Cockle-topped curry mee in spicy broth hidden in industrial park

In my defence, one look of Batu 9 Curry Mee’s spicy and creamy-looking curry mee topped with a mountainful of blood cockles had my mouth watering in seconds. And frankly speaking, I have driven further for the legendary cockle topped char kway teow at Rasah Kuey Teow Goreng. 

The restaurant may be far flung, located all the way in Kapar, Selangor but it’s pretty easy to spot— there’s a massive signboard which states ‘Batu 9 Curry Mee’. Parking is also pretty much a breeze. 

What I tried at Batu 9 Curry Mee

You can ask for your favourite noodles with the curry mee (the stall offers thin bee hoon, kuey teow, Loh Shu Fun, yee mee, and yellow noodles). I topped mine with extra blood cockles because why not. A bowl of Curry Mee will cost you RM9.50 and an extra addition of Blood Cockles will be another RM3. 

What greeted me as I waited for my order was a large vat of fiery looking curry, with pieces of tau pok, pork skin and curry leaves swirling around in the steaming pot. Just the very sight of this concoction whetted my appetite. 

It wasn’t long before the waitress stepped out from the kitchen holding a plastic tray filled with bowls of curry mee. I felt like a kid excitedly awaiting a promised reward, watching her like a hawk as she went from table to table serving equally excited customers their bowl of noodles. 

When she finally placed my bowl of curry mee on the table, oh boy, was I excited to dig in! Just picture this (as you look at the bowl of curry mee above): the aroma of fragrant curry snaking into your nostrils, there’s that hint of spice, crispy beancurd skin, bean sprouts and the crowning glory in the centre— freshly-shucked bloody cockles. And that’s just the top of the curry mee ‘iceberg’. Swimming in between the delicious broth are chunks of potatoes, chicken, long beans and the tau pok you saw in the pot earlier. 

I gave the ingredients a quick mix and slurped the noodles into my eager mouth. The rich taste of the gravy was the first to hit my taste buds— slightly creamy, rich, and packed to the brim with flavour. Just when you think you’re done with the broth, the spice hits you. But despite the spice, I found myself in a trance-like state, slurping the noodles with broth. So addictive!

I discovered later that the curry broth is made using homemade spice paste and is prepared in a large batch every two to three days. In addition, a mix of fresh and dried chillies is used to give it its fiery kick. That explains why I was chugging down my iced Chinese tea between bites of noodles. 

Next, it was time to try the smorgasbord of ingredients in this bowl of noodles. I started off with the cockles (of course). If you love cockles as much as I do, you’re in for a treat— the ones are so juicy, bouncy and have such a delicious bite to them. 

The tau pok was an added treat because it had soaked all the goodness of the broth. This meant every time I took a bite of the tau pok, it would squirt the delicious curry. I was honestly surprised to see such large chicken chunks in the broth. And they were extremely tender. Unlike other places, the pig skin served here is softer as it has absorbed the curry well. Batu 9 Curry Mee doesn’t stinge with their ingredients, that’s for sure. If I had one qualm about the curry mee, it would be the potatoes— I wish it would have been much softer and could do with at least 10 more minutes of cooking time. 

I was also a little disappointed that I could not try their Penang Loh Bak. But I admit I arrived extremely early at 8.30am, so it made sense if their fried items weren’t ready for serving. 

Final thoughts

Despite having finished only three quarters of the bowl, I felt extremely stuffed. I was rather impressed that even at 9am, the restaurant had a good stream of customers. 

Their Curry Mee was piping hot, fragrant, and completely satisfying. It’s the kind of noodles that you’d love to have when it’s pouring outside. Or if you’re looking to satisfy your cockles cravings. But is it worth the 45 minute drive? Absolutely. Would I return for another bowl? In a heartbeat. 

Expected damage: RM8 – RM20 per pax

Ah Huat Pek Balik Pulau: Penang’s hidden secret— RM6.50 deep fried crispy hor fun with juicy belacan chicken