If you’re looking for old taste, look no further than char hor fun stall at the intersection of Beach Street and Malay Street in Penang. It’s been a long time since we tasted a zi char like this. So what makes this dimly lighted stall perks up out taste buds?
Nope, we did not take the above picture in a Penang museum. We had our char hor fun at this rundown but fully functioning pre-war shop. It’s not your usual packed-to-the-brim eatery. In fact, it’s a little eerily quiet, save for the sound of the wok master skillfully maneuvering the wok over the scorching heat.
I think the silence was also partly caused by everyone being self-absorb with their hearty plate of char hor fun or Hokkien fried mee. We soon found ourselves less talking, more eating when faced with our own order.
CS ordered for an extra egg which explains the liberally loaded egg yolks in the luscious gravy. Beneath the egg infusion is the mix of vermicelli and hor fun, stir-fried to smoky goodness. The vermicelli is lightly toasted or charred that gave a little crunch factor to balance the soft hor fun. They didn’t skimp on ingredients either. We had prawns, fish fillet and pork slices that complement the dish and it’s certainly worth every penny we paid.
Having our stomach half-filled at Hon Kei earlier, we had to (regrettably) give their Fried Hokkien Mee a miss. I have no doubt I would like it, given how good their Char Hor Fun is.
Address: Char Hor Fun stall on Beach Street, near the intersection with Lebuh Melayu. It’s next to Hai Wan aquarium shop, opposite a fried rice stall.
Estimated GPS: 5.412610, 100.335896
Business hour : 7pm till 11pm
