Update: This outlet is permanently closed.

Ever tried oh-chien? It’s oyster omelette – commonly found in places like Taiwan, Fujian, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It’s one of my favourite hawker-stall dishes but rather hard to find outside of night markets here in Kuala Lumpur.

But worry not – there’s a place within the cosy confines of a shopping mall where you can get hawker-style oh-chien fresh from the skillet. Oyster King, which has several branches in the Klang Valley, dishes out a decent version of this dish. The brand was started by two cousins, who learnt the trade from their favourite stall in Malacca, then sold their own oh-chien in KL at hawker stalls. With business doing well, they broadened their horizons into shopping malls and enjoyed success.

My favourite outlet is the one @ Paradigm Mall, Kelana Jaya. It’s near my old office, so I used to drop by for dinner after work – the waiters there even knew what I wanted to have even before I placed my order.

A plate of steaming, hot fried oh-chien is cooked with egg, juicy medium-sized oysters, starch, chilli, and other seasonings. I’ve had Oyster King at several places, but I still feel this one is the best as they put a lot of ingredients into making the dish. The starch congeals to form a chewy noodle-like texture similar to glass or flat noodles (kuey teow), which I love. The oysters are fresh as they are kept for three days only and are not frozen. How I like to eat mine is by squeezing calamansi over it for a sour, appetising tang, followed by lots of garlic-infused chilli which I pour over the omelette. Heaven in your mouth !

Aside from oh-chien, they also serve a few other snacks like fried oysters, lala (clam) noodles, fried rice and oyster noodles. The fried oysters (above) are crispy and an addictive snack. Prices and portions are reasonable.

The stall is a small kiosk that can accomodate <20 people, so it might get packed at peak hours. No worries – Oyster King has the cutest takeaway boxes ever. They’re like the Chinese takeaway paper boxes you see in American films. It’s not a thing in Malaysia, so I find it cute.

Oyster King

LG-09, Level LG, Paradigm Mall, No. 1, Jalan SS7/26A, Petaling Jaya, 47301, Malaysia

Operating hours: Daily (10am – 10pm)