Today I visited the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant.
This time, I ordered Lo C Fun from the Yi Poh stall, which cost RM13.90 per bowl.
This bowl, unlike the usual short “mouse tail” loh see fun found elsewhere, Yi Poh’s version is longer and slightly thicker, almost somewhere between loh see fun and lai fun. The dry version is especially popular because the dark sauce clings well to the noodles, giving every bite a strong porky and savoury flavour. Many people also enjoy adding sambal chilli for extra heat.
The thick, smooth rice noodles have a springy and slightly chewy texture, sitting underneath dark soy sauce, minced pork, chopped spring onions, and slices of char siew. Once mixed, the noodles become glossy and coated in the savoury sauce, while the minced pork adds richness and the char siew gives a smoky, slightly sweet taste from its caramelised edges.
The dish has a long history connected to Seremban. The name “Yi Poh” comes from the founder’s grandaunt, who was known as “Yi Poh” in Cantonese. The family started selling loh shee fun from a roadside kopitiam in Seremban in 1948, and by 1954 the grandaunt had taken over the noodle stall herself. Back then, a bowl cost only 5 sen and was served simply with minced pork and char siew, very similar to the version you see today. Her strict standards and consistency made the noodles famous among locals, and the business eventually grew into the chain that exists today.