What a jarring miss! Many food lovers and adventurous backpackers constantly miss the smaller towns in between the hyped-up metropolitan cities and heritage towns in Malaysia. Of course, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Malacca are perpetually featured in a first-time tourist's itinerary, with the island resorts trailing a close second and the other states somewhat anticipating patiently for their turn to shine.
One good example being this state wedged between the infinitely more popular Selangor and Malacca named Negri Sembilan.
A relatively humbler and under-the-radar type of town; Seremban is the capital of the state and was previously known as Sungai Ujong; in relation to the nearby river of the same name.
Seremban is easily accessible from the expressway, and most tourists flock over for a brief stopover on the way to or back from Malacca. A pity, I reckon. Since a mere breakfast will NOT lead you to discover some of the best street eats you probably cannot find elsewhere.
First and foremost, start where the locals hang out for a leisure breakfast or brunch; the Seremban Wet Market in the heart of the town. A double-storey, square-shaped structure housing everything a housewife could possibly wish for, the upper floor are made up of an astounding array of hawker food stalls that operate from wee hours of the day onwards.
The Seremban beef noodles at stall numbered 748 should be your first stop. It's customary for passerby's to drop in for a bowl of their famed and one-and-only dry beef noodles with specks of sesame seeds, crunchy peanuts and even salted vegetables clinging deliciously onto the strands of almost translucent noodles. And the beef .. oh my! Where do we start?
You can customize your bowl of beef in a clear broth that is brimming with beefy flavours as a result of hours of boiling various parts of the cow to unearth the sweet, meaty flavours within.
If beef is not your preference, go for a plate of the equally famous Mee Hoon Sotong or rice vermicelli noodles cooked in a brown, watery broth redolent of spices and a faint hint of smokiness, topped with slices of braised pork and the star of the dish; the succulent cuttlefish. This is definitely a Seremban-only creation that you will not find elsewhere.
Enough with the noodles you say? Don't fret. Drive a short distance over to an area featuring a famed confectionery named Kedai Siew Pau Asia, and almost directly across the road sits this Yi Poh Restaurant that serves a delectable version of well, noodles again.
Yi Poh chose to dwell in Hakka Mee, an essentially Hakka-inspired noodles featuring homemade noodles topped with a savoury minced meat sauce and coated with lard oil. And if the pork's not overwhelming enough, they will be glad to add a few slices of caramelized, barbecued pork for you! But try the Lou Shu Fun instead; literally translated to rat's tail noodles (no worries, no rodents involved! Only rice noodles), topped with similar 'magic.'
'Siew Pau' is a renowned snack no longer confined to Seremban, but the town's moniker almost always attached to the baked flaky buns stuffed with a juicy filling of caramelized barbecued pork. A few household names exist; such as the huge Empayar overlooking the expressway, Kee Mei Siew Pow with various branches all over Malaysia, Warong Seremban Siew Pow on Jalan Rasah, and this Asia Confectionery.
Last but not least, before you proceed on your journey up north or down south, stop over at Haji Shariff's for their refreshing brand of cendol mixed with a plethora of ingredients guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Or at least, contain those beads of sweat from the sweltering heat.
For the complete details of the eateries mentioned in this guide, hop over to HERE.