Crazy for cockles? Get your fix at SIHAM啦 in Kepong, along with other bites like ‘kam heong lala' and deep-fried baby squid
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — In this line of work, a question I'm often asked is: 'How do you find these places?'
The answer is often a mix of word of mouth, a few trusted sources, and going through lots and lots and lots of duds.
For every meal that makes it into a story, there are plenty that don't. But this might be the strangest way I've stumbled across one.
A few months ago, I was settling in for a movie when a guy in the row below started scrolling through Xiaohongshu, screen brightness cranked up to full blast even as the cinema dimmed for the trailers.
The modest trappings. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Annoying, yes. But also strangely fortunate, because just before he stuffed his phone away, I caught a glimpse of a plump, bloody cockle dangling from a toothpick, and the words 'SIHAM啦' glowing on-screen like a lighthouse in the dark.
I made a mental note to follow up on it, and later found it to be a quaint little shop on the ground floor of some flats in Kepong, where diners sit hunched on plastic stools, gorging on cockles and a variety of other gently cooked molluscs and snacks.
As the name suggests, the main draw here is boiled siham (RM4), served just about half-cooked, still juicy and bloody as they should be.
'Kam heong' is something done very well here, most obviously on this 'kam heong lala'. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Of course, it isn't blood; it's haemoglobin. That iron-rich liquid gives cockles their distinctive metallic flavour, sharpened by a tangy green dipping sauce or masked by a sweeter red chilli version.
There's no need to be dainty about it. Pry the suckers open with your fingers and go in with a toothpick.
Your fingers might smell a little funny after, but there's a sink for that. The young couple at the table next to mine weren't fazed. They must have had at least four portions between them.
But the first thing that hits you when you walk in isn't the smell of cockles, mercifully, but the unmistakable smell of kam heong.
The aroma of curry leaves and dried shrimp is baked into the air, thanks to the steady stream of kam heong lala (RM10) flying out.
'Kam heong' okra is another highlight. — Picture by Ethan Lau
It's a classic dish for a reason, and while it would go great with rice, I think it's more fun to treat it as our bold and proudly Malaysian version of moules marinière.
Preferably washed down with a cold beer. Sucking on each clam is the whole point, and when the sauce is this punchy and savoury, it's hard not to go back for seconds.
Another delightful way to enjoy the sauce is with the kam heong okra (RM7.50), which turns into a much moister affair thanks to the vegetable's slight sliminess.
More beer-friendly snacks follow, this time deep-fried. The deep-fried baby squid (RM10) features tiny, ultra-crispy specimens scattered in a garden of fried curry leaves.
Addictive and dangerous, the deep-fried baby squid is sure to warrant more than one order. — Picture by Ethan Lau
They proved so popular that my parents started fighting over them, even after we had ordered three rounds.
Each one is smaller than a fingernail, and it is all too easy to pop five or more into your mouth at once.
Even the non-seafood snacks like the nam yu chicken wings (RM8) and Kepong moo ping (RM7.50) are compelling.
The wings may look plain, but are anything but, carrying the trademark salty funk of nam yu.
Kepong 'moo ping' is nothing like Thai grilled pork skewers, but it's a great snack. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The moo ping is not really moo ping at all. Instead of marinated pork slices grilled on a skewer, it is a deep-fried patty heavily scented with kaffir lime leaf, giving it a strong Thai accent.
Juicy and well seasoned, they do not even need the sweet chilli sauce they come with.
Yet another one to go with an ice-cold beer on these hot, testing nights.
SIHAM啦
G12, Pangsapuri Seroja,
Laman Rimbunan, Kepong.
Open daily, 5pm-12am. Closed on Tuesday.
Tel: 017-992 3540
Facebook: SIHAM啦
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
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