Today, I revisited the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant. It is time to try food from another stall.
This time, I ordered Tom yum shrimp paste fried rice from the Xia Yuan Yuan stall, which cost RM22.90 per plate. It comes with a free bowl of Beancurd dessert.
This fried rice is a bold fusion of Thai and Chinese-Malaysian culinary elements. The Tom Yum Shrimp Paste Fried Rice combines fragrant jasmine rice stir-fried with shrimp, egg, and a generous amount of kaffir lime leaves. The unmistakable Thai tom yum flavour—spicy, tangy, and aromatic—is layered with Malaysian-style shrimp paste (belacan) for a deeper umami profile. Bits of juicy shrimp and chopped scallions are scattered throughout, delivering bursts of flavour in every bite. It’s plated with fresh cucumber slices and a sunny-side-up egg.
The Beancurd dessert is Silky and smooth. This soy-based treat is served chilled and subtly sweet, perfect for balancing the spice of the fried rice.
Fried rice has long roots in Chinese cuisine, evolving as a way to use up leftover rice and ingredients. The addition of shrimp paste is a nod to Malaysia’s Peranakan and coastal traditions, where belacan is a pantry staple. Meanwhile, Tom Yum brings in Thai influence, especially popular in Malaysia’s northern states and urban fusion eateries.
By combining these elements, Xia Yuan Yuan has created a comfort dish that’s spicy, savoury, and uniquely Southeast Asian.
