PETALING JAYA, Nov 3 — Last week, we featured a Kepong restaurant serving Teochew seafood noodles, where we noted similarities to Hai Kah Lang, which surged in popularity after its Bib Gourmand recognition in 2022.
Teochew seafood noodles tend to follow a familiar approach, but there’s a new addition of unique “pick-and-mix” condiments that give this hybrid concept a distinctive twist.
It’s a set-up I’ve been seeing more often lately.
While the build-your-bowl model with free, self-serve condiments isn’t new in places like hotpot or poke bowl joints, it’s an emerging trend in Teochew seafood noodle spots — and I can see why.
The dish naturally suits this format, catering to a range of tastes, streamlining customisation, and, in theory, helping service run smoothly.
One of these newer spots is Xin Teochew Seafood Porridge & Noodle, which is just a few months old in Sunway Mas, Petaling Jaya.
The restaurant offers three varieties of fish — snapper, grouper, and Spanish mackerel — which are delivered whole.
They’d just received a fresh delivery of snapper from Sabah that morning, showing it off to curious customers.
Usual suspects like prawns, squid, and lala round out the menu, alongside large, plump Korean oysters.
The add-ons are where things get interesting: options such as fish balls, oysters, prawns, and lala are joined by various fish parts — eggs, liver, stomach, and maw, the latter fresh rather than fried — one of the unique perks of working with whole fish.
When you walk in and see the condiments station, don’t dismiss it — this table of wines, sauces, and herbs is arguably what makes or breaks the entire experience.
Two varieties of sambal belacan, plus fried garlic and fried shallots, are made in-house, while the 12-year-old Shaoxing wine and fish sauce are imported from Chaozhou, China.
You’ll also find cut chillies, chilli flakes, lime, scallions, and cilantro, but whatever you do, don’t skip the pickled radish — it adds a much-needed burst of flavour to your soup or porridge.
I went for dry kuey teow with grouper slices (RM24), though you can have a mix of head, stomach and slices of meat for (RM28).
To that, I added lala (RM5) and fish maw (RM10).
The little molluscs were sweet and moreish, but I was most impressed by the soft, slippery strips of fish maw.
Because they’re fresh, there’s no risk of them tasting off like you sometimes get with the pre-fried variety.
The broth is very subtle, very light... on just about everything. I get the sense that this is intentional, for you to adjust to your taste.
I went for a dash each of Shaoxing wine — careful, it’s strong — and fish sauce for some savoury depth, before layering with pickled radish, fried garlic and topping with lots of chopped scallions for sweetness and freshness.
Oh, and a bit of sambal belacan, just for a teeny bit of kick. Taste as you go to figure out what you prefer.
Poached baby octopus (RM20) and poached wolf-herring fish cake (RM12) made for great snacks. Both come smothered in heaps of fried garlic and retain a firm, springy texture — especially the fish cake, which is pleasantly bouncy with each bite.
Xin Teochew Seafood Porridge & Noodle
16-1, Jalan PJU 1/3a, Sunway Mas Commercial Centre, Petaling Jaya.
Open daily, 8.30am-9pm.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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