Hua Xing by 73-year-old Madam Oh Fuu Yong is one of the few restaurants in mainly-Cantonese Kuala Lumpur that specializes in Fuzhou cuisine. Although Fuzhou (Population: 7.66 million) is the capital of Fujian Province, its dialect is virtually incomprehensible to the other Fujianese (Hokkiens, Min-nan) people. The Fuzhou people are often referred to as Foochow or Hockchiew, and their cuisine also differs markedly from those in other parts of Fujian.
In Malaysia, there are 3 major urban centres with majority Fuzhou-Chinese populace: Sibu in Sarawak state, Yong Peng in Johore state, and Sitiawan in Perak state. So, it was a pleasant surprise for me to chance upon Hua Xing in Kuala Lumpur. Located in the outskirts of the city, in the middle of the Sungei Way industrial area, the spartanly-furnished eatery looked pretty inconspicuous. But the cooking was at another level altogether: punchy flavours, and where many of the dishes have this unctuous quality much loved by the Fuzhou people.
Our lunch consisted of:
Fuzhou spring rolls - this dish confused us a bit (my lunch partners were a Cantonese and a Hakka, so they weren’t much help in trying to explain the dish). I think in Penang or Singapore, where majority of the Chinese are Fujianese/Hokkien, we’d never call these spring rolls, but perhaps 5-spiced rolls (“ngoh hiang”) or “lor bak”. The meat rolls themselves were quite bland, so the little saucer of chili sauce helps.
Lor Mee - this noodle dish is widespread in Fujian Province, not only in Fuzhou, but also in other major cities like Xiamen, Nan’an, Quanzhou or Zhangzhou. Basically thick yellow wheat noodles (also known overseas as Hokkien noodles) smothered with an unctuous sauce cooked with pork and shrimps, and flavored with 5-spice, oyster sauce, soy sauce and eggs. It’ll be served with raw, chopped garlic and dark vinegar to undercut the heaviness of the sauce.
Shiang Shu Qie Zi (described on the menu as “pungent aubergine”) - the aubergine was cut into little batons, seasoned, floured and crisp-fried. Very addictive flavors and textures. I’d come back here just for it.
Feng Rou Jian Shui Gao (soy-braised pork) served with rice cakes - one of the house specialties. It’s a rather heavy, meaty dish - thick strips of pork belly cuts, slow-braised till meltingly-tender and where the meats have absorbed all the flavors of the braising sauce/marinade. It’s served with squares of alkaline rice cakes which have a stretchy, chewy texture. It’s quite a challenge to even pick up these wobbly, slippery squares with one’s chopsticks. The rice cakes’ blandness provide a perfect foil to the heavily-seasoned meat stew.
Braised Tapioca Flour Noodles - yet another slippery noodle dish: the flat tapioca noodles have a semi-transparent appearance, and quite stretchy as well. Braised with pork, shrimps and Chinese cabbage, I quite liked this noodle.
Always an exciting adventure to explore another Chinese regional food culture. The cuisines of China’s different provinces tend to differ markedly from one another, but it’s quite a surprise for me that even within the same province - Fujian, in this case - we encounter a totally alien food culture from our own.
Address
Hua Xing Restaurant (华绅风味食馆)
1st Floor, 112, Jalan SS 9/2, Seri Setia, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: +603-7876 3288
Operating hours: 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm, Mon, Tue, Thu to Sun. Closed on Wednesdays.
