For truly slurp-worthy pork noodles and curry mee topped generously with ‘seehum', travel to Restoran Mei Mei Seafood in Semenyih
You know the sort I mean: sauce and oil slicked strands of hor fun that you toss unceremoniously with minced pork and pork lard, the garnish of chopped green onions almost an afterthought.
An ordinary bowl which somehow manages to be greater than the sum of its parts.
Why such a bowl remains challenging to come across nowadays is probably a discussion for another time. (Suffice to say, I have had more mediocre bowls of pork noodles than I care to remember.)
Cups of silky smooth 'cham'. — Picture by CK Lim
Which is why, for certain readers who are born food sleuths and undeterred when it comes to longer drives, it might be well worth it to travel to Semenyih for a simple yet satisfying bowl.
The pork noodles I'm alluding to can be found from early morning till around noon at Restoran Mei Mei Seafood in Semenyih's Eco Majestic township.
This is very much a breakfast or weekend brunch dish; come dinnertime, the shop offers typical dai chow or Chinese restaurant fare.
Mid-morning is the perfect time to visit, really. The lunchtime crowd hasn't stomped in yet so you can sip on freshly mixed cups of silky smooth cham while waiting for your noodles.
Go for the dry version of the pork noodles. — Picture by CK Lim
The front-of-house, so to speak, is run by one of three brothers; all of them quite young. He'd first ask if you would like the soup or dry style of pork noodles.
For my money, I would always go for the dry version of the pork noodles though this is entirely up to personal preference.
There is nothing wrong with their soup pork noodles, mind you. The reason I prefer the dry type isn't so much a case of sauce vs. soup so much as which style showcases the nuggets of pork lard best, but more on that later.
Our bowls of dry pork noodles arrived looking quite unassuming: a golden tumble of noodles, slicked in soy sauce and rendered pork lard. Liquid gold, that. A smattering of well seasoned minced pork.
We had a choice with the noodles themselves, of course. Some might prefer chewy loh shu fun; others go for yellow noodles cooked just long enough to have a bit of a spring.
It's always hor fun – flat rice noodles – for us, the better to soak up the restrained coating of soy sauce and lard oil. A garnish of chopped green onions adds sweetness and crunch in equal measure.
The highlight, without a doubt, is the fried pork lard – the real reason I opt for the dry noodles instead of its soupier sibling.
The pork liver is still tender and not overcooked (left) whilst the croutons of pork lard are fresh and crunchy (right). — Picture by CK Lim
When the croutons of pork lard are this fresh and crunchy, I wouldn't waste them getting soggy in broth. Instead, when tossed with the noodles, minced pork, sauce and oil, what you have is a textural surprise in every bite.
Smooth and crispy, oily without being greasy, so full of flavour.
The rest of the porcine protein is kept warm in the hot soup, a separate bowl awaiting our attention. The pork liver is still tender and not overcooked whilst the sliced pork and meatballs remain tender and bouncy.
You can mix and match or ask for less of certain ingredients. Some might not enjoy the chewy pork intestines. Sometimes I ask for only the freshly shaped meat patties, which have a more velvety mouthfeel compared to the lean sliced pork.
The curry mee is another standout dish here. — Picture by CK Lim
For fans of spicier breakfast bowls, the curry mee is another standout dish here. The broth was thick, almost creamy, coloured a deep red thanks to a higher ratio of chilli oil to coconut milk.
There is that unmistakable waft of fermented shrimp paste and chunks of parboiled chicken. Soft tofu puffs soaked through with curry, the surprisingly vivid green of long beans and juicy bean sprouts round out the ingredients.
The noodles underneath are a mix of yellow mee and rice vermicelli, usually, perfect for soaking up the broth without getting too soggy.
But for most of us, the real draw has to be generous toppings of blood-red see hum. A saucer of sambal and a wedge of lime, and you're all set.
These are ordinary bowls of noodles that will offer even the most fastidious of appetites some quiet satisfaction. And in uncertain times like now, that is quite extraordinary indeed.
Generous toppings including blood-red 'seehum'. — Picture by CK Lim
Restoran Mei Mei Seafood
32-1, Jln Eco Majestic 9/1B,
Eco Majestic, Semenyih,
Selangor.
Open Tue-Sat 8am-9:30pm, Sun 8am-10:30pm, Mon closed
Phone: 016-631 5865
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
*Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Century-old rail tracks unearthed at Penang's Fort Cornwallis
Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow and heritage conservationist Francesco Siravo at the site of the discovery. GEORGE TOWN : A 7.4m train track from the early 19th century has been unearthed near Fort Cornwallis here. The narrow-gauge steel rails, dating back to 1895, were part of a rail loop spanning several kilometres around the fort, running from Kedah Pier to Duke Street, with a spur line leading to the current site of Dewan Sri Pinang. Preliminary checks suggest the trolley tracks were likely in use between the 1920s and 1930s. However, during the Japanese occupation, the system is believed to have been used to transport ammunition from the port to the fort's ramparts. The train track has an inscription indicating that it was manufactured by Barrow Steel in the UK in 1895. It was likely a manually operated trolley track, with an inscription on the rail indicating it was manufactured by Barrow Steel in the UK in 1895. Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said construction workers restoring the fort chanced upon the track embedded on the northwest portion of Esplanade Road on June 26, embedded below the road's surface. He said the workers were building a new pedestrian pavement when they discovered the tracks. He said the government would study several options to conserve the tracks, including reviving the route. 'The national heritage department has agreed to preserve the tracks as an open-air exhibit,' he told reporters during a site visit. Heritage conservationist Francesco Siravo, who is working on the restoration of Fort Cornwallis, said a similar train track was discovered by a restoration team in 2017-2018 in the fort's courtyard. He said the tracks within the fort were likely used to transport goods to the storeroom on the south side of the fort. Siravo noted that the tracks were similar to those used during the peak of the Penang Hill funicular railway construction. 'This is an extraordinary find. It retains its original sleeper spacing and narrow gauge – a rare element of Penang's wartime infrastructure,' he said.
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Surprise find: 7.4m steel track from 1895 unearthed near Penang's Fort Cornwallis
GEORGE TOWN, July 9 — A 7.4m-long steel trolley track bearing the words 'Barrow Steel' and the date '1895' has been uncovered during sidewalk works near Fort Cornwallis, facing the seafront here. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who visited the site today, said the tracks were believed to have been used by trolley carts to transport goods, rations and ammunition. According to a map showing the original alignment of the tracks, they ran across the Esplanade field, circled the fort, and linked the Esplanade's barracks and storage depots with Penang's port facilities along the eastern shoreline. The year '1895' emblazoned on the track. — Picture by Opalyn Mok Chow said it is believed the trolleys were used to move goods to ships at the pier. 'This is an unexpected find, so after discovering this, we contacted the national heritage department,' he told reporters at the site. He said the department sent officers to inspect the site this morning, accompanied by representatives from the George Town Conservation Development Corporation (GTCDC) and the Penang Island City Council (MBPP). Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow shows an old map of the trolley tracks. — Picture by Opalyn Mok He clarified that the tracks were not located in Fort Cornwallis' moat, but were uncovered by the project team restoring the moat during adjacent sidewalk works. 'The project team thinks this is a priceless find, as it is a relic from the pre-war era, used both before and during the war,' he said. He added that the tracks were also believed to have been used by the Japanese army to transport goods and firearms during the Japanese Occupation in World War II. 'The recommendation now is to restore it so that it's not buried and covered up,' he said. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow examines the tracks that were uncovered. — Picture by Opalyn Mok He said the exposed section of the track could be preserved and turned into an open-air exhibit. He cited ancient pathways displayed under thick glass surfaces in Guangzhou as an example Penang could emulate. The National Heritage Department and the project team will study how best to preserve the find. 'The team will need to further study the origins and history of the tracks,' he said. The 7.4m track will be preserved as an open-air public display. — Picture by Opalyn Mok The tracks were first discovered on June 26 during sidewalk and kerb works outside the northwest bastion of Fort Cornwallis. A similar segment was also unearthed inside the fort's courtyard in 2017 and has been preserved. Chow said the two discoveries have helped reconstruct the likely route of a light railway loop that once served as a military supply line.
Malay Mail
17 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Planning for profit, not people: The quiet violence destroying our neighbourhoods — Shahridan Faiez
JULY 9 — The scene is heartbreakingly familiar. A neighbourhood, planted and nurtured over two or three decades, begins to truly flourish. The trees once no taller than a toddler now stretch wide and strong, offering shade and songbirds. Children run freely between playgrounds and front porches. The Makcik selling nasi lemak at the street corner knows your name, the Uncle bas-sekolah gives out free rides to the local team, the neighbourhood surau offers bubur lambuk to all during Ramadan, and evening walks are filled with nods, smiles, and conversations. In these spaces, something precious is built: community. Parks, schools, and kedai runcit become more than infrastructure — they are the beating heart of a living, breathing neighbourhood. They are where trust is formed, where our children learn the meaning of belonging, and where everyday Malaysians create beauty out of ordinary life. Then, one day, it's all ripped apart. Without real consultation or care, the local authorities approve yet another high-rise development. The kind that promises 'progress' but delivers overcrowding, gridlock, and grey concrete. No one asks whether the neighbourhood can absorb the extra traffic, the extra rubbish, the stress on schools and drains. Trees are felled to widen roads. Parks are sacrificed for parking lots. And the result? More and bigger roads are built to handle the traffic — a short-sighted and ultimately futile solution. A general view of the Kampung Sungai Baru in Kuala Lumpur April 26, 2025. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa The greenery vanishes, sidewalks disappear, and the parks where children once played are replaced with asphalt and flyovers. Where once people lingered, they now rush indoors. And with that, something quietly dies. The laughter of children fades. The neighbourly greetings stop. People retreat into gated enclaves, disconnected from one another. It is a kind of slow, quiet violence — done not with weapons, but with planning approvals and bulldozers. As neighbourhoods lose their liveability, governments end up shouldering higher costs to police rising crime, manage worsening pollution, and repair the social fragmentation caused by poor planning. At the same time, the deterioration in quality of life depresses overall land and property values, making these areas less attractive to investors and undermining long-term economic growth. This is not accidental. It is systemic. It is the direct result of bad urban planning — carried out by people who do not care because they are not accountable. They don't have to live with the outcomes of their bad decisions. Planners and politicians approve projects based on short-term economic gains, often with little regard for environmental sustainability or community wellbeing. The result is a city built for profit, not for people. It doesn't have to be this way. Our laws already have provisions to prevent this. The Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172) mandates that planning decisions must promote orderly development and protect the wellbeing of communities. The Local Government Act gives councils the authority — and the responsibility — to ensure that development is aligned with the public interest. Traffic, environmental and social impact assessments are supposed to safeguard exactly the kind of liveability we are losing. Yet these are too often sidestepped, treated as token checkboxes or manipulated to serve the interest of profit. And this leads to a fundamental question: how can the government claim to pursue the vision of Madani — one rooted in compassion, balance and sustainability — if it is unable to prevent this transgressive model of development that hollows out our neighbourhoods? We need to promote a new model for development. One that is based on clearly defined positive outcomes. We need to start with a different question for every proposed development: Will this make our neighbourhood more liveable? If it erodes community, increases car dependence, and destroys the green and social spaces we rely on — then it must be rejected. But if it nurtures human connection, improves air quality, strengthens learning environments, and restores the human scale of our cities — then it deserves our full support. Because liveability is not a luxury. It is a right. And we must demand a city that puts people, not profit, at its heart. * Dr Shahridan Faiez is a development practitioner working on the intersection of finance and sustainable development. Formerly with the World Bank, he has experience across 20+ countries partnering with farmers, tribal leaders, and policymakers to transform public investments into concrete outcomes. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
