about sabah

Fish Noodles

October 14, 2026

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I think generally most Sabahans can relate and are agreeable on this iconic dish, on par with Ngiu Chap.

Not to be mistaken for Fish Paste Noodles. For Fish Noodles or locally called out as Sup Ikan, The highlight here is really the soup and the choice of ingredients that go into it.

Here’s what you can typically expect at a Fish Noodle shop and how to order.

How your noodle is to be served: Dry Tossed or In Soup

Kon Lau aka Dry Tossed Noodles is served separately with the bowl of soup. Alternatively, you can choose to have the noodles in the soup.

Typically shops gives you a choice of noodle to pick from:

Yellow noodles (mee kuning)
Vermicelli (mee hoon)
Flat rice noodles (kuey teow)

You could also opt for rice instead of noodles.

Choose your soup base

Shops usually have 2-3 soup choices and among the common soup bases are – milky, tomato, clear, or tom yum.

Choose your ingredients.

Then comes the fun part: choosing what goes into your soup. The selection varies from shop to shop, but you’ll commonly see things like

Fucuk – bean curd / tofu skin
Fish balls or fish cake – essentially minced fish meat and either in ball shape flat rectangle slices
Fish maw
Fish slices (fried or non fried)

Now, one very, very, very important tip: check what fish they are serving that day. Ask whether it’s the regular fish or some premium catch, because that can completely change the PRICE of your meal.

Personally, I don’t bother banking on the special fish. Paying more doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll get perfectly fresh, completely non-fishy-smelling pieces.

So I usually just go with the regular.

You can also add a few side dishes.

My usual go to:

Boss, kon lau mee kuning, sup tomato, campur campur.

Translation:

Boss = the person taking your order

Kon lau mee kuning = dry yellow noodles

Sup tomato = I’m pretty sure you can guess this one!

Campur campur = a mix of the available ingredients

Bah makan.

Preferred:

Ah Liang