I can categorize my friends into 3 groups when it comes to spicy food. Those who can eat spicy food, those who can’t, and lastly, the one who can’t eat spicy food but will embrace it like a Winnie the Pooh to honey pot if it’s tomyam, no matter how hot the soup is. Case in point, Yuki.

So when she enthusiastically suggest that Haze (another tomyam fanatic) needs to try the tomyam meehun at Restaurant Gou Lou at Jalan Alor, I was certain that it won’t be a disappointment.

Restaurant Gou Lou at Jalan Alor
Restaurant Gou Lou at Jalan Alor

Jalan Alor is usually filled with tourists at night, but in the afternoon, more than half the restaurants are closed, and those that are in operation usually caters to locals instead – both price and taste wise. As a bonus, parking too is a lot less troublesome in the morning/afternoon.

The restaurant has air conditioned indoor, as well as the more “traditional” kopitiam set up with a retractable roof/umbrella at the semi open air alfresco area. They start early, and ends pretty early. 7 am to 4 pm.

tomyam seafood noodle, and curry soup version too
tomyam seafood meehun, and curry soup version too

Though labeled more clearly as a fish head noodle shop, my first experience here was their tomyam seafood meehun (RM 7.50). The dish is loaded with plenty of squid, cuttle fish, lala, and one pretty decent size prawn. The seafood were good, and the prawn especially sweet and juicy (you can order extra prawns for extra $).

As for the tomyam broth, Yuki was right and Haze concurred. It was spicy, flavorful, and perhaps one of the best out there from a Chinese hawker stall. I like they didn’t spare the usage of Chinese parsley.

Kerol chose the curry soup and had hers with extra foo-chok, and the picky girl was satisfied too.

absolutely love this dry curry chicken noodle
absolutely love this dry curry chicken noodle

My favorite from restaurant Gou Lou though, is this dry curry chicken noodle (RM 5.50) that I had on a separate visit (they ran out before 2pm on our first visit). The dish consists of  thick chicken curry poured over your choice of noodle with dark soya sauce base at the bottom. The noodle comes with chicken, potato, bean sprout, and topped with spring onion and fried shallots, it was fantastic.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves curry chicken, this was fantastic and I stopped over for breakfast this morning just to have this again.

dry curry mee with pork ball, curry mee, and fish swim bladder soup
dry curry mee with pork ball, curry mee, and fish swim bladder soup

The menu is actually pretty big here, and they are pretty flexible and allows mix-matching different ingredients of your choice. Horng tried dry curry with pork balls in soup before, and my colleague and I also shared a bowl of tasty fish swim bladder soup that tasted very fishy, but in a good way, if you know what I mean.

The curry mee (not Penang style) too was reported to be very palatable by another colleague of mine, Lee, who almost always order curry mee at every kopitiam we go.

Haze, Horng, Yuki, and Kerol
Horng, Yuki, Kerol, and Haze

While a lot of locals sees Jalan Alor as a tourist trap with pricey but sup-bar food destination, the place really did not rise to fame purely by travel magazines or junior feature journalists. There are really some hidden gems nested within this busy little street at Bukit Bintang. Give it a try some day!

Charn Kee tasty corner and Sister drunken chicken noodle are another two places worth visiting if you find yourself around the area.

direction to restaurant Gou Lou, jalan alor

Address:
Restaurant Gou Lou
37, Jalan Alor,
50200 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.145755, 101.708947
Tel: 012-665 4095
Hours: 7 am to 4 pm, closed on Wednesday Branch:
73, Jalan SS 21/60 Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.133296, 101.621527
Tel: 03-7725 3420
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30 am to 10 pm. 8 am to 4 pm otherwise
KY eats – Tomyam Seafood, Curry Chicken & more at Restaurant Gou Lou, Jalan Alor
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18 thoughts on “KY eats – Tomyam Seafood, Curry Chicken & more at Restaurant Gou Lou, Jalan Alor

  • August 30, 2012 at 12:25 pm
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    there’s a subcategory for unfortunate people like me … people who USED to be able to eat spicy food with no problem when they were young, but somehow lost that ability as they aged. wonder if there’s a medical term for it 😀

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    • August 30, 2012 at 1:14 pm
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      Sean: I’m a bit like that too, if too spicy too often – BOMB

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  • August 30, 2012 at 4:00 pm
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    love their curry noodle and fish paste meehon.taste really good!

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    • September 2, 2012 at 11:31 am
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      yee: yeap, one of hte best curry!

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  • August 30, 2012 at 4:06 pm
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    Mmmm,the tom yam looks so good!

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    • September 2, 2012 at 11:31 am
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      Kash: they serve very good tomyam of non Thai origin 😀

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  • August 30, 2012 at 4:34 pm
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    Okies…this will be a new add on for me in Jalan Alor…other than the seafood noodle and meng kee.

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    • September 2, 2012 at 11:32 am
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      missyblurkit: more options! 😀

      Reply
  • August 31, 2012 at 12:05 am
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    I used to frequent this place for lunch when i worked at Central Plaza. Even my colleagues from HK love them. They do have a branch at Damansara Uptown now but Gou Lou is not there.

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    • September 2, 2012 at 11:33 am
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      sawleng: yep, I just went to the Uptown branch yesterday, haha.

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  • August 31, 2012 at 2:38 am
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    what about their fish head noodle?

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    • September 2, 2012 at 11:33 am
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      Cindy Tong: I’ve heard it’s pretty good, but fish head noodle isn’t one of my favorite dishes to order.. so I haven’t try it there yet.

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  • September 2, 2012 at 8:54 pm
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    fish swim bladder? is there such a name for that thing?

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    • September 3, 2012 at 9:00 am
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      eiling: yaa.. swim bladder maa, I don’t know what else to call it. haha.

      Reply
  • September 4, 2012 at 4:04 pm
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    I have not been to Jalan Alor for years…. I get food poisoning way too easily so I tend to avoid eating out in less hygenic places. But geezzz that Curry Dry Noodles look soooo amazing! Maybe next time when I have overseas guests over.

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    • September 4, 2012 at 11:28 pm
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      Kelly Siew: what doesn’t kill you make you stronger!

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  • April 23, 2016 at 1:12 pm
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    Please be aware of their bad attitude. The prices had increased so much. RM9 small bowl tomyam seafood. During payment, they insist to charge me RM10 & said they served me the L size & why I kept quiet. I didn’t even bother to argue it’s my 1st visit. How would I know which is small or large size. Beware of their fleecing!

    Reply
    • April 23, 2016 at 10:31 pm
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      Shayley: that sounds a bit shady.

      Reply

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