Siam Road Charcoal Char Kuey Teow
Image Credit: Siam Road Charcoal Char Kuey Teow
Penang Best Char Kway Teow can never go wrong with Siam Road Charcoal Char Kway Teow! In addition, the Wok Hei aroma of charcoal-fired Char Kway Teow is truly unbeatable! Think of it, a steaming dish with a strong fire kiss, that’s about to be super yummy-licious!
Image Credit: Siam Road Charcoal Char Kuey Teow
Furthermore, a long queue is a must at Siam Road Char Kway Teow Penang. Anyway, patrons find it time-worthy while enjoying the blazing fire show, that’s kinda stunning! Besides, simple tables and stools are enough for a relaxing vibe. In addition, it’s time to enjoy your piping hot Siam Road Char Koay Teow, wow, here comes the kick of extra spicy!
Additional Information: Address: 82, Jalan Siam, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang. Operation Hours: 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm (Closed on Mondays & Sundays)
Chulia Street Char Keow Teow
Chulia Street is arguably THE place to be in Penang at night, thanks to its array of bars and eateries. It’s not surprising then, that it is here where you’ll also find arguably the best char koay teow in Penang during the night! This humble stall, located smack dab in the heart of Penang’s nightlife zone always attracts a crowd. If you’re craving a taste of this popular char koay teow, make sure to come with a good appetite and plenty of patience!
Opening Hours: Daily 6–10pm
Chulia Street, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang
Char koay teow is conventionally eaten during lunch or dinner. However, in Penang, you can also eat it for breakfast. Tiger Char Koay Teow offers exactly that, opening early in the morning and offering customers mouthwatering plates of savoury char koay teow from as early as 8am! Expect to find your char koay teow piled high with juicy prawns, cockles, and either chicken or duck eggs. For an extra kick to go with the wok hei (smokey aroma) of the noodles, ask for extra chili in your noodles. You won’t regret it!
Opening Hours: Daily 8am–2pm
179, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Left-handed Char Koay Teow
For Muslim travellers, perhaps one of the biggest problems with Penang char koay teow is that most of them come with pork lard and Chinese sausage. Left-handed Char Koay Teow (yes, that’s literally the store name) is one of the few places in Penang where you can get pork-free Chinese char koay teow (you’ll see why we used this term later on). Even without the inclusion of some traditional ingredients, the friendly uncle (who’s a lefty) still manages to captivate customers with his flavourful plate of smokey noodles.
Opening Hours: Daily 11am–7pm
79-G-11, Ivory tower, Kampung Jawa Baru, Off, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 George Town, Penang
Ah Leng Char Koay Teow
Another famous location in Penang to get your char koay teow fix is Ah Leng Char Koay Teow on Jalan Dato’ Keramat. This generational store has been in operation since 1979, making it one of the oldest char koay teow stalls still in operation today. What I love about Ah Leng Char Koay Teow are the large juicy prawns that come with the smokey noodles. However, if you’re counting your calories, you might wanna look elsewhere because each plate of char koay teow here comes with a generous amount of deep-friend pork lard.
Opening Hours: Daily 10:30am–4pm; closed on Wednesdays
343, Jalan Dato Keramat, Kampung Makam, 10150 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Char Koay Teow, a beloved street food staple in both Malaysia and Singapore, is a dish that speaks of heritage and heart. Stir-fried over intense heat, it marries silky flat rice noodles with an intoxicating blend of ingredients and sauces that differ where you go. Today, we break down Char Koay Teow in Malaysia and in Singapore.
Ming Qing Duck Egg Char Koay Teow @ Bukit Mertajam
Photo: @adilene_lim (Instagram)
Also awarded with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, Ming Qing Duck Egg Char Koay Teow at Bukit Mertajam is another must-visit spot! Operating for over 20 years, go ahead and top on a fried sunny side up egg to go with their legendary char koay teow, yum. Pair it up with some sour and spicy clam soup on the side for an explosion of truly irresistible flavours.
Photo: @chongmx (Instagram)
Ming Qing Duck Egg Char Koay Teow @ Bukit Mertajam
Address: Lot 29, mk10 Jalan Betik, off, Jln Sungai Rambai, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Thursday & Sunday (6 – 11 pm), Friday & Saturday (6 – 11.30 pm), Closed on Mondays
Ah Shen Presgrave Street Duck Egg Char Koay Teow
Speaking of duck egg char koay teow, one of the most popular spots for this upgraded version of char koay teow on Penang Island is a humble shoplot on Presgrave Street. Manned by local foodie Ah Shen, the stall sells smoky char koay teow (stir-fried over a charcoal fire for extra wok hei) topped with a sunny side up duck egg. The duck egg elevates the entire dish, giving it a richer, creamier flavour that goes well with the springy rice noodles and crunchy bean sprouts. Don’t forget the spicy sambal too!
Opening Hours: Daily 3–10pm
67b, Lebuh Presgrave, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Ah Leng Char Koay Teow
Touted as one of tourists’ favourite spots to get their CKT fix, Ah Leng Char Koay Teow is another OG generational store that has been in operation since 1979, and widely loved since then.
The stall is located in a modest kopitiam along the time-worn roads of Dato Keramat, its flapping banner catching the eye and beckoning. The search for a parking spot around its compact compound was quite a pain, but we eventually managed to snag a leaving customer’s spot after several swivels around the area.
While it’s known to be swarmed with customers and orders during peak hours, the coffeeshop was relatively bare on a weekday morning with only a handful of customers enjoying plates of the noodle dish.
The cook assembles the dish carefully at her own pace. The result? A mean plate of chilli-blushed CKT with the usual suspects: jumbo-sized prawns, eggs, cockles, pork lard, bean sprouts and chives.
While the woodsy wok hei fragrant is rather faint here, the profuse amount of deep-fried pork lard cubes makes up for it, providing that crispy crackling with bursts of mellow aroma that’ll send you to decadence heaven.
We were impressed with the profound kick of the spice and texture of the noodles as well, which had the right amount of greasy glaze to avoid clumping and makes them perfectly slurpable. Though frankly, we would’ve hoped for something more spectacular after forking out RM10 for a small plate.
Address: 343, Jalan Dato Keramat, George Town, 10150 George Town, Penang Opening hours: Fri – Tue 10.30am-4pm (Closed on Wednesdays & Thursdays) Contact: 012-498 3962
No. 5 Char Koay Teow @ Jalan Macalister
Photo: @_meryling26 (Instagram)
CKT here may look simple but we guarantee that it surely packs a burst of epic flavours! As a famous spot, the queue will be so worth it once you’re feasting on your own plate of top notch char koay teow.
Photo: @dad_dish (Instagram)
No. 5 Char Koay Teow @ Jalan Macalister
Address: 49, Jln Macalister, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday (12 – 10 pm), Closed on Sundays
Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow
Photo: @eileen_eats_alot (Instagram)
We’re heading to savour the absolutely delectable CKT at Lorang Selamat Char Koay Teow next! Made with love, their CKT features succulent shrimps, lap cheong and duck egg, which are the hallmarks to an iconic CKT. Don’t miss out on the best-selling Fried Oyster Omelette, Prawn Mee, Yam Cake, Asam Laksa and Ais Kacang ABC while you’re there!
Photo: @nicktan2003 (Instagram)
Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow
Address: 108, Lorong Selamat, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: Wednesday to Monday (10 am – 5 pm), Closed on Tuesdays
