Tenom Spring Roll Noodles & Yong Tau Foo @ Gerai Ah Leong

Tenom Spring Roll is a local specialty originated in the small town of Tenom, Sabah. They are made of finely beaten pork and fish paste that are rolled into oblong, sausage-shape rolls. Rather than using crispy flour wrapper like those spring rolls you find elsewhere, Tenom spring rolls are wrapped in very thin egg crepe.

You can find them sold in bulks in markets, but if you just want to have a meal to taste, the food stalls on the second floor of Pasar Tenom sell noodles served with Tenom spring roll. There are two stalls next to each other selling similar noodles, I went to Gerai Ah Leong, which is on the right side when facing the two stalls.

The noodles and the soup by themselves are the standard clear soup and yellow noodles, they’re quite plain but when paired with the savory meat rolls and meat balls, it becomes a comfort hot meal in the morning. The texture of the meat rolls and meat balls were very fine, and the flavors of pork and fish compliment one another.

Other than the spring roll noodles, the stuffed tofu (yong tau foo) is also quite popular. The tofu was very smooth and soft, and is stuffed with the same meat blend used in the spring rolls and meat balls. The soy sauce gravy is simple but goes deliciously well with the smooth tofu. A bowl of Tenom noodles and a serving of yong tau foo coasted RM13 in total.