Damansara Uptown is home to popular lard fried Hokkien mee

SNAZZY hidden pubs and cafes may constantly pop up in Damansara Utama but Restoran Damansara Uptown Hokkien Mee remains a popular place for the supper crowd.

Long before Damansara Utama became a square filled with trendy eateries, the comfort food at Damansara Uptown Hokkien Mee has been satisfying the appetites of many after a night of clubbing or drinks.

Opening its doors at sunset, tables and chairs are laid out onto the pavement and people flock to the eatery until the wee hours of the morning.

The fragrant Kuala Lumpur stir-fried version that uses thick dark soy sauce is not to be confused with Penang’s soup-based prawn mee, also referred to as Hokkien mee by Penangites.

Damansara Uptown’s Hokkien mee uses the traditionally thick, silken yellow noodles braised in the sweet, caramelised thick dark soy sauce and would be amiss if it was not cooked in pork oil with crispy lard lending an enticing aroma to the dish.

Typically, the dish is known for its slightly bitter yet rich aftertaste from the dark soy sauce and well-seasoned wok it is fried in.However, the one at Damansara Uptown retains those deep flavours in its sauce, only without the bitterness, allowing the sweet and salty flavours to shine through.

The dish that cause many to flock to Restoran Damansara Uptown Hokkien Mee. The additional side of crispy pork lard makes the tasty meal all the more appetising.

A plus point here is that aside from the prawns, pork slivers and bits of crispy lard, one can add an extra helping of crispy lard at only RM0.50 or RM1.

Although people come for the noodles, the other dishes are equally tempting – from the slightly peppery clear broth pork soup with thinly sliced Chinese lettuce, pork slices and floating bits of crispy lard to the fried rice stir-fried in pork lard with char siew and crispy edges of egg that goes well with the tasty and chewy fried lala cooked kam heong-style with curry leaves and black sauce.

Simplifying the beverage menu, the restaurant offers only two options for drinks – orange juice or homemade herbal tea.

The pork soup is priced at RM9.50, while prices for the Hokkien mee, fried rice and fried lala vary according to portion sizes.

The Hokkien mee and fried rice are priced at RM9 per person, RM17 for two, RM24 for three, RM30 for four, and RM36 for five; while the fried lala is priced at RM18 for small and RM28 for large.

Damansara Uptown Hokkien Mee has also expanded its operations to include branches in Kota Damansara, Puchong as well as Kuchai Lama.

This non-halal restaurant opens from 5pm to 2am, daily and is located at No 121, Jalan 21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya. For details, call 013-334 5550.

The restaurant attracts the supper crowd from the many small bars around the busy streets of Damansara Utama.