Ch'ar kuay tiau
.
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 Hnui
(Lengkok Burma) 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
specks of kuay tiau was a delight. Duck eggs, a traditional
must, are available, though supplies from Thailand are uncertain owing
to a suspicion of bird flu. Demerit points: absence of pork
crackers.
There is another favourite
stall of mine at Carnarvon Street: "Lau Hor Ch'ar Koay
Tiau." It was started by grandfather Lau Hor (Tiger) 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, therefore, not ruined. Duck eggs are available. Demerits:
absence of koo ch'ai and pork crackers.
lor bar
Next to Lau Hor is a
lor bar stall which is reasonably good. It is
the only hawker of its kind to offer the traditional preserved
ch'ai t'au (lopak).
ch n'air hoo
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 was
a joy just to watch the man at work. The speed of his cutting and
chopping was breathtaking. He's gone but his successors have maintained
quality. But notice the vegetable part is much reduced. This is probably
because of the increase in the price of cucumbers and other veges
that makes up the dish. But that is no reason for upsetting the balance
in the mix. While still at Dato Keramat try the yong tau foo.
It's still good. Wandering about in Pulau Tikus is a stall on
wheels which serves Mama passambul with almost the original
taste.
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curry mee.
Two stalls sell
curry mee at the night stalls at the Pulau Tikus
market. They are not too bad, being not too lemak for
my taste. I am not
too fond of the lemak type which
came into fashion after
the 50's owing to the Thai influence
and the demands of Singapore tourists. Both stalls serve the required tau
pok and blood. This dish is also to be found at the
Public Cafe along North Beach, lunch time. The cook produces
a mixture with an Ipoh flavour, which is very welcome
to those who want a change. An added attraction here is
that lor bar and rojak are available
for those with larger appetites. If you try the dish elsewhere make
sure that it does not have a powdery taste, - the tell tale sign that curry
powder is used. And
make sure you get the right mee, the soft Hokkien
mee and not the hard Cantonese variety.Those from
KL, who are prone to distorting Penangese and call this dish curry laksa, please remember
to ask for "curry mee" to save embarassment.
If you are in Kuching, Sarawak, you must not
miss their curry mee which they call curry laksa. It has
a character all its own and is superb.
goo bar kuay
tiau
Those who love beef soup and despaired
at the disappearance of favourites at the Victoria Street
bus stop and at Acheen Street need worry no more. They
will find that the stall opposite the Bomba at Beach Street provides
excellent goo bar kuay tiau; in fact, the meat
is better cooked. The coffee shop which houses this stall is
unique because those who run it are English educated, a very rare
discovery.
Hokkien
mee
When
Penangites say Hokkien Mee they mean
Hair Mee (prawn mee).
Elsewhere Hokkein Mee
identifies the fried variety , which is peversely called
here, Hokkien Ch'ar.
Hokkien Mee could either mean prawn mee or bar koot mee. We have
never been good
at hair mee but our
bar koot mee
is excellent . Try the stall at Hong Kong Street.
lark
sar .
And if you are crazy about
lark sar (laksa)
you will find an excellent stall next to a ch'ar koay tiau stall along Burmah
Rod, opposite Bangkok Lane. After your first bowl try the
lemak version and, for a third cup, have the
two versions mixed. You will love it.
bair t'ay sor
The Penang-made biscuits
deserve their popularity because they are excellent but if you pass
through Ipoh try the Gunang Rapat variety and tell me what you think
see
kak pniar
Those who are nostalgic about this type of biscuit should
go to SImpang Ampat where they make very crunchy "simply melts
in your mouth" biscuits.
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tau
foo far
There are two stalls which use black sugar.
One is along North Beach after 4 p.m. and the other
is itinerant and to be found at odd hours along Pulau
Tikus, near the Malayan Banking.
iu char koay
Excellent iu char koay will be found near the
Pulau Tikus market Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Those who
wake up late will get the same at most afternoons at the Batu
Lanchang market, and at Leandros Lane.
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 p
niar, curry toomee, 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
"Prontip" along
Peel Avenue offers genuine Thai cooking at reasonable prices. Its
kensom will blow your head off.
Mama rice
Nowadays impertinently called by the
KL imported name of nasi kandar. My view is that Mama ("Uncle")
is a respectful and historical form of address used by the Baba
and should continue to be used.
It is difficult to find the
genuine stuff because of the Mama habit of going back to India
without teaching anybody their 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.
It is no use looking for mama
fried mee or mee rebus. The secrets have not been passed
on and those visiting nowadays will have to be disappointed.
The nearest to the original flavours is the stall at Armenian Street
which has a hint of past glories but the high price of sotong restrains the
essential falvours. But the man knows how to fry his mee, not too dry and
burnt.
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Afternoons
Batu Lanchang makan place, next to the market, a market that operates
in the aternoons, is an excellent place to visit if you sleep late. The
iu char kuay, ch'ar kaoy tiau (RM2.20 plain, 2.70 with egg and 3.00
with duck egg - will remind you how prices have doubled rhe last ten years).
chn'air hoo (Chiese passembul) and po pnia should please you. But be warned.
Typically this place has no public facilities. You will to go to the back
of market next door which is awash with water and stinks. You will
also catch oneor two sarong clad serfs of the money pinching stall holder
washing his slaughtered chcken in the wash basin - the water is free, you
see.
Night time
New Lane is about the best place at
night for hawkers' food. The variety is very wide. It
is here that you will find heng jin tair done the
Hokkien way without the flavour that the Cantonese like. If
you are a vegetarian your needs will be met by 6 or even 8 different
dishes
At North Beach the Song River Cafe
has very good jiu hoo eng ch'ai and chicken
wings. And if you can wait long enough the grilled prawns that
come about 10 pm are a delight.
The night stalls at the Pulau Tikus
market are second to those at New Lane and also
have a variety to offer #
Chief cook Ah Boon
Ko
North Beach - now called Gurney Drive
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