PETALING JAYA, Aug 28 — The art of simplicity is a tough one. Maybe that is why it's so hard to score a great bowl of kuey teow thng in the Klang Valley.
Insipid bowls are aplenty. But few pass the ultimate comfort test of eking out a delicate flavour from their clear broth.
One such stall that has won over many fussy tongues is Uncle Yong's Penang Kuey Teow Soup & Asam Laksa.
Previously housed in Ara Damansara's Restoran Tien Tien Lai, the stall had closed about eight months ago.
This was a literal case of "back breaking work" as lifting all those heavy soup pots led to a sprain to the waist.
The owners decided to switch to another business, opening up a baking ingredients shop.
But with the opening of Dudu Yummy Restaurant, a few doors away from their previous premises, the stall has made a comeback.
I visited in the early morning and it was peaceful before the crowd descended on the place.
The kuey teow thng was the perfect bowl to start the day. You feel a sense of zen as you slurp up the mild flavour, which reminds me of home cooked goodness.
The accompaniments of poached chicken, fish cake, fishballs and a thin slice of coagulated blood complements the smooth kuey teow.]
There's a sprinkle of fried garlic to punch up the flavours too.
A small bowl is priced at RM9 while a big portion is RM10. You can also opt for just fish balls with the same soup. Or if you prefer chicken drumstick or thigh with the noodles, that option is also available.
Their other offering of assam laksa is the polar opposite as here, you celebrate flavours to blow up all your senses.
The broth with flaked fish has a mild tanginess and there's an assortment of pineapple, onions, cucumber, lettuce leaf and a touch of torch ginger flower on top.
Mix it with the fermented prawn paste to get an explosion on the tongue that will wake you up straightaway.
The assam laksa is RM9 for a small portion and RM11 for a big one.
The new place also has various stalls from Restoran Tien Tien Lai, like the chicken rice stall with their melt in the mouth char siu and the yong tau foo shop.
For those in the know, you will recognise the distinct signs of kai see hor fun from Puchong's Wong Zhi Restaurant. At least you're assured of a good bowl of noodles with chicken broth laced with fragrant prawn oil.
Some new faces here include the curry mee and wantan mee stall. The curry mee stall from Restoran Tien Tien Lai has moved to SS2 where it is now known as Ini Kari Lah.
You also have a pan mee stall where they offer hand pinched dough. There's also fish head noodle and braised rice, yau char kwai and a place to grab buns, cakes and Nonya kuih. I tried the kuih bingka and kuih talam at home and they're pretty decent if you want something to scratch your kuih cravings.
The dining space is split into two areas. There's an airy outside area in front of the restaurant which works for the early morning before the sun gets hotter.
Inside you can find an area that offers air conditioned seating. It's still early days but I reckon, there will probably be more tweaks to the place as time goes by to accommodate their diners.
Uncle Yong's Penang Kuey Teow Soup & Asam Laksa, Restoran Dudu Yummy, 22A, Jalan PJU 1A/42, Ara Pertama, Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Open: 7.30am to 2pm or until food finishes. Days off not fixed yet. Tel:016-4822667.
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