I’ve been hearing mixed reviews about the hawker stalls at Imbi Market in ICC Pudu – some tell me the food is terrible while others remain hardcore fans, namely the pork noodles. My in-laws fall under the former category, insisting that a visit will prove to be disappointing knowing how particular Jien and I are about food.
Still, we went because “never try never know” right?
We did a stall-hop kind of excursion, starting with the pork noodles stall and worked our way around the food market. Alas, the in-laws were right. The noodles were disappointing – both the soup and dry version. No pork richness in the broth and hardly any enticing aroma as you dig into the noodles.
I prefer the broth for the dry pork noodles
Dry pork noodles, looking rather pale
Soup pork noodles
I reckon the dry version is better because the broth is thicker without any flavour alteration from the noodles but it was still a below average bowl of pork noodles. You will need a lot of soy sauce and chopped cili padi to accentuate the flavour.
Char kuay teow
Hian Kee Char Kuay Teow looks to be a popular option with the crowd so we ordered a plate to try. It was nothing to shout about and if I may say so, rather forgettable. While the kuay teow had a decent amount of char, it didn’t have enough flavour overall. There was also too much beansprouts in the mix so that took away some attention from the noodles.
The curry laksa from Choo Choo Hainanese Stall was the best tasting among the noodles we had at ICC Pudu. That being said, it wasn’t particularly memorable either. This comes with chicken pieces, long beans, cockles and tofu puffs with your choice of noodles. I’d order this over the rest if I ever have to eat here again.
If you’re coming into the food market from the staircase, there’s this stall selling steamed buns and dumplings right in front. Order the yellow wine chicken pau – that’s quite tasty. We tried it at the market and ordered another box to take home.
*You can also head straight on for the famous , right outside the food centre.
Bangsar Babe on Facebook Bangsar Babe on Instagram
Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 5/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Skip the pork noodles at all cost. Try the pan-fried buns.
Imbi Market, ICC Pudu
Jalan Kijang, Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours: 6am till 2pm
(closed Monday)