KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 18 -- When Mee Bebola Ikan Pak Cik Tong went viral in March, I was keen on the provenance of their local seafood, sourced from their own farm.

Their openness in sharing this was also a plus point, exposing many to what forms the backbone of their noodle bowls: their signature broth, which uses yam bean, dried flounder, fish bones, chicken bones, and dried scallops.

It's not your larger 50-cent dried scallops but tiny baby ones.

While they aren't premium grade and don't provide a deeper flavour, the smaller scallops spike the broth with a lighter umami flavour.

The dried scallops are also removed from the soup pot, shredded and used to top the noodles.

Fresh Live Seafood Party Noodles (RM18.90) is a good starting p...