Char Koay Teow

Char koay teow in Penang is simply the best. The key ingredient to its flavorful taste relies on the sauce. The original char koay teow is dry, hence the “char” (meaning stir fried in Hokkien) in the name. However, there is a wet version of Char koay teow now if one prefers it that way. But most Penangites prefer the original dry koay teow. The flat rice noodle is stir-fried with special sauce, chili paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, salty and sweet soy sauce, cockles, prawns, fresh chives, crunchy beansprouts and eggs. Some hawker stalls even provide the option for the customers to choose between the chicken eggs or the duck eggs. Char koay teow is often served with pickled Jalapeno to add more hotness to the taste.

Image by Charles Haynes.