We made spontaneous plans to visit Fifty Tales in Seapark for lunch on a busy Monday afternoon. Stepping into the space, there was a liveliness throughout the restaurant during peak lunch hour. Chatter was ambient and not distracting due to ample sound-absorbing fixtures designed to blend into the environment. Both front-of-house and kitchen staff were extremely friendly and hospitable, even stopping to pose for photos when our cameras came around. 

The story of Fifty Tales began in 2019 as the brainchild of Aaron Phua, Bimmy Soh, and Aaron Khor. Since then, the humble noodle bar has evolved into a household name as a Malaysian Chinese restaurant, incorporating various elements of the distinct Chinese and Peranakan dialects found in Malaysia. 

The lunch menu was elegantly simple, featuring four noodle dishes and two rice bowls as main courses, two choices of small plates, and a dessert option. As first time patrons, we asked the server for his recommendations from the menu. He helpfully explained each of the main dishes and we decided on three of their signature noodle bowls and one small plate to complement our mains.

starters

Starting off with the eclectic platter of Steamed Eggplant with Prawns & Lychee (RM20), each of the primary components brought individual personalities to the dish. The eggplant was soft and creamy, with a mildly astringent flavour contrasted by the sweetness of lychees, and  the deshelled prawns offered a bouncy.

We unanimously declared that the highlight of the dish was the smokey vinaigrette made with guava cider and smoked garlic oil. The sauce had an element of mystery to it, deeply complex and ultra savoury while still being fresh and playful. I would gladly scarf down an entire serving myself.

noodles

The star ingredient and heart and soul of the brand are their signature handmade noodles, made fresh daily. These wheat noodles are made extra chewy with a firm bite by working the dough much more extensively, rather than relying on alkaline water like other noodle varieties do. As someone with an aversion to alkaline noodles, I wholly appreciate this take! 

The OG Style Noodles with beer-braised pork belly (RM26) were glistening with aromatic pork lard accompanied by a whole soy-marinated egg with jammy yolk. It is a step up from our everyday noodles, the light-handed seasoning of the sauce paired with the toothsome noodles was certainly moreish.

The Emerald Dragon, again topped with beer-braised pork belly (RM26) leaned heavily into the realm of alliums: mixed with a special green onion pesto paired with garlicky dragon chives, and braised preserved mustard green. Our server recommended not getting this one if we had a meeting later in the day, but I clearly did not heed his kind advice. Both dishes were finished with slices of pickled cucumber, and were equally as enjoyable.

ABOVE Nyonya Laksa

Sean was obsessed with their rendition of Nyonya Laksa with poached chicken slices (RM26), which is saying something as he is not easily impressed. When the bowl arrived at the table, he immediately exclaimed how reminiscent the aroma was of his late great grandmother’s cooking back in Penang.

The broth was rich and creamy from coconut, with prominent notes of the aromatic spices used. Texturally the broth leaned towards the fluidity of gravy rather than soupy, and held onto the noodles very well. The generous portion of poached chicken was unexpectedly tender, juicy and flavorful – absolutely the right choice for the laksa (and arguably with any dish here). A squeeze of calamansi provided acidity and brightness that complements the dish in taste and flavour. This is a definite must-try when visiting Fifty Tales.

heritage

One fun fact that Sean shared with me was the use of reproduction pieces of LingLongCi (玲珑瓷) in their service. These porcelains, once exclusively crafted in Jingdezhen City (景德镇市) of Jiangxi Province, China, are celebrated for their unparalleled artistry. Distinguished by their delicate perforations with ethereal translucency, they are aptly known as “glass-like” or “rice-hole” porcelain. The meticulous process involves etching rice grain-shaped voids into the porcelain that allow light to pass through. The unique forging of these porcelains, and were seen as a symbol of the nobles of yesteryear. It is an interesting and thoughtful choice of chinaware used for service here.

Fifty Tales really embodies its namesake, telling tales of the diverse Chinese diaspora in Malaysia through their thoughtful menu while keeping things fresh and modern. We look forward to a revisit, perhaps to sample their not so cincai dinner menu. 

FiftyTales (non-halal)
19 Jalan SS 21/11b, Seapark,
46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Operation Hours: Thurdays – Sundays  (Lunch 12pm – 4pm; Dinner 6pm – 10pm)
T: +6012-249 2697
Menu: https://fiftytales.com/
Reserve at: https://www.tableapp.com/partner/fifty-tales-pj#/

photos by Sean Koay

Note: This is not a sponsored post.