KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — Mention Heng Hwa food and one's brain pings, "Heng Hwa Mee Sua"!

It's a celebratory dish, appearing on birthdays and even Chinese New Year in Heng Hwa homes.

But what happens if you're not Heng Hwa and you just want to eat it every other day?

Thankfully we have a place like Restoran Riverview Small Village to help us scratch those mee sua cravings.

Here, fans keep the heat away as you sit at this nondescript shack at the side of the riverbank. Try to sit further away from the river though as pesky mosquitoes may be about.

Food here is just honest, well prepared fare. They have been feeding office workers and those who live nearby for many years.

Let's start with the Heng Hwa Mee Sua (RM17 for a small portion).

You will recognise it a mile away, since it is dressed up with seaweed and peanuts.

Underneath it, discover smooth, milky white mee sua stir fried with omelette, prawns, pork slices, fish cake, onions and lard with a broth.

In essence, this type of noodles isn't a showy one like say Hokkien mee. Flavours are subtle, like a timid girl. Yet it tugs at your heartstrings as it's comforting. In fact, I actually managed to finish up that whole plate by myself.

I had a eureka moment when I did some spying on a neighbouring table... there's a soup version for the mee sua. And even a white coloured fried beehoon.

Also the trick to enjoying these noodles is pairing it with various sides to give it an extra oomph. The diners next to me chose choy poh omelette and vegetables.

For me, I went for the old school Crab Balls (RM18). With its more robust flavours, these were the perfect pairing for the silky noodles.

One bite through that crispy beancurd skin revealed juicy minced meat with chopped vegetables. I actually liked it just on its own versus dipping it in the bottled chilli sauce.

Now if your palate runs towards heavier flavours, order the Ham Choy Ma Yau Fish (RM40).

Here, the fish is lightly deep fried and doused in a brown sauce filled with ham choy, lard fritters and chopped chillies.

That sauce is like an explosion of flavours. You get a slight saltiness but not too much for you that you need to reach out for copious glasses of Chinese tea.

Then comes a ping of spiciness from the tiny birds' eye chillies. It's an appetising sauce, making me relish every bit of it.

Eat it with porridge. I had the Century Egg Pork Porridge (RM17) which had a nice gloopy texture. The other choice was a pork rib porridge.

The combination is truly addictive: smooth porridge drenched with that sauce. In fact, I reckon I cleaned that fish down to the bones, just like a good cat.

I read some comments saying they prefer a crunchier fish but I felt it was good for me.

If the fish is battered with say flour or it's fried longer for a crunchier bite, it can be too hard.

As the fish head retained its crunch even after sitting in the sauce, I could happily eat every bit of it.

The place can get full during lunch time. Limited parking is available in a compound, just next to the restaurant. Most cars double park here and will move when another diner leaves.

If you wish to use the train, it's just next to the Kentonment MRT station.

Restoran Riverview Small Village, 5289, Jalan Cenderuh 2, Taman Bamboo, Off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 11am to 10pm. Closed on Wednesday. Tel: 017-5988366.

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