Penang's best char koay teow - every plate tells a story

New Straits Times

01-06-2025

GEORGE TOWN: If you've ever savored a plate of char koay teow beneath a zinc roof, sweat beading on your brow as smoky tendrils curl through the air, you know this is no ordinary dish,
It's more than a meal; it's tradition, fire, and an intense rivalry.
And in Malaysia's undisputed street food capital, the battle for the ultimate wok hei has crowned three new masters of this sizzling art today.
Ong Siew Kean, in her 50s and one of three women who took part in the Penang Char Koay Teow Champion 2025, emerged as the winner, beating 29 other contestants.
Better known as Winny, Ong has been operating a stall at the Swee Kong Coffee Shop in Pulau Tikus for the past three years.
Second place went to Chin Foh Shin, 51, who runs a stall at Hobe Kedai Makanan & Minuman in Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth.
Khoo Kay Keat, 47, came in third. He operates his stall at Beng Chin Garden in Pekan Air Itam.
The top three winners walked away with RM388, RM288, and RM188 respectively.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was present to hand out the prizes.
Main ingredients such as prawns, eggs, bean sprouts, and noodles were provided to all contestants, along with a chef's toque, apron, and gas supply.
To elevate their dishes, participants brought their own sauces and secret ingredients.
They were judged on presentation, aroma, and taste by a panel comprising chefs and restaurant owners.
For Ong, stepping up to the wok at the Toi Shan Ningyang Wui Kwon, a clan temple on King Street where the event was held, was already a big moment. Winning was beyond her expectations.
"It was my daughter who signed me up. Truth be told, I never thought I'd win. I'm shocked myself," she said humbly.
"I just want to thank everyone who has supported me."
Ong said the recipe originated from her brother-in-law, who once operated a stall. She refined it by crafting her own secret soy sauce, layered, balanced, and smoky, the key to the unbeatable wok hei that rises from her pan.
She previously ran a char koay teow stall in her 20s but gave it up to work for someone else.
"I was tired then, so I stopped. But now I'm back, and raring to go," she said.
On a typical day, Ong fries about 100 plates of char koay teow; on weekends, the number doubles.
She now looks forward to welcoming an influx of customers after her win and is ready to serve up her award-winning dish.
With no one currently taking up the trade, Ong said she plans to train a protégé when the time comes to hang up her wok.
Her story is one of quiet grit, rising from self-doubt to become Penang's wok queen.
Behind every winning plate lies the power of legacy, recipes handed down, refined, and guarded.
Chin was more forthright: "Of course I joined to win," he said with a smile.
He juggles a full-time job printing labels in the morning and started selling char koay teow to supplement his income.
"I didn't expect people to like it this much. It's been nine years now," he said.
Khoo, meanwhile, learned everything from his mother.
For the past decade, he has been honouring her legacy from his humble stall in Beng Chin Garden coffee shop, just a short walk from the iconic Kek Lok Si Temple.
But this is not just about char koay teow. It's about the human spirit behind the wok.
Every plate tells a story: of quiet dedication, unexpected courage, family secrets, and unrelenting will.
In Penang, making good noodles isn't enough. You have to earn the smoke. You have to earn the wok hei.
So the next time you're in Penang, follow the flame.
In 2012, CNNGo ranked Penang as one of Asia's 10 Greatest Street Food Cities, and among its Top 10 street foods was, of course, char koay teow.