Breakfast at the popular ๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ in Pulau Tikus on Sunday morning. Exactly 60-years-old this year, ๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ had progressed from operating as a street cart to being located inside Bee Hooi kopitiam down the road, and then neighbouring Swee Kong kopitiam on Moulmein Rise, before settling into their own shop here on 321 Burmah Road 9 years ago.
Its unique offering is ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ slathered with an eggy, unctuous โlorโ (Hokkien for โsticky-braised sauceโ) gravy made from chicken-mushroom stock, oyster sauce, sesame oil and other condiments, before being thickened with tapioca starch, and with egg ribbons stirred in. No other wantan noodle stall in Penang served its noodles this way, as the usual dressing is a mixture of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, shallot oil and other condiments.
Its ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ is garnished with golden-fried ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ dumplings, ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ ๐ด๐ช๐ฆ๐ธ (Cantonese BBQ pork), slivers of chicken white meat, slices of Chinese ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ mushroom, par-boiled ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐บ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ greens, and golden-fried pork lardons. Pickled green chilis provided the acidic stab that cuts through the rich sauce.
The noodles have an al dente texture akin to HK-style wantan noodles, although Hongkongers will have their noodles submerged in a delicate soup, and never dressed in a dark-hued sauce like in Malaysia and Singapore.
Golden crisp-fried wantan dumplings is a โPenang thingโ, virtually nonexistent or else extremely rare to find elsewhere in Malaysia or Singapore. Over here at ๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ, these crisp, delicious morsels tend to run out before lunch, leaving only the usual par-boiled wantans as garnishes.
This little eatery does get busy on most mornings - come early, say 8am, or else be prepared to wait for a table.
Address
Wantan Mee House
321, Jalan Burmah (Burmah Road), Pulau Tikus, 10350 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +6017-479 8075
Opening hours: 6am to 4pm Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun. Closed on Thursdays.
