"What is the colour of Hokkien Noodle?" Ask Singaporean or Malaysian KL people, and they will say it is black colour. But if you ask a Malaysian living in Penang, he/she will say it's red colour.
What's causing this confusion? Well to a Penang person the black colour noodle is called 'dai lok mee'. So what is red colour then? It's prawn noodles soup but with a style of their own.
For this post, I will bring you not only the red colour Hokkien Noodles, but cooked with charcoal for the broth.
WuFoo Hokkien Prawn Noodles (五福福建虾麵·鹵麵) started selling in 1986, and now is the second generation leading the stall. Not only serving Hokkien noodles, their Lor Mee (braised noodles) seems to be the favourites among the locals too.
Besides using charcoal to cook the broth, You can pick a range of items to top up your noodles like big prawns and meatballs
The Ordered Dish
Hokkien Prawn Noodles Small (7RM), Exclude topped-up items.
This portion I would say is good for supper. The standard carb choice is noodles mixed with thin bee hoon ( quite common in Penang), you can request not to mix it. The default ingredients are carbs, pork lard, bean sprouts, braised egg and shrimp. Chilli is also included
Unlike the Singapore version, Penang stalls usually use this type of prawn/shrimp for a bowl . Good texture but not much meat.
Their infamous red broth. It is very concentrated and smokey using charcoal to cook, ending with a sweet shrimp taste. The broth is not as heavy as you think, in fact is quite light. Chilli adds another layer of aromatic.
Ordered some pig skin. It is braised and cooked till easy to chew. It pairs well with the broth.
Thoughts
This is the first time I am having Penang Hokkien Noodle. One mouth of it really can taste the difference with the Singapore version. While Singapore's version is richer and savourier, Penang's version is more complex. I am not used to chilli paste on broth but it adds fragrance and is not too spicy. The broth is more of a sweeter side, however, the savoury remains.
Overall, I enjoyed the meal as it offered a perfect balance of savoury and sweet flavours, making it a truly satisfying experience. If you want to try Singapore's version, I will recommend this stall!
Rating: 4 out of 5 forks
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