[Penang, Malaysia] Kwang Beef Noodles at Old Winston Cafe, Anson Road

klyeoh · January 26, 2021, 2:26pm

One of Penang’s most popular Teochew “gu bak koay teow” (beef noodle) spots was the Victoria Street Gu Bak Koay Teow, started by Kang Chew Eam in the 1960s. Kang had learnt his trade from his father, who emigrated to Penang from Swatow, China, right after World War II. Victoria Street is located just one block away from George Town’s busy main financial district on Beach Street and Downing Street.

Nowadays, Kang Chew Eam’s son, Kang Kheng Cheng, has moved their business into Sri Weld Food Court on Beach Street itself, where it’s operated as the Kwang Beef Noodles stall. It’s a rather busy food court on week-day lunch hours during pre-COVID days.

Flat rice noodles, akin to Vietnamese pho are used - blanched together with beansprouts and dressed in garlic oil. Generous amounts of crisp-fried, golden-brown, finely-chopped garlic are spooned over the noodles.

The hearty beef broth contained beef balls, sliced beef shin, beef tendon, and tripe - all cooked till very tender.

Address
Kwang Beef Noodles (光祖传牛肉粿条)
Sri Weld Food Court, 3a, Weld Quay, 10300 George Town, Penang.
Tel: +6016-421 4435
Operating hours: 9.30am to 3pm Mon to Fri. Closed on Sat & Sun.

klyeoh · January 26, 2021, 2:34pm

Due to the current COVID lockdown where no dining-in are allowed at any eatery and food court, we went to Kwang Beef Noodles for some take-outs at lunch today.

An eerily empty Sri Weld Food Court at 12 noon today - most banks and offices roster their staff and 70% are working from home at the moment.

For comparison’s sake, Sri Weld Food Court during lunch-time - pre-COVID lockdown in Sep 2020

Anyhoo, Sri Weld Food Court is less than 20-minutes’ drive from my apartment, so the noodles and soups (packed separately) were all still warm when we got home:

pushslice · January 28, 2021, 7:35pm

can you comment on how that’s typically eaten? does one pour the broth into the bowl of noodles & beef? or drink broth separately from the ‘dry’ items?
All looks Delish anyhow!!

klyeoh · January 29, 2021, 2:11am

Typically, the noodles and meats will be served in the same big bowl with the beef broth itself - that’s the preference by 80% or more diners. It’s akin to Vietnamese pho beef noodles soup.

I’m one of those on the “other” side, i.e. who prefer their noodles served “dry” (actually dressed in garlic oil & a bit of fish sauce), with the beef broth and meats on the side. These are usually eaten concurrently anyway.

A Vietnamese friend of mine said it’s called “pho kho” in Vietnam, where the noodles and broth are served separately.

Nathan_Jones · January 31, 2021, 5:02am

I love dry as well for all these dishes. I am foolishly trying to limit carb intake here.

Will have to try this spot soon. Sri Weld was truly awesome the few times I visited pre-lockdown.

klyeoh · March 8, 2025, 2:54pm

This is the best piece of food news we’ve got so far this year! Kang Shan Kwang of 𝗞𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲, formerly at Sri Weld Food Court, is BACK after a one-year hiatus! Shan Kwang has had a health scare, but he’s had his heart fixed and is now back, all hale & hearty! He now plies his trade at 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 on Anson Road.

I’d always thought his beef noodles is the best-tasting in town. Shan Kwang is the 4th-generation of the Kang family to sell beef noodles - back in pre-war Swatow (Shantou), China, his great-granduncle was a famous beef noodle-seller. His own grandfather, Kang Chew Eam, took over the trade and emigrated to Penang post-World War II.

Kang Chew Eam had started 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗚𝘂 𝗕𝗮𝗸 𝗞𝗼𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗼𝘄 in the 1960s. His son, Kang Kheng Cheng, subsequently moved the family business into Sri Weld Food Court, where it’s operated as the 𝗞𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲, named after Kang Shan Kwang (the grandson). Shan Kwang explained that his father didn’t learn to cook beef noodles, so the skill was passed straight down from his grandfather to him.

The taste of the broth is still the best: deeply-flavoured and delicious, from long hours of boiling the “tua kut” (spine of the cow).

A standard bowl of beef noodles will include flat rice noodles (“koay teow”), minced beef-balls, thinly-sliced beef, ox-tendon, and ox-tripe, all steeped in a hearty beef broth, garnished with chopped Chinese parsley and golden-fried garlic crumbs.

Address
Kang Beef Noodles
Old Winston Coffee Garden, 35, Jalan Anson, 10400 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +6016-4214435
Operating hours: 9am to 3pm Monday to Saturday. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.