If you’re in a mamak restaurant and are lucky – or unlucky – enough to get a seat close to an arguing group of foodies, you’ll probably hear rival recommendations about where to find the best char kuey teow, mee rebus, mee hoon soup, prawn mee, and on and on.
But why not just make a beeline for Biang Biang Noodles, which has kiosks in SS2, Cheras and RexKL. The one at RexKL is Muslim friendly and started operating just about four months ago.
The founder of the business, 29-year-old Liew Xian Jiong, told FMT Lifestyle that the name Biang Biang originated from China’s Shaanxi province.
“The story is that in old China, a scholar was hungry but didn’t have the money for food. When he passed by a food stall with no signage, he told the owner he’d come up with a name for his business in exchange for a free meal. The owner agreed on the deal.”
Hearing what sounded like “biang, biang” when noodles were smacked on the counter, he came up with the name on the spot, creating a new Chinese character in the process.
Liew fell in love with biang biang noodles after he tried them when he was pursuing his studies in London.
After returning to Malaysia, he and a partner decided to set up a biang biang business when he proposed the idea during a chat about establishing a new venture.
“I feel there’s a certain level of showmanship involved in Biang Biang,” he said. “It provides a reason for people to take pictures during the preparation of dishes and share them with others.”
The R&D process took over six months. Developing the dough alone took nearly three months. But it was full steam ahead last December with the opening of the outlet in SS2. The Cheras kiosk was opened a few months later.
Liew said it was his partner’s idea to open the halal outlet at RexKL so Muslims could enjoy the noodles too. This was the kiosk that FMT Lifestyle visited.
One of the signature dishes here is the spicy cumin lamb noodles.
Marinated in a homemade secret blend of spices, the meat oozes with flavour and makes for a perfect topping for the chewy noodles.
If you’re worried about the spiciness level, fret not as there are three different levels to choose from.
Another delicious flavour to test out is the tomato egg. The long strands of noodles are topped with traditional Xian style tomato egg, with its perfect balance of sweet and savoury. The spring onion and coriander are a nice finishing touch to this vegetarian-friendly bowl.
In the section for soup noodles, the coriander basil soup will give you a pleasant surprise.
The green-coloured minty soup may deter some people, but the rich, thick broth clings to the noodles nicely, giving an oomph to each bite. The chilli oil drizzled on the concoction gives a nice fragrant flavour too.
For something a little lighter, try the spicy cucumber salad. Cut to bite-sized cubes and tossed in aromatic chilli oil, it can act as a refreshing side dish or appetiser over a cooling drink with friends.
“I’ve loved cooking since I was little,” Liew said. “I remember standing on a stool in the kitchen and watching my grandmother cook for hours on end.”
He said circumstances stopped him from pursuing the culinary arts for a while, but he was glad that he had found his way back to it.
“Other than the aim of sharing dishes I love, I’m also glad to help elevate the noodles scene in Malaysia in some way and introduce something new to everyone.”
Biang Biang Noodles Kiosk @ RexKL
80, Jalan Sultan
City Centre
50000 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours:
11.30am-2.45pm; 4.30pm-9.45pm (Closed on Mondays)