Penang's Chinese gourmet dishes
Chinese gourmet cuisine is widely regarded as one of the world's finest and the fine dining establishments in Penang mostly serve this cuisine in its authentic form with recipes handed down through generations. In general, there are four main influences in Chinese gourmet cuisine originating from the different regions of China – Hakka, Cantonese, Hokkien and Teochew.
With its roots in the imperial palace and filtered down to the private homes of the rich and powerful and to the restaurants where the privileged entertained, Chinese gourmet dining tends to be lavish and opulent affairs with 8-course and 10-course menus. Peking duck, Beggar's chicken as well as abalone, scallops and fish maw-inspired dishes are some of the more popular choices among the locals.
Chinese restaurants in Penang are popular for banquet functions such as weddings and anniversary celebrations or business lunches or dinners where deals are clinched and favours curried. But for the occasional diner who just wants to have a treat, Chinese gourmet cuisine is still very much affordable with a la carte choices or set menus. Here is a list of restaurants in Penang serving great Chinese cuisine (in no particular order):
Besides Chinese banquets, here are some recommended Chinese dishes at street stalls and hawker centres.
Bak Kut Teh
Chunks of pork ribs, pork belly, assorted mushrooms and bean curd slow-cooked in a dark, aromatic Chinese herbal broth infused with spices is served with plain steam rice or yam rice. Bak kut teh literally means “meat bones tea” in Hokkien. On the side, mix up a batch of your own dipping sauce with diced garlic, sliced red chilli, bird's eye chilli, dark and light soy sauce. Remember to order a plate of eu char koay (deep-fried puff breadsticks) which goes well as a side dish. Bak kut teh is popular in Penang for breakfast and supper.
For the best bak kut teh in town (in no particular order):
Bak Chang
Steamed glutinous rice with soy sauce wrapped in bamboo leaves and stuffed with pork, mushroom, dried prawns, salted egg yolk or just white beans. Oily and high cholesterol delight which is a specialty during the Bak Chang festival (fifth moon of the Chinese calendar). Available all year round at roadside stalls in Swatow Lane in the afternoons.
For the Nyonyas they have their own version of chang – pua kiam tea. Still made of glutinous rice but the stuffing differs from that of the traditional bak chang. No soy sauce is being used, leaving the chang white.
Dim Sum
Translated literally means “to touch your heart”. Many beautiful variations of small steamed dumplings made with pork or pork ribs, and dough with meat and prawn fillings. Try also chee cheong fun, broadsheet rice noodles rolled and steamed with prawns, served with light soy sauce. This breakfast fare is now available in the evenings as well. Price differs from restaurant to street stalls, depending on the number of variations consumed.
For the best dim sum in town (in no particular order): Tho Yuen at 92, Campbell Street; and coffee shops along Chulia Street, Kimberly Street, Gottlieb Road, Anson Road and Bali Hai at Gurney Drive.
Dumplings or pau
Dumplings with meat – the Chinese version of the American burger. Other variations include sweet paste instead of meat. Best eaten when warm. Available at most food courts and coffee shops.
Char Koay Teow
The original recipe was said to have used only garlic and soy sauce with lard and was rather popular among labourers. The high-fat content and low cost of the dish made it attractive to them as it was a cheap source of energy. Today, this plate of flat rice noodles has succulent prawns, a handful of bean sprouts, seeham (cockles), a few slivers of Chinese waxed sausage, a dollop of ground chilli paste, kuchai (garlic chives) and an egg, all fried up with chopped garlic in a large spoonful of lard and some good black soy sauce.
Char Hor Fun (Sar Hor Fun)
This dish consists of thick flat rice noodles accompanied by vermicelli wok-fried on high heat with lard, seasoned with dark and light soy sauces until slightly charred. With a good bone broth (either pork or chicken), a tasty gravy is cooked with a host of ingredients including chai sim (choy sum), prawns, thin strips of pork and slices of pig’s liver as well as fish cakes. The gravy is then thickened with tapioca flour and egg (if desired) before being poured over a plate of smoky hor fun. Prior to serving, the dish is topped with slices of char siew (Chinese barbecue pork) and a dusting of white pepper. It is also served with some slices of preserved green chillies.
Chee Cheong Fun
Chee cheong fun is a thin sheet of steamed broad rice noodles rolled into a thick stick. It is served with a sweet sauce, a chilli paste and topped with sesame seeds. Chee cheong fun is available at most food courts, each stall offering their own secret sauces. One of my favourite stalls is located at Genting Cafe in Island Glades. The peanut butter sauce is truly delicious. If you come across chee cheong fun served with cockles curry, order and relish it.
Curry Mee
Wheat base mee in spicy coconut curry soup, garnished with beansprouts, prawn, cuttlefish, cockles, beancurd and mint.
For the best curry mee in town (in no particular order): Corner coffee shop in Lorong Seratus Tahun off Macalister Road in the mornings; hawker center opposite of the Ayer Itam market in the mornings; hawker centres at New Lane, Bangkok Lane and Gurney Drive.
Fried Oyster
Oyster omelet with spring onions and mixed sauce. High cholesterol goodie for the brave-hearted glutton. There is only one stall in Penang that stands tall when compared with others here in Penang. Situated in Carnarvon Street, he sells only in the afternoon and you must taste it to believe it. Also available at most hawker centres.
Hokkien Char
Fried wheat base mee with dark soy sauce and strips of meat, prawns, liver and vegetables. Goes very well with sambal belacan.
Hokkien Mee
Wheat base mee in a special prawns and pork bones enriched soup garnished with beansprouts, kang kong, prawns, egg and pork.
For the best Hokkien mee in town (in no particular order): Coffee shop along with the Ayer Itam bus terminal in the mornings; hawker centres at Gurney Drive and New Lane.
Jawa Mee
Blanched noodles served with tomato-based gravy, garnished with beansprouts, potato, beancurd, egg, prawns, deep-fried flour paste and sprinkled with groundnuts. The fried version is also available on request at most places. For extra kick squeeze in a little lime juice.
Joo Hoo Eng Chye
Steamed cuttlefish served with hei tay (jellyfish), kang kong, sesame seeds, groundnuts and sweet sauce. Available at most hawker centres.
Koay Chap
A special rice noodles (different from koay teow) served in a soup-based dish with duck meat, beansprout and hard boiled eggs.
Koay Teow Th'ng
Rice noodles in savoury soup with beansprouts, fish balls and slices of chicken.
For the best koay teow th’ng in town (in no particular order): Opposite of the Ayer Itam Police Station in the mornings served with slices of pork, minced pork, liver and fish balls; Coffee shops in Hutton Lane, most hawker centers and New Lane hawker centre served with duck meat.
Lok Lok
Lok lok means "dip dip", a hawker version of a steamboat dinner. A wide selection of fresh uncooked food such as seafood ranging from cuttlefish to crabsticks, meat and vegetables are dipped into a central pot of boiling soup to cook. The cooked bits of food are eaten off the skewer after dipping into a nut-based sauce and the cost is calculated according to the number of colour-coded skewers used.
Wan Tan Mee
Cantonese egg noodles served with soup or “dry”. Garnished with pork or wan tan – shrimp balls wrapped in thin dough, vegetables and char siew, strips of sweet grilled pork meat. Try the green preserved chilli. It goes well with the noodles.
For the best wan tan mee in town (in no particular order): Corner coffee shop in Pulau Tikus opposite Church of the Immaculate Conception in the mornings and hawker centres at New Lane and Gurney Drive.
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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah © All rights reserved
Updated: 5 April 2019
Ti kuih (or tnee kuih), the sweet, sticky rice cake prepared for the Lunar New Year, is known in Mandarin as "nian gao", literally meaning “year cake”. The name carries an auspicious homophone, symbolising "rising abundance" or "prosperity for the coming year".