Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow (12 October 2012)

Penang Char Koay Teow (檳城炒粿條; Penang Char1 Koay1 Teow2) is a popular hawker dish of flat rice noodles stir fried with prawns, eggs (mostly chicken but some times duck), bean sprouts and chives (koo chye). Cockles are often added. Chilli is another optional ingredient. The rice noodles, called koay teow, are stir fried in pork fat, and crisp pieces of pork lard, called bak yew phok, is considered a delicacy by many.

Char Koay Teow had its origins among the labourer class. Due to its high fat content, it was a cheap source of energy among the working class. Today, however, Char Koay Teow is accepted as a dish for all classes of the community, and some of the most famous Char Koay Teow stalls are literally dishing it out at premium prices.

Char Koay Teow Recommendations

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People's Choice

2014 People's Choice
Members of the Penang Hawker Food Facebook Group chose char koay teow as their People's Choice of favourite Penang hawker food in 2014.

My Favourite Char Koay Teow Stalls in Penang

In my opinion, (updated as of August 2012) the Tiger Char Koay Teow is the best Char Koay Teow in Penang. The price is not cheap (RM4.50) with duck egg, but to me, it is the tastiest.

I have also tried the Char Koay Teow of Excellent Cafe, a coffee shop located along the Ayer Itam Road, near the Air Itam Roundabout, next to Jalan Empat. At RM6.50 for a plate with chicken egg, it is probably the most expensive non-hotel Char Koay Teow that I have ever tasted. It looks good, but the portion is small, and in comparison, not as tasty as the Tiger Char Koay Teow of Carnarvon Street, even though it comes with two big prawns.

Char Koay Teow at Kafe Ping Hooi, Carnarvon Street (18 August 2012)

Char Koay Teow, stall at Ipoh Lane, Jelutong Market (2 May 2008)

The Char Koay Teow of Excellent Cafe, Ayer Itam, Penang (9 September 2012)

With a char koay teow stall at almost every coffee shop in Penang, the choice can be mind-boggling. So I created a food map to make it incredibly easy to locate a char koay teow stall nearest to you. The map pinpoints all the char koay teow stalls I have come across on Penang Island. Click on the pin of your choice for further details.