Hokkien (prawn) Mee in Penang or known as Mee Yoke in KL. It is one of my favourite hawker’s fare.
I had wanted to blog this for a long time but did not manage to snap a ‘halal looking’ photo. Finally, I got this bowl of noodle with only prawns and egg.
Hokkien mee’s soup is the most important thing. Good soups are made by boiling prawn shells, big bones (of the oink-oink type, of course) for long hours. Usually, the noodle is garnish with kangkong, hard boiled eggs, slices of meat and of course, prawns. Fried onions are scattered on the soup. And it has to have a huge spoonful of pounded chili fried in oil.
I had buffet dinner at The Revolving, City Bayview Hotel a few days ago. The cost per head is RM39.90 ++. And they serve? Hokkien Mee. Halal version. Not bad, the taste. We took several large prawns from the buffet table, peel and ate them with the Hokkien mee. Bestest in the world.
There are too many good Hokkien Mee stalls in Penang to be mentioned here. I am lousy with directions, remember names etc so I will just give a rough idea. Penangites – if you are reading this and has other suggestions, please drop your comment. I love Hokkien Mee and will gladly try out any new place.
Morning
1) Jalan Perak junction with Jalan Anson, where Sony is. Opposite Padang, near the Tua Pek Kong temple. The coffee shop at the corner is so popular. You have to be very early and be willing to scramble for an empty table and wait for a long, long time to get your bowl of Hokkien Mee.
2) The coffeeshop behind Lai Lai Supermarket (the supermarket now closed).
3) Bangkok Lane – not that great.
Noon
4) Lorong Selamat/Macalister coffeeshop
–cannot think of any at the moment —
Night
5) Dhoby Ghaut (where the above bowl of Hokkien Mee is from. This guy sells Curry Mee as well, which is good too.
6) Jalan Burma, across Him Heang. You can tambah every parts of the oink-oink.
Most Hokkien Mee stalls in Penang are pretty decent and edible. In fact, competition is so keen, no hawkers can survive if their foods are not tasty.
**In KL, Hokkien Mee is the black, black, fat, fat, fried noodles. Over here, in Penang we call those type of noodles, Hokkien Char and if they use the fat noodles, it is Tua Pui Mee.
