Good food Where to eat   Ah Boon Ko's Guide

Like cheese lovers, those who dream of Penang food want to find their favourite unchanged since the time when they first tasted their particular favourite.  From this, some conclude that taste is a matter of generation likes and dislikes and the memory of it.  But is that correct?  We are of the view that the "traditional" must date from pre-war i.e. before the Japanese conquered British Malaya. The 1930s saw an accelerated growth of hawkers. Penang was beginning to go out for early morning breakfast and afternoon snacks outside the home. The more fortunate had hawkers coming right down their street, even in the evenings, as Lim Teong Beng described in The Penang File.(Hawkers Down Our Road by Lim Teong Beng Issue 27).  It was the golden age when two rivals produced excellent murtabak containing mutton floating in oil and served with generous handfuls of pickled onion; and the hawkers "Next to Queen's" set high standards for koay tiau t'ng, ch'ar kuay tiau, and Mama poh pniah; when the Penang Free School Mama mee was tops; when Kek Seng in Penang Road was packed and Mrs Kiar Joo's laksa and nyonya koay, hawked along Northam Road, delighted those "taking the air". that established Penang as the gourmet centre for what is now Malaya. That is, except for hair mee (called Hokkien mee in Penang) and hokkien mee (called Hokkien ch'ar in Penang) for which Singapore was the unchallenged leader with the best in Hokkien Street, Albert Street and the Queen's Road market.

Hawkers           iu char koay The first thing outstation people think of when they come to Penang is ch'ar kuay tiau. The traditional i.e. genuine stuff is to be found at Lau Hio Hniu (Burma Crescent) where the stall is located among others catering for office workers. The kuay tiau is fried slowly over a charcoal fire fanned by the man's wife. The oil used is first class and not too much diluted by vegetable oil. One thing that I did not like was the Cantonese intrusion, little pieces of lap cheong. But the absence of burnt spots of kuay tiau was a delight. Duck eggs are available. Demerit points: absence of koo ch'ai and pork crackers. There is another favourite stall of mine at Carnarvon Street. "Lau Hor Ch'ar Koay Tiau" was started by grandfather Lau Hor and is the best of the "blow torch" fire breed. The fierce fire is kept strictly under control and the cooks (grandson fries whenever the son is away) are not compelled to use frequent doses of water to prevent a disaster. Here the vegetable oil does not dominate and the taste is not ruined. Duck eggs are available. Demerits: absence of koo ch'ai and prawn crackers. Next to Lau Hor  is a lor bar stall which is reasonably good. It is the only hawker of its kind to offer the tradional preserved ch'ai t'au. And if you are crazy about laksa take a drive to Balik Pulau. On the road, just outside the ugly market, is laksa served with the gravy full of fish. The bor is a tasty homemade cheweable rice bor. And vegetarians will be pleased to know that Dato Kramat football field is the place where you get the best chn'air hoo, the Penang version of Mama passambul. It is a joy just to watch the man at work. The speed of his cutting and chopping is breathtaking. Restaurants and coffee shops Nyonya The newly opened "Hitam Manis" along Burmah Road is very welcome because it is that rare establishment that is genuinely Nyonya. The ch'oon pniar, curry tumee, jiu hoo ch'ar are particularly recommended. But phone up if you insist on the traditional pair chn'ioh in your curry toomee. The restaurant is closed on Wednesdays.  Phone No: 226 7326   Thai If you are fond of Thai food go to "Foong Kim Cheong" at Paya Terobong.  Their kensom is superb. Other delights are fish cake, kerabu mango, white tomyam,  poo chim (baked crab), and chicken wings, green curry (ask for roast duck green curry, if available),  chicken wings, and lap nger (for which you have to give notice). They close Tuesdays. Phone No . 825 5643 Mama rice (nowadays impertinently called by the KL imported name of nasi kandar) It is difficult to find the genuine stuff because of the mama (Tamill for Uncle) habit of going back to India without teaching anybody his cooking secrets. But there is a place at Kong Bee Lee Coffee Shop opposite Bangkok Lane with flavours nearest to the original. The present owner inherited the business from his father and continues the tradition Chief cook Ah Boon Ko

A worthy cause Little Sisters of the Poor at Batu Lanchang, Penang

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_____________________ The Penang File Issue  32