The Humble Food Company, Shah Alam

With many dishes on the menu costing below RM10, The Humble Food Company is ideal for a casual, fuss-free meal with family and friends. It's the perfect place for families with young children, as the restaurant offers a kids' menu that includes an activity pack to keep the little ones entertained. Its founders know their food, having managed everything from weekend F&B pop-ups to burger joints in the past, whipping up crowd-pleasing fare done right.

Fire up your palate with The Humble Food Company's Laksa Goreng (RM6.90), a stir-fry inspired by Penang's tangy-briny asam laksa. Bursts of from-the-wok high heat bring a subtly smoky char to springy noodles, simultaneously sweet, sour and spicy with the kitchen's own tamarind-tinged shrimp paste, with a squeeze of lime to make it all lip-smacking. This comes with a choice of chicken, beef or mushrooms; alternatively, add RM2.50 for the more premium protein possibilities of (pick one) lamb, smoked duck, prawns or spicy tuna.

Noodles galore: The Kam Heong Pasta (RM7.90) is a playful combo of spaghetti with spicy dried shrimp paste, made by The Humble Food Company with Pulau Ketam's plumper, juicier dried shrimps. Tossed fragrantly with curry leaves, plus a choice of minced chicken or beef, this is one of the more recent entries into The Humble Food Company's repertoire, and it deserves to stay for as long as possible.

The Humble Food Company constantly strives to introduce new items while improving its offerings. Also new is the Laksa Johor (RM13.90), a favourite of two of The Humble Food Company's founders who hail from Johor Bahru. The recipe sticks to the classic formula: Al dente spaghetti drenched in traditional Malay-style broth made with ground fish paste, herbs, chillies and spices, garnished with a mix of fresh vegetables, limau kasturi and a uniquely fiery sambal belacan. The result is a mouth-watering experience.

Moving on to Western staples, The Humble Food Company's hit is the Humble Mac (RM10.90) - mac-and-cheese, served steaming-hot with a medley of melted Australian mozzarella and cheddar, buoyed by a secret spicy cream sauce that balances everything just right, lightly luscious and not cloying at all. This is the people’s favourite! Alternatively, the non-spicy Humble Mac version is also a hit with regulars and kids. 

Great grills: The Grilled Chicken (RM19.90) is marinated with selected herbs and spices, cooked to chunky, extra-tender perfection with mellow hints of fieriness, while the Grilled Lamb (RM27.90) features slices of New Zealand lamb shoulder that's marinated and vacuum-sealed overnight to infuse the flavours, brightening the lamb's potent meatiness with a herbaceous uplift.

The meat can be coupled with multiple combinations of sauces and sides. Pictured above are the savoury, cheesy mashed potatoes and the fan-favourite fries; other options include a fresh salad, cheese omelette, coleslaw or tomato rice. Sauces include the aforementioned secret spicy cream sauce, as well as black pepper or sweet-and-sour sauces.

These temptations are a testament to how The Humble Food Company ensures that while its cooking is affordable, the ingredients are consistently fresh-tasting and hard-to-beat in this price range, with everything from Australian cheese to European cooking cream for the sauces.

The Humble Food Company also offers a wide range of pastas, from its popular carbonara to its bolognese and creamy pesto, with sauces made from scratch. Select from the list of popular pastas or get creative and build your own pasta favourites. Choose from spaghetti, linguine or spirali pasta, then pick your sauce, protein and toppings.

For dessert, the house-made Creme Brulee is a winner for only RM4.90, with a thin layer of crackly caramelised sugar over vanilla or pandan-flavoured custard, while the Fudgy Brownie (RM6.90) is also made from scratch here, heavy on the fudge, moist with a mix of textures and temperatures, courtesy of a scoop of vanilla ice cream and almond flakes.

Complete your visit with freshly brewed, aromatic single-origin Brazilian coffee concoctions, like the Iced Latte (RM6.50), barely bitter in each sip, a cup of Joe that perks you up pleasantly.

Nuts for coconuts? Order the Coconut Espresso (RM6.90), which infuses fresh coconut water and coconut strips into espresso, resulting in a refreshing, stimulating creation. Alternatively, for a young-at-heart treat, the Coconut Shake (RM5.90) turns coconuts into a milky chilled delight for all generations.

We visited The Humble Food Company's largest outlet in Shah Alam, which seats up to 100 patrons and includes outdoor seating. The two other outlets in Desa Pandan and Damansara Perdana can accommodate 50 and 60 persons each.

Service is speedy, with most meals reaching the table within 10 minutes of ordering. Food is freshly cooked before your eyes. At affordable prices like these, it's no surprise The Humble Food Company enjoys repeat visits from customers throughout the week.

Many thanks to The Humble Food Company for having us.

The Humble Food Company Damansara Perdana

The Humble Food Company Desa Pandan

The Humble Food Company
Seksyen 13, Shah Alam
46-G, Jalan Badminton 13/29, Seksyen 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor. Monday-Thursday & Sunday: 11.00am – 10.00pm
Friday & Saturday: 11.00am -10.30pm

Other branches:
Desa Pandan, Kuala Lumpur
12-G, Jalan 4/76c, Desa Pandan, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Monday-Thursday: 11.00am – 10.00pm
Friday – Sunday: 11.00am – 11.00pm

Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya
39-1, Jalan PJU 8/5a, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Monday-Thursday & Sunday: 11.00am – 10.00pm
Friday & Saturday: 11.00am -10.30pm

Subang Jaya, SS13 (Delivery Only via GrabFood, FoodPanda, Beep)
Monday-Sunday: 11.00am – 9.30pm
Closed on Fridays