Magic Mushrooms
We're in the food court of our new favorite KL wet market and, having just finished coffee and toasted, halved buns sandwiching kaya (coconut 'jam') and grossly thick slabs of butter, are about to give up our seats, when my eye wanders to the other end of the table. Two young women are eagerly tucking into noodles. One of the eaters dives in with her chopsticks, secures a tangle, lifts it high, then brings it back down to the bowl. Over and over again she does this, coating the noodles in thickish dark goo.
We've been in Malaysia for a while now, and when it comes to tempting edibles we're getting pretty jaded. But Oh. My. Got to have one of those.
The old guy behind the cart serves plain old wonton mee and a not-too-uncommon twist on wonton mee, topped with stewed mushrooms and chicken feet instead of pork. Order 'everything, dry, mixed' and you get it all: a nest of both wide and thin egg noodles sauced with dark soy and topped with thickly sliced mushrooms, sticky char siew (barbecued pork), bits of chicken, chicken feet (we opt out on this item), and chopped green onion.
The pork's great and the chicken is fine, but what makes this dish is the overwhelming forest-floor essence of the funghi. The rest of the ingredients are bit, albeit pleasant players in this one-act play of shroominess. We've never eaten anything the likes of this pasta, not even in northern Italy at the height of fresh porcini season.
This guy could teach us a thing or two about coaxing every ounce of flavor from a mushroom. But if he's like most hawkers, he won't. All we can do is return to his stall to supplicate in front of another couple bowls of his magic mushroom mee.
Wonton mee stall, across from coffeeshop sporting yellow 'Hainan Tea' banner, food court of Imbi Market, behind Jalan Imbi, downtown Kuala Lumpur. Mornings. A mere 5 ringgit a bowl for everything but the chicken feet.
Those don't look like shiitakes. What are the normal varieties of fresh mushrooms used in M'sia?
Beautiful pics, as usual.
Posted by: Nate | January 25, 2008 at 02:38 AM
I have just died.
This is, without doubt, the one dish I miss most in Malaysia. It's simple and yet I could eat this almost everyday and be happy. I love the fat noodles and even, the chicken feet. Growing up, my mom would get us the regular with charsiew and wontons while she always ordered chicken feet and mushrooms for herself. Smart woman that she was, she was saving all the good stuff for herself. I've since realized how good that stuff is (not saying charsiew and wontons aren't good).
Sigh...I am really missing home now. It's really self torture to visit your blog, and yet I keep coming back...
Posted by: Annie | January 25, 2008 at 02:41 AM
This is what I miss the most living in Canada. The "dry" style noodles in Chinatowns here serve it HK-style, quite different. I think part of the secret to the sauce is the quality of the dried shitake mushrooms & the thick black gooey soya sauce. I have come close to duplicating the taste in my own kitchen with "imported" thick black soya sauce from KL! Another great post!
Posted by: Chris | January 25, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Rien que la couleur de l'assiette tu te régales déjà....bravo
Posted by: Eleonora | January 25, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Nate - frankly I was paying more attention to the whole experience than to the mushrooms in particular. We will have to revisit this one. The fresh mushrooms most commonly available here are oyster and shiitake and enoki and, at a higher price point, cremini brown, button white, portobellos, various other Korean and Japanese varieties. Malay wet markets also have feather-like foraged shrooms in season.
Annie - yes, there is something very special about this dish indeed. I love char siew but the deep savoriness of the mushrooms was incredible. I never have taken a liking to chicken feet though. The texture puts me off.
Thanks Chris. Yes, the right dark soy sauce is key here.
Eleonora - merci, I think (my high school French fails me here). Welcome to EatingAsia!
Posted by: Robyn | January 25, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Glad to see the Winson Berger did not finish you off!!!
I'm a regular visitor to KL and Penang (although I live in London).
I'll post a couple of my favourites shortly.
Posted by: paul | January 25, 2008 at 09:15 PM
What a beautiful bowl of goodness. I see all my comforts in a bowl. How much does 5 ringgets equate to in US dollars? What ever it is, I'm sure it's a deal.
Posted by: White On Rice Couple | January 25, 2008 at 11:44 PM
Yummy..!! i wanna go home now..!
Posted by: crunchasaurus rex | January 26, 2008 at 04:44 AM
I used to frequent the Imbi area regularly and I am pretty familiar with the good food stalls there. I must have missed this one and will definitely try it when I am next there. Excellent write-up, as usual, with equally great pics!
Posted by: bayi | January 27, 2008 at 08:59 PM
it's like mie ayam in indonesian version i think.. maybe... lolz it looks very good... gotta make one...
Posted by: Nova Bennett | January 30, 2008 at 06:36 AM
Hope you can snag a few recipes those all look so wonderful:-)
Posted by: Colon Cleanse Geek | February 13, 2008 at 11:19 AM
yo, man...i thought it will 'trip', it's all right though if u guys are hungry... but i'll prefer my shrooms...
Posted by: shrOOmer | February 17, 2008 at 07:16 PM
Nice photographs, the food comes alive. And the food is pretty interesting. My family and I should try having that kind of meal sometime.
Posted by: Kathy's Weight Loss Diary | February 01, 2009 at 06:19 PM