KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — This stall inside Kopitiam 818 Restaurant has a very tight menu.

The focus is on four types of noodles: one with seafood, one with grouper fish, one with fish paste, and one with their Four Season (a mix of stuffed fish paste items) — each bowl designed for different tastes.

After all, everyone has their own personal preferences shaped by their upbringing and even their health status.

Do you prefer your food to have a richer taste, especially with pork lard? Consider ordering a bowl of the Four Season, Grouper or Fish Paste Noodles – dry version laced with finely chopped fried garlic.

Or do you want a clean, milder flavour to gently wake up your stomach after a late night out drinking with friends? Order the seafood noodles with a chicken broth lightly seasoned with rice wine for a comforting bowl.

Perhaps this is the secret to how almost every table has at least one or two customers slurping down this stall’s offerings.

Many flock here early in the morning after a hike at the nearby Sri Bintang Hill.

The peak time is usually around 8am, as you will see groups of women walking into the corner coffee shop to find a place to sit after their hike.

The crowd favourite is the Four Season Noodles for RM11 followed by the Fish Paste Noodle (RM10).

Both use their homemade fish paste, crafted from a mix of mackerel fish and pork, which gives the filling a fluffier, more flavourful bite.

The Four Season refers to four types of stuffed fish paste items: one where beancurd skin is slathered outside with the fish paste, one stuffed with seaweed and another stuffed with a long, halved piece of shimeji mushroom. The fourth item is usually a repeat.

From what I understand, previously there was one stuffed with fish maw but perhaps due to rising costs, the stall decided to swap it out.

Grouper Fish (RM25) is the obvious choice for its clean taste but I found the sliced fish to be rather overcooked. Perhaps the fish head with its gelatinous bits will be a better choice.

A decadent Seafood Noodle (RM14) was my last choice but it turned out to be a big success because the broth was enhanced with a slight sweetness from the wine.

Also unusual was the use of the tiny ‘remis’ clams, found on the beach, which give the broth a sweet undertone.

You also get three prawns with a fresh bite rather than the artificially crunchy type and fish paste, in the bowl topped with strips of young ginger.

Underpinning each bowl is a clear, flavourful chicken broth slowly cooked for 10 hours using chicken carcasses.

Every bowl is topped with a piece of seaweed to drive away any fishy smells.

Most eaters label fish or seafood noodles as boring because they are usually just a clear broth option, but this stall adds a naughty element with its dry noodles, which are liberally tossed with lard and even topped with fluffy lard fritters and fried garlic.

Since they sell out between 10am and 11am, visit early for a larger selection of the fresh seafood.

Seafood Noodles Stall

Kopitiam 818 Restaurant

No. 1, Jalan Seri Bintang 3,

Taman Sri Bintang, Kepong.

Open: 6am to 11am or until food finishes. Days off are not fixed.

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

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