My Other Side of Head (Creative Writing, poetry etc))

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Penang Char Kway Teow



One of my blog visitor requested a Penang's char kway teow review.
I wanted to review both type, the original Penang's char kway teow and the Malay version here.
Char kway teow has been accepted as the all time favorite alongside with other Penang's hawkers delight such as Penang laksa, Hokkein prawn mee, Chee Cheong Fun, Kway Teow T'hng and the list goes on.
It has been accepted by the other ethnics as their favorite.
The Malay has 'renovated' the original char kway teow to become some sort of gravy char kway teow.
The Malay version also has been widely accepted by the Chinese.
I am not so fond of this Malay version because I cannot tolerate gravy in 'char' (fried).
To me I would rather eat kway teow jawa, or bandung or singapore gravy kway teow if I want to have the gravy kway teow.
Talking about fried, I like the original which is dryer.
For the original one, most of the halal food court in shopping mall is serving it all around Penang.
But the best I had for years was in the old Esplanade food court at Padang Kota Lama.
Simple and original, fresh prawns, cockles and crispy sweet bean sprouts and kucai.
Cook fast enough with correct heat to maintain freshness of all ingredients.
Egg are not beat in the wok but just wrapped around the freshness of seafood, noodle and vegetables.
As the Malay saying goes, "You won't see your in-laws coming"
That how you would enjoy eating the original version of char kway teow there.
Unfortunately the uncle has stop his business there since the new food court started running business.
Anyone know his whereabout?
Please share with me.
I am longing to eat his char kway teow for like hundreds of years.
Saliva dripping just thinking of it.
As for now, I just 'belasah' char kway teow in Shopping Complex food court which is not so bad.
But for the non-halal char kway teow, don't worry there are so many good one in Georgetown area.
The trick is you see where the crowd go.
Penang Chinese are really makan king.
You eat where the penangites eat.(mostly at the roadside stalls)
Do not wrongly follow Singapore tourist (they look and sound alike), you will end up eating the not so nice one.
For those who enjoy the Malay version, I guess the best choice in the Island is Sani's near Snake Temple, Bayan Lepas (and he has many franchise elsewhere)
In the Seberang Perai there are the Sungai Dua, Butterworth and behind Alka Ria Supermarket in Bukit Mertajam town.
Those are the old timers in the Malay char kway teow business.
Why not give it a try.
I have made up my mind to stick to the original Penang's Hokkein style char kway teow!!

6 comments:

  1. Thank u en.sanusi for the info...i'll sure try only the halal one...

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  2. u r most welcome farah.
    anything else u need to review?

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  3. uiks! bleh request ker nak review mknan apa? mcm mintak lagu kat radio plak.. ahaks!
    en. sanusi, skrg semua dah convert pi english ker? 'ikut kepala aku' dah jadik 'follow my head'.. description kat atas tu dah translate pi english dah, r u going international? hehee.. bagus nih!
    tapi, izinkan saya komen dlm bhs malayu gak, bcoz i dunno sepatah haram hinglish :p

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  4. hahaha
    ya, I am going international but I am still a Malaysian..
    Thank u for yr support as a follower
    Hentam sajalah follow yr head nak komen dlm Bahasa Melayu as long as u comment..
    thanks.

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  5. satu lagi tips yang berguna apa bila memilih kedai char kway teow ialah pilih yang ada awekk ramai...at least kalau xsedap, dapat gak 'cuci' mata...silap2 bleh 'rabat' naik moto skali...

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  6. S.Azry ni mmg
    nampak mcm ustaz tp ceplos rupanya
    hahahaha
    but anyway good tips!

    ReplyDelete

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