In the weekdays, Lai Foong coffee shop is one of our favorite places for lunch. Essentially, three of the food stalls are more popular than the rest. Among all, the beef noodle is the most popular one and it’s still the best thing to eat here.
The lala noodle comes at a close second while wantan noodle is the third, at least from my observation. Personally, I find the wantan noodle to be average at best, so I wouldn’t recommend it. But for those who have a knack for the ‘olden taste’ then it should be right in your alley.
OK so first things first. My first time having Lai Foong’s lala bihun was two years ago and my memory thinks it was perfect. But in recent months, the quality of the lala they use seemed to have gone down a bit, which means they are no longer as large and plump as they used to be.
So if you are expecting the lala to be big and juicy (as mentioned in the older articles online) you will be disappointed. The rest such as the taste of the soup remained more or less the same, still excellent.
The main annoyance with eating lala, I feel, is that some of them remain closed when served. And chopsticks make it even harder to enjoy. To solve that problem, the stall owner actually has a guy peeling the lala individually while cleaning any mud that may be trapped inside.
Some may argue that it’s an impossible thing to do, but you can actually see how it’s done (albeit not as hygienic as you would expect) if you come before lunch hours.
Taste wise, just imagine rice vermicelli in a bowl of ‘xiong tong lala’ (superior clam soup) but with extra ginger and Shaoxing wine. It’s definitely more fragrant and spicier, so keep a pack of tissues ready before digging in. Anyway, despite what I said above about the lala and all, it is undeniable that this is still one of the better things to eat in the area.
138, Jalan Tun HS Lee, KL
Tel: 016-376 4928
Hours: 10am – 8.30pm
