Satisfying the umami thirst with curry noodles
The curry mee I regularly partake in at the O&S Coffee shop in Paramount Gardens, Petaling Jaya is my security blanket. Comfort food is so much more than tracking back nostalgia or missing mum’s cooking. It’s an amalgam of senses that envelops us in safety, calmness and satisfaction. This dish is the perfect representation of Malaysian soul food. And for me, nothing quite hits the spot like a bowl of curry mee. Curry mee is basically noodles (mee=noodles) – usually a choice between several types such as egg noodles and rice vermicelli – submerged in a rich spicy broth. It comes served with a variety of condiments such as blood cockles, chicken, as well as shrimp and fried tofu.
Malaysian hawker food should not just be comforting though, it needs to smack you with the right taste to properly compound the experience. Those suffering from an umami addiction know the call of a good curry mee can be irresistible. The curry mee at O&S is faithful to the Penang style, as are most of the stalls in the coffee shop. Unlike the creamy and rich curry bowls found elsewhere in Malaysia, Penang-style curry has a much lighter broth and less coconut milk. There is a secret though, to maximising the flavours of this dish. Ask for extra cockles and chili. This way, the umami in the broth is best exemplified, so you are still savouring multi-layered flavours along with the distinct slap of spiciness to get the party started on your palate. Two simple toppings complete this dish — shredded chicken and deep fried tofu.
The curry mee pictured here is chock full of flavours –- the soup is infused with the right amount of coconut milk to give it a creamy texture, while the spiciness of the chili and the fragrance of the spices never fails to satisfy my desire to consume it for breakfast or lunch. A bowl of this comfort food unequivocally rewards the eager palate.
O&S Restaurant
39, Jalan 20/14, Paramount Garden
46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Open for breakfast and lunch only.
GPS Co-ordinates: 3.107703, 101.624917
About Aman Khan
Aman Khan is constantly on the move for good food. Born in Paris, this former food critic for the Jakarta Post regularly travels if for no other reason than to find the tastiest food from every corner of the world. When he is not eating, he is always thinking (often aloud) about what makes certain food tick while others fail. Aman is especially devoted to tracking down the very best local and seasonal food on the planet.
Is the mee curry halal?
Saiful, I don’t think their chicken is sembelih.
There is no pork in the dish as the stall uses prawn and chicken stock but it is not Halal.
Just tried this dish. Too many disappointing laksa experiences encountered while i have been in Malaysia but i suspect its because they keep taking me to all the tourist traps where they toned down the spices. Finally, i think i get what all the fuss abt laksa is all about. Thank you.
Glad you had a chance to experience this dish. Curry Laksa, when done well, is a sublime experience. There are many other different types of Laksa to try in Malaysia, each state has its own version of this delicious dish. If you ever get the chance to travel to Sarawak, their Laksa is another must try. I hope to post a blog about that soon.
Just ‘ta pau’d’ (takeaway) a few orders of this delicious laksa. The stall is clearly held in the highest regard by locals as evidenced by the 30 minute wait for preparation. And I was certainly not disappointed. For those of us who live dangerously and love semi cooked cockles, I’d advise having them packaged separately if you’re taking out. Lovely shredded chicken (I’m not a fan of on the bone when it comes to dishes such as this), and a delicious laksa broth…spicy but nowhere near overpowering. I spoke to the owner and there is definitely zero pork or pork related products in the recipe.
Great stuff.
Glad you enjoyed the experience. Gotta love those semi cooked cockles!
Oh crave, crave…Over here in north central Germany, hundreds (if not thousands) of miles away from any form of Malaysian curry noodles, reading this post is masochistic to say the least! Still, always grateful for your wonderful writing….Spent my youth in SE Asia & miss hawker food terribly. As my own “chubby hubby” & I enjoy cooking Asian meals when unable to travel to eat them in situ, perhaps you (or one of your many fine readers) would be kind enough to point me towards a recommended recipe for combating curry-noodle deprivation? Thank you!
Jackie, while this recipe is Thai and not Malaysian, it is my favourite version of curry noodles. Please try it. It is actually wuite similar to the Malaysian curry mee.
http://chubbyhubby.net/travel/my-favorite-curry-noodles/.
Oh, also wanted you to know that S has informed me that she’ll be developing a recipe for a proper Malaysian-Singaporean curry mee soon and will post it on the site as soon as she’s happy with it.