[Penang, Malaysia] Noodle dinner at 888 Hokkien Mee, Presgrave Street

klyeoh · August 21, 2024, 12:54pm

888 Hokkien Mee by septuagenarian owner-chef, Madam Goh Poh Kim, is one of the best-known in Penang. Unlike KL-style Hokkien mee, which is stir-fried thick udon-like noodles and is dark as night from the addition of dark soy sauce during the frying process, or Singapore-style Hokkien mee, which is stir-fried yellow Hokkien noodles with a light-colored pork-prawn broth, Penang-style Hokkien mee is basically soupy noodles in a spicy pork-prawn broth.

A typical bowl of Penang Hokkien mee at 888 Hokkien mee consists of a mixture of yellow Hokkien wheat noodles, beansprouts, and thin rice vermicelli (“bee hoon”) in a spicy pork-prawn broth, garnished with poached slivers of pork, de-shelled shrimps, soy-braised hard-boiled egg and golden-fried shallots.

The place is ever-crowded, so one should try coming here off-peak period, i.e. before 6pm each day.

888 Hokkien Mee is listed in the MICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang 2024, and is featured in the guide’s online magazine this week:

Address
888 Hokkien Mee
67-A, Presgrave Street, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +60165665772
Opening hours: 3pm to 9.30pm daily, except Thursday (closed).

Harters · August 21, 2024, 1:04pm

All credit to Goh changing career at 38. And to something as hard as the restaurant business.

klyeoh · August 21, 2024, 1:11pm

She’s amazingly driven. I guess that’s what made her succeed where many would’ve fallen by wayside.

klyeoh · June 17, 2025, 1:43pm

Back to 888 Hokkien Mee this evening, with visiting fellow Hungry Onioner, @Presunto, in tow.

Even at 4pm, the queue has already started building up in front of the ordering counter:

Mdm Goh Poh Kim meticulously slicing the roast pork which she served as a topping for our Hokkien mee.

Our bowls of Hokkien mee:

The last time I came was back in March, with Susan Low (former 𝗕𝗕𝗖 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 Editor) and Guy Dimond (former 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 Food & Drink Editor). Never a bad meal here.