Inexpensive muslim-friendly kopitiam with scrumptious chilli pan mee however solely common hen rice

Subang Ria is rarely empty. Throughout lunch hour, don’t be stunned if you end up ready in line to be seated because the tables are nearly at all times absolutely occupied. This kopitiam situated in Petaling Jaya is simply well-known to residents of the world, in addition to those that work close by. You’ll see folks from all walks of life right here— co-workers sporting the identical lanyards, households with younger kids, and uncles and aunties on the lookout for a fast lunch.

When you’re dealing with the row of retailers, you’ll discover 2 hawker centre-esque spots on both finish. On the left you’ll discover a mamak store that additionally has a number of stalls promoting quite a lot of meals, and on the precise is Subang Ria, which is a more in-depth match to the outline of a typical kopitiam.

The entire place is neat and clear, making it a cushty setting to dine in. The left facet is the place they put together your typical kopitiam treats like kaya toast and kopi ais, whereas hawker stalls are stationed on the opposite facet. Though the place isn’t big, there’s nonetheless quite a bit to select from. From wantan mee and chapati to pan mee and chee cheong enjoyable, the meals served right here completely encapsulates the range of Malaysian delicacies.  

What I attempted at Subang Ria

Among the many 3 of us, we ordered a complete of 4 dishes to share. This may increasingly look like quite a bit, however I wished to make it possible for we received to expertise the complete scale of what this humble kopitiam has to supply.

Beginning off sturdy, the primary dish we tried was the Dry Chilli Pan Mee (RM8). There have been some strands of skinny noodles among the many mound of flat noodles, all of which had been coated evenly with soy sauce.

The dish was topped with minced hen, fried anchovies, mushrooms, and a few greens. It additionally got here with a small bowl of clear fish ball soup, and the crispy chilli oil got here on the facet, so you’ll be able to select how a lot you wish to combine in.

After dumping in the entire plastic container of crispy chilli and giving the dish a superb toss, the noodles took on a shiny sheen from the oil. The deep pink flecks of crispy chilli made the pan mee look much more appetising, and we had been excited to dig in.

The quantity of crispy chilli given was good. It was sufficient to coat each strand, with out being too oily. It wasn’t that spicy both, so even those that don’t normally eat spicy meals can take pleasure in this one. This dry chilli pan mee was savoury and spicy, with smooth and chewy noodles. 

I consider the minced hen was seasoned as nicely, as bites containing the protein tasted a little bit bit saltier than bites with out. The mushrooms and anchovies each helped in diversifying the textures of the dish; the mushrooms gave you one thing chewy to chew into, whereas the anchovies supplied a satisfying crunch.

Certainly one of my colleagues, Alice, even talked about that this was quite a bit tastier than a few of the chilli pan mee that you simply’d discover at non-halal hawker centres, which stunned me. The three of us agreed that this was our favorite of the day.

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Subsequent, we ordered the small Char Kuey Teow (RM8). Sadly, that is the usual worth for char kuey teow in KL and PJ. Much more unlucky, the small portion of noodles appeared fairly unhappy in opposition to the massive, brilliant orange plate. Doubling down on the ache of all of it, the dish solely got here with 2 prawns (which is considerably comprehensible, given the insane value of all the things these days).

This char kuey teow was well-balanced, in my view. Equal components candy and salty, with a superb quantity of taugeh and bits of egg. General, it was fairly good with no apparent faults. My solely critique could be that it might use extra wok hei.

Though it was cooked like in an enormous wok like different CKTs, it lacked the oomph one would anticipate from a dish like this. Mainly, it’s definitely worth the attempt to will more than likely fulfill your cravings, however gained’t be something to shout about.

Equally, our plate of Yong Tau Foo (RM10.50) was fairly customary. We selected from all kinds of fish balls, tofu pores and skin, greens, and different unidentifiable fried gadgets. All the things is re-fried on the spot, so every ingredient we selected was good and crunchy on the surface, and smooth on the within.

The dipping sauce was good too, with equal quantities of chilli and candy sauce. Even if you happen to’re not inclined to have this as a solitary meal, yong tau foo is nice as a snack to share in between bites of your fundamental dish.

The ultimate dish we tried was the Rooster Rice (RM9), which got here from a stall that additionally provided wantan mee. To say the least, this hen rice was an journey. We had been pleasantly stunned by the hen itself— tender and flavourful, not overly salty nor bland, it was all you may ever ask for. 

The rice however, was the alternative. It was on the drier and extra keras facet, which I didn’t like. It additionally fully lacked any hen flavour; it was type of like consuming plain white rice. The soup and sambal helped a bit, so we had been nonetheless in a position to end the entire plate. 

Remaining ideas

All in all, Subang Ria is definitely worth the go to. I completely loved many of the meals that we tried, and the costs had been affordable. The service was tremendous quick too, so it is a good spot to go to if you happen to don’t have a lot time. I can positively see myself returning for the dry chilli pan mee, and I’m interested by their chapati as nicely. Regardless of how a lot we ordered, there’s nonetheless quite a bit left to find. One other plus level for his or her drinks too, as my teh ‘o’ ais limau wasn’t too candy.

We arrived round 12pm on a weekday, and it was comparatively straightforward to get a parking spot. You also needs to deliver some money, as that’s the one methodology of cost accepted there. When you’re looking out for an important breakfast or brunch spot to your household outing this weekend, I extremely advocate this place for its selection, meals high quality, and repair.

Anticipated harm: RM8 – RM15 per pax

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