Wake up to comforting, well-made pork noodles and fish noodles from Pudu's Yu Bowl Canteen
KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Most times you cannot go wrong with food at Pudu. Take for instance, this two-month-old Yu Bowl Canteen that sells superb pork noodles and fish noodles from breakfast to lunch.
For those who know Pudu well, technically it's not a new place. Even though the name is unfamiliar, it is said that they used to operate at another location within Pudu.
They moved to this more visible spot in May this year, which is how I discovered them.
The eatery serves simple fare like pork noodles and fish noodles. Both items are executed well.
What makes the difference is the use of fresh ingredients, probably sourced from the nearby market and a broth that didn't make me thirsty after.
The pork noodles have a few variations. You can have just minced pork with different types of offal like pig's kidney or pig's intestine. If you want just noodles with the offal, that's also possible.
Being a first timer to the eatery, I decided to order a basic bowl of pork noodles. The small portion is priced at RM8 while the big portion is just RM9.
If you're scared of fish bones, go for their bouncy fish paste or 'yue wat' for a satisfying breakfast or lunch.
My bowl was laden with minced pork and sliced pork. Some parts of the minced pork were still in a patty form.
What's really enjoyable is the fluffy texture of the minced pork, signalling the right ratio of fat to meat. Even the liver was cooked perfectly.
There was also pig's intestine in the mix of ingredients. A slightly cloudy pork broth brewed from large pork bones made it a satisfying meal to wake up the appetite.
If you opt for their fish noodles, there's a choice of the fish head or the fish belly slices. And if you hate fiddly fish bones, opt for the fish paste or yue wat.
On weekdays, they use Song fish or bighead carp fish, which some people like for their smoother texture. For the weekends, they serve grouper fish. Occasionally, it's the giant grouper fish prized for its gelatinous and sometimes chewier skin.
On weekdays, the fish used is the smooth Song fish which is served with a clear fish broth fragrant with Shao Xing rice wine.
I decided to try their fish fillet rather than the fish head since I didn't want any bones. They gave me Song fish belly cuts.
The fish was perfectly cooked, yielding an incredibly smooth texture. There was still some small bones though, so one needs to be extremely careful when eating this.
I really enjoyed the clear fish broth, which was sweet tasting and perfumed with Shao Xing rice wine. There were slices of ginger too to get rid of any fishy smells.
If you prefer your fish noodles with a creamier broth, opt for the milk version. This is accompanied with tangy tomatoes, ginger slices and coriander sprigs.
Find Yu Bowl Canteen at the corner of Lorong Brunei 2 where its frontage has a shady tree.
We also ordered the fish paste (RM8) to accompany our breakfast. The fish paste has a nice, bouncy texture that goes well with the clear broth.
When you're dining here, there are a few choices on where you can sit. There's the walkway before the shop or tables and chairs placed outside the shop's frontage.
One part is covered by a shady tree that gives you protection from the sun. And if you prefer a more enclosed air conditioned area, there's also a small dedicated space within the shoplot.
Yu Bowl Canteen, 20, Lorong Brunei 2, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 7am to 2pm (Tuesday to Sunday). Closed on Monday. Tel: +6016-9165750. Facebook: @YuBowlCanteen
