KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Inside this coffee shop located opposite the Pudu wet market, you will find Freddie Gan behind the hot wok.
The 66-year-old is known for his Hainan noodles. He also fries up char kway teow and Hokkien mee.
Most of his customers are regulars. There’s no rush in this coffee shop as everyone patiently waits for their turn.
One patron who is a lorry driver is happily tucking into his Hainan noodles. Gan tells me that the diner was so happy his company had assigned him work nearby, allowing him a chance to enjoy his favourite noodles which he had missed.
I’m the one who sticks out like a sore thumb. When he sends over my Hainan noodles, he advises me to add the lime juice. It’s not your usual tiny calamansi lime, instead this is a larger lime.
I was puzzled why the noodles would need so much lime juice.
My Hainan noodles are served with a viscous pale coloured broth. It resembles lor mee, except it’s not as thick with the cornstarch slurry.
The thick noodles are topped with a fluffy fried egg garnished with brown nuggets of crunchy fried lard.
Underneath the egg, I discovered prawns, sliced pork mingling with cucumber slices, sang choy (Chinese lettuce) and sliced onions.
I add the lime juice and mix it all up.
As I ate it, I realised why the lime juice was needed. It freshened up the whole dish. Already, the combination of the cucumbers with cabbage and onions made it less rich tasting.
It’s that type of noodle dish where you slurp up everything and scrape the sauce thoroughly.
I was given sambal on the side but one can be happy enough without adding it in.
This particular Hainan noodles is from a recipe passed down to Gan from his grandfather.
His family had operated a siu chow stall in Lebuh Ampang, which was passed down to his father. He was the only one who continued his family’s legacy, from the tender age of 13.
Later, he moved the stall to Jalan Hang Tuah. About five years ago, Gan relocated to this coffee shop in Pudu.
For the Hainan noodles, his family’s recipe is vastly different from that of others. He recalled asking his father why their noodles were so different from other stalls’ (they would use thinner noodles and a dash of dark soy sauce) and his father claimed it was due to Asian influences.
The original recipe used to include squid, clams, fish, fresh mint leaves, shredded red chillies too, which he had omitted.
Even the sambal served back in the old days was different. It was similar to the chilli sauce served with pan mee, except it was thicker.
As he operates the stall without any helpers, he has to use some shortcuts to manage, like pairing the sambal used more for Hokkien mee with these noodles instead.
The other noteworthy item is his char kway teow. Here it’s stir fried with dark soy sauce, making each strand well charred and tasty. Surprisingly it’s not too sweet. I especially liked his super crunchy lard fritters that add an additional oomph to the plate.
The Hainan noodles are RM10 while the char kway teow is RM8.
The coffee shop also houses a few other stalls. As you wait, order a plate of roast pork for RM8. It comes with a crunchy crackling and helps keep the hunger pangs away as you wait for your noodles.
Restoran Lucky, 98, Jalan Pasar Baharu, Pudu, KL. Open:7am to 2pm. Closed every second Wednesday of the month. The next closing date is September 11.
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.** Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
