Sang Ha Meen

Noodles with giant river prawns. Drooling already? SAM CHEONG tells you where you can get the best sang har meen.

STIR-FRIED freshwater prawn noodles or sang har meen is one of the most expensive street foods ever to be served in a coffee-shop or at a roadside stall.

A plate will cost you roughly about RM35-RM80 depending on the seasonal price of the udang galah, or the giant river prawn (genus Macrobrachium Rosenbergii).

At a market rate of RM52 per kilogramme for grade A prawns (250g and above for each), it’s no surprise why you only get two halves with each plate of fried noodles.

But what makes this unusually tasty is the blend of ripe prawn roe and a superior sauce that comes with the sang har meen.

To keep the dish simple, the noodles come simply garnished with stalks of spring onions and sliced ginger. This no-frills recipe depends mainly on the freshness of the prawns.

The prawns are not over-cooked to maintain their flavour and as for the choice of noodles, sang meen or wanton noodles are preferred. After being deep-fried, the gravy and prawn halves are poured on top and the dish is served immediately.

For the best sang har meen, it’s been said that the majority of the eateries that serve this particular noodle dish are located within the Klang Valley, so, really tough luck for all you food lovers outside of this area.


Top five places to find sang har meen

Kuala Lumpur:

1. Kedai Makan Soo Kee at Jalan Imbi. This place is famous for their ngou-yuk hor (stir-fried beef koay teow) but it is certainly well-known for their sang har meen as well. To savour their cooking, you’ll need to head out early. Be warned, parking spaces here are scarce.

2. Backlane coffee-shop off Jalan Silang. This is one of Kuala Lumpur’s best-kept secrets. It’s located on a lane beside Hon Ming textile shop and opens only for lunch. The fresh prawn noodles here are second to none.

Petaling Jaya:

3. Restoran Green View, located near the Section 19/3 or Rothman’s roundabout. Dubbed as the “THE” place for sang har meen in Petaling Jaya, this is a full-fledged restaurant that offers some excellent dishes like roasted suckling pig and stir-fried frogs with ginger and shallots.

Kuala Lumpur:

4. Makan place at the ground level of Life Centre off Jalan Sultan Ismail. Another place well-frequented by city dwellers for its excellent noodles. Perhaps one of the priciest stalls in the Klang Valley.

Bidor, Perak:

5. Coffee-shop opposite the town’s bus station. This low-profile makan place offers plenty of surprises and one the most-talked about dishes here is the sang har meen. But since the udang galah is seasonal, be sure to ask first before you order.

NST