KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — Variety in coffee shops is much welcomed.
Staples like chicken rice, prawn noodles, chee cheong fun and so forth have our stomachs all the time.
Once in a while, try something new like this stall in Kokan Kopitiam that serves Taiwan braised pork belly or lu rou, with rice or ramen.
You may dismiss the other noodle offering, simply referred to as Pork Belly Soup Ramen (RM11), since it sounds so ordinary.
In fact, it feels like a riff of Dan Zai noodles which is popular in Tainan. It traces its origins to 1895 where a food vendor would carry a shoulder pole with a bucket of broth and noodles to sell. As it was a way to earn money during his off season, it became known as "slack season" noodles.
Apparently, it's that type of noodle where there's no fixed recipe. There's a general guideline but some just add your own personal touches to it, making each bowl different.
In this version, you have the pork, poached prawns and garlic puree, served with ramen and a clear pork broth. Usually minced pork is served but in this case, the stall owner took the shortcut to serve it with the braised pork belly.
This stall gives the dish its own spin with the use of shredded wood ear fungus and carrots. The result is a comforting bowl one can happily eat for a light meal.
What makes it better is the chilli oil served with it. This one is a marriage of local dried shrimps and soybean paste. It feels like an upgraded Lao Gan Ma sauce that zings in your mouth. If they sold that, I would happily buy a bottle to eat with everything.
If you're fastidious about original dishes, there's the Classic Taiwan Braised Pork Ramen (RM9.50). It may look strange since braised pork is usually served with rice but in Taiwan, they do offer this option.
The smooth noodles with a slight bite are a good companion for the soft meat and the mild tasting braising sauce. You get a hard boiled egg and cucumbers. A bright red chilli sauce brings spicy, tangy flavours to the whole ensemble.
This stall also offers tong sui that changes daily. The day I visited it was serving Peach Gum, Red Dates and Longan tong sui (RM6). It's a big bowl that is not too sweet and good to clear your palate.
You can also get Fresh Fruit Rojak (RM9.50). It's a mix of cucumber, yam bean, mango and pineapple. Fritters give it crunch, while the sauce leans towards a milder taste. It's also a bit thinner than what I like, hence the sauce doesn't cling to the fruits well so extra effort needs to be made to ensure each piece is generously coated with the sauce. They're generous with the ground peanuts though.
There's also Dong Bei Kimchi, apparently a more refreshing and less sweet version compared to the Korean ones. Some patrons also order the kimchi to be taken away.
The corner coffee shop is packed with patrons inside and even outside, where some prefer to sit under the tree.
Taiwan Braised Pork Stall, Kokan Kopitiam, 2, Jalan Perisa 1, Taman Bukit Indah, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 8.30am to 2pm (Monday to Friday), 7.30am to 2pm (Saturday and Sunday). Closed on the first Monday of the month.
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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