Noodles @ Restoran Wong Soh Siew, Jalan Hang Jebat, Malacca

Affectionately known as Ah Chew's by Gran, this noodle shop has been a favourite of mine when I am back in Malacca. It is a shame that other dishes like this do not get the same fan fare as chicken rice or dodol, as they are as much an important piece in the Malaccan food puzzle.

A sneak peek into the interior. ndthey have good coffee too. 

Being famous with the locals and starting to get traction from tourists, Ah Chew's forte is very simple. Noodles with meat, fishcake and bean sprouts. Nothing fancy or cutting edge. Just simple and honest noodles. But when your food is this good, you do not need anything fancy. You have the option of standard yellow noodles, or kuey teow, rice noodles or a combo of any of the three. Noodles only come in two different variants, soup or dry. The soup the noodles are bathed in is a simple fish stock made of anchovies and the dry noodles are served with a variety of sauces. 

Fit for a king

I personally prefer the dry noodles as it is slathered with their own home made meat sauce and a good dollop of chilli paste, which is also home made. Intense flavours are abound when you have this, as the meat sauce has an explosion of porky aroma. Akin to chewing off a fatty bit of fried bacon, it strikes the senses hard. However, the sweetness and heat of the chilli counters it, with its own intense flavour. So two strong elements clash, but it all balances out. A small bowl costs RM5 and a big bowl is RM5.50. I have to admit that this is getting way too close to the pricey side, as I remembered clearly a time when a bowl of large was just RM3.50. 

Magic in the works

The shop opens very early and I have eaten there as early as 6 am before and they close when the noodles run out, which is usually about early lunch time like 12.00pm. Be prepared to wait and sit with other patrons at about 10am, which is usually their busiest times.

 And if you like rustic and rugged outlets this is the place to be. This is a family run restaurant and they do not mind letting their feelings felt, and boy, do the shoutings never stop! This may be a bit intense for a new person stepping in, but rest assured that this is part of the experience and a by product to their attention to perfection. Still not a Gordon Ramsay pre-Masterchef Junior tirade, but an earful nonetheless.

Come late at your own peril, as lines start to form from 9 am onwards.

Always a place that I return to, Restoran Wong Soh Siew is one place I recommend non-Malaccans to visit, especially if they want to try something off the radar. And if you want to jump off said radar, the address is as follows:

Jalan Hang Tuah, 75200 Malacca

Find this sign, you cannot miss it.