Kampar fishball noodles are in a class of their own.

Kam-Poh yee yuen fun (Kampar fishball noodles) is a unique dish that can only be found in central Peninsular Malaysia.

It is named after one of the most famous hawker food destinations in Perak. Sadly, there aren’t that many of these stalls left in Kampar due to the hawkers getting on in age.

So, what makes the dish unique?

The Kampar-style of preparing fishballs is different from other parts of the country.

There’s char-yuen (deep-fried fishball) made of finely blended fish and corn flour. One bite and you’ll notice the difference because it is crunchy on the outside and gummy inside. A hand-made fishball costs about 60 sen.

Next, there’s yuk-yuen, a special blend of smoked bacon and pork. This speciality has a totally different flavour compared to other meatballs of its class.

You will also find a selection of mini yong tau foo comprising fu-chuk (beancurd sheets), shey-kau (deep fried dumplings), stuffed chillies and tau foo.

Depending on your appetite, you can start with a bowl (priced from RM3.50 to RM5.50) with the regular garnishing or customise your order by adding extra fishballs and fried dumplings.

Best of all is the generous serving of beansprouts which makes this meal so wholesome.

Top 5 recommendations

1. Subang Jaya - Second stall from the side entrance at Kedai Kopi Parkway in SS19, Petaling Jaya. The char-yuen is noteworthy. Ask for taugeh-tambah and you’ll get a big helping.

2. Kuala Lumpur - Kin San coffee shop, Overseas Union Garden, Old Klang Road. The stall serves really good “Kampar” fishballs, fu-chuk and char yuen. Also notable is the curry laksa stall in the same shop.

3. Petaling Jaya - Khoong coffee-shop, Sea Park. Some call this stall the place for Kampar fishballs. Take the soup noodles — it comes highly recommended!

4. Kampar, Perak - Stall opposite the old Rex Cinema. This is the talk of the town and is among the best fishball noodle stall around. Generous servings and reasonable prices.

5. Kampar, Perak - Fishball noodle stall just a few doors away from the famous Onn Kee beef noodles stall. The trick to finding this place is to ask the locals. Hint: it is the only row of hawker stalls located near the town’s bus station. If you are lucky, you can see how char-yuen is prepared. Excellent fare and cheap too!