I am back in Kuala Lumpur after a four-day trip to Penang. Exhausted but happy. The course went well; I had a great time interacting with participants from all over Malaysia.
As any foodie would do, we scuttled off to food-hunt immediately after the course. The first leg of our stop is this quaint little stall located at the crossroad between Jalan Air Itam and Jalan Kampung Melayu. When we arrived, there was already a sizable crowd.
There was this elderly couple huddling over a bicycle cart, immersed in the preparation of bowls and bowls of Hokkien Mee (KL people call it prawn mee). They worked non-stop, as if laboring in a production line of a factory. Customers were relentless. The crowd never seemed to dissipate.
We ordered two bowls for ourselves and carefully maneuver them over to the curb. If you hadn’t already guessed, no tables or stools were provided. You are supplied only with a pair of chopsticks! You have to practically hold the bowl on one hand, extract the mee with the other and slurp the soup with the bowl tilted upwards as you normally do when you do not have a spoon at your disposal. This is what I call street food!
The Hokkien mee itself is fragrant, flavorful and just spicy enough for my taste. We enjoyed it to the very last sediment.
Apparently, this stall has been operating for decades and was championed by many as the only one selling authentic Hokkien Mee in the country. We are lucky to have sampled a bit of culinary history there. You must give it a try next time you stop by Penang.
Business starts at 3pm till sold-out. Don’t worry about the crowd, despite not making any eye contacts, the tauke somehow knows who comes first who comes last and will serve you when your turn rightfully comes.
GPS Coordinates: N 05.40434 E 100.28831