Beef Noodles @ Kedai Kopi Lai Foong, Kuala Lumpur

 

If you are a guy that likes organ meat, you are going to love this. And if you are not, well, they do have options without them as well. Having said that, this is still a good bowl of noodles that deserves your attention. During one of the afternoons back home, I decided to pay a visit to one of my old stomping grounds, Petaling Street! 

Old meets new, especially with the 118 Tower at the backdrop

It has been at least 3 years since I have been back in this part of town, and it has changed quite a lot since the last time I got here. Granted it has become quite gentrified and is not as gritty and humble as I remembered, but it still has its charms. And speaking of such charms, the coffee shops nearby still stayed strong, unwavered by its evolved surroundings. One of which is the kopitiam Kedai Kopi Lai Foong, more commonly known as Lai Foong Restaurant. 

Retro aura

It is great to see that it mainly stayed the same, and so are most of their food items. So it is just a no brainer, that I ordered one of their mainstays, the beef noodle. Although the beef noodle stand has been around for years, the price however, had to change with the times. An "all-in" bowl, which stands for a bowl of beef noodles with all the toppings now stands at a hefty RM18. Definitely not the wallet friendly street food staple that it used to be. Then again, you can beat father time, but you cannot beat inflation. 

What a massive bowl. 

Still, the flavours were seriously on point and I enjoyed every bit of it, even despite the eye-watering price and heat. The soup was how I remembered it. It was intense and strong, but has a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Imagine Vietnamese pho but has a more metallic taste to it. It may sound like an odd way of explaining this, but trust me you will know once you have a taste. 

First of many slurps. 

Combined with rice noodles, and you get something very special. You can get regular yellow noodles, but they just don't mix well compared to kuey teow. I just feel like kuey teow has a more delicate texture which is well suited for this type of dish. I do love yellow noodles, I mean, that is the base for most, if not, all ramen dishes. But there is a time and a place to mix things up, and this is one such place. Trust me on this one. 

One of the many chunky bits of meat in the bowl It feels like a treasure hunt!

The bowl was quite generous with various organ parts, meat balls, and of course the classic beef strips. Despite being unsavoury to some, those funky parts were pretty tasty. They are mostly somewhat neutral in terms of flavour, particularly the rudiments. However, the soup latches on it rather well, and a spiking of chilli sauce really wakes everything up. There was also a good amount of beef tendon, which I like. If you like chicken feet, jellyfish or things that are rubbery in your food, then this will hit the spot rather well. It may not taste like much, but it was an enjoyable textureal experience. 

Thank you for the meal. Until next time. 

Overall, it was a noodle experience that I still enjoyed. I used to come here from time to time, when I have to visit the old Bar Council office when I was still working in Malaysia. Although the price may be a bit hefty now, it is still nice to revisit some old classic to remind me of the good times. Be that as it may, Lai Foong is one of the few places which is located dead center in the city that provides you with a classic and authentic experience. No frills, no whistles, just great delivery. It should be noted that their other items are pretty popular too, like their chicken rice and curry noodles. So if you would like to try the beef noodles or other delectable treats, its just adjacent to China Town. The address is as follows: