PETALING JAYA, Sept. 9 -- When I first heard of Seremban's lou shu fen, I expected silver needle noodles with their distinct short, tapered ends that some say resemble rat's tails.

I often choose that particular noodle because I find it the easiest to eat with soup, as I struggle with pulling longer strands that seem to mysteriously tangle in my bowl.

Perhaps it's also a childhood habit carried into adulthood: the simpler way to slurp down the shorter bits with a spoon rather than using chopsticks.

But it seems Seremban has its own take on lou shu fen; theirs are longer strands, known as Fu Yong lai fun, where Fu Yong in Cantonese dialect refers to Seremban.

You might think these are the translucent strands found in a bowl of tangy as...