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Posts tagged Hawker Food
Koay Teow Theng (阿海粿條汤) @ Kedai Makanan Kim Lee, Lorong Macalister
Jun 27th
When I was talking to the Chinese Jawa Mee seller at Kek Seng I asked him about his favorite food. It turned out to be Koay Teow Soup. Then he recommended me to try one of his favorites at a nearby coffee shop called Kim Lee. According to him the stall has a long history and they use duck meat to boil the soup, which makes it really delicious.
“Just look for an old man preparing the noodles”, he said. And little did I know Kim Lee is located just next to Seow Fong Lye, where the delicious Chee Cheong Fun can be found.
Uncle Ah Hai (阿海) started following his father to sell Koay Teow Theng since he was 12. It was during WW2 and Penang was under Japanese occupation then. Their first stall actually started out at the old coffee shop where the Chee Cheong Fun used to be at too.
Later when Hong Leong bank purchased and turned the coffee shop into their branch, they shifted to the five-foot way just across the street. But continuous summons issued by the local council forced Ah Hai to move again five years ago, this time to Kim Lee – his current location.
Ah Hai’s Koay Teow Theng is still done according to the old recipe he inherited from his father and it still produces the same traditional flavor. While pork bones have always been used as the main ingredient to season the broth, chicken or duck can be included to improve the taste. But here both chicken and duck are used by Ah Hai, which makes the soup deliciously sweet despite its clear appearance.
Char Koay Kak @ Seow Fong Lye Cafe, Macalister Lane
Jun 25th
The Char Koay Kak stall at Macalister Lane, currently run by the Eoh sisters has been around for 40 years. Since taking over from their father’s helm 30 years ago only one thing has changed in their Char Koay Kak – oil.
During the old days pure lard was used as the base frying oil to produce perhaps the most aromatic and delicious albeit unhealthy Char Koay Kak. But as time goes by, people have become more health conscious so most of the oil used by them currently is mixed with vegetable oil. Other than oil, the other ingredients crucial enough to affect the Char Koay Kak’s taste are the quality of chai poh (salted radish), carrot cake as well as the dark soya sauce.
Penang Curry Mee @ Mutiara Coffee Shop, Bukit Mertajam
Jun 20th
Currently, the best and most consistent Curry Mee in Bukit Mertajam for me has got to be the Penang Curry Mee stall at Mutiara Coffee Shop, Taman Mutiara. For Curry Mee enthusiasts, this could very well be the hidden gem you have been looking for, as I feel it is even better than many famous Curry Mee in Penang island. If you trust my recommendations thus far, you will not be disappointed in this one as well.
Hawker food in towns residing on the Seberang Perai area usually taste different from those found on the island because they are often adjusted have a local flavor, or what we call 风味 in Chinese to reflect the town’s uniqueness.
Toppings aside, the typical Penang Curry Mee usually tastes sweet due to the amount of sugar the hawkers put into the soup. The soup looks pale and milky as well until the chili paste is mixed in. But in BM most of our Curry Mee is flavored more towards saltiness and the soup is already cooked together with chili oil for a more reddish look.
Anyway, the main reason I am recommending this Curry Mee is because of the special chili paste. The noodles already taste great on its own but with the addition of the chili paste, the soup is enriched and its flavor is taken to a whole new level packed with fragrance of Indian spices. The self-invented chili paste is made by grinding traditional Indian spice and local chili together, then cooked on a slow fire for two hours. This process requires constant stirring to prevent the chili paste from getting burnt.
You Tiao (You Char Koay) @ 76, Cintra Street
Jun 17th
For the crispiest and tastiest You Tiao (You Char Koay 油炸鬼) it has got to be the nameless shop at 76, Cintra Street (日本街）. This golden brown fried bread stick is also known as Chinese crullers or cakoi to the Malay community. You Tiao is such a versatile snack that it can be eaten on its own, stuffed with various fillings, dipped into coffee or porridge and perhaps most importantly – eaten along with Bak Kut Teh. Simply delicious!
This shop is one of the oldest in town and it is currently run by Madam Chew (left) who mastered the trade from her father. If her father’s days were taken into account, this You Tiao has a staggering 80 years of history already. In the early years, they were operating using a push cart stall at People’s Park opposite Cintra Street. It was only until 17 years ago they moved into a proper shop to continue the business.
Their You Tiao is also popular for being longer and thicker than usual, which is value for money at RM1 each.
