When done right, a plate of mamak mee goreng – much like char koay teow
(which, to me, is the undisputed king of Malaysian stir-fried noodles) – is a
glorious creation. Its complex, multi-layered flavours and textures make it a
meal that is deliciously, magically, so much more than merely the sum of its
ingredients list.
But, also like char koay teow, not many people are able to do it right.
Most of those I’ve had in Klang Valley have been rather poor approximations of
what real mamak mee goreng ought to be.
The good ones I know of are all up north. In Penang, Hameed does
a pretty good and unique spicy version with sotong; and the stall at Bangkok
Lane with its reddish noodles is not bad either. Even further north, in Sungai
Petani, I’ve found another two stalls that have been serving up good mamak mee
goreng for many years.
Having tried both, I find myself preferring Thajudeen just a sliver
more. But they are very close in terms of taste and quality, so here’s a
showdown/comparison that will hopefully highlight why each of them deserves
their respective groups of loyal fans.
Taste
Both have a similar salty-sweet-spicy flavour that is distinctive to
mamak mee goreng. I find that Thajudeen has slightly stronger and saltier
flavours, hence my preference.
Texture
Alaudin cuts its ingredients in bigger chunks – you can clearly see and
taste the skin-on potato wedges, fritters and beancurd in it. With Thajudeen,
the ingredients are cut significantly smaller so while you still get various
distinct textures as you eat, it is more difficult to visually discern the
different ingredients in the dish. Advantage to Alaudin on this one.
 |
| Mee Thajudeen is like creamy peanut butter... everything practically pureed together. |
 |
| And Mee Alaudin is more like chunky peanut butter, with distinctive pieces of its various ingredients. |
Noodles
Both use the yellow noodles that appear to be unique to Sungai Petani.
They’re thinner, lighter in colour and have a firmer, chewier texture compared
to the yellow noodles found elsewhere. To me, these noodles give Sungai Petani
hawkers an overall edge over their counterparts elsewhere in Malaysia, even –
though it pains me to admit it – those in Penang.
How to eat
Both noodles tend to be a little moist when it arrives on the table. I
would recommend stirring and tossing them around a bit to let the moisture
dissipate and allow the noodles to dry out a bit. I find that the flavour is
best when the noodles are slightly warm – rather than when they are piping hot.
Price
Thajudeen noodles are RM3.30 a plate while Alaudeen’s is a little below
RM3.00.
Shop
Like Improved Pickup Radius on
Diablo III items or the points on ‘Whose line is it anyway?’ ambience doesn’t
really matter but I am including this here because I suspect it may help
explain the slight price discrepancy between the two stalls.
Restoran Taulat where Thajudeen is located is off the main road, large
and has spotless, gleaming metal tables and chairs. It has a large open-air
kitchen with a team of about 3 or 4 cooks.
 |
| This shop looks like it belongs to a max-level artisan on Diablo III. |
In contrast, Alaudin is in a smaller, slightly more run-down location
next to a big main road with lots of cars zooming past nearby. Its stall is a
single pushcart outside a mamak shop that supplies the plastic tables and chairs and drinks.
 |
| While this stall looks like another destructible object in the game that players couldn't even be bothered to smash. |
Conclusion
You know which one I prefer, but the ultimate decision on which one is
better is very much a matter of individual taste. Next time you roll by Sungai
Petani, be sure to give both a try and decide for yourself.
Mee Thajudeen
Restoran Taulat, No. 214-B,
Jalan Hospital, 08000, Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia
Mee Alaudin
Mee Alaudin Stall, Jalan Kampung Baru (Bakar Arang), 08000, Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia
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