The dish to eat in George Town · Malaysia

Char kway teow

Name: Penang char kway teow
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Malaysia
Ingredients: 10 oz (280 g) fresh flat rice noodles (hor fun), separated (or 5 oz dried, soaked and drained); 8 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), thinly sliced on an angle; 1/2 cup (60 g) cockles or small clams, shucked (optional); 2 eggs; 1 cup (100 g) bean sprouts, tails trimmed if you have time; 1 small bunch garlic chives, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tbsp lard or neutral oil; Sauce: 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp water; 1 to 2 tsp sambal oelek or chili paste, to taste; A pinch of white pepper

Photo: Ardzun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Flat rice noodles stir-fried over fierce heat with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, egg, chives and bean sprouts.

George Town is Malaysia's street food capital, and char kway teow is its pride: a smoky plate cooked one at a time in a screaming-hot wok.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in George Town

Siam Road Char Koay Teow
82 Jalan Siam
Order: A plate fried over charcoal, with an egg
A charcoal-fired wok on a street corner with a queue that never ends.
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Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow
Kafe Heng Huat, Lorong Selamat
Order: The large plate with mantis prawns
The famous one in the red hat: big prawns and deep wok smoke.
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Ah Leng Char Koay Teow
Jalan Dato Keramat
Order: With fat prawns and crab meat
A long-time favorite with a richer, seafood-heavy plate.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best char kway teow in George Town, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Penang char kway teow

Serves 2Time 30 min

Cook one or two portions at a time: a home wok can't hold the heat for more. Have everything chopped and lined up by the stove before you start.

Pans and tools

Carbon-steel wok (or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet)
Wok spatula

You’ll need

10 oz (280 g) fresh flat rice noodles (hor fun), separated (or 5 oz dried, soaked and drained)
8 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 cup (60 g) cockles or small clams, shucked (optional)
2 eggs
1 cup (100 g) bean sprouts, tails trimmed if you have time
1 small bunch garlic chives, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp lard or neutral oil
Sauce: 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp water
1 to 2 tsp sambal oelek or chili paste, to taste
A pinch of white pepper

Steps

Stir the sauce ingredients together. If the noodles are stiff, microwave them 30 seconds and gently pull them apart.
Heat the wok over the highest heat until it just starts to smoke. Add 2 tbsp lard and swirl.
Add the garlic and chili paste and stir 10 seconds. Add the sausage and shrimp and toss 1 minute until the shrimp are pink at the edges.
Add the noodles. Spread them out and let them sit 20 to 30 seconds to char, then pour the sauce around the edges of the wok and toss to coat evenly, 1 minute.
Push everything to one side. Add the remaining 1 tbsp lard to the empty side, crack in the eggs, and scramble them lightly until half set. Fold the noodles over the egg and let it cook 20 seconds before tossing together.
Add the cockles, bean sprouts and chives and toss 30 to 45 seconds, just until the chives wilt and the sprouts are hot but still crunchy.
Season with white pepper, taste, and add a splash of light soy if needed. Serve right away, on a banana leaf if you have one.

Chef’s tips

Lard gives the real Penang flavor; use oil if you prefer.

Don't overcrowd: double portions steam instead of fry and lose the smoky wok taste.

Fresh noodles from an Asian market make all the difference. If dried, cook them just short of tender.

Contains: Shellfish, egg, soy, wheat, fish.

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