The signature fish ball noodles at 1368 Fish Ball Noodles in Semenyih. — Pictures by CK Lim (New users only) It's tax relief season! Get up to RM300 when you save with Versa! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. By Kenny Mah Tuesday, 19 May 2026 8:53 AM MYT SEMENYIH, May 19 — This might not be a sprawling banquet spread but on a rainy day, nothing beats a steaming bowl of fish ball noodles.Specifically I am slowly savouring the signature fish ball noodles at 1368 Fish Ball Noodles in Semenyih. Here, the older shoplots still carry the unhurried charm of a small town. The shop fits right in, promising nothing more than soulful comfort.The fish balls here are made fresh every day without preservatives, using sai dou (wolf herring) prized for its naturally springy flesh.One bite and the texture immediately confirms the handmade process: firm yet yielding, with that unmistakable bounce that only proper handmade fish balls possess. The bright, clean interior of the shop. — Pictures by CK Lim Served either dry or in soup, the noodles are dependable whichever route one chooses. Ordinarily, as regular readers know, the dry version might edge ahead for its punchier flavours and slick coating of sauces.But the weather has a way of making decisions for us. (Doesn’t it always?)With rain drumming against the windows, the soup version felt more appropriate. The broth is clear and lightly sweet; it warms us steadily and surely.The shop itself reflects a newer generation of kopitiams. Bright lighting, air-conditioning and spotless tiled floors replace the grease-stained nostalgia of old coffee shops. There are no rattling ceiling fans pushing humid air around the room, no sticky tabletops perfumed with decades of kopi spills.Part of me still mourns those rough-edged spaces slowly disappearing from Malaysian food culture. Yet truth be told I perhaps appreciate the reassurance of cleanliness more so. Hygiene, after all, is hardly the enemy of good eating.The service follows suit: brisk, efficient and surprisingly attentive. Recommendations come easily when asked, without the rehearsed enthusiasm that often accompanies trendy eateries. ‘Cham’ for a strong, creamy and sweet start. — Pictures by CK Lim Being a noodle shop with kopitiam leanings, drinks and toast naturally enter the equation. We begin – as we nearly always do, creatures of routine that we are – with cups of hot cham, that deeply comforting marriage of coffee and tea.It’s our personal, eternal question: Why choose between kopi and teh when we can have both? As with the best questions in life, this is entirely rhetorical, of course.Strong, creamy and sweet in equal measure, we don’t mind if others might consider us boring; we rather see ourselves as consistent... and rewarded with a sure thing.In the same vein, we can’t not order some butter and kaya toast too. Thankfully, this was proper roti bakar rather than limp supermarket bread merely introduced to heat. A proper ‘roti bakar’ with visible char marks. — Pictures by CK Lim The surface bore visible char marks, the crust brittle enough to scatter crumbs across the table with every bite.The slab of butter had softened more than ideal, dissolving too readily into the toast, but the kaya compensated beautifully. Fragrant with pandan and coconut, sweet without becoming cloying.But these are but fleeting distractions, if you will. We have come to 1368 for the noodles.Choices abound: bee hoon, yellow noodles, koay teow, lou shu fan. There is little pressure to conform; one must select whichever best suits one’s palate or appetite. Curry fish ball noodles. — Pictures by CK Lim Beyond the classic fish ball noodles, those seeking something fierier ought not miss the curry fish ball noodles. At first glance, it appears to be the regular bowl transformed merely by the addition of scarlet curry broth.Yet the details quickly reveal otherwise. Taupok swollen with spicy stock, spoonfuls of briny seehum, fried tofu skin drinking in every drop of curry—this is a richer, more muscular bowl altogether.The broth clings to the lips with gentle heat before deepening into something almost velvety from coconut milk and spices. Truly, what’s more nourishing than a bowl of fish ball noodles? — Pictures by CK Lim Blood cockles lend bursts of metallic sweetness while the tofu puffs collapse softly under the teeth, releasing pockets of scalding curry hidden within.Even the fish balls seem to take on a different personality here, their sweetness sharpened against the spice. One can imagine this bowl restoring circulation to cold fingers after a storm.More adventurous diners might gravitate towards the Special Na Zha Noodles, crowded with curry fried fish balls, radish wedges, pork skin, fried pork and intestines.Elsewhere on the menu are curry shark meat noodles, curry lala noodles, fish maw fish ball noodles and the intriguingly named Three Kingdoms Seafood Noodles, which gathers fish paste, sliced fish and lala into one lavish bowl.Yet for all the variations, our favourite remains their house speciality fish ball noodles.There are the aforementioned handmade fish balls, of course. The bowl also includes slices of homemade fish cake, crisp sheets of fried tofu skin and a handful of greens, usually lettuce.The broth carries the faint sweetness of the sea, gentle enough to drink by the spoonful. Lettuce leaves wilt just enough to retain their freshness. Steam rises steadily from the bowl, carrying the healing aromas into the cool, after-rain air.Truly, what’s more nourishing than a bowl of fish ball noodles? Uncomplicated, restorative and deeply familiar.Simple? Certainly. But sometimes a bowl of fish ball noodles is exactly what we need.1368 Fish Ball Noodles 日昇永发鱼丸粉29G, Jalan Semenyih Sentral 4, Semenyih, Selangor.Open daily (except Mon closed) 7:30am-4pmPhone: +60 13-250 0614* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.