WE once stopped by Lee Ga Korean Noodles Restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur, on a rainy night several years ago and had a comforting bowl of noodles in a hot broth.

The restaurant has changed hands since and it’s so good now to encounter a local person who can explain the food to us.

Recently a friend raved about its cold noodles, especially the Bibim Nengmyun (spicy cold noodles), and I just had to try them. We were persuaded to try the Mul Nengmyun (cold noodles in soup) too.

For both, the super thin noodles are silky smooth and surprisingly al dente.

The spicy cold noodles sat in a sweet, sour and peppery hot sauce, topped with cucumber and radish pickles, chilli paste, spring onions and a hard-boiled egg.

With these noodles came a kettle of hot beef broth which we poured into stainless steel cups. We took sips of this tasty, beefy broth while slurping up the noodles.

We enjoyed the Mul Nengmyun too, in a cold soup that was similarly tangy and lightly sweet, which made me more aware than ever of the incredibly smooth noodles with bite. This is also known as PyongYang Noodles (RM23) on the menu.

All the noodles are made in-house, mainly with potato flour, and buckwheat flour. That is because potatoes are abundant in North Korea, notably in Hamheung Province.

I have seen how noodles are boiled and washed in cold water to get rid of the starch before being combined with sauce or served in soup. This probably explains why the noodles are so smooth and separate and don’t sit heavy in the tummy.

I liked how the noodles we had at Lee Ga are served with the hot beef soup that we couldn’t get enough of. The three of us finished a whole kettle of it.

Our spicy Nengmyun came in a set with Sogogi Suyuk or boiled sliced beef (RM45). The beef was a little too lean; we would have preferred some fat on it.

We also liked the spicy Nengmyun with soba, made with buckwheat flour. The noodles were amazingly smooth and al dente too.

Our lunch also included Kongnamul Gukbap or bean sprouts soup with rice (RM20). The clear soup finished with a raw egg drew subtly sweet flavours from squid and stringy, crunchy bean sprouts.

Add more chilli dip to the soup and it tastes almost like kimchi soup.

I was tempted to try the sundae Gukbap or Korean blood sausage soup with rice (RM25)

Bindaetteok or mung bean pancake (RM25) was so delicious. It was crusty at the bite and was soft and meaty inside from the thick mung bean batter. There was a delightfully spicy lift from chilli, garlic and chives.

Our banchan or side dishes were radish kimchi, chives and cabbage kimchi and radish pickles, just what we liked to accompany the noodles, pancake and bean sprouts soup.

On the menu too is the recommended sundae Gukbap or Korean blood sausage soup with rice (RM25) which I was tempted to try, Hongche Muchim or seasoned raw stingray (RM59), Maeun Dakbokkeum or spicy stir-fried chicken (RM59) and Mandu or dumplings at RM5 a piece.

Lee Ga Korean Noodles Restaurant is at 34, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Contact 012-580-7122. It is open from 9.30am to 3pm with a break then. It reopens at 5pm. – November 13, 2021.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.