One such eatery is Vegan Life in Petaling Jaya where Steve Foong serves-up bowl upon bowl of delicious plant-based noodles for his famished customers.
The 34-year-old used to work as a chef in an Italian restaurant in Singapore, but ditched his stressful lifestyle to run his own food business back in Malaysia.
After consulting with a friend who operates a vegan restaurant, he decided to start his own. And although not vegan himself, he mostly follows a plant-based diet for health reasons.
The six noodle soup dishes he created are equally popular among his customers, of which, a third are non-vegans.
All of the dishes are made using fresh ingredients, and do not contain MSG, white salt, white sugar or mock meat. “I also don’t use onions and garlic so I can cater to those who don’t consume them,” said Foong.
There are two types of noodles here – vermicelli and homemade noodles.
“The latter is similar in texture to ramen noodles. I used to make them myself, but due to lack of time, I now get them custom-made from a noodle factory,” he shared.
For those who prefer something non-spicy, the Cordyceps Flower Soup is highly recommended. Served with tofu, cordyceps flower, enoki mushrooms, foo chuk or dried bean curd and Chinese cabbage, the soup is “light” and flavourful.
The Japanese Yam Seaweed Soup is also popular among those who prefer something mild.
For those who can’t live without the spice though, do order the Spicy Raba Noodles. Similar in taste to curry noodles, it is deliciously addictive.
Laksa lovers on the other hand should try the Traditional Natural Laksa, which has a delightfully sweet and spicy broth topped with “bunga kantan” or torched ginger flower.
And for fans of bakuteh, Foong’s Signature Bakuteh Soup served with juicy mushrooms, is just as flavourful as the non-vegan version.
Last but not least, those who have a taste for sour flavours can give the Vietnam Spicy Sour White soup a try.
Each bowl comes with a generous serving of noodles and costs only RM8-RM8.50.
“I only make RM3 to RM3.50 per bowl. Some have suggested that I increase the prices, but I refused; it’s enough for me to survive,” he explained.
Unsurprisingly, many regulars say that his dishes taste unique and that’s why they keep coming back for more.
One other comment he regularly gets is that his dishes do not leave them feeling thirsty, unlike most other hawker meals.
“The thing is, you don’t really need to add too much salt or anything else for that matter. You can make something tasty and at the same time healthy by using the right mix of ingredients,” he shared.
All dishes are prepared “a la minute”, which means they are prepared to order as opposed to being prepared in advance.
“This way, the ingredients remain fresh, and the taste and texture of the dishes are not compromised. There’s less wastage too,” he explained, adding that he hopes customers can be more patient and understanding if service is a tad slow since he’s been a one-man-show since the pandemic.
However, despite running the business all by himself, he only takes two days off per month.
“If you have the heart and passion for cooking, then it’s not a problem,” he said with a smile, adding that he would like to open a restaurant someday.
Regardless of your dietary preference, if you’re looking for an affordable, healthy, flavourful bowl of noodles, head over to Vegan Life; you won’t be disappointed.
For more information, contact Steve Foong at 010-8908144.
Vegan Life
Restoran Station 8
2, Jalan SS 2/10
47300 Petaling Jaya
Business hours:
8am-2pm, 5.30pm-9pm (daily)