Penang Hawker Food : Sin Wah Char Koay Teow & Kheng Pin Lor Bak

So, what's for supper, after going Japanese at Azuma? Some cheap and delicious street food, of course !!!

Sin Wah Char Koay Teow @ Pulau Tikus Market

Penang is synonymous with great hawker fare. From the perennial favourite, Laksa, to Char Koay Teow, and Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee to you and me) to Lor Bak, it'll be a sin to die from hunger on the streets, and laments regarding "limited food options". Admit it, people throng the island for the FOOD, more than anything else.

Sinful enough? With cockles, prawns, duck eggs, bean sprouts, chives, and crispy pork lard .... all for RM4 flat

OK, so the image of Char Koay Teow in Penang may have been marred (or worshipped, depending on whether you're on the receiving end of the malicious treatment!) by some of the most arrogant, and over-priced stalls selling the nearly 'Gourmet' edition of the simple hawker dish, up to the realms of about RM7 per plate. Sooner or later, a plate of CKT in Penang at RM10 would be the norms, with additional 10% service charge (that is, IF you're not required to carry your own plate anymore) and 5% government tax (for the immense number of plates sold per day, they could be driving Royces/Porsches amidst the maddening Penang traffic!).

Anyway, one of my favourite CKT stall in Penang at night is Sin Wah Char Koay Teow, located at Pulau Tikus Market, off Jalan Burma in Georgetown. I paid a respectable number of visits to this place as the variety of food, the atmosphere (epitome of "street food!"), the crowd, and the price allowed a not-so-well-off public university student with a bottomless pit to binge without regret. :)

Teo Chew Chai Koay from Kim Leng Kee @ 50 (or 60) cents each

Of course, the uncle manning the stall may have an attitude of his own. And his staff as well, for that matter. Ordering any number of plates of CKT will net you an intimidating glare, and grumbles about the estimated waiting time.

"Have to wait 20 minutes one. Still want or not?" ... or when the crowd's not so thin; "Half an hour wait one woh, very long. Do you still want to wait?" .... or when the crowd's practically sitting on each other's laps : "Either you starve to death and wait, or buzz off ordering something else lah!"

Of course, I made the last one up lah .... He has yet to attain the Gold Medal in "The Laws of Arrogance" yet, amongst the CKT community in Penang. But a bronze may be hanging from his neck, for all I care.

Nonsense aside (hehe, it's Friday, so I'm a little off ... understandable, right?), the CKT was bursting with 'wok hei' or 'Breath of the Wok' (sounds soooo much like a Kung Fu sequel wannabe), fried with high flames, and lots of crispy pork lards for extra cholesterol. And flavour, nonetheless. The prawns, squids, and cockles completed the package, earning top marks in my books. You can choose between chicken's egg (RM3.50) or duck's egg (RM4).

Let's say you do not wish to smother your already glossy lips with the oily plate of artery-clogger, no frets. Solution's at hand in the form of Teo Chew Chai Koay, with fillings of either yambeans, or kuchai (Chinese chives). But they DO pan-fry them before serving, hence if you wanna avoid the grease, hold them off.

Location : Pulau Tikus wet market, at night only. From town to Pulau Tikus using Jalan Burma, you'll reach a police station on your RIGHT. Turn left into Jalan Moulmein, between two coffee shops (one's named Kwai Lock, which I blogged before HERE on their Roti Babi), and you'll reach a T-junction. The market's to your right, but it's a one way road, hence turn left and park anywhere you like.

Kheng Pin Cafe @ Penang Road - An old timer ...

The next morning, initially planned for breakfast at Joo Leong in Bayan Lepas, popular for their toasts with runny half-boiled eggs. But the previous night's booze session (hehe ... fresh from Langkawi, no less) had us dozing off at 4am, waking up a little later than desired. The next best option? Brunch at Penang Road instead.

Hainanse Chicken Rice (RM4), Wantan Noodles (RM4) and Century Egg Porridge

Kheng Pin Cafe on Penang Road possesses a certain charm, with history running way back into the olden days. Probably one of the few original coffee shops on Penang Road (Kek Seng's a good candidate), the place is still buzzing with activities (eating lah ... what else?!) on a weekday's morning/afternoon.

The Hainanese Chicken Rice has a lot of patrons, serving plump, tender chicken with fragrant rice. Not the best, yet the portion was more than sufficient, and better than most out there.

The spicy Char Koay Teow

The Rasa Malaysia food guide listed two stalls in Kheng Pin, in their recommendation. One being the Char Koay Teow stall, frying up a commendable storm with the fiery CKT, complete with the usual package sans the squids ala Sin Wah's.

Almost legendary .... or might I add, God-like status of the Lor Bak stall

But the other recommendation came in the form of Lor Bak, or mixed fritters from all meats/vegetables/etc possible. The popularity of Kheng Pin's Lor Bak transcends borders, races (except Malays, of course, it's NON-halal), and appetites. Perfect as accompaniments to a meal, or light snacks during tea break, you'll be spoilt for choice from the endless display of choices available. From the usual to the slightly out-of-the-ordinary such as fish, chicken, sweet potatoes and yam, the owner will be glad to recommend their signatures, or put your trust in him to mix and match the choices and the amount for the number of people specified.

A platter of goodies @ RM11

For the four of us, he fried on the spot : The pork rolls (Lor Bak), prawn fritters, batter-fried chicken meat, spring roll, and century egg. Served with some slices of cucumber and pickled ginger slices, the selection of fritters was spot-on, and pleased even the most demanding palate (guess who? NOT me .... =P)

The accompanying dipping sauces of sweet/spicy chilli sauce and the sticky dark sauce

Location : Kheng Pin Cafe @ 80, Jalan Penang, Penang. Opens for breakfast til about 3pm only.

Here's those who had been mesmerized by Kheng Pin's Lor Bak : What2See, After Giovanni, Allie, Penang Tua Pui

Staring right through ya !!! Who says Beggars Can't Be Choosers?! (A scene at the Kuan Yin Temple on Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling)

Happy Weekend Everyone .....