18 Top Mamak Mee Goreng Penang You Must Try

A trip to George Town is not complete without a meal of Mamak Mee Goreng Penang.

Mee Goreng is a plate of fresh yellow noodles fried to a level of deliciousness and ONE of the most sought-after Malaysian food you must try.

Origins of Mee Goreng in Malaysia

Mee Goreng (Malay) is a type of noodle dish in English that means fried noodles.

It is occasionally known as Indian Mee Goreng or Mee Mamak Goreng, and the hawker is usually an ethnic Indian or an Indian Muslim.

While this famous noodle dish is attributed to the ethnic Indians or Indian Muslim community, the simply mee goreng did not originate from India.

If you’ve visited India, you won’t be able to find this particular dish there.

Origins of Mee Goreng Penang

Mee Goreng is a Malaysianised dish.

The ingredients that make the dish are influenced by the richly diverse cultures that created the dish.

The noodle is neither Indian, Chinese, nor Malay but takes on elements and tastes of the different cultures – the result is a rich, splendid dish that is rich, spicy, sweet, sour, and decadent.

Chinese visitors from outstation head to George Town for Char Koay Teow.

Unlike the Chinese-style Hokkien Char Noodles, fried noodles using the same yellow noodles – Mee Goreng stands out with distinct spicy, sweet, sour, and salty flavors in one plate.

Everyone else makes it a point to stop by for Mee Goreng in Penang.

Or Malaysians, it is a visitor’s shared belief that the Mee Goreng stalls in Penang sell a version unrivaled by other states.

The quality of food in Penang is due to the solid Indian Muslim presence since the early days of George Town, Pulau Pinang.

Mee Goreng Penang Mamak Push Cart

Many long-standing stalls of Mee Goreng in Penang are on itinerant pushcarts parked outside the Kopitiam.

Over the years, most Mee Goreng sellers have since moved into the premises.

If you are a boomer like me, you will remember the old Anne cooking up a delicious plate of spicy-sweet fried noodles cooked over the charcoal stove.

The operation is a two-person show with the cook and helper.

The helper, usually a younger man, helps peddle the pushcart, adds charcoal to the stove, fans it intermittently.

He also takes the order and collects payment.

The cook will cut all the ingredients, blanch the noodles, and fries them up.

The helper garnishes the ready noodles with fried shallot, a sprinkle of chopped lettuce, and a wedge of lime!

Mee Goreng Penang Style Mamak Noodles

Mee Goreng Penang is a simple stir-fried yellow noodles dish; cook over high heat.

The humble plate of fried noodles with a heady mix of spicy and contradiction of flavors is addictive.

The noodles are cooked with a bright, delicious luscious chili and tomato gravy and coated with eggs.

The ingredients are yellow noodles, bean sprouts, deep-fried Cucur, Boiled Potato Slices, and Fried Tofu slices.

The noodles are topped with chopped lettuce and a wedge of lime for a tangy touch for garnish.

The noodles taste smoky and hit your palate with spicy and savory flavors.

Forty years ago, when I started working, Mee Goreng and Mee Rebus cost 80 cents.

With added egg, it was $1.10 when we used the dollar.

Today a plate of noodles with egg costs between RM5.00 to RM7.00 depending on the portion size.

As always, a plate of Mamak Mee Goreng is a delight and great any time of the day. You can even have it for your supper.

Mee Goreng is incomplete without a wedge of lime to balance out the spiciness and sweetness of its sauces.

You will find a complete meal with these ingredients and origins.

Common Ingredient Used by the Mamaks

• yellow fresh egg noodles (Chinese)
• fried prawn fritters, Cucur Udang or Indian Cucur (Indian)
• boiled potato cubes
• braised rehydrated Squid (Indian)
• Eggs
• Firm Tofu
• Bean Sprouts

Extras Ingredients

• Sotong
• Chicken
• Beef
• Mutton

Sauces

• Sweet Soy Sauce
• Dark Soy Sauce
• Vinegar
• Lime Juice
• Squid Gravy

Garnish

• chopped peanuts
• fried shallots
• Fresh Lettuce
• Lime garnish

Variation of Mee Goreng Penang

There are variations to the types of mee goreng by different hawkers.

The use of the   Sprouts squid tomato-based gravy and level of sweetness makes each dish distinct.

Some noodles’ color ranges from pale to bright orange and deep reddish versions of Mee Goreng.

The reddish tint comes from a unique blend of sweet potato-based sauce and red food coloring to give it a rich color and sweet taste.

These types of red noodles are called the Mee Sotong (squid noodles).

You get your noodles topped with a generous serving of braised tomatoey squids.

At every Mamak Mee Goreng stall, a soupy version of the noodles is made with the same ingredients.

The Mee Rebus is made with blanched noodles drenched with a tomatoey-spicy gravy.

Mee Goreng Noodle Texture

When it comes to Mee Goreng, the yellow noodles are limp, blanched in hot water before stir-fried.

So, Mee Goreng noodles are never al dente texture.

Due to the stirring and frying process, the noodles absorb the delicious gravy and sauces. It is soft and platable but never mushy.

Here’s our 18 Top Mamak Mee Goreng in Penang with the stall names in alphabetical order.

1 Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng

The stall started operating over 80 years as a pushcart stall along Bangkok Lane, Pulau Tikus.

In the 1980s, it moved to Seng Lee Café Kopitiam at the junction of Bangkok Lane and Burma Road.

The ever-cheerful chef greets his customers in Hokkien and loves to dazzle his customers with his spinning wok action.

He’s a Mee goreng celebrity on the island cooking in sync with his son spinning a mammoth wok.

He piles in a mountain of yellow noodles, doused with scoops of homemade sauces: eggs, deep-fried cubes of potatoes, and Cucur prawn fritters.

During peak hours, the wait time is more than half an hour.

Once the plate of noodles arrives, it is well worth the wait.

PRICE: Between RM4 and RM7 a plate.
LOCATION: New World Park
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily, except Mondays, from 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM

2 Batu Lancang Food Court Mee Goreng

The specialty is the Mee Goreng Telur Itik (Duck’s Egg) with never-ending orders.

The cook fries the noodle by plate and has better quality control over the ingredients.

The noodles are not too soggy, with chunks of potatoes and Cucur Fritters coated well with the Duck’s Egg.

The winning point here is they never skimp on the ingredients.

PRICE: Between RM4.50 and RM5.00 a plate.
LOCATION: Batu Lanchang Food Court, 25, Lintang Batu Lancang, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily, except Mondays, from 8.00 AM to 7.00 PM

3 City Rio Cafe Mee Goreng Penang

Many old George Town Kopitiam has anchor stall in the shop and pushcarts parked on the roadside.

City Rio Cafe at the corner of King Street and Bishop Street has a resident pushcart Mamak Mee Goreng.

The Mee Goreng is spicy, eggy, and full of tofu cubes and Indian fritters.

You will see Penangites ride up on their motorbikes for the takeaways of their favorite street food.

Most motorcyclists just stopped right in front of the stall and waited.

Lunchtime is almost impossible to get a parking spot.

PRICE: Between RM4.50 and RM5.00 a plate.
LOCATION: City Rio Café, 64-I, Lebuh King, 10200 George Town, Penang.
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Mon-Sat 7.30 am to 3 pm. Closed on Sundays.

4 CRC Mee Goreng Penang

Mention Mee Agong, the Penang older generation, will point you to the famous Mee Goreng sold initially at the Chinese Recreation Club.

The noodles are so good that the former Malaysia King, Yang Di-portion Agong, the Raja of Perlis, was a patron for this hawker stall at CRC.

Hence, the Penang CRC Mee Masak became known as Mee Agong.

A standard plate of mee goreng CRC comes with cuttlefish, tofu, potatoes, and egg.

A Special Mee Goreng CRC (RM7.00) plate comes with extra ingredients such as prawn fritter cubes, extra tofu, and extra meats; mutton, beef, or chicken.

You can order a Mee Goreng Kosong, just noodles without ingredients, if you want a lighter version.

Squeeze in the lime wedges for a hint of sour.

For a dose of heat, add some chopped chilies.

PRICE: Between RM4 and RM7 a plate.
LOCATION: Kedai Makanan Seong Huat, 1, Jalan Larut, 10050, Georgetown, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily, except Fridays, from 11.00 AM to 4.00 PM

5 Edgecumbe Road Mee Goreng Penang

If you prefer a spicier Mee Goreng, this stall is for you.

Originally from Padang Brown hawker center, the stall moved to Edgecumbe Road before relocating to Kompleks Makanan Persiaran Gurney in the 1990s.

Locals will thong this stall to savor the “wet” style of Mee Goreng and Mee Rebus.

The shop’s “Mee Goreng Sotong” is the most popular item on the menu, priced between RM4 and RM5 depending on add-ons, including Beef.

Many Penangite will order both the Mee Goreng, Mee Rebus and a serve of Pasembur to share for lunch.

You can adjust the spice level and even ask for some sugar to take off the spicy edge. If you want a bit sourer, there is a bottle of vinegar on the table.

PRICE: Between RM4 and RM7 a plate.
LOCATION: Kompleks Makan Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily, except Fridays, from 12.00 PM to 5.00 PM

6 Ghani Mee Goreng Penang

Ghani Mee Goreng at Medan Selera Padang Brown has been in business for over 50 years.

For those who prefer a generously portioned plate of noodles, the cook is generous with his servings at only RM5 a plate.

Each strand of the noodle is pleasantly coated with wok hei, while the Eggs and chunks of Tofu, Potatoes, and Cucur add texture and taste.

PRICE: Between RM5 and RM7 a plate.

LOCATION: Medan Selera Padang Brown, Jalan Perak, 10400 George Town, Penang

OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily, except Tuesdays, from 4 PM to 10 PM.

7 Hussain Mee Goreng Penang

Hussain Mee Goreng is in the Jelutong Night Market.

Only fans of the original Mamak Mee Goreng understand the cooking style with a charcoal stove and make a beeline for this stall.

Thanks to charcoal flame, each mouthful lends a smoky overtone.

The outlet’s main customers comprise those coming to the Jelutong market.

The Mee Goreng is sold for RM4.00 without egg and RM5.00 with egg.

The best part is that customers can request to suit their taste, and the cook will do his best to satisfy them.

Lots of customers at the stall, especially around 5.00 PM – 6.00 PM

PRICE: Between RM4.50 and RM5.00
LOCATION: Jelutong Night Market, Jalan Penaga, 11600, Georgetown, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily from 1.30 PM to 8 PM

8 Hameed Pata Mee Sotong Penang

Hameed Mee Sotong is highly recommended and a family favorite we have once a week.

The Mee Sotong at this outlet is cut above the rest in taste, texture, aroma, and appearance.

The reddish noodle with a few pieces of “sotong” is a delight on the taste buds.

The mixture of the flavors and textures is spot-on perfect every time.

However, be prepared to queue for your food.

During MCO, we order in, and the squid noodles arrive fast and warm.

The unmistakable taste is delicious to the last strand.

You will not regret ordering a large plate with extra squid topping.

PRICE: Between RM5.00 and RM7.00
STALL: Halal Food Court Stall
LOCATION: Esplanade Food Court, Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah Road, 10200 Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily from 11.30 AM to 8.00 PM

9 Mee Goreng @Swee Kong Coffee Shop

If you like a drier Mee Goreng coated with each noodle coated with egg, this is the stall for you.

The noodle has a sweet-and-sour flavor.

The locals in Pulau Tikus love this version, which is greatly missed when the Uncle who fries the noodles passes on.

His son took over the stall for a while, and now the stall is closed.

It is sadly missed by Mee Goreng lovers who tasted his style of Mee Goreng.

STALL: Kopitiam Stall
LOCATION: Swee Kong Coffee Shop, Pulau Tikus, 10350 Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Permanently closed

10 Jones Road Mee Goreng Penang

The Mee Goreng stall started operating at the T-Junction of Jalan Jones and Tingkat Jones.

I remember we used to eat standing while others used to sit along the edge of the concrete drain to enjoy the Mee Goreng.

Some customers ate in their cars.

The Mee Goreng stall later moved to Sin Hup Aun Café and maintained Jones Road Mee Goreng.

The stall is still popular among the Penangites.

Sin Hup Aun Café is at the Junction of Jalan Pasar and Jalan Moulmein in Pulau Tikus.

PRICE: Between RM6.00 and RM7.00
STALL: Kopitiam Stall
LOCATION: Sin Hup Aun Cafe, Pulau Tikus, 10350 Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS:

11 Ina Mee Sotong – Ho Liao

I tried the Mee Sotong running errands at Bayan Baru twice, and this little stall with the red banner caught my eye.

The fried noodles are firm (not mushy) but are wet with the Sambal Sotong Gravy, and the ingredients are plentiful.

The taste is excellent, and the stall makes a mean Mee Rebus.

Definitely worth the trip if you are in the area as Bayan Baru is 13KM to George Town.

The stall is still famous among the urbanites in Bayan Baru.

PRICE: Between RM6.00 and RM7.00

STALL: Halal Food Court Stall
LOCATION: Kompleks Sri Selera Bayan Baru, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily from 11.00 AM to 8.00 PM

12 Mee Goreng Jalil

In a pushcart stall, the Mee Goreng looks plain and dry, but the noodles’ taste is not too spicy or salty and is made just right.

If you want a simple Mee Goreng filling and nice, this is the stall for you.

The only challenge is that the stall’s working days are pretty unpredictable.

PRICE: Between RM4.00 and RM5.00
STALL: Push Cart
LOCATION: Desa Ria, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily, except Fridays, from 2 PM to 7 PM (closed on any odd day)

13 MNR Mee Goreng

MNR offers customers the basic Mee Goreng Mamak at a Chinese Kopitiam known as City Rio Restaurant.

The Mee Goreng Mamak is RM5 without egg and RM6 with egg.

The dish is hot and spicy and is a pleasant experience for customers.

PRICE: Between RM5.00 and RM6.00
STALL: Push Cart
LOCATION: 64, Bishop St, George Town, 10200 George Town, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens from Mondays to Fridays, from 7 AM to 3 PM.

14 Mohabath Stall Mee Goreng Penang

Mohabath Stall Mee Goreng at Medan Selera Padang Brown has a generously portioned plate of noodles, where you can easily add a fried egg.

Many visitors to Penang love Mee Sotong.

You can try stall no if you want to have it for dinner and supper.

Head to stall no. 48 Mohabath Mee Goreng at Padang Brown Food Court.

A plate of regular fried noodles is RM4, and if you prefer Mee Sotong, it’s RM5.00 a plate.

In additional to the Mee Goreng you can get order Bihun Goreng, Mee Rebus and Kway Teow Goreng and Pasembur.

You can also order the Mamak Pasembur for a filling, tasty meal.

PRICE: Between RM4.00 and RM5.00 a plate.
LOCATION: Medan Selera Padang Brown, Jalan Perak, 10400 George Town, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily, except Tuesdays, from 10.00 AM to 11.00 PM.

15 Nasi Kandar Pokok Ketapang Mee Goreng Penang

The Mee Goreng at this rave-worthy Nasi Kandar restaurant has the oomph and wok hei!

The well-fried noodles with charred bits come with chunks of tender chicken, egg, and a generous sprinkling of fried onions and chopped lettuce.

Did I say that it is fragrant and delicious too?

PRICE: Between RM5.00 and RM6.00
STALL: Nasi Kandar Restaurant
LOCATION: Nasi Kandar Pokok Ketapang, 36, Jalan Hutton, George Town, 10050 Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Every Day, 24 hours

Ayer Itam Mee Goreng Penang

There are several well-known Mamak Mee Goreng stalls in Ayer Itam.

I used to eat here when I had some project in the vicinity.

If you’re on the way to Penang Hill, you will want to check out these two Mamak Mee Goreng stalls in Ayer Itam.

The stalls are in the Kopitiam are near the iconic Ayer Itam roundabout.

16 Rahim Mee Goreng Penang

During the cooking process, the noodles are soft with the addition of the meat stock (mutton or beef, cuttlefish), chili paste, tomatoes, and the chef’s secret spice mix.

The noodles are fried with a charcoal stove and are flavourful.

You can enjoy this local dish for just RM3.50 without egg and RM4 with egg.

The shop is easy to find as it is located by the roadside, next to a bus stand. The dish is served hot on a banana leaf to give it that extra “oomph.”

PRICE: Between RM3.50 and RM4.00
LOCATION: En En Coffeeshop (next to Maybank) 8, Jalan Air Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily from 11.30am to 8pm (closed on Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji)

17 Mee Goreng @ Excellent Café

The Mee Goreng stall opens at 1 pm sharp each day, except Friday.

The dish has a pronounced slow-burning heat from the addition of pepper instead of the straight spinelessness from the chilies.

If you enjoy a slow burn, this is the noodle for you.

PRICE: Unknown
LOCATION: Excellent Cafe 39 A, Jalan Air Itam, Kampung Pisang, 11500 Ayer Itam, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM

18 Rasheed Mee Goreng Penang

The aroma wafting this 30-year-old Mee Goreng stall is enough to lure customers.

The stall is said to have been operating for more than three decades.

At RM5 a plate, the distinctive smoky aroma noodles are well worth the money.

Watch the tossing and spinning technique as he fries up non-stop batches of noodles.

The secret of its dish lies in the traditional way it is fried over a charcoal fire.

PRICE: Between RM5.00 and RM6.00
STALL: Push Cart
LOCATION: 22-30, Lebuhraya Jelutong, Taman Jelutong, 11600 George Town, Penang
OPERATING DAY/HOURS: Opens daily from 2.30 PM to 7 PM (closed on Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji).

What is your favorite Mamak Mee Goreng Penang? If it’s not on the list, leave me a note, and I will make a trip to try it out and add it to the list!

 

Source:

• Top 10 Mee Goreng Mamak in Penang
• From Mee Masak to Mee Agong
• Serving Up The Spicy Mee Goreng