KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — Fish balls are pretty easy to come by at most eateries serving noodles.
What’s rare — almost like precious gems — are freshly-made ones crafted entirely of fish meat without any fillers.
That makes Restoran Twin Kee Home Made Fish Ball Noodles Soup a unicorn in an industry dominated by commercially-made fish balls.
When my food antenna picked up information about Twin Kee, I knew I had to give it a try. The source was a highly reliable one, namely a friend in the F&B industry who also makes his own fish balls from scratch.
Being unfamiliar with the area, it took me some time to figure out the location of this eatery. While Waze got me there, I was bewildered as I couldn’t see the shop.
Once I started walking near there, I realised it was hidden from the road as a food court blocked its shopfront.
Maybe that’s why there are bright yellow banners all over the frontage to let you know their location. And it proclaims loudly that their Teochew home-made fish ball noodles are the “real stuff”.
The place spans two shoplots. One side is where the kitchen and preparation area is located. There are just a few tables there. You will find some tables placed on the five foot way too.
What’s probably better for our hot weather is to dine in their air conditioned area, next door to the original shop.
The family-run business has been here for four years. Previously, the family who originated from Sungkai, was running their business at another location in Kepong. The expansion of the air conditioned section was about a year ago.
Here, it is all about fish balls, fish cake, fresh grouper fish and prawns. You have noodles, a choice of dry or with soup and there’s also rice mixed with soup, a nod to their Teochew roots.
The broth for the noodles is a clear winner. Crafted entirely from ikan bilis, it’s flavourful with a savoury taste from the use of preserved radish and a spoonful of fried garlic.
If you want something stronger, there’s also a curry broth.
Go for the basic bowl of fish ball noodles. It’s only RM9 for a small portion. Bigger appetites can opt for the RM10 portion.
The fish balls are definitely the “real stuff”; small, rustic-looking with a rough surface, these definitely aren’t your usual uniform looking “ping pong” fish balls.
They use yellowtail or toufu yue, ice water and salt to form the fish balls. You won’t find fillers here.
The family also takes pride in making the fish balls in small batches, keeping them fresh. When I visited, they were almost sold out just before lunch and they were planning to make more fish balls in the afternoon, for their night session.
Remember to add on the Vegetable Fish Balls (RM2 per piece) too as they’re simply awesome. They are larger in size, giving you more bite.
Once you bite through it, you can taste the chopped chillies and the fragrance of the coriander stalks. Sublime!
Their Fish Cake (RM11) is served in the most unique way. Usually served sliced, here they cut it into small squares.
As you pop one piece in your mouth and chew, it will dawn on you how brilliant that plating style is.
Each golden piece will have more crispy sides, giving you that lovely contrast with the bouncy fish meat inside.
They’re addictive bites that you can finish in a jiffy. Sharp tongues can pick up the slight saltiness of this fish cake which needs it, since it gives it that much-needed flavour.
Another crowd favourite here is their crispy fuchok too. It was sold out the day I visited so it definitely warrants a second visit to try that sellout item.
What I also liked was how accessible their food is, as the eatery is open till late at night.
Fish balls for supper, anyone?
Restoran Twin Kee Home Made Fish Ball Noodles Soup, No. 47-G, Jalan Development, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily: 7am to 11.30pm. Tel:018-2887729
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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