Where to go for Good Char Koey Teow in Penang?

Up Market Char Koey Teow at a Resort in Penang
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In a earlier post Penang Street Food, I have introduce to you one of Penang Premier Culinary Attractions, Char Koey Teow, or Fried Flat Rice Noodles. Penangite in general are addicted to this dish and I am one of them ;-)

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To a Penangite, Char Koey Teow prepared outside of the Penang Island just does not taste the same, though many Penangite have migrated and made their living selling this humble and easy to prepare dish in other towns and cities in Malaysia as well as overseas.

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On the Medical note, there are those who avoided this dish, as it is said to be greasy, oily high in “Bad” fat, and sodium especially those prepared using lard. So Medical Warning. Eat at your own risk! For me a plate or two should do no harm right?

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The Ingredients and Recipe of Char Koey Teow

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So what is it that you need to prepare a plate of Char Koey Teow? The Basic are these though there are many variations. How much of each to put, well that up to you.

Flat Rice Noodles / Koey Teow

Soya Sauce

Pepper

Seasoning

Taugeh, or Beansprouts

Chives or Green Leave Vegetables

Garlic

Oil

Chili Paste

Shrimps

Cockles

Egg – (duck is the best {extra fragrant}, but chicken will do)

Pork Sausage – Slice (though many prepare it with out this ingredients)

Fried Pork Fat Cubes (though many prepare it with out this ingredients)

Some of the Ingreadients Required, (Not All)

The Key to make this taste dish?

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Some swear by charcoal fire, using a banana leaf to line the plate, use of Fried Pork Fat Cubes and many more. For me the key is preparing this dish a plate at a time, or at the most 2 portions at a time which ensure the “Heat” of the wok is most effective, which unfortunately slow down the speed this dish is prepared. There are stalls where patrons wait for 1 hour or more for their fix of Char Koey Teow, as the dish is prepared one by one.

Key to Good Char Koey Teow, the Heat.

Where to enjoy this dish in Penang?

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Listed here are a 10 location where my family enjoy Char Koey Teow, All of this are old timers having stated their business 20 or more years ago, and my family have been patronizing them. I am not saying they are the best, but they are in our opinion good. Also when we have char koey teow, we just have char koey teow, nothing else. So some of this stalls are standalone stalls. Note: the 10 listed here is where our family patronise, there are many out there that may be better, but not know to us.

Location Map, Please note the number do not indicate their rank, it’s just for convenience.

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Tanjung Bunga

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(9) Stall at Jalan Loh Poh Heng, Hillside, Tanjung Bungah, Opposite the Toy Museum.
Located midway along this road is a Stall that sell Char Koey Teow, you can enjoy alfresco dinning next to the street, but you can have it in a nearby coffeeshop. Lunch and Tea Time only. See this link, Been in business for 20 years plus

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(10) Stall at Hawker Center, Tanjung Bungah Market,
Located at the nearest cubicle to the Market, Breakfast only, See this link, Been in Business for 20 year plus. Try out the Chee Chong Fun here, Hongkong and Normal types but separate stalls. See this Link
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Bagan Jamal

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(8) Gurney Drive Hawker Center, alfresco dinning next to the sea, with 100’s of food stalls, in particular the Halal Chinese Char Koey Teow is good here. .

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Pulau Tikus

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(6) Coffee Shop in front of Police Station, Lunch, Tea Time only, in a small typical coffee shop 30 years plus.

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(7) Pulau Tikus Market, Street Hawker Center, Night Only, around 20 years, alfresco dinning, with many other verities.

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George Town

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(4) New World Park Hawker Center, Whole day, If you want to eat in comfort, with large verity of other decent quality food, this the place for you. OK Char Koey Teow here. See Link. 30 years plus. See this link.

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(5) New Lane Food Street, Night Only, Normal Char Koey Teow , choice of seating in coffee shop or alfresco style.

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(1) Lorong Selamat, mark in red due to its price, (2007) RM5.00, normal plate, Extra at RM8++, with large prawns, this price is around 50% higher then normal. There are 2 stalls here that are comparable with each other and both use charcoal fire. Reputed to be the best in town. Lunch, Tea Time only, Please be prepared to wait up to one hour. See Link, here and here for both place 30 years plus. See this Link

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(2) Federal Place, In a Coffee shop located opposite “federal place” (former theater), see link, again mark in red due to its price, with large prawns. (2007) RM5.00, normal plate, Extra at RM8++, with Duck egg, 30 year plus See this link.

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Ayer Itam

(1) Round About Char Koey Teow, 30 plus years, located just before round about to Ayer Itam, in a corner coffee shop, slightly above normal price. Ideal place for breakfast if you are heading for Kek Lok Si Temple or Penang Hill. See this Link

Key - Good Wok Skills

Making it at Home

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You can use substitute like yellow noodles, or even pasta if you cannot find the flat rice noodles, but there is no replacement for the “heat” , Char Koey Teow prepared at home just have no kick, but those penangite away from home will sure try.

Penang Street Food - New World Park Food Center and Others.

Note: Photo's of food and places will be updated at a later date, or go to this link

Penang Unique Mix of Races, have lead to the Penang Culinary Tradition of Street Food, Nasi Kandar Cuisines, and Nonya Baba Cuisines, as such No visit to Penang is complete with out partaking such cuisines at the Street Stalls, Coffee Shops, and Food complexes. Trying out Penang Street Cuisine in a Restaurant just does not do it justice.

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In this post snapshot is suggesting 4 locations for you, the tourist to try out, This locations are patronize by locals as well as tourist. But first what type of food can we find at this locations.

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What Penang Street Food?

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Street Food in Penang is dominated by a few dishes which define Penang, which are describe as below, .

Char Koey Teow, is flat rice noodles fried in (usually) lard, and various seafood. There are non lard version catering for Muslim as well

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(Penang) Hokkian Mee Soup is various noodles in a spicy prawn base soup garnish with prawns.

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(Penang) Curry Mee is various noodles in a spicy curry base soup serve with various garnish

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Penang Laksa is round thick rice noodles, serve in a sourish fish base soup garnish with fish meat, and Jullian vegetables .

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Loh Bak is a dish of pork filled “sausage” serve with fried beancurd, fish and other items which you select your self, take care when selecting, as the price can go up.

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Rojak is a dish of vegetables and fruits, topped with chillies, peanuts and prawn paste. (Please note that to Malaysian / South East Asian in General that it is like ambrosia, but to other may taste and smell like road kill.

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Indian Fried Noodles is a dish of various noodles, fried with (Usually), vegetarian items and squid, it is spicy, there is a non fried version as well.

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Pasembor, is a dish of jullian vegetables topped with fried crispy items and seafood (you may specify what you want in certain stalls – take care a price will go up) topped off with a spicy sauce also know as Indian Rojak

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Nasi Kandar, is a dish of rice with various (your own selection) curry and spicy food. (care should be taken as price will go up according to your selections) .

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Locations for Street Food

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This is the locations that Snapshot frequent. There are many others that offer good if not better food. However the locations describe here are locations that offer (in snapshots opinion) the “best food with the best verity choice”

1. New World Park, Penang .

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This shinning Food and Beverage complex is the current site for the “Top Penang Food in a Comfortable Environment”, Open Day and Night, 7 days a week, clean, cool and comfortable, easier parking and clean toilets, New World Park which open in 2006, house the Famous Street Hawkers of Swatau Lane, which was just right next to it.

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The Street Hawkers complex is located behind the “New” restaurants and is heavily patronize by locals going for their daily fix of Penang food, the price is slightly above the penang norm.

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How to get Here. .

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From Komtar, drive along Penang Road, turning left into Burma Road, proceed straight around 1km, New World Park is on your left.
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What Food do you get Here
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A large verity of Penang Food, can be found here at the Hawker Center together with some other common street food. Food here can be rank Excellent but it is not the “Best” but here you can have a large verity of Excellent Food in a comfortable and clean environment for lunch and dinner. Recommended here (By friends) are the Char Koey Teow, Rojak, Indian Mee, Curry Mee and many More.
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What else here
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The front part of the Complex house “Higher Grade” Restaurants, it seems the Mizi Bristol (Serving Western food) is doing the best.

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Foot Note:
Just beside this food complex is the Coffee Shop the Street Hawkers use to operate from. My opinion is that certain stalls here offer better food then the complex especially rojak. (Open lunch time only)

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2. New Lane (Near Sunway Hotel, Goerge Town)

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New Lane is define as a Food Street. Imagine a Street lined with food stalls (and good ones mind you) on both side, open air seating, supported by a few coffee shop, where you can shelter in case it rains. A very popular area among locals, affordably priced food.
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How to get Here. .

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It is located on New Lane, Just off Macalister Road, a short distance from Komtar, Landmark here is Sunway Hotel.
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A large (100 stalls or more) verity of Chinese Base Penang Street Food can be found here, Snapshots family favorites include Chee Chong Chuk( Deef Fried Pig Intestine Porriage) , Penang Curry Mee, Chee Chong Fun (Rice Noodles with Prawn Paste and Chillies) Beef Noodle Soup, Poh Piah (Unfried Spring Roll) , Fried Bean Curd. – Open at night only.
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3. Pulau Tikus Market (Night) Hawker Center .

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Also define as a Food Street, the Pulau Tikus Market Hawker Center only open at Night, for alfresco dinning, among the stars, Here there are close to 40 stalls offering a wide verity of Malaysian Street Food.
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How to get Here.
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It is located at Pulau Tikus Market, Departing Komtar at Penang Road, turn left, and go straight on, you will have to make a small detour due to the road, in front of the Chinese Recreation Club, (Here you turn left, immediately turn right (row of temples) and immediately turn left in to Burma Road again) when you pass the Pulau Tikus Police Station, at the traffic light, turn left and then left again, you will be infront of the Market.
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Snapshots family favorites include the Pork Intestine Satay, Char Koey Teow, and the Best Duck Meat Koey Teow Th’ng (Flat Rice Noodles Soup) in town.

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4. Gurney Drive Hawker Center (Night Only) .

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“The” location for Tourist to enjoy Penang Street Food, with a Halal section for Muslim. Most tourist will make a beeline here, food is good and is of quality, though being a “tourist” area it is slightly on the high side for a penangite. Seating is Alfresco, basic sanitation facilities available.

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How to get Here.
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Departing Komtar at Penang Road, turn left, and go straight on, you will have to make a small detour due to the road, in front of the Chinese Recreation Club, (Here you turn left, immediately turn right (row of temples) and immediately turn left in to Burma Road again), keep going till you pass Adventist Hospital at the traffic light turn left and go straight till Sunrise Tower. The alfresco food area is there.
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What Food do you get Here .

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Well one of the largest verity of Penang Street Cusines, for all races are available here, just bourse around. The Halal Char Koey Teow for Muslims is the best in town.