I first knew Aaron when following the whole coffee scene in Malaysia. He won the Malaysia Barista Championship 2019 and subsequently represented Malaysia at the World Barista Championship 2019 all the way in USA.
Followed him on Instagram and we exchanged direct messages here and there. One day, he reached out to me regarding my dad’s water jasmine bonsai, because I helped my dad to sell his bonsais on an Instagram page, @apple.bonsai. I’ll share more about Apple Bonsai in the next post. Aaron wanted to display it at his new handmade noodles establishment called Fifty Tales. Brought a few for him to view, and Dad proposed to switch up the bonsai display on a weekly basis, which we did.
Over our weekly visits, we have tried out several things on the menu, some we’ve repeated, and mind you, each of these visits were paid visits.
This is how the restaurant looks like when you walk into the restaurant. Aaron mentioned that he was going for a more minimalist concept, hence the bare minimum unpainted cemented walls (except for the cooking area with square tiles), old school terrazzo tiled flooring and wooden chairs.
The counter is where you have a look at the menu and place your order, making your payment upfront before taking a seat. You can get cash back on beepit by scanning the QR code on the receipt and use it to get some discount on your next visit.
You can sit at the bar counter seats where you can watch Aaron and his team cook some yummy hand made noodles, or some blowtorch action on the pork belly (this is cool), and perhaps, when he is less busy, have a little chat with him.. If you are feeling unadventurous, you can choose to sit at the other seating area.
From our conversations with Aaron and what we read so far, we’ve educated ourselves that Fifty Tales is not a ramen restaurant, which many people seem confused about. I guess people have to come to visit this place with an open mind and not have any expectations of the noodles being ramen.
He serves hand made noodles, made without alkaline water unlike other noodle establishment nowadays and wishes to recreate that childhood memories of what’s he come to known as a yummy bowl of noodles.
Rice Please (
RM16) - Rice with braised pork, egg seasoned in shaoxing wine, lactofermented radish, fried garlic bits and spring onion.
This is for the people who come to a noodle establishment and happens to not be feeling noodles but feeling rice (hello fellow rice buckets out there).
If you had tried out the Swimming OG noodles (scroll down to read more about Swimming OG) before, you would feel this is nothing to shout out about? Except for the additional fried garlic that gives you that extra kick.
Fizzy Luo Hon Guo (
RM8) - This luo han guo is perfect to pair with a hot bowl of soupy noodles, or on a hot day! The additional kick from the carbonation makes it really refreshing. The luo hon guo is not too sweet and Aaron makes it carbonated using some carbonation machine.
If you feel like rewarding yourself a little more, go for the option with the beer.
Swimming OG (
RM16) - Handmade noodles in flavourful pork broth (boiled over 6 hours), braised pork belly, egg seasoned in shaoxing wine and spring onion garnish, paired with lactofermented radish and lactofermented chilli.
This is something that we’ve ordered repetitively. There is another version for those who prefer a lighter broth, Not There Yet, which we have yet to try. There is also another option with more pork and prawns, I believe.
What we really like about this is the flavourful broth (most of the time I drink up all the soup), the seasoned egg where the yolks are still sort of half runny and you can definitely taste the shaoxing wine, the pork belly that melts in your mouth (for a better experience, ask the waiter upfront that you want “pun fei sau”, if not at times the cut given can be pretty lean) and the lactofermented radish, which is tangy and refreshing.
I am not a person who knows how to appreciate noodles without alkaline water. (Sorry Aaron if you are reading this HAHA) But it kinda reminds me of pan mee?
Funk Mee - Aaron’s version of jajangmyeon? The same handmade noodles in black bean sauce, lactofermented carrots and mushrooms, served with lactofermented chilli at the side.
My pro tip will be to add pork belly, or you will feel hungry very soon without the protein option, but believe me this is worth it.
This bowl has been my repeat order and I love love love it! It’s very very flavourful. It’s not too salty, but each bite is like a burst of flavour. The carrots are crunchy, and the mushroom flavour feels..... Amplified. You have to try this to get what I mean. As for the lactofermented chilli, it kind of reminds me of kai fan chilli.
Now, you’ve seen me repeat this lactofermentation word for numerous times, what is it? From my simple understanding, it’s basically a fermentation process, which results in healthy bacteria (lactobacillus sp.) which is good for your gut! This involves a process of fully immersing vegetables in salt water for a period of about two weeks. What’s interesting about the fermentation process is the flavours that it brings out of the vegetables.
Occasionally, you can see this display on the back of Aaron’s shop.
What’s even more interesting is that when I watched back his MBC 2019, he incorporated lactofermentation as part of the ingredients in his signature drink, so he must be a fan of fermentation.
Another fun fact that Chef Aaron is a camera detector. If you search the tag on Instagram, you can see him posing for the camera in most photos that people have took of the bar area.
Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with him and his family. They are really nice people, and are an added bonus to why you should revisit this restaurant. It kind of gives you this homey vibe where you feel as if you are cared for just like how your parents care for you.
Maybe you can also ask Aaron the reason why the restaurant is named Fifty Tales, and he will tell you some of it.
This is how the restaurant looks outside at night. If you come here after 7pm, you have to enter through a residential guardhouse a little further in front for safety reasons. The shop lot can be a little quiet at night so it’s safer to register your details at the guardhouse. Besides, the shop is equipped with CCTVs if you are worried about your safety. But based on our visits on a few weekday nights, you do not have to worry as there are quite many people eating dinner at Fifty Tales.
What I like about this place, is that you do not have to pay parking, ample parking space is available. Aaron’s family are cat lovers, but they are not allowed in the restaurant. Feel free to play with their pet cats outside the shops and learn more about them with a little chat with Aunty or Uncle Phua.
I would recommend that you visit Fifty Tales for lunch, then head over two doors away to have coffee at 30 Seconds. If you are lucky, the MBC champion may brew you some yummy and pretty looking coffee.
Fifty Tales
Closed on Wednesdays
Opening Hours: 10.00am to 3.00pm, 6.00pm to 9.00pm
Instagram: fifty_tales
Facebook: Fifty Tales Malaysia
Address: 5, Jalan Margosa SD10/4A, Bandar Sri Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
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