PETALING JAYA, Jan 24 — It’s highly unlikely you’d find Cambodian food in a PJ coffee shop. When a friend told me about this stall, I had to go check it out.
The stall is operated by a young, friendly Cambodian woman. She came to Malaysia 14 years ago after she married a local.
The highlight here is the iconic Cambodia Phnom Penh noodles, served with soup or as a dry version.
There’s also Cambodia Egg Noodles too. And to pair with your noodles, she wraps Vietnamese fresh spring rolls.
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In Cambodia, the noodles are known as kuy teav which sounds like kuey teow. But the style adopted at this stall seems more similar to Hu Tieu Nam Vang, the transplanted version adopted by those who live in south Vietnam.
This is because she uses thin, slightly chewy noodles.
Usually eaten in Cambodia and Vietnam for breakfast, the clear broth is made by boiling pork bones and dried shrimps.
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You can also enjoy the noodles served tossed with soy sauce (left). The egg noodles have a slight bite to them (right).
Pair the noodles with plump Vietnamese fresh spring rolls filled with noodles, vegetables, prawns and sliced pork.
Her version has a light, slightly sweet flavour. The broth is an ideal slow wake-up call for a hungry stomach, after a night’s sleep.
You get fresh herbs, fluffy minced pork, prawns and slices of poached pork belly. She used to offer pig’s liver but sadly, many customers weren’t fans so she stopped it.
A generous snowfall of finely ground white pepper, tops the bowl, giving it an additional flavour.
The owner who hails from Cambodia, moved here about 14 years ago after she got married.
Find the stall in between local food offerings like ‘char kway teow’, ‘popiah’ and ‘nasi lemak’.
On the side, there’s soy sauce infused with pickled green chillies and garlic. Use it to add more flavour to the broth.
A bowl of the noodles is priced at RM12.50.
The Cambodia Egg Noodles (RM12.50) uses the same ingredients, except the egg noodles give a different mouthfeel, with its thin, slightly curly strands.
The busy coffee shop is a popular haunt for diners who drop by for their Ipoh ‘yong tau foo’, Siam ‘laksa’ and Nyonya ‘lam mee’.
I had it dry and it’s tossed with soy sauce that tastes a little plain. Even though a bowl of soup is given on the side, I reckon I would prefer the soup version more than the dry one.
The Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (RM3.50 per roll, minimum order of two rolls) are plump and generously filled with noodles, vegetables, sliced pork and prawns. Dip it in the nuoc cham for a hit of spicy, sour and sweet.
For Chinese New Year, the stall will be closed from February 7 to February 13. Business resumes on February 14.
Cambodia Phnom Penh Noodle Stall, SS2 Chow Yang Kopitiam, No.44, 46, 48, Jalan SS2/10, Petaling Jaya. Open: 7am to 2pm. Closed on Monday.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
