No, it isn’t…if you asked me.
A friend of mine took me here…
…to eat the kampua noodles many many years ago, probably around the late 90’s or sometime after that, insisting that this was the best in town. I can’t recall myself feeling that it was all that great then but I did not think otherwise either.
This coffee shop is located at the very end of this road…
…and this lady at the stall is the one cooking the kampua noodles and everything else…
As you may notice, she uses a bigger type of the noodles…
…not the thinner and very curly ones that one may find at some of the other stalls in town. It was firm and not at all soggy but I felt that it lacked the fragrance of lard that had been used to fry sliced shallots till golden brown which is actually one of the major factors that separate the men from the boys when it comes to comparing kampua noodles.
The pian sip I had was not nice either…
The skin was thick, as you can see in the photograph, and I could hardly taste the meat inside and it was not translucent like those at this other place located round the corner – the one that many claim has the best kampua in town but I do beg to differ as well…but if it’s any consolation, I liked the pian sip there.
After having tried it that morning, I really wonder what it is that draws the crowd there every day – including my brother-in-law living in Bintulu. He would insist that the kampua is very nice and would make the beeline to this place for a fix every time he comes back to Sibu.
Well, like I always say, to each his own and contrary to popular belief, what is good for the gander may not be good for the goose. It definitely wasn’t good for me. Period.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
oooohhhh…. must have lard else not nice… and spring onions… and chang eu… no need charsiu… one plate for me pls, size up!
Ahhhh!!! A true kampua lover – tried once, craving for it forever…. Nothing’s gonna change your love for kampua, eh? Hehehehehehe!!!!
Hi Arthur! One man’s meat is another man’s poison… So very true! 😀
Yes, that’s why I will not say this is the best or that is the best…as for one that I like or dislike, a whole lot of people may not agree.
P.S. I won the prize in the guess who’s the cook contest. Wink! Wink! 😉
Haha… That means I guessed it correctly too! What’s the prize? QL is going to cook for you?!!! Haha… Enjoy!
Ya, a lot of people got it correct – guessed she picked the winner by lucky draw…and no, if that’s the prize, no, thank you…knowing that what he cooks with. Muahahahahaha!!!! 😀
They do seem to have quite a thick skin. Not much room left for filling I suppose.
Would probably be good for fried dumplings – not so brittle, so will not break easily and will not end up eating like corn flakes.
I agree with you that something that we tasted as not that good another persons praises it sky high. There is a shop near my office that sells Hokkien Mee. My partner has tried it twice and he told me it is oily and nothing to shout about. But still, that shop is always crowded and give the impression that the mee is very good!
I’ve tasted really bad kampua before – this one is, at least, edible…not great but ok and the thing is even though I feel they’re awful, the business can still go on and on. Obviously there are people who like it…or do not really bother about what they eat – as long as it’s kampua.
Hahahah….**PERIOD**laughing out loud. I can imagine your facial expression.
The amount of spring onions that I saw on the plate of kampua making me pissed off. Better don’t put it.
Why? It gives it that extra fragrance…alongside the fried shallots. I would add to when cooking my own at home – if I can find any in the fridge. Yup! Not that kind of period…that tells you that you’re not going to have a baby snake – but of course, we’ll never know. There is still time. Wink! Wink! LOL!!!
I ever eat wanton mee, where the wanton, more skin and the meat inside is like nothing…
For pian sip, the skin must be thin – translucent even and one would not feel it when eating…and there must not be too much meat inside either – apply like butter and wrap…but there must be enough to taste the meat and enjoy it with the soft skin. For the best piansip, all these little details will just have to be just right to be perfect.
Yes, it depends on individual’s taste buds… I have taken a few of my friends to this dim sum shop which I like, but to them, they are nothing special… so I think it is really up to one’s taste… I wouldn’t mind trying this kampua noodles… I prefer them to be whitish actually… no dark sauce like the ones I have over here…
I will never go for the dark soy sauce either – that one, I can cook my own at home. I add Bovril some more, even nicer.
Okay…I too don’t fancy kampua using fatter noodle.
I like thinner and springy ones! 😉
Some people seem to like it. I wouldn’t mind provided it tastes nice.
I guess everyone has their own personal preference, maybe some find the kampua noodles here healthier??
Healthier? I know someone who would order kampua without oil. Gee! If so health conscious, better don’t eat.
The skin of the pian sip does look very thick and so are the char siew. Personally, I like it thinly sliced. Yes, different people have different taste bud. Guess this one will be out of your list.
Yup! I definitely will not be going back there again, that’s for sure.
i don’t like thick wantan skin too…….sometimes, hawker here will wrap with the meat smaller than 5 cents coin size.
Same with pian sip. There must be enough meat to contribute to the taste but not too much either – in the end, like sui jiao or siew mai.
Pian Sip is Wan Tan or Shui Kau.
I am kind of cincai on food. I don’t know how to tell good or bad in such detail manner, but you are certainly good.
Distant relations – not exactly the same. Ya…I know some people will eat anything and still enjoy it even though it ain’t all that great.
Depends on people’s preference, some like wanton to have a thin skin, while some like it thick. I like it thin all the time. But nowadays I do not get to enjoy the skin because all the wanton’s skin will be peeled off for my boy, and I only get to eat the meat.
LOL!!! You get the best part – your poor boy, so kesian! 😀
Argh always read so much about kampua noodles on your blog but never get to try any! Can almost imagine the lard-y goodness. Looks like a trip to EM is in order… 😀
Yes, yes…just let me know when you’re coming and I’ll take it from here. I love visitors! 🙂
It doesnt look too good in the pic too. I don’t like thick skin shui kau and I’m wondering if the pian sip is really a shui kau? same kah?
Same family, distant cousins…not even brother and sister.
always a pleasure nevertheless to see your pics of kampua noodles 😀
More coming up. I think I’m on a quest to see where the good kampua noodles are in town – according ti me, of course.
Ya, your plate of kampua and pian sip pictures look not appealing to me. And i don’t like “fatter” type kampua too. I think “ang kau” the one behind polyklinik also using fatter type. hmmmm..
Next round i go back must go and eat Rasa Sayang or Soon Hock.
You can skip Soon Hock – seemed not so nice…but that was during Chinese New Year, so many people. Rasa Sayang’s nicer…or to me, at least.
Or my all time favourite – Lian Yew!!!!
Blogged about it long ago: https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/as-time-goes-by/
They say must be the old man making – if not, not nice…and now very stingy with the fried shallots.
pian sip looks something like wantan?
Similar, but not the same…
I noticed that kampua looks a little like my favorite char siew noodles and the pian sip, a little like wanton. Wonder if they are all related.
All in the family…but like brothers and sisters, they are different in their own ways.
Gosh how i miss having a plate of this delish noodles. Can’t seem to get a good meal of this in Klang Valley. 😦 I love mine loaded with lard and fried shallots.
There are a few good places, I hear…just that you don;t know about them but no matter how good, it’s nothing like eating them here. Same thing people will tell you about Penang char kway teow or Ipoh chicken rice…or is it the taugeh?
thicker noodles were i guess more fun to eat haha
i mean it lets you chew it and feel the taste even more haha
i don’t know honestly thick or thin i love it
You may end up eating the flour taste of the noodles as for tossed kampua noodles, the ingredients would only be on the outside.
hmm i prefer food with much color but i guess this meals were great as well
It depends. You can request for the noddles to be tossed in dark soy sauce or chili sauce – then you will have colours. I did not order it like that as I wanted to taste the original taste of the noodles, not one that had been camouflaged by all those sauces.
The pian sip is not nice? But looks yummy from the photo~
Nope, you can see that the skin is not translucent, too thick…and very little meat – could hardly taste it.
“what is good for the gander may not be good for the goose!” Love this quote!!! =]
Originally, it should be “What’s good for the gander is good for the goose.”
guess each have their own taste la.
No doubt about that.
char siu looked dry lah… I do agree your previous ones looked better than this… hehe
oh well, we all have our own tastebud.
It’s not char siew – just boiled meat, coloured red – that’s the condiment for kampua but some stalls leave out the colour bit so you will get plain boiled meat.