Bukit Jalil’s Friendship Cafe is the place for a rarely-seen bowl of taro noodles or taro porridge

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Happy news for taro fans, this stall in Bukit Jalil not only serves taro noodles but there’s also taro porridge.

Commonly referred to as yam, that light purple tuber usually gets the headliner treatment in the form of a “ yam cake” that is more like a savoury kuih with sauces.

You may even find cubes of it inside a bowl of yam rice eaten with braised meats or as a dessert in Teochew orh nee laced with sinful lard.

It’s even used as a topping for shaved ice for a sweet treat at Kento Cafe (FB @KentoCafe) which is now at Bandar Sri Damansara.

What taro rarely comes in, is swimming inside a bowl of noodles or topping a hearty porridge.

Six years ago, I unearthed a bowl of yam noodles during the Covid-19 pandemic, which vanished after the owner suffered labour issues

A random photo in a friend’s Facebook page led me down the rabbit hole to search for this particular taro noodle stall.

The stall is located outside and is run by Taiping folks. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

If it wasn’t for this coffee shop’s fastidious labelling of their stalls with just their name and my previous visits there to search for good food, I wouldn’t have found it.

Hailing from Taiping, this stall located at the fringe of this bustling coffee shop, cooks up hometown flavours with their taro noodles and porridge choices including a taro version.

Taro Noodles hit the table in a stainless steel bowl with cubes of taro surrounding the noodles and a clear broth using ikan bilis.

Layers of flavours are achieved with chopped fresh coriander and golden brown fried shallots.

Sliced pieces of the salted pork belly also top the bowl, adding the meat element to these noodles and there’s crunchiness from pieces of fuchuk crackers.

The oddball here is a chunky fishball of sorts using surimi that gives a slight sweetness.

Cubes of taro dot the noodles (left). Potent chilli sauce with a hint of citrus burns the tongue but makes a difference (right). — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

For those who prefer stronger flavours, they may find this bowl too vanilla for them but the natural sweetness from the ikan bilis plus the soft cooked taro makes it an unusual treat amidst the typical offerings in a coffee shop.

A punchy chilli sauce, similar to the ones used with pan mee, burns the tongue, converting that bowl into something quite moreish.

It works with soup noodles but excels better with dry noodles tossed in soy sauce, where the broth is separated.

A bowl of Taro Noodles is RM10 for a small portion and RM11 for a larger bowl.

Porridge gets a makeover with chunks of taro and salted pork belly. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Five different types of porridge can be enjoyed here with the most popular being the Hometown Taro Porridge (RM9 for small, RM10 for large).

The same toppings as the Taro Noodles with the exception of the surimi fish ball is used in the chunky porridge making it a hearty meal, one could easily eat till the bowl is empty.

For a stronger flavour, go for the Mussel Peanut Porridge with its soft peanuts and chopped mussels.

Fish, chicken and the classic century egg with pork porridge are also available for your breakfast or lunch.

Friendship Cafe spans two shop lots, giving ample seating for diners. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Taro Noodle Stall

Friendship Cafe

2, Jalan 17/155C,

Integrated Business Park,

Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

Open: 7am to 2.30pm.

* Off days are not certain but follow the coffeeshop’s which is also open throughout Chinese New Year for half a day.

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

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