Fifty Tales — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

I don’t normally eat noodles (have been on a low-carb diet for years now), even if I do, I have konjac noodles or ones made from rice flour, so today I broke my own rules (go ahead and roll your eyes, LOL) and had the hand-made ones at Fifty Tales.

I ordered the Emerald Dragon with pork belly, which was a serving of al-dente noodles coated with scallion pesto, accompanied by braised preserved kaichoy (crunchy, slightly sweet and sour) and green dragon vegetables (not my favourite because they are almost indestructible despite chewing on them endlessly). Loved the noodles as I dislike overly soft ones and the accompaniments made it an interesting meal.

My other half had the Nyonya Laksa (with chicken made to look like belly, probably from a roulade method of preparing the bird) which I eagerly tasted as I have been looking out for a memorable version (not for myself, but my dad has been hankering for one and nothing will satisfy his extremely high standards). It was a tad sweet because I had yet to squeeze in the calamansi and I would have preferred a richer version. Then again, the chef probably had to adjust the stock to cater to the average diner’s experience and not everyone enjoys a very rich stock – santan also might curdle if too much of it is added and that would not do! I enjoyed the tiny bits of prawn that were still crunchy despite being immersed in the broth. I would have preferred toufu pok and fish cake slices but then again this is a modern rendition, so I suppose they decided to omit it.

We also ordered a side dish of the XO pork and fish dumplings. I truly enjoyed the dumplings, they were fresh and bursting with ingredients, no skimping there and the crunch from the XO chili oil sauce made it all the more delectable. Again, I found it a bit sweet but we were assured that additional sugar wasn’t used; instead the black vinegar was likely from the sweetened variety.

Service was prompt, attentive and very professional. Having a meal there was a wonderful dining experience (mind you, the price isn't something everyone would be willing to pay for but then again this place offers a different experience, it's not the run of the mill kind that typical bustling eateries would offer).

At least two of the chefs mingled with the crowd and it could be seen that this is a place where people take pride in running it. The layout was spacious and made interesting with a variety of table types (round, square, longish), catering to different crowd sizes and I hope they maintain their standards. They even made a waiting area indoors for the comfort of people queuing for a table). I will be back to try the dinner menu (you can scan the QR code in the photo to check out their menu items). They don’t offer variety as they have a limited list of items on their menu. Then again, less is more; if they can focus on doing well what they offer, that should keep the crowd coming...

July 2023: Third visit at the new Sea Park location. Best experience out of the 3, bumping up my rating to a 5.

Truffle Yeasted Noodles was probably the most well-received, looked like soba, reminded me of braised yee mee, but with interesting flavour and better texture.

Surprisingly, I quite liked the Dragon Chives & Century Egg Sauce. The slight char on the greens paired with the creamy and nutty sauce was quite unique, definitely would get it again.

As for the pièce de résistance, the Steamed Corn-fed Chicken ... kinda interesting, but since it's minced chicken stuffed back into the skin, you don't quite get the texture of the chicken anymore. Everyone's first impression was that it was kinda like sausage or lor bak. I appreciate that it was a technical dish, and that the flavour was great, but not quite what I expected when I ordered "steam chicken". Nevertheless, not a bad dish by any means.

Staff was incredibly friendly, and always a good sign when the founders are part of the service. Highly recommended place to check out for ambitious, non-conventional Chinese inspired dishes.

Jan 2023: Finally made it back here again to try out cincai dinner! Wanted to try the roast chicken but was told I had to pre-order :(

(To their credit, they did apologise for not informing me ahead of time despite my reservation)

Pretty interesting and unconventional take on familiar dishes. Very open to feedback. Might have to revisit again to try out the chicken.

Dec 2021: Not a huge fan of noodles in general but this place seemed interesting so decided to give it a try despite having to travel a good half an hour.

Everything was "clean", noodles weren't bland but I wouldn't say it's bursting with flavour. Pretty solid as an everyday meal (as opposed to something special or guilty). The laksa had good portion of what I assume is sous vide chicken breast.

Meat balls (cubes?) were a bit dry/lean for my preference. Chicken tenders seemed like tempura battered sous vide chicken breast? Again, felt "clean" (apart from the frying), not a bad option if you just want to eat more protein.

Would've liked the fizzy lo hon guo to be fizzier.

Kinda wish some of these dishes came with a spicy dip / condiment / sauce.

Would revisit if the Cincai...

Combined review of a family of 6! (Lunch menu)

List of things we ordered and reviews below: OG style noodles, Hakka Noodles, 50 tales laksa, grilled mushroom salad, lychee chrysanthemum soda, Ding Dong Oolong.

OG style noodles - It’s a hit or (close) miss. If you’re expecting a bowl of noodles with lots of sauce in it then it’s not for you. However, it is delicious, the noodles were coated with a salty sweet sauce with a tinge of sourness on it. The pork was on the fatty side and a bit chewy in a nice way. The egg was a little cold but flavour wise was good. Personally I found it good, but others at my table found it exceptional. If you do order this it will definitely be above mediocre, either good or exceptional.

Hakka noodles - the noddles were coated with a little extra flavour as opposed to the OG. It was also exceptional according the person who ordered it. “Better than the OG” according to her. Won’t go wrong ordering it as well.

50 tales laksa - The soup was sweet and sour, not spicy at all. Delicious as well. A hearty meal for anyone ordering it.

Grilled mushroom salad - It was the first thing to be finished on the the table. The leaf was crunchy and the mushroom was cooked well, the sauce that dresses the salad was exceptional.

Lychee Chrysanthemum Soda - A sweet refreshing drink. Tastes nice and helps wash down all the flavours mentioned above to reset the palates for more.

Ding Dong Oolong - a nice cup of tea which is also refreshing. The only critic I have is that it’s very small for the price. In my opinion, would be the most overpriced thing we ordered. (Can see the photo attached for size as a reference)

Overall, it’s a good to exceptional meal (depending on your preference). Nice noodles, good drinks and good service.

As other reviewers have mentioned, it is on the pricy end (especially if you ordered the drinks).

Worth the hype? Depends on your taste and expectations. I give it a 4/5 but bumped it up to 5 due to my family saying it was exceptional. (2 votes for good, 4 votes for exceptional)

Note: There is a lunch menu and a dinner menu. This review is for the lunch menu.

Will come back eventually with a dinner review! (If you do come here,...