KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 -- Variety in coffee shops is much welcomed.

Staples like chicken rice, prawn noodles, chee cheong fun and so forth have our stomachs all the time.

Once in a while, try something new like this stall in Kokan Kopitiam that serves Taiwan braised pork belly or lu rou, with rice or ramen.

You may dismiss the other noodle offering, simply referred to as Pork Belly Soup Ramen (RM11), since it sounds so ordinary.

In fact, it feels like a riff of Dan Zai noodles which is popular in Tainan. It traces its origins to 1895 where a food vendor would carry a shoulder pole with a bucket of broth and noodles to sell. As it was a way to earn money during his off season, it became known as "slack season" noodles.

Apparently, it's...