Kim Leng Loh Mee at Joo Huat coffeeshop on the corner of Perak Road and Lintang Slim is one of the top “loh mee” spots in Penang.
“Loh mee”, sometimes spelt “lor mee” in English, is a Fujianese braised noodle dish - although the version one finds in China may seem more rustic than the complex-flavoured Penang version. It’s essentially a mix of yellow Hokkien noodles and thin rice noodles (“bee hoon”) slathered in a thick, unctuous, almost gloopy brown sauce, streaked through with egg-white ribbons, and redolent of Chinese 5-spice, soy-sauce and other condiments.
In Penang, lightly-blanched fresh beansprouts add a juicy crunch to the soft, par-boiled noodles, whilst gelatinous ingredients like braised pig’s skin, innards, stewed chicken feet and hard-boiled egg are the usual accompaniment. Chilli paste and raw garlic sauce are the must-have condiments, together with a generous sprinkling of golden-fried shallots on top.
Kim Leng Loh Mee stall at Joo Huat coffeeshop was started by 63-year-old Mr Lim Kim Leong 26 years ago, although his elder sister had been selling “loh mee” in Perak Road for decades before. The locals call Perak Road “Tua Lor Ow”, meaning “Back of the Main Road” in Hokkien lingo (“Tau Lor” means “Main Road”, referring to the busy Jelutong Road, which runs parallel to Perak Road).
- Kim Leng’s Loh Mee: braised Hokkien noodles & beehoon, with pig’s skin, chicken feet, pig’s intestines, sliced lean pork, hard-boiled egg and beansprouts. Delicious with chilli paste, garlic sauce and crisp shallots.
- Melt-in-your-mouth tender pig’s intestine:
- Stewed chicken foot, with all its gelatinous goodness.
- A sliver of twice-cooked egg - first hard-boiled, then braised in the soy/spiced gravy sauce, rendering the hard-boiled eggs brown.
Address:
Joo Huat coffeeshop at 336-I-G, Perak Road (intersection with Lintang Slim).
Opening hours: 7am - 4pm (unless sold out earlier). Closed on Thu.
