BALAKONG, Jan 13 — There are places we think we know only because we have driven past them too many times. Balakong, for instance, often flashes by as little more than an industrial blur between Cheras and Seri Kembangan.

Yet if you were to slow down — or better still, stop for a meal — you might find it has much to offer.

The day might begin in the north, where the air fills with the aroma of simmering broth. Head south for the familiar comfort of noodles from across the South China Sea. Drift west for coffee and contemplation, before ending eastward, where nasi lemak leans towards the maxim “more is more”.

It isn’t so much a route as a rhythm — one that begins with steam and ends with spice.

Morning begins at Restoran MaMa Love, or Lao Ma Zi, as the regulars affectionately call it. Once a tiny stall in Cheras, the shop now occupies a corner lot in Taman Tun Perak, with a queue that seems to regenerate no matter the hour.

Patience is part of the ritual. You wait for a table, eyeing the bowls that parade past, each one glistening with pork lard and promise.

When your turn arrives, there is no need for ceremony. Order the pork noodles — soup or dry, both are worthy.

The broth, clear and quietly sweet, tastes like something coaxed rather than concocted. The toppings come in abundance: thinly sliced pork, minced meat, meatballs, liver, intestines, all arranged as though to remind you of what generosity looks like.

The dry version offers another pleasure altogether — noodles gleaming in savoury sauce, the accompanying soup darker, deeper, a shade more secretive. A spoonful of fresh cili padi on the side wakes the palate with cheerful malice.

By the time you’re done, you’re ready to face anything — including another meal.

Lunch takes us south, to Restoran J&J Borneo Corner, a kopitiam that hums with the cadence of Kuching. Regulars chat with the friendly stall owner as he tosses noodles, a gesture equal parts performance and memory.

The dish to order is the Sarawak Laksa Special — a bowl of amber broth rich with galangal, lemongrass and belacan, balanced by coconut milk. The prawns are absurdly large, but that’s part of the joy.

If you have the appetite, the Kolo Mee 3 Rasa is equally persuasive — three flavours on one plate. The white is laced with pork lard and fried shallots; the red carries a blush of tomato, tangy and spirited; whilst the black leans into the dark savour of soy sauce, topped with glossy Sarawak-style char siew.

To drink, the Three Layer Tea: gula apong at the base, milk in the middle, tea on top. The layers hold until stirred, like restraint before surrender.

By now you would have had two substantial meals in you. Time for some caffeine to keep the food crawl going.

Head west, towards Seri Kembangan, where behind a tall wooden door lies Noff Coffee. Inside, the décor is minimalist and one is immediately enveloped by the unhurried hum of conversation.

Coffee here is both ritual and exploration: espresso, pour-over, cold brew, each with its own character. A pour-over of Colombia La Esmeralda hums with citrus and honey; a Costa Rican single origin leans towards nuttiness.

Don’t miss out on the desserts; they pair perfectly with your cuppa. The Black Sesame Roasted Soybean Cake, in particular, is a delight, with the earthy notes of toasted seeds and legumes.

I have to warn you though; this is a pause rather than a full stop — a space to recalibrate before the evening swells again.

As dusk gathers, move east to end the day at Bookafe Pork Nasi Lemak and Pasta.

The name sounds improbable until you step inside and see shelves lined with cookbooks and board games, a space equal parts café and canteen. Laughter, the scrape of plates, the smell of spice in the air.

The Best Pork Curry Nasi Lemak is the house signature — coconut rice fragrant and brash, rich curry, redolent of childhood kitchens. But the Best of Both Worlds Nasi Lemak steals the scene: ayam berempah and babi penyet berempah sharing a plate, both buried under a landslide of crisp, golden rempah flakes.

By the time the plates are cleared, the sky outside has turned the colour of soy sauce. From MaMa Love’s quiet warmth to Bookafe’s cheerful excess, the day has come full circle — a map drawn not by roads but by appetite.

Balakong may not court attention the way trendier neighbourhoods do, yet its charm lies in precisely that. Its food is unpretentious but never plain, its flavours generous without gentrification.

Restoran MaMa Love

17-1, Jalan Tun Perak 2,

Taman Tun Perak, Balakong.

Open daily 7:30am-5pm

Phone: 03-8958 7571

Restoran J&J Borneo Corner

No. 5G, Jalan J-Avenue,

J-Avenue, Balakong.

Open daily 7am-5pm

Phone: 019-308 6541

Noff Coffee

No 8-1, Kompleks Komersil Akasa,

Jalan Akasa,

Akasa Cheras Selatan, Balakong.

Open daily 9am-6pm

Phone: 010-558 9868

Bookafe Pork Nasi Lemak and Pasta

107, Jalan 15,

Balakong.

Open Mon-Fri 12pm-10pm; Sat & Sun 12-4pm & 6-10pm

Phone: 012-943 9778

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.