Kau yuk mee hoon you rarely find in kopitiams, at Fu Jee Ulu Yam Loh Mee, Kota Damansara

Some dishes used to be everywhere and then quietly slipped off the coffee shop menu. When it comes to noodles, kau yuk, the soft braised pork belly that turns up at festive tables, is one of them. That is exactly why our editor flagged this shop in The Strand, Kota Damansara. In our editor's words, kau yuk mee hoon is very hard to find in many coffee shops, so finding it here is a small win, and at only RM13 it is cheap too.

The plate arrives on an oval steel dish: thin bee hoon tossed in a dark, savoury sauce, with slices of layered pork belly, a few pieces of beancurd skin and some green vegetables, plus a little saucer of sambal on the side. Lift one slice and you can see the stripes of fat and lean that make kau yuk worth ordering.

The loh mee is the house name. The shop takes its name from Ulu Yam, the town in Hulu Selangor that many Malaysians link with loh mee. A big poster on the wall tells the story, tracing the first bowl to Ulu Yam in 1940 and calling the town the home of loh mee. Our editor ordered a small bowl, and it looks the part: thick yellow noodles in a glossy, dark gravy thickened with ribbons of egg, with greens and bits of meat, and chopped green chilli served alongside. Diners online often mention the loh mee here, and say the food comes out quickly.

What a meal costs. Our editor's table had three dishes, the small loh mee, the kau yuk mee hoon and a plate of stir-fried greens, plus a glass of hot water, and the bill came to about RM35. For a sit-down noodle dinner in PJ, that is a fair price.

Look past the noodles too. Our editor says the menu is pretty good, and the board above the counter backs that up. Alongside the noodles you will find zi char favourites such as salted egg prawns, salted egg pork, Guinness stout chicken, fried fish cake, fried spring rolls and a claypot kangkong the shop calls famous. It is the kind of place where a group can share a few plates and still finish with a bowl of loh mee each.

Who it suits. Our editor's recommendation is clear: if you live in Kota Damansara or elsewhere in PJ, this is a good choice for dinner. It opens from the afternoon into the evening and closes a little early, so check the closing time on Google Maps before you head out.

🍽️ What to order

• Kau yuk mee hoon (braised pork belly bee hoon), RM13
• Ulu Yam loh mee, small bowl
• Stir-fried greens on the side
• A zi char dish to share, such as salted egg prawns

💡 Good to know

• It closes a little early in the evening, so go for an early dinner and check the closing time on Google Maps first.
• Seating can be limited at peak times, so arriving a bit early helps.
• Ask for the small bowl of loh mee if you want room for the kau yuk mee hoon too.