This humble hidden stall in Lutong, Miri is a late night food destination.
If you’re someone who loves noodles, being in Miri is nothing short of a blessing. What our city lacks in infrastructure or attraction, we make up for in food! The next thing sensible thing to ask would be what kind of noodles to have? Locals would probably point you to the ol’ reliable; mee kolok, and they have every reason to do so. You could hardly go wrong wherever you go when you order a bowl. However today, there’s a hidden stall I think is worth a trip(or several) that you should look into.
The place in question is interesting in that it doesn’t even have a name or even a signboard. It was difficult for us to even locate it but with the help of some locals, we got there eventually. I’d say it’s practically impossible to waze it if you’re not a local but worry not as we’ve done the journey for you. The location of the stall in at the bottom on this article.
What we do know is that it’s referred to by locals as “mee parit”, or the drain noodles, but that’s only because the stall is located on the other side of a small drain. Once you’ve parked, you’ll see a small brick walled room and a simple roof over it. Laid out next to the rooms are a few tables and chairs. The whole place could probably fit in your living room, but don’t let that take away the magic of food this place offers!
On first glance you’d probably mistake this place for a construction area because of the brick walls and the sparse landscape surrounding the shop. But once sat down, you’ll start to notice the familiar aroma of noodles being cooked and the bustling around the kitchen that is the brick room which is the tiny!
We observed a couple cooking noodles in the space and the size of the kitchen didn’t seem to stop them from doing their thing.
This hidden stall serves the locals in Miri their favourite dishes.
Here is what the menu looks like. Although we were hunting for mee kolok, they had a variety of items. We decided to try the mee kolok, mee merah, mee goreng basah tomato and fried kueh tiao.
The food did take a bit of time to come but we were pleasantly surprised at how great everything tasted. It was proof that one didn’t need a huge kitchen with everything inside for one to make good food. There wasn’t anything truly unique about the noodles they whipped up, but I don’t think anyone coming to a place like this at night would be looking for something unique.
Focusing on the mee goreng basah tomato, it is prepared with attention and have a generous helping of the tomato based gravy to drown the noodles in, keeping it moist and tasty.
What about the mee kolok? Absolutely killer I’d say, but only because I’m a big lover of mee kolok, so there is always a surefire bias towards these things (sorry but not really). I think what made it delicious was that it wasn’t dry. It had good moisture throughout the noodles that kept it separated and not clumpy. The chewy and salty texture of the mee kolok is a familiar one. Where as the mee merah had an added flair of sweetness that gave the noodles a better, more interesting overall taste.
A taste that feels like home.
All in all, this place provides a taste that is familiar, forgiving and feels like home. I’d take that over unique any day.
Funnily enough, although the place doesn’t have any signboards or names pointing towards the shop, many people do frequent the establishment for supper or dinner. It’s well known to the locals living around it and lesser known to those further away.
Got any other places you think have good noodles? Suggest a place in the comments below and we might just take you up on it!
Location:
Shop Name: Hidden Lutong Stall, Miri
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 530pm to 12am, however subject to changes according to owner
Address: 9918, Jalan Bario, Miri Sarawak
Waze/google maps: Search for “Big leaf nursery, Lutong”
Status: Non – Halal
Looking for more places to hunt in Miri?
Check out this article: 5 Places You Can Go for Steamboat in Miri
