Char kuey teow in Penang
One simply cannot spell Penang without char kuey teow – or as the locals spell it, char koay teow. Intellectuals will argue that we can, technically, but true Malaysian foodies know that the local dish is such a state pride that it’s almost absurd not to mention the noodle dish when we talk about Penang.
There may be civil debates about whether the best char kuey teow is truly from Penang, but none can deny that the island is where you’ll find a formidable amount of char kuey teow that are wok hei-ed beyond perfection. And we’re not here to challenge this notion.
We’re here to bring to you this review of 6 char koay teow spots in George Town, Penang, that will leave you giddy, grease-filled, and gladly full. As Penang’s top culinary triumph, it’ll be hard to say no to plates of sexy wok-fried goodness – practically art-woks cooked up by Penang chefs, if you ask us.
Table of Contents
1. Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow
As feisty as its red-hat cook is Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow, one of Penang’s strongest contenders as the best of the best. Parked out in front of Heng Huat Cafe, the stall operates out of a bicycle cart, where you’ll also see the lady cook famously donned in a red bucket hat and majorly focused on her wok-frying action.
As much as you may be curious about her exemplary CKT, we advise that you refrain from bombarding the busy red-hat auntie with questions, or risk being at the receiving end of a Hokkien-filled outburst or worst: be completely ignored.
One thing you should know is that the more intense the barrage of huffy Hokkien words spewing out from the hawker’s mouth, the more spectacular the food. Such is true for Lorong Selamat’s CKT.
After forking out RM12 for a small-sized plate, along with a RM4 parking fee at the lot just next door, we did expect to be mind blown. But we positively were once our eyes were set on two impressively massive and pulpy prawns resting on the heap of glistening rice noodle ribbons, tinged red with chilli.
Thanks to the auntie’s small-batch frying technique over charcoal-boosted stove, every mouthful was rightfully aromatic with wafts of wok hei, extra savoury with the scrambled eggs, and satisfyingly crunchy with the bean sprouts strewn throughout.
One downside of Lorong Selamat’s char koay teow is the greasiness of its star dish, which initially made it easy for us to scarf down successive bites, but then settled into a cloying feeling towards the end.
Address: 108, Lorong Selamat 10400 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 10am-5pm | Sat & Sun 9.30am-5.30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
2. No.5 Char Koay Teow
No. 5 Char Koay Teow is something of a hidden gem amongst the more famed counterparts in the George Town area.
Though it is situated right in the bustling and tourist-filled Macalister Road, the stall itself is wedged right next to a durian stall and in a corner of a small old-school hawker space within a carpark lot. It would be rather easy to miss if not for its signage and the whiff of woodsy fragrance.
We’ll warn you first – don’t come here too famished that you won’t be willing to wait for your food to arrive, because waiting is what you’ll have to suffer through first before you get that yummy CKT.
We arrived to find the stall empty and void of any wok hei action, and wondered if the stall was closed – except that there were several customers seated at the tables, seemingly waiting to devour some food.
Upon prodding some workers idling about the hawker area, we were told to grab a seat…and wait.
There didn’t seem to be any sort of queuing system here, so instead of waiting for someone to approach and take orders, head straight over to the cook, give him your orders, and you’ll have a glorious CKT in no time at all.
While No. 5 is known for its loaded seafood char koay teow, we opted for a small traditional plate with the usual ingredients that’s priced at RM10.
It would simply be unscrupulous of us to not mention how our first bite absolutely floored us. Though admittedly, that was hugely because of how we underestimated the lesser-known CKT spot.
No. 5 stands out with the robust flavour of the noodle dish that were perfectly charred at edges of their strips, but somehow they manage to retain the freshness of the rest of the ingredients. The prawns were firm and juicy, the cockles whole and not shrivelled up from the heat, the shreds of Chinese chives and bean sprouts unabashedly sturdy, crunchy, and flavour-intact.
The explosion of flavour got more intense with every bite, it gradually bordered on salty. It made us wonder if they did cheat with a magic sprinkling of MSG. Nevertheless, it is an outstanding Penang char koay teow dish that we wouldn’t hesitate recommending.
Address: 94, Jalan Macalister, Sunshine City, 10450 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Mon – Sat 12pm-10pm (Closed on Sundays)
Contact: 018-948 5680
3. Siam Road Charcoal Char Koay Teow
You know the advice of visiting a famous eatery: come with plenty of tummy space, and also with plenty of patience.
The pioneer of charcoal-fueled char koay teow which once operated by the roadside and now a Michelin-approved stall, Siam Road Char Koay Teow is one of the oldest CKT hawkers in Penang, and arguably one of the very best.
We arrived half an hour before its opening time, and was already met with a short queue which grew exponentially when the hawkers arrived. The queuing and ordering system was rather seamless with the auntie’s sharp attentiveness and clear instructions for customers to keep things in order.
We all know of the elderly uncle, affectionately known as Uncle Tan, and the king behind Siam Road’s treasured plates of charred goodness. Since his retirement, his son has taken over the helming of the store and stove.
Melting from the heat in line wasn’t half as torturous as it would have been, if not for the uncle’s artisan display of frying the dish.
Unostentatious and laser-focused in his craft, he cooked in such a habitual efficiency, it was an awe to witness. The oil and pork lard triggers the sizzling, and in goes the rest of the ingredients in quick succession, interspersed with swishes of spatula and the addition of hot coals beneath the wok.
Rest assured that Siam Road’s char koay teow remains just as divine. A small-sized plate priced at RM9 is simple in its conception, with chilli-coated rice noodles interlacing thickets of eggs, decently plump and seared prawns, sweet lap cheong or Chinese sausages that have been singed in all the right corners, and fresh cockles that melts in your mouth.
The best part about this dish is its smoky wok hei aroma that is evident all the way till your plate is wiped clean, layered with the flavour of the pork lard which makes the dish sinfully moreish.
Our only gripe is for them to limit the number of orders per person – having a customer right at the front of the queue who smugly ordered 16 packets of CKT was not fun for the those at the back of the queue.
Address: 82, Jalan Siam, George Town, 10400 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Tue – Sat 12pm-6.30pm (Closed on Mondays & Sundays)
4. Ah Leng Char Koay Teow
Touted as one of tourists’ favourite spots to get their CKT fix, Ah Leng Char Koay Teow is another OG generational store that has been in operation since 1979, and widely loved since then.
The stall is located in a modest kopitiam along the time-worn roads of Dato Keramat, its flapping banner catching the eye and beckoning. The search for a parking spot around its compact compound was quite a pain, but we eventually managed to snag a leaving customer’s spot after several swivels around the area.
While it’s known to be swarmed with customers and orders during peak hours, the coffeeshop was relatively bare on a weekday morning with only a handful of customers enjoying plates of the noodle dish.
The cook assembles the dish carefully at her own pace. The result? A mean plate of chilli-blushed CKT with the usual suspects: jumbo-sized prawns, eggs, cockles, pork lard, bean sprouts and chives.
While the woodsy wok hei fragrant is rather faint here, the profuse amount of deep-fried pork lard cubes makes up for it, providing that crispy crackling with bursts of mellow aroma that’ll send you to decadence heaven.
We were impressed with the profound kick of the spice and texture of the noodles as well, which had the right amount of greasy glaze to avoid clumping and makes them perfectly slurpable. Though frankly, we would’ve hoped for something more spectacular after forking out RM10 for a small plate.
Address: 343, Jalan Dato Keramat, George Town, 10150 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Fri – Tue 10.30am-4pm (Closed on Wednesdays & Thursdays)
Contact: 012-498 3962
5. Tiger Char Koay Teow
We made this mistake so you wouldn’t – we made our way to Ping Hooi Cafe in search of the famous Tiger Char Koay Teow, only to be told that the stall had shifted to OO White Coffee Cafe at Carnarvon Street.
We spotted the stall tucked at the corner of the quieter kopitiam. There weren’t many customers at all so we got our usual order of a spicy small-portioned char koay teow fast and fresh out of the wok. But sadly, it didn’t taste as such.
The plate of CKT that arrived looked as glum. While CKT at other hawker places were served piping hot, this one was barely steaming. But we’re not one to judge a book by its cover, especially when it comes to hawker grub, so we gobbled some down before we gave our verdict.
Flavour-wise, there wasn’t an ounce of spice or wok hei flavour, which was a disappointment. The taste was commendable and possessed a balanced consistency between the noodles and ingredients – moist, but not soggy. Its saving grace was the slight sweetness from the lap cheong, but otherwise, the dish was rather unforgettable.
Overall, Tiger’s char koay teow tasted more like a neighbourhood hawker’s CKT that makes for a decent meal when craving hits, but not one that we would hound our foreign friends to try when they’re visiting Penang.
Address: OO White Coffee Cafe, 262-264, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Thu – Tue 6am-4.30pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
Contact: 017-477 3521
6. Left-handed Char Koay Teow
Left-handed Char Koay Teow has a loyal following since its glory days at Penang Road. We were glad to see that nothing much has changed since the eatery moved to Ivory Tower, thanks to the uncle’s friendly demeanour and his nearly immaculate plate of char koay teow.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the uncle’s easy smile – and his wall of photos with famous celebrities and public figures who have visited his stall – which only got wider when we whipped out our cameras.
Brandishing a metal spatula in his left hand – now you know how the name of his stall came about – and skillfully manoeuvring the wok with the other, he deftly char the noodles with an easy flourish, excitedly flaunting his “fire art” in the process.
In a flash, our RM9 plate of char koay teow was ready to be devoured.
Here, the wok hei flavour reigns – but maybe a tad too much. Considering the fancy fire display, it was no surprise that the rendition here leaned towards the sore-throat-inducing side, but we weren’t complaining. Visible egg bits coat the al-dente noodles moreishly, cockles appear in abundance, and the prawns are nicely charred through.
But what amazed us was the fact that Left-handed Char Koay Teow does not use the standard pork lard bits or oil in their CKT – it is a no pork and no lard stall. Yet, their dish carries such intense flavour which attest to the cook’s culinary skills.
Address: 79-G-11, Ivory tower, Kampung Jawa Baru, Off, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Thu – Tue 11am-7pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
Contact: 019-394 9185
Where to get good char kuey teow in Penang
Predictably, Siam Road’s CKT was easily our favourite, with No.5’s pleasantly surprising us with its unexpected flavours and tastiness. Regardless, we slurped up every single one on this list of char koay teow in Penang’s George Town, our lips upturned, crimson and grease-smeared.
What can we say other than Penangites just know what’s best, especially when it comes to CKT. And if there’s a dish that locals can get extremely critical of – purely because it is such a pride of the state – it is the lauded char koay teow.
So while we may find pleasure in debating on which CKT is truly the best in Penang, let’s not forget to appreciate that we are blessed to have a plethora of choices to feast on this phenomenal heritage hawker dish.
Make sure you’re not missing out on yummy gems in Penang including these old-school bakeries for traditional pastries and cafes that serve amazing coffee for caffeine lovers.
Photography by Jia-Ju.
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia.