LAI FOONG BEEF NOODLE

I've been here in Kuala Lumpur for about 10 months now.  During this time, I was able to sample a few exceptional noodle dishes around town but I have to say that Lai Foong Beef Noodle is my favorite.

Lai Foong Beef Noodles - RM7 (Php 90.00)

Based on their signage, it says that this humble noodle stall has been around since 1956 and amazingly still going strong.  Serving bowl after bowl of this beefed-up (pun intended) specialty to hungry patrons mostly office workers, old-timers and travelers enticed by the sight and smell of their no-frills beef noodle soup.

This little gem tucked inside an old coffeeshop was introduced to me by my friend, The Goat. He swears by this noodle shop and never fails to eat here whenever he visits the Petaling Street area.

Like most noodle stalls, Lai Foong Beef Noodle lets you choose the type of noodle that you want with your soup. The Goat and I opted for Mee-Hoon which resembles our local Bihon noodles but a bit firmer in texture.

It comes loaded with generous amount of ox-tripe, slivers of beef, tendons, beef balls and a huge chunk of fork-tender beef.  The mee-hoon noodles absorbs the flavor of the broth very well and surprisingly stays firm despite being submerged in the piping hot soup.

The ox-tripe and beef slivers are full of flavor specially the huge chunk of beef on top.  The beef balls also had the right amount of meatiness and bounce providing a perfect contrast to the soft texture of the beef, tripe and tendons.

While the medley of meaty toppings were good, the true magic behind this bowl is the rich and full-bodied flavor of the soup.  The complexity of the taste comes from the fragrant beef broth and the pickled mustard greens combining the right amount of salt and tanginess with the crunchy bits of lard adding extra richness and depth to its overall wallop.

Each bowl cost  RM 7 or around 90 Php and is totally worth every centavo.  If you visit KL and find yourself walking around Petaling Street to buy some "pasalubongs" to take back home, make sure to check out this humble-looking stall right across the street and try their 57 year old noodle specialty.


Lai Foong Beef Noodles
138, Jalan Tun HS Lee
Kuala Lumpur
(Across Petaling Street near Kota Raya)