I’ve been on a lookout for good Penang-style curry mee in KL and the one from Jia Li Mian Noodle House hits the spot. There are two branches if I’m not mistaken but Jien and I visited the main branch in Pandan Jaya.
Jia Li Mian Noodle House serves a variety of noodle-based items, ranging from Penang curry mee and asam laksa to snacks such as lohbak and otak-otak. The Penang curry mee comes with pig’s blood cubes, prawns, cuttlefish and cockles. Broth is rich from the coconut milk and the chilli sambal packs a good kick.
Pat Poh Herbal Tea
Penang curry mee
I generally don’t eat pig’s blood cube but I tried a piece for good measure – texture was soft yet firm enough to hold its own, and there was hardly any odor, which I appreciated. I thought the bunga kantan garnish was a bit odd but that aside, I enjoyed the noodles (RM7 – small, RM8 – large).
KL Curry Mee
The KL curry mee (RM7 – small, RM8 – large) is not bad but between this as the Penang curry mee, I’d go for the latter. A large bowl is huge – enough to feed two pax I reckon. The broth is adequately thick with a good amount of coconut milk for richness. That said, I would have preferred the spices to be more robust.
Laksa
I rather enjoyed the Penang asam laksa which had a good balance of tangy, spicy, sweet and savoury notes. Flavours are quite similar to what you’d get in Penang but the only tiny gripe I have is that the broth is not “gritty” enough from the bits of fish. Still, it’s a pretty decent bowl of asam laksa.
Fishball soup with kuay teow
We ordered the fish ball soup with noodles for our little ones, and they seemed to enjoy it. Broth is light but flavourful, which is good for those who want something mild. There’s also a dry version where the noodles are tossed in dark sauce and the soup is served separately.
Lohbak was mediocre at best
Skip the lohbak (RM3.20 per piece) as it’s mediocre at best. The filling is a tad dry and they are pretty heavy-handed with the five spice seasoning. The place gets crowded during peak hours so you might need to wait in line for a vacant table – we made sure to arrive by 11am so we got a table immediately.
The queue starts from 11.30am onwards so best to go early.
Bangsar Babe on Facebook Bangsar Babe on Instagram
Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 7/10
Food: 7/10 (Non-Halal)
Verdict: Pretty good Penang curry mee and asam laksa. Portion is generous and pricing is reasonable.
Do you have a food recommendation? Tell us!
Jia Li Mian Noodle House @ Pandan Jaya
19, Pandan Road 2/2,
Pandan Jaya,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 012-402 8189
Business hours: 7.30am till 4pm
(closed Thursday)
Top In Asia
