KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — The best pleasures in life are the simplest, no?
Such is the case with this almost unadorned plate of yellow noodles, quickly fried with spicy sambal and little else.
Sure, there is a fresh lime, sliced into half for squeezing, and some julienned cucumber for a crisp bite, but little else.
This dish — known as Mee Bodo and popularised in Tengkera, Melaka — doesn’t need more than that.
Though a straightforward recipe, every strand of the noodles will light your tongue on fire… in a good way.
We are enjoying this authentic tasting rendition of mee bodo at Yalo Yalo Yumm, a restaurant located off Old Klang Road that serves other Malaysian delights too, such as nasi lemak.
Yalo Yalo Yumm located off Old Klang Road serves nostalgic Malaysian delights such as ‘nasi lemak’. — Picture by CK Lim
Their mee bodo (also helpfully listed in the menu as Spicy Fried Noodles, perhaps to caution unsuspecting patrons) comes in three spice levels — normal, “more” or “less” — as well as two sizes (150 grammes or 180 grammes, depending on how healthy one’s appetite is).
The drinks menu here is a mishmash of caffeinated beverages such as Vietnamese drip coffee and Thai milk tea as well as some less common thirst quenchers like their Ube Latte and Yalo Nangka Milk Ice.
Given the hot weather, we settled on a pot of iced Winter Melon Lime Soda, all the better to refresh our parched throats and to keep us chilled when the spicy dishes arrive.
Winter Melon Lime Soda (left) and Sambal Petai with Tempeh (right). — Picture by CK Lim
This turned out to be a wise decision as most of the recommended dishes certainly have a decent heat to them. Take our choice of starters and sides, for instance.
Sambal is a signature item here at Yalo Yalo Yumm, if not THE signature item (more on this later). Its fiery notes are well suited to the Sambal Petai, especially with the optional add-on of tempeh.
The pungent stink beans pair very well with the fermented soybeans, the fresh redolence and crunch of the former softened by the mild nuttiness and chewy texture of the latter.
The Kerabu Mangga — a salad of julienned green mango, tomatoes, fresh herbs and fried ikan bilis — is less spicy but still packs a tangy punch. An unexpected delight, this.
Kerabu Mangga. — Picture by CK Lim
Given the shop’s tagline is “Serious Nasi Lemak”, it comes as no surprise that nearly every table orders at least a plate of their nasi lemak with the Melaka-style addition of kangkung.
We had the Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng, which comes with a juicy deep-fried boneless chicken thigh, suffused with rempah (spices). There is also a choice of chicken or beef rendang.
The kicker comes in the form of free-flow sambal, which is offered in dry or wet versions. They suggest trying a mix of both first, then deciding on which one you prefer for your next round of sambal.
Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng. — Picture by CK Lim
The same sambal is used in the Mee Bodo, as well as their Sambal Kerang, which lovers of blood cockles ought to enjoy.
Other standouts include their Sweet Soy Sauce Tempeh, Fried Chicken in Lychee Sauce, Lemak Smoked Duck & French Beans (here a mildly spicy coconut and turmeric gravy will provide relief for those with gentler palates) and Fried Egg & Tofu with Percik Sauce.
Besides the aforementioned Mee Bodo, another nostalgia-tinged noodle dish is their Dark Sweet Sauce Fried Noodles or Mee Goreng Kicap Manis.
As with the Mee Bodo, simplicity is key here: the molasses-deep sweetness of the sauce clinging to every strand makes it so slurpable.
Time to cool down after all that sambal and spice. Yalo Yalo Yumm’s bestselling dessert is their (sort of) namesake: the Yalo Halo Bingsu.
A clear homage to halo-halo, the national dessert of the Philippines, the Yalo Halo Bingsu comes in two flavours — Taro Ube or Coconut Gula Melaka. Given the owner’s Malaccan roots, we naturally opted for the latter.
Coconut Gula Melaka Yalo Halo Bingsu. — Picture by CK Lim
The mix of Korean bingsu-style shaved ice, sweet potato paste, cempedak, nangka, peanuts, corn, coconut flesh, rose syrup jelly and green syrup jelly is crowned with a true trip down memory lane: a huge slab of creamy corn custard pudding.
It’s the sort my mother used to make from cans of creamed corn. She told me many times that freshly shucked corn, despite its natural sweetness, just doesn’t have the same creamy texture as the canned stuff.
It has been years since I last had it but the taste of this creamy corn custard pudding and that of the fire engine red mee bodo brings me back to my childhood days. Familiar, if long lost, food will do that to us, no?
Yalo Yalo Yumm
G-09, Residensi Platinum Arena,
Jln Klang Lama,
Taman Sri Sentosa, KL
Open Tue-Sun 12pm-10pm; Mon closed
Phone: 014-333 3700
IG: https://www.instagram.com/yaloyaloyumm/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/yalo2yumm/
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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