SUBANG JAYA, Oct 7 — I may not be from Perak but I do have an affinity for their food.
Like lai fun. Those plain white noodles, when handmade from rice flour, have a soft texture.
When combined with a clear, sweet soup and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, chopped spring onions and shallot oil, it puts me in my comfort zone.
At first glance, I would not have thought this coffee shop in USJ1 served Ipoh eats, as the name suggests it’s a modern kopitiam with local brews.
Turns out, Kedai Kopitiam 1957 Kopi traces its origins back to Gopeng, where it’s known as DaMing Kopisan Lai Fun.
The business has spanned four generations since 1957.
In the old days, the rice noodles were crafted by Madam Tang Thewn who migrated from Sihui in China to Gopeng. She eked out a living by peddling the noodles from baskets carried with a bamboo pole.
As each generation took over, the recipe and method to make the noodles also evolved.
In an interview by Jason Yeoh for his Axian television series, the current generation shared that they now use machines to pound the dough for mass production.
The recipe is said to be simple but when made by hand, it’s probably back breaking.
You pound the rice until it becomes powder that is mixed with water until it becomes smooth starch.
In the old days, it was purely made from rice that produced shorter strands resembling mouse tail noodles.
Later, for the second and third generation of the family, they added sweet potato flour to the mixture, allowing longer strands to be formed, with a stronger and chewy texture.
The name, “lai” is said to resemble “rushing water” where the dough is put in a funnel with holes at the bottom and shaken over boiling water in a circle, allowing the strings to fall like the flow of a river.
Their first foray into the Klang Valley is this USJ1 outlet that they opened back in 2022. There’s also a Bandar Puteri Puchong outlet, frequented by my colleague who is from Taiping.
As she is a regular there, she gave me tips on what to order and even showed me the ropes on how to order my food too.
Follow the standard operating procedure by looking for a table first. Once that is secured, it’s time to select the goodies you want to try.
You pay at the counter and let them know your table number. Once ready, the food will be sent to you.
Inside the clear glass chiller are trays of food for you to pick and place in the bowl.
A must of course is the sar kot. Here, the yam bean mixture is encased in beancurd skin and has been sliced plus frozen. It will be deep fried, yielding a crunchy, piping hot bite with the soft yam bean filling.
I was told I must get the beancurd. It’s brought in from Ipoh. Indeed it’s very good with a silky smooth texture, which resembles taufufah.
There’s all kinds of meat balls and fish balls, I selected the ginger meat ball as it’s my favourite for its firm bite.
At the payment counter, they have also prepped other stuffed items like brinjal, bitter gourd, lady’s fingers and chilli. It’s made in batches, to keep it fresh.
With about 20 plus varieties, you can go crazy here and order your favourites. Prices range from RM1.40 to RM2 per piece.
There’s a choice of lai fun with the ikan bilis soup and bean sprouts, served dry or with curry (dry or soup). A small portion for the plain lai fun is RM4, while the big portion is RM5.
There’s also curry mee and assam laksa too. Apparently the curry is the lighter type, suiting those with more delicate palates.
The noodles are soft with a slight bite and just the perfect companion with all the yong liew we selected.
I liked the soft brinjal with the fish paste, while the bitter gourd is cooked well too. Order some fried fuchuk and it will make a good breakfast or lunch.
There’s also prawn crackers from the air tight containers at the counter. Known as “kek kok”, Perak natives like to pair the crunchy crackers with lai fun.
Remember to help yourself to the sauces on the counter. There are two. The bright orange chilli sauce is piquant and addictive. You can also add this to the dry lai fun to balance out the sweet dark soy sauce mixed with the noodles.
For the deeper red sauce known as their version of chilli oil, add this to the soup version for a spicier taste.
Don’t miss out on their iced coffee too. It’s thick and fragrant, making it a perfect glass to give you a shot of java to keep awake after a meal here.
Kedai Kopitiam 1957 Kopi, 42, Jalan USJ1/1c, Regalia Business Centre, Taman Subang Mewah, Subang Jaya. Open daily: 8am to 5.30pm. Tel: 018-5788218. Facebook: @KopisanLaifun
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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