Penang Hawker Food – Perak Lane Bak Moey (Pork Porridge)
Penang hawker food never ceases to amaze me, up to this very day. After trying so many types of bak moey (pork porridge), I stumbled upon this stall in Perak Lane that is managed by an old man with the help from his son.
The old man in a singlet and a teddy bear apron
He still uses the old fashioned way to cook for his customers. The food is cooked over a charcoal stove with a few burners. Special mini fans are attached to it to keep the fire burning strong.
Customers waiting patiently beside the hot stove
The porridge is cooked with many different types of pork ingredients. A basic bowl has a bit of everything but you can omit whatever you like or substitute them with others. Many customers ask for ‘keh liau’ (add-on). The ingredients such as intestines, liver and minced meat were prepared and cut on the spot when needed.
Besides the usual bak moey, there are choices of fine and coarse beehoon, cintan mee, mee suah and tau chiam with a basic bowl costing RM4. My choice was the tau chiam as I was very curious, what is this noodle anyway?
Dry tau chiam
As the little stall was packed with customers, we waited for forty-five minutes before our food was served. I noticed that they do not add in any garlic oil to it but only sprinkled with some spring onions. The soup is very tasty indeed, with sweetness from the fresh pork ingredients.
Beehoon
Rice soup type of porridge
As for the tau chiam, it has a slightly starchy texture, which makes the soup ‘cloudy’ too. I enjoyed it and find it much tastier than the other two bowls.
Tau Chiam
Check out this Map Location if you are in the Jelutong area. It is on Perak Lane and located diagonally across the peanut tong sui that I had posted up earlier. The place does not accommodate a lot of tables and is open from 6pm till late at night.
Hope the son will keep the business going when the old man retire so that we are still able to enjoy such tasty bak moey but I doubt he would put on a singlet and a teddy bear apron like his old man.
Perak Lane
(corner of Perak Lane and Jalan Jelutong)
11600 Penang
Closed on Sunday
Another nearby place for bak moey – Pork Porridge @Lam Kei