Comfort me with Moon Kee’s fish head noodles

PETALING JAYA, June 26 — Healthy food can’t be tasty right? Wrong! Especially when it’s the tangy and appetising fish head noodles from Moon Kee Fish Head & Seafood Noodles.

It’s the kind of comfort I have been searching for since I’ve been feeling under the weather, a result of our flip flop weather that is sunny one moment and rainy the next.

At Moon Kee’s Section 17 outlet, Chai Huey Mun (middle) runs the place with her brother Chai Ken Kok (right) and his wife Leong Shwu Shyan (left).

Set up in 2013, Moon Kee is a partnership between Lau Kwong Moon and Chai Huey Mun. Lau was once an executive chef in a Chinese restaurant but a car accident resulted in the loss of the use of his left arm and his retirement from the Chinese restaurant since he couldn’t work the wok deftly like before.

About five years ago, he opened a stall at one of the restaurants next to the Section 17 wet market. He moved a few times around the area but about three years ago, he decided to partner with Chai to open this stand-alone eatery.

Chai Ken Kok behind the stove at Moon Kee.

Chai, who is also involved in the F&B industry, once operated a coffee shop at the SS2 area. They picked this quieter part of Petaling Jaya since it had ample parking space. Nowadays, as business is good and the eatery also faces the relocated durian stalls from SS2, it’s bustling with people especially during the durian season.

The fish head noodles is cooked upon order.

The eatery offers two types of fish head noodles that are cooked upon order: the slightly tangier version with preserved vegetables (ham choy) and tomatoes, and the clear Teochew version with seaweed. All the soups use only fish bones, making it pork free.

This is practised in this outlet and their Section 51A branch. However at their Balakong branch, the soup does include pork bones to cater to the Chinese palates around that area.

Their most popular item is the milky soup with deep fried four finger thread fin fish (ma yau) for RM13. If you are fussy about keeping your deep fried fish pieces crispy, ask for it to be served on the side since it’ll get soggy in the bowl of noodles.

You can order premium fish like this giant grouper that is favoured for its firm flesh and thick skin (left). If you prefer a lighter taste, order the seaweed soup with poached grouper (right).

However, this may mean sacrificing the taste of your noodles, since the fish pieces add a nice flavour to it. Relish each piece of the golden fried fish that is sweet and has a flaky texture signifying its freshness. For those looking for a healthier bowl of noodles, you can also opt for poached grouper slices for RM16. Some also prefer to omit the milk added to the soup. If you prefer a light tasting bowl of noodles, order the clear or ching seaweed soup that is the Teochew style with fresh coriander.

As they only serve fresh fish from the sea, you are assured that there’s no funky odours in your bowl of noodles. It’s all sourced from a trusted supplier in Sekinchan.

Every day, the fish is sent to this outlet, where Chai and her workers will check, clean and cut the fish. Once the fish is prepared, it’s sent out to their two outlets in Balakong and Section 51A in Petaling Jaya. If the fish is not fresh, it’s returned to their supplier the next day.

As you wait for your noodles to cook, nibble on the fried fish cake with their tangy chilli sauce.

As you wait for your noodles to be cooked, order a side dish of fried fish cake. It’s made from sai to (wolf herring) fish and has a nice bouncy texture. Dip it into their chilli sauce that is fragrant with toasted belacan and lime juice. Usually a big batch of the sauce is cooked every three days.

If you are feeling indulgent, there’s also abalone and fish maw choices on the menu to be eaten with your bowl of noodles. The eatery also serves the pricier fish like the dragon grouper (loh fuo pan) and giant grouper (loong tan). The dragon grouper has a finer and smoother flesh, while the giant grouper is prized for its firmer flesh and thicker skin. They have since stopped serving pomfret since it has gotten too pricey.

For their two branches, the Balakong outlet is managed by Lau while the newly-opened Section 51A outlet is managed by Chai’s relatives. They closed their Sri Petaling branch to open the Section 51A about three months ago.

Customers trickle in early in the morning to grab their breakfast or early lunch.

Moon Kee Fish Head & Seafood Noodles,
No. 48, Jalan 19/3, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7954 1518.
Open: 10am to 8pm (Monday to Saturday), 9am to 4pm (Sunday and public holiday).
Their two branches are located at D2-25-1, Jalan Dutamas 2, Taman Dutamas, Balakong; No. 15, Jalan 51A,/235A, Section 51A, PJ.
Open: 10am to 8pm, (Saturday to Thursday), 9am to 4pm (Friday).