Chef makes hawker fare ‘wok’ in Taiwan

Taste of home: (Left) Chua dishing up his signature mee goreng sambal, which is a favourite among his regulars at his restaurant in the Xinzhuang district of Taiwan. (Right) Chua and Tseng preparing ingredients at their restaurant.

TAIPEI: The shop appears ordinary but its brightly lit sign, which says “Malaysia” and “Melaka”, makes it stand out in the narrow streets of Xinzhuang district.

Its owner and cook Joe Chua Jin Soon is a proud Malaysian whose fried rice and fried noodles have become a favourite among his regulars, who are mostly locals of New Taipei City, a municipality about 30 minutes drive from here.