Yes, there’s a morsel of fish skin in every bowl of soup noodles at Fatt Kee. And yes, it’s slimy, but also chewy. Regular patrons will swear that it’s what makes the restaurant’s noodles addictive. Why not be a little adventurous and try some the next time you’re in the Sabah capital.
The restaurant is located in Taman Far East, tucked away in a corner lot facing a busy road. It has been around for as long as locals can remember and has been drawing crowds on the regular without fail. The lunch crowds on weekends and holidays are particularly huge.
Fatt Kee also has the reputation of being a place that local celebrities often frequent. In fact, one of the restaurant’s walls is covered with photographs of actors, tycoons, politicians and athletes who have enjoyed the food here.
While these famous personalities have the privilege of getting the VIP treatment, the rest will have to get into the line snaking down the corridor. Some locals recommend going there first thing in the morning to escape the queuing.
It should be noted that there are no tables within the building itself. It’s al fresco, with waiters weaving through the tables placed on the walkways surrounding the restaurant.
While lining up to make your order, you will most certainly pick up the scent of seafood since fresh fish is used in the savoury broths that come with the springy noodles.
Of course, you can find fish noodles almost anywhere in the Klang Valley, but Kota Kinabalu has a strong claim to having the best of them all, thanks to Fatt Kee and the fish skin, which comes in addition to fish balls, fish fillet and slices of fish cake.
How do you go about ordering then? You must first pick your choice between the tomato-flavoured soup and its tom yam counterpart.
The tomato soup has a distinct sourness to it, which complements the seafood ingredients. The tom yam option, on the other hand, is a favourite among folks who like a spicy kick from their soups and it does pack quite a punch.
Afterwards, you pick out the type of noodles you like. Options include kolo mee, kway teow and bee hoon.
You may then choose the extras. Add-ons range from simple stuff like fish balls and bean curds to more exotic Sabahan delicacies like sea snails and jellyfish.
If you have the cash to burn, you can order yourself a braised fish head to feast on. Mind you, the cheapest option costs RM58.
FMT Lifestyle tried the kolo mee with fish fillet soup and the kway teow with fish balls, fish paste, fish maw and skimmed milk.
The ingredients in both soups were delightfully fresh, with the tomatoes bursting with flavour and the fish bits oozing with juice.
The broths were full of flavour, if a little too salty at points. Perhaps they should have been watered down a little for the flavours to be less overwhelming.
It should also be said that the fish portions were generous, a far cry from the tiny morsels you get at some places.
The kolo mee was soaked in a dark savoury sauce. Adding in fried onions for an extra crunch would likely have been an added bonus.
The kway teow was springy and did a good job of absorbing the flavours from the soup.
The next time you’re in Kota Kinabalu, you really should head over to Fatt Kee and order yourself a hot bowl of the good stuff.
Fatt Kee Seafood Noodle
8, Lorong Hilltop
Taman Far East
88300 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah
Business hours: 7am-11pm daily
Contact: 016-8380238