I know for a fact that many people love the kampua noodles here…
…and looking at how it has been around for a long long time and doing so very well sure is testimony to the fact though I would not say it is my favourite in town. The last time I was here was way back in 2009 and no, I/we did not quite enjoy what I/we had then. However, when I was teaching at the tuition centre upstairs a long time ago, sometimes, I would stop by for a bite to eat especially on days when I had had a late breakfast and skipped lunch because I was still feeling too full…and I would order their chin therng mee (clear soup noodles)…
…to enjoy before my lessons for the day began and what I love about the one here particularly was that it tastes exactly like those I had in my growing up years.
I may have mentioned in some earlier post that when my sister was very little, she was not all that fond of eating rice or porridge but she loved these clear soup noodles. So to get her to eat, my father would tapao (takeaway) this and bring it home for her…and while she was enjoying it, I would be sitting there, watching and drooling away and praying that she would not be able to eat it all so I would get to finish off whatever that was left. No, kids in those days did not have it so good as the ones now – we did not get to enjoy all those present-day indulgences, there were none of those fast food joints and we did not know much else other than our kampua noodles which at the time, was a weekend treat, after the Sunday service in church, that we so looked forward to and longed for so much.
Anyway, I was driving past the shop that afternoon so I decided to drop by. Yes, the same guy is still there manning the stall…
…assisted by some young/er guys, probably his sons and yes, nothing has changed – the noodles were still the same and still as nice but obviously, this is not exactly true about the prices of the kampua noodles here, RM3.00 for small (and I hear it is very small, not enough for big eaters) and RM4.00 for a bigger serving. I did not take note of how much my delightful bowl…
…cost as I paid for it together with the drink, one go.
I also ordered the deep fried kompia…
…stuffed with stewed minced meat – the ones here are the favourite of Annie-Q, my good friend residing in KL, a must-eat whenever she comes home and her mum would have to cart a lot over whenever she goes over.
This is the stall…
…the one at the corner at the front part of the shop, selling those, among some other things, at 90 sen each. I remember it started off at 50 sen and then 60…and now, it is 90 or RM2.70 for 3 which means that it is still cheaper than the ones here plus I like the filling…
…more than at that other place but of course, I have a soft spot for the pork belly ones there, going for RM4.80 for 3 the last time I was there and even if they have not jacked up the price, now we would have to fork out more now to pay the 6% GST there. Tsk! Tsk!
This was past 3.00 p.m. in the afternoon and still, as you can see in the above photograph, there were quite a lot of customers there…while most other coffee shops in town would be either closed or somewhat deserted at that time of day. I love how they have done up the place with a nice new coat of paint in that pleasant apple green colour and the Italian-tiled floor that was so clean at the time, devoid of any litter despite the fact that the shop had been open since early morning. They have changed the Romanised version of their name too, I noticed, and have added a g to the first word so now it is Sing and not Sin – Sing Ming Kee.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I totally understand when you mentioned you drooling away and praying that she would not be able to eat it all so I would get to finish off whatever that was left. When I was little, KFC was not heard of. It only came later when I was a little bigger and even then it was a very rare treat. Those wanton mee and outside food were also a rare treat so we really truly appreciate it.
These days kids get it too easily that when you offer them KFC they’ll be like, “AGAIN?!!!”
Well, I guess we only have ourselves to blame – we spoil them rotten…and that probably stems from our own very deprived childhood – we do not want them to go through what we went through when we were small.
I also love.. I am one of them.. Kampua lover!
Withdrawal symptoms already? All that western food – after some time, everything starts to smell the same.
I’m not such a fan of deep fried things, but I do like noodles in a clear broth.
I love anything in clear soup – like Penang’s kway teow th’ng, for instance. Nice & refreshing.
Indeed, I like kampua noodles because I’ve tried the one you sent to me, hehe!! =]
Yes, the Ramen Eater has tried (some instant noodle blogger in the US, I think) and given it a 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. I rest my case.
http://www.theramenrater.com/2015/06/13/1697-the-kitchen-food-instant-kampua-dark-soy-sauce/
Now my two good friends, Barbara and Elaine also into instant kampua after i gave them some from The Kitchen to try! hahahaha
Maybe they did not cook as instructed. You know some women – cannot keep it simple one, will add this and that…nice or not nice, another story but it is no longer the same anymore. Like Claire last time, asking her mum to cook – she liked very much! But I looked at it – hmmmm…not kampua lah. 😀
Am a lover of noodles, be it fried, kolo or soupy & there goes my vote for the clear soup noodles. Aha!!!…long time ago there was no such thing as stuffed kompia, all I know is just plain ones & have to dip it in hot coffee… Yumzzzz!!!!
Yes, dunno who started it. There used to be kompia served with stewed pork and soaked in the gravy – that was the only one I remember. Now we have deep fried and oven-toasted as well. Moving with the times…
I seldom order noodles in clear soup, coz by the time I finish, sure whole body sweating, hehe.. Usually the dry version.. Ooohh, I’m like you too, even now, when my boy is eating ice cream, I wish secretly he won’t be able to finish the whole cone so that I can have some too, kekekekeke…
Aiyor!!! These days we can always buy our own but of course, if there is only one and my girl wants it, I will just let her…and go without. Parents are like that…like when we were small, everytime we had chicken, my brother and I had a drumstick each, my father had the wings and my mum ate the chicken butt.
Mmmmm….getting hungry now. 🙂
You are? Middle of the night there?
I will prefer dry version if eating in coffeeshop on a hot weather, if in clear soup, i will be sweating…
I am not exactly crazy about soupy things but I love stuff in clear soup and would have that sometimes for a change. “Cheng cheng” they say in Hokkien, clear and refreshing. Eat slowly, will cool down soon enough. Same thing with porridge.
Look yummy. Sayang I did not try it.
Surely you will come back to Sibu sometime…maybe otw to your hubby’s hometown. Take note of all the places you missed – make sure you get to try then. 😉
It looks good, the clear soup noodle. I usually prefer dry noodles but this one, somehow looks very appealing to me.
I’m not crazy about the dry ones here but a lot of people would disagree with me. Love the soup version, very nice.
McD was a luxurious food for us when we were small (probably 3-5 yrs old) and now…. a lunch meal costs lesser than economical rice!
So cheap now? Have not been since God knows when!
i like your explorations of these traditional kopitiams … i must admit i’m actually hopeless at knowing which kopitiams to explore in any of the places i’ve lived, studied and worked in, including malacca, penang and kl! 🙂
Sibu is a small town and there are only a few places that are generally more popular than the rest and many would swear by the kampua or whatever though I would not say I would agree all the time. All a matter of taste, I guess. They would stick to the same places all the time, I know but not me, even though I do have my favourites that I would bring friends who come to town to enjoy. I would try out other places – explore the unexplored. Who knows? There are gems yet to be discovered…and that way, I would have more to blog about.
RM 3 is quite a lot for kampua! It seems that the prices are really high nowadays…
When I was younger it was usually chicken rice (from SCR) that was a treat – there wasn’t a lot back in those days. Duck rice was a personal favorite too.
This place is not known for being cheap nor for its large servings – and to me, it isn’t all that great…which puzzles me greatly as to why people keep coming back by the droves for more and they will share the photo on Facebook declaring it the be the best in the world. To each his own, I guess – one man’s meat, another man’s poison.
Sibu’s trademark. Made me homesick.
Coming back this Raya?
My favorite kompia place! Usually i just go there just for kompia not kampua, but during my trip back last round i did try the noodles, it is ok, i just get to sample one spoon, as they are close for the day and left the last three plates for my two boys and Anson.
Yes, the kompia is my favourite in town too, other than the pork belly ones at NH – the minced meat here is nicer than there…and a lot cheaper too. The kampua’s not really too my liking.
To me Sibu Kampua always stands out among the other noodles because of its good-textured noodles. Kompia with meat filling has always been my favourite. Had three of them at a coffee shop yesterday.
Ahhhh!!! You get good ones there? I know some place in Bintulu that makes very good kompia and the sweeter counterpart, not sure about Miri. Of course, Sibu = kampua, kampua = Sibu.