Monkey Noodle Bar at Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya: Restaurant review

Sean Yoong $, Non-Halal, Noodle Shop, Restaurant, Reviews & Articles, Sean's Restaurant Reviews 36 Comments

Monkey Noodle Bar might have a playful name, but its founders Alicia and Daniel mean serious business, bringing a warm, personal touch to their casual eatery, swinging open this month with slurp-worthy recipes that many customers will likely enjoy.

Alicia hails from Sarawak’s Foochow-strong town of Sibu, and many of Monkey Noodle Bar’s offerings bear testament to her culinary upbringing and experiences.

Our favourite is Fei Chai’s Konlo Mien (RM11.90) – kampua mee, slow-cooked minced pork and fried egg, each component slickly executed, tossed together for a lip-smackingly balanced medley of addictiveness.

The kitchen cooks every ensemble from scratch, banishing MSG (Alicia is allergic) and yielding clean and comfortingly fresh flavours.

The strength of the zhao chai hung ngang (RM12.90) rests in the sour-spicy punch of its clear broth, infused with preserved mustard greens and chillies, bolstered by a mix of pork and fish balls, tomatoes and siew pak choy.

It’s also the base that sets Curry Kari Noodles apart (RM12.90) – chicken curry that Alicia has tweaked to straddle the line between rich & light, served with a choice of ramen or thick rice vermicelli, topped with shredded chicken, a prawn, half a boiled egg, beansprouts and long beans.

The reasons for this outlet’s name are twofold – Alicia was born in the Year of the Monkey, and 2016 too belongs to that Chinese Zodiac creature after all.

It’s natural then that bananas feature on the menu, both in desserts and drinks. The Banana Que (RM12.90) is a nod to Alicia’s hard-working Filipino staff, reinterpreting one of their sweet treats as puffs stuffed with bananas and peanut butter, showered with chocolate and served with vanilla ice cream.

The Banana Jelly (RM10.90) is another Sibu staple that kids might especially adore; adults may prefer the nutrients-packed watercress, snow fungus, red date or goji berry beverages.