A conspiracy of 19th-century alliance and betrayal between an ambitious British East India Company and a sanguine Kedah sultanate conceived modern-day Penang, which consisted of two unequal halves today: on one side, a glamorous namesake island with its UNESCO-listed historic state, the capital of George Town, bristling with skyscrapers amidst a labyrinthian urban sprawl, justly proud as Malaysia’s food capital.
On the other side, as one looks across the shimmering waters of the Penang Straits: Seberang Perai, the mainland part of Penang. Established by the British East India Company in 1800, its city centre, Butterworth, is a mere 20 minutes’ drive across the Penang Bridge. Eight delectable MICHELIN-listed eateries are located here, just waiting to be explored.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
BM Cathay Pancake
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
Run by 57-year-old Ng Kim Song and his wife, Lee Yen Ching, Ng took over the 62-year-old business from his father, Ng Weng Hian, in 2005. This little kiosk outside Bukit Mertajam’s Cathay Food Court does brisk business with their thick, spongey slices of Chinese pancake, locally called ban chien kueh.
Ban chien kueh (慢煎粿) is also known as meen chien kueh (面煎粿) in Singapore and dai kao meen (大旧面) in Kuala Lumpur. It is a large, heavy pancake filled with crushed peanuts, sugar, and margarine.
Legend has it that this style of pancake was invented by General Tso Tsung-tang (1812-1885), the same Qing dynasty viceroy who was commemorated in General Tso’s Chicken, a popular dish in American-Chinese restaurants. General Tso Tsung-tang started his military career during the Taiping Rebellion in the 1850s. During a military expedition in Fujian, where sugarcane and peanuts were found in abundance, he’d asked the army chefs to fill pancakes with sugar and peanuts in order to feed the Qing troops.
Drop by this quaint stall at Cathay Food Court, where the pancakes are also cooked fresh!
BM Cathay Pancake is located at 8 Jalan Aston, Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Perai, 14000, Malaysia.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
Ming Qing Charcoal Duck Egg Char Koay Teow
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
Self-taught Choo Chew Beng, 43, mastered the art of frying char koay teow from observing his father-in-law cook whilst helping out at the stall.
Mr Choo’s vigorous stirring over extra-hot charcoal embers produces wok-seared noodles that emanate a smoky deliciousness. Each order comes topped with a freshly fried duck’s egg with a molten centre.
Ming Qing Charcoal Duck Egg Char Koay Teow is located at 29 Jalan Betek, off Jalan Sungai Rambai, Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Perai, 14000, Malaysia.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
Neighbourwood
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
Penang-born chef-owner, Sean Khaw, worked at two-MICHELIN-Starred Saint Pierre before returning to his home in Penang. His menu brims with enticing contemporary creations: from a sour-spicy risotto inspired by Penang Assam Laksa, adorned with cuttlefish and crisp laksa leaves; to a perfect rendition of madeleines au citron, served with Crème Chantilly.
Neighbourwood is located at 3427 Jalan Kulim, Taman Bukit Mas, Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Perai, 14000, Malaysia.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
Taman Bukit Curry Mee
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
This Bib Gourmand establishment was founded in 1979 by Ong Beng Hoe, 63, who apprenticed under his paternal uncle. Over the past four decades, Ong has patterned his own aromatic and tasty take on Penang-style curry mee: a mixture of yellow Hokkien wheat noodles, rice vermicelli (“bee hoon”), and beansprouts, garnished with cuttlefish, shrimps, tofu puffs, long beans, cockles, and cubes of pig’s blood pudding.
His son, Ong Hao Ing, has taken over the cooking responsibilities at the stall for the past three years, whilst the older Ong kept a close eye on his son’s progress. “I let him do all the cooking by himself now,” quipped the elder Ong, “but I still taste everything first each morning before he can serve them out.”
The popularity of this stall is evident — it opens at 6:00 a.m. and usually sells out by 9:30 a.m.
Taman Bukit Curry Mee is located at Jalan Bukit Kecil, Taman Bukit, Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Perai, 14000, Malaysia.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
BM Yam Rice
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
Founded by Chong Lian Shin, now 72, this four-decade-old family-run business is a Bukit Mertajam dining destination.
Chong left Bukit Mertajam as a teenager to seek his fortunes in Singapore, where he learnt to cook yam rice and its flavoursome accompaniment, pork and salted vegetable soup.
His flavoursome yam rice, perfectly textured, is dotted with chunks of yam and flavoured generously with dried shrimps — good enough to eat on its own. The savoury soup comes replete with pork belly slices, pig’s liver, meatballs, pig’s intestines, and pig’s blood pudding.
Chong’s three daughters, Hui Ling, Hui Khing, and Hui Hui, confidently run this iconic eatery today.
BM Yam Rice is located at 7 Jalan Murthy, Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Perai, 14000, Malaysia.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
Bee See Heong
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
This popular family restaurant was founded by Hainanese chef Choo Ah Meng in 1962. Its offerings run the gamut from its house signature prawn curry, to Hainanese-style crisp-fried fish steaks smothered with black sauce, and Teochew-style stir-fried tofu with leeks and shrimps.
Choo Ah Meng’s eldest offspring, septuagenarian Su Jiom Siom, now commands the stoves — his first son, Oon Kok, runs the front of house whilst his second son, Oon Loon, assists him as sous chef.
This atmospheric Butterworth family restaurant continues to draw in the crowds, so make sure to call ahead to reserve a table.
Bee See Heong is located at 4166 Jalan Kampung Benggali, Butterworth, Seberang Perai, 12200, Malaysia.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
Lao San Tong Bah Kut Teh
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
Founded in 2005 by Oon Thian Lin and his wife, Chuah Poh Kuie, this eatery is currently run by their three sons: Sean, Jeff, and Donny.
The old couple first learnt to cook their Hokkien-style herbal bak kut teh from Madam Chuah’s brother, but have continually improved upon the recipe.
Here, meaty, fall-off-the-bone tender pork-rib and collagen-rich pig’s trotters in bubbling claypots are served alongside yam rice and Chinese crullers (you tiao).
Lao San Tong Bah Kut Teh is located at 1 Lorong Perniagaan Melur, Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth, Seberang Perai, 12300, Malaysia.
Photo: Michelin & Peter Yeoh
Misai Mee Jawa (Butterworth)
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2024
This popular street food stall was set up in 1996 by Ng Soon Seng, also known as “Misai” (a nickname given to him by his Malay friends because of his moustache). Ng was a small-time fisherman with a young family. He supplemented his meagre income by peeling prawns at a mee jawa stall near his home.
His employer, who also owned a steel mill, recognised his diligence and carried a soft spot for him — he offered to sell his noodle side-business to Ng at below market rate, ignoring more lucrative offers from other interested parties. Even then, Ng struggled to raise the money, until his wife made a painful decision to sell her only possessions of value — her wedding jewellery — so that they could make the purchase.
It was a sacrifice worth making as the Ngs’ mee jawa stall became a runaway success. An inspired Ng continually improved upon the existing recipe, and Misai Mee Jawa became a dining icon in Butterworth.
Today, the stall is run by two of the Ng daughters, the amiable Li Hwa and Qi Yong, who took over the family business after the death of their father nine years ago. Sacrificing for the family seemed to run with the Ngs — Qi Yong, the youngest of the family, was on the verge of entering university in Taiwan when the elder Ng suddenly passed away. She gave up her dream. “No regrets,” the ever-smiling Qi Yong quipped. She’s been helping her older sister at the stall ever since.
There’s so much love that the Ng family members have for each other. Some of that love must have gone into their cooking, as the ever-present queue at the stall can attest to.
Misai Mee Jawa (Butterworth) is located at 6794 Jalan Raja Uda, Taman Aman Jaya, Butterworth, Seberang Perai, 12300, Malaysia.
On your next trip to Penang, sally forth on a gastronomic adventure across the Penang Straits — a truly rewarding experience awaits you.
