A serving of mee rebus topped with homemade crackers. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
MEE jawa, also known as mee rebus, is one of the local favourites when it comes to noodle dishes, due to its unique blend of ingredients.
Those living in Kajang, Selangor, can enjoy an excellent bowl of mee jawa from a stall at Restoran Fan Wah, right in the heart of Sungai Long.
The business, now passed on to the third generation of operators, started out in Teluk Intan, Perak, before moving across the state border to Sungai Long.
It is now operated by cousins Linda Chew, 59, and Penny Chiew, 52.
“We have been operating in Sungai Long for 18 years,” reminisced Chew, before sharing the hardships they faced during the haze season and the Covid-19 pandemic, both of which forced temporary closures.
“This mee jawa recipe was passed down from my mother in Teluk Intan,” added Chew.
To start off, patrons can choose between yellow mee, mee hoon or a mix of both.
I would personally recommend the yellow mee option for better texture and to retain the “originality” of the dish.
Each bowl of mee jawa comes with noodles in a rich, thick soup with cubes of potatoes and tofu, garnished with spring onions, bean sprouts and hard-boiled egg. Then there’s the lime for patrons who want the added “kick” in their meal.
The dish is topped off with a generous portion of their homemade fried crackers.
Chiew (left) and Chew in front of their stall at Restoran Fan Wah, Sungai Long.
Best eaten right away when served, the crackers are fragrant, crispy and not too oily, with a mild taste of dried shrimp.
Patrons may request the crackers to be served separately to prevent it being soaked in the gravy-like soup.
When dipped, however, the crackers absorb the flavour of the soup, providing a unique taste in each bite.
“We fry these crackers every morning,” said Chew on the cracker-making process, adding that the crackers are shaped to look like a beehive.
The crackers are then broken into smaller pieces for plating.
The fresh noodles absorb the soup well, while each bite has a slight crunch thanks to the crackers and bean sprouts.
Chew said the noodles were ordered daily from suppliers to ensure freshness.
The soup, made from pumpkin as one of its main ingredients, becomes thicker with potatoes added.
It is flavourful and slightly spicy, with a hint of dried shrimp taste.
More adventurous diners can request for the cousins’ special sambal, which has a spicy kick with a slight sour taste.
In my experience, two dipping saucers of sambal is enough to make me sweat.
“I like the mee jawa here because the soup is healthy as they use pumpkin,” said Michael Yuen, 47, a regular customer.
“It also has a very nostalgic taste and reminds me of my hometown in Teluk Intan,” he added.
Each plate of mee jawa costs RM8 and patrons may opt to upsize it for an additional RM1.
The stall operates from 6am to 1pm daily. It is closed on the first and third Mondays of each month.
For details, call Ng (Chew’s daughter) at 011-6523 7118.
