KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 -- Deep inside a cluster of flats in Taman Jinjang Baru lies the unassuming Kedai Kopi Soon Teik. 

For over 30 years, it has served a short, simple list of offerings - curry mee, prawn mee, plain soup and dry noodles - and its unique signature: mushroom sauce and curry chee cheong fun. 

This isn't a choice between the two, but a distinct third creation, like the yuen yeung of chee cheong fun, marrying Ipoh-style mushroom sauce with KL-style curry into one saucy symphony.

The combination was the founder's calling card. Today, Soon Teik is run by the second generation of the family, notably the son, who is younger than the business itself and took over the reins after his father died. 

Heavily obscu...