A ‘tail' of one Muslim convert's viral ‘mi tikus'

Free Malaysia Today

17-05-2025

'Mi tikus', or fried mousetail noodles, is an already popular dish, but Redzuan Ooi Abdullah draws a crowd by putting his own spin on it. (Bernama pic)
IPOH : Located at the Medan Kidd bus terminal here, a stall selling 'mi tikus' has gone viral, drawing foodies from all over Ipoh and beyond.
The man behind the quirkily named dish, which has drawn a diverse crowd over the past few years, is 52-year-old Muslim convert Redzuan Ooi Abdullah.
His eatery, Gerai Ipoh-Ipoh Ajee, operates from 7am to 3pm, and is regularly packed with customers eager to try his 'mousetail noodles' and other dishes.
While fried mousetail noodles are already a local favourite, especially among the Chinese community, what makes Redzuan's version unique is his frying technique.
'I toss the noodles in the wok with flames shooting up,' he said. 'Customers love watching it, but it's not easy – sometimes my hands get cramped.'
He explained that mi tikus comes from the original name 'lo shi fun', which means 'rat noodles' in Cantonese. 'Since I was little, it has been called mi tikus in Malay, so I decided to keep the name,' he told Bernama when met at his stall here.
Redzuan said mi tikus is made from short laksa-like noodles stir-fried with ingredients like onions, eggs, prawns and soy sauce.
The father of five considers himself fortunate to have embraced Islam and takes the opportunity to share the dish with the Malay community.
'It makes me happy to see Malay customers enjoying this Chinese dish. The idea came about during pandemic lockdowns, when my wife, Noraini Ropangi, was out of work and wanted to start a business.
'At the time, we only served laksa and curry noodles, so I added this Chinese-style dish as well,' he said.
Redzuan is the proprietor of Gerai Ipoh-Ipoh Ajee, located at the Medan Kidd bus terminal in Ipoh. (Bernama pic)
The Ipoh native said he once worked at a Chinese restaurant in Klebang Besar, Melaka, where he picked up cooking techniques and recipes, which he then adapted to meet halal standards without compromising on the authentic Chinese taste.
In the 1980s, he also helped his family run a food stall at Medan Kidd, selling cendol, laksa, and grass jelly drinks.
Redzuan, who converted to Islam in 2006, also serves others dishes such as mi Hailam, yee mi Hailam, mi tikus Pagar, and nasi goreng Pagar at his stall.
'Every day, I cook non-stop, from opening to closing time, with just a short break in between because customers keep coming.
'At the end of the day, I cook because I love it. Every dish I make, I put my heart into it so customers leave satisfied. That's my real secret.'
Redzuan said his stall went viral on social media after being reviewed by a multiracial food-vlogger community.
'I never expected my mi tikus to become so popular. These days, I barely have time to rest – I even drink while standing,' Redzuan added with a smile.
Gerai Ipoh-Ipoh Ajee @ Medan Kidd bus terminal
15, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak,
30100 Ipoh, Perak