Category Archives: Location: Taman Desa

Sanuki Udon, Taman Bukit Desa

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PB240141
House special udon with egg

The name Sanuki Udon is steeped in history.  In fact, rumour has it that udon originated in the Sanuki province (Kagawa prefecture in Japan).  Of course, there are other udons that rank up there with Sanuki’s – Akita’s Inaniwa Udon (what I like to call udon-on-a-diet due to its flatter shape) and Mizusawa Udon.  Having said that, I am not sure if Sanuki Udon in Taman Bukit Desa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia can rival the udon from the Kagawa prefecture, but it is probably our best bet at getting good udon in our kampung.   The udon is made daily in the shop, and the texture of the wheat noodles is chewy and has a good bite.  Only udon (no Soba, please, thankyewbellymuch) is served in this no-frills place, and one can choose to have the noodles either hot or cold, and add toppings such as raw egg, ebi tempura, kakiage, wakame and kitsune on top of the choice of udon.   There are only 7 types of udon preparations on the menu.   Plain udon with soup is RM5, and similarly, the house special with egg (picture above) is priced at RM5.  The most expensive bowls (kakiage udon and curry udon) cost RM7 each.  The toppings are priced between RM1 and RM2 each.   Sides are a little more expensive – karaage (fried chicken) is RM3 while the chinmi moriawase (assorted appetisers) is RM8.   The chinmi I had on one of my visits consisted of crunchy pickled garlic that didn’t give you garlic breath, some body parts from scallops (the Japanese will eat anything), ginseng-like root and pickled jellyfish.  I loved the karaage which came in 3 bite sized morsels, while the kakiage (mixed tempura vegetables) initially took some getting used to as I felt the flavour was a little too subtle, but the rather sweet taste lacking in savouriness grew on me.   If you’re there early enough, ask for the freshly made mochi (glutinous rice cake).  I’m not usually a fan of Japanese desserts, but I was bowled over by the home made mochi.

Fresh udon is also sold by the kilogram (now at a promotional price of RM15 per kg) and Japanese housewives can be seen carting away packets of these noodles from the shop.

Oh, I should also add that the owner, Seiji Fujimoto, is quite a dish.   All 6 feet and rippling muscles of the man too.

Sanuki Udon
No.9, Jalan Bukit Desa 5
Taman Bukit Desa
58100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-7980 3704

(Opening hours: I think they’re open daily for lunch and dinner.   Looks like I shall have to pay Seiji Fujimoto-san yet another visit to reconfirm that information.  Ahem.)

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Dry cha cheong style (to suit the Malaysian palate)

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Curry udon (with extra raw egg topping)

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Ebi tempura

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Wakame udon

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Kakiage

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Cha cheong style before stirring

Picnik collage
Spot the dish

Woo Pin – Fish head noodles

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When it comes to fish head noodles, there are two places that I’m crazy about. On one hand, I love the XO fish head noodles at Goon Wah with its unique noodles in XO soup, and on the other hand, there’s the fish head noodles at Woo Pin.


I was first introduced to Woo Pin several months ago. Bizzy Bertie was witness to this happy encounter. Since then, I have eaten at Woo Pin several times, and I never get tired of it. The only thing that deters me from going there too often is the lack of sufficient parking space and the long wait for the food. On my first visit to this restaurant in Taman Danau Desa, my food took 45 minutes to arrive. Which is hard to imagine considering the fact that this restaurant serves only fish head noodles and a couple of side dishes. I suppose you can’t tell a diva how to sing a high C sharp note.


My most recent visit to this restaurant was on Sunday (yesterday) for brunch after church. Feeling peckish, we ordered the fish head noodles (no, we didn’t get the large bowl…still feeling the effects of the extra large plate of nasi lemak on Friday 😛 ) and we shared a bowl of boiled fish paste. This bowl also fulfilled the basic requirement for greens.


And why do I like fish head noodles? Well, the obvious explanation would be that I absolutely love any kind of fish head. Where a lot of people balk at the sight of eating a fish head (and I’m thinking foreigners here) I love digging into the cheeks and around the eyes for the best part of the fish. Of course, when the fish head is fried, getting the tender bits of flesh can be an arduous task. So the second reason why I like fish head is for the flavour of the fried fish. And when one immerses the fried fish head, and body bits, into a boiling soup with pieces of tomato, ginger, cabbage, spring onions and fried shallots together with bee hoon (vermicelli) and a couple of scoops of fresh milk and a dash of wine, the result is a tangy, rich and sweet mix of flavours that makes one wonder why one doesn’t do this more often…


Woo Pin fish head noodles can also be found at the Cheras flats which is the original location. However, the location at Taman Danau Desa is a lot more comfortable than the former.

Woo Pin Fish Head Noodles @ Ho A One Seafood Steamboat Restaurant (opposite S.K.Danau Perdana)
Jalan 1/109F, Taman Danau Desa
Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 7.30am – 2.30pm (closed alternate Mondays)