shop lot, where only the 1st floor is air-conditioned, it is not a good idea to be seated on the ground floor where all the cooking takes place. The ground floor near the cooking area is like a furnace as this is where each bowl of seafood noodles is "lovingly" and individually cooked over a roaring fire. For those who are there for an early Sunday morning breakfast can choose to dine al fresco at foldable tables and chairs placed at the back of the shop.

I have waited in line once for more than half an hour just for a takeaway. That - I am sure will give you hints of its popularity!

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* Segambut is a hidden suburb located in Kuala Lumpur. Bordering this area is other suburbs namely Sentul, Jinjang, and Kepong. As Segambut is nestled along Jalan Kuching, you can easily get there via these roads: