No. 5 Char Koay Teow & their Chung Ling Scrambled Eggs @ Penang in Malaysia

Now, I have to admit at the beginning of this post that I am the rare Singaporean who prefers Singapore Char Kway Teow over the Penang version. It's just a matter of personal preference but this didn't deter me from checking out reputable char kway teow stall when I was in Penang a few months back. 

No. 5 Char Koay Teow was said to be strongly recommended by locals and since it's so near our hotel, St. Giles Wembley; I guess there's no harm trying as I had plenty of time on my hands! 

As typical Singaporean, I gladly joined the queue. But when I told the service staff I was dining in, I was asked to find a table and sit down first. Those queuing would only be for takeaways. Fine, I am an obedient Singaporean who follows the rules.

The queue management sucked big time; we waited 15 minutes for someone to take our order, although I should be happy that the staff did notice I came earlier. Honestly, I am unsure how they determine the order of customers walking in and out! 

Duck Egg Char Kway Teow - our order of two plates with the major difference being one with chilli, and the other without. There's a reason why I did that and I shall explain shortly.

One thing that stood out was the prominent display of humongous bloody cockles! If my mom were with me, I bet she would exclaim with much glee as it's not easy to find such fat cockles in char kway teow in Singapore.

These were stir-fried very well, enveloped by a smoky wok hei that was very much desired. The noodles were soft and the use of duck eggs appeared to make the flavor richer than the norm! Add in the two large fresh prawns and the big pieces of crispy pork lards, and you would assume I must be very pleased with this Penang char kway teow.

Frankly, I was. However, I found the overall taste to be bland, which was quite typical of Penang char kway teow I have had over the years. That's the reason why I asked for chilli, as it will elevate the flavor.  Of course, maybe a dollop of sweet sauce might be just the right ingredient to perfect this char kway teow. 

Chung Ling Scrambled Eggs - I was curious about this dish as most tables seemed to have one. A check revealed that it was known as Chung Ling scrambled egg. I knew of Chung Ling, which was one of the famous schools in Penang, said to be "ranked as one of the top 5 private high schools in Malaysia".

Soft fried running eggs (I guess about three) with chilli added; they were not bad although having them alone was a bit of an overkill. Order them only if you are eating with a few companions, and maybe add them to the char kway teow for extra oomph! 

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Despite my misgivings on Penang Char Kway Teow, I had to admit this was one of the best I have had throughout the years. Would I back? Sure, as I would love to check out their mantis prawns fried kway teow, which was sold out. And I also forgot to order their sotong, which was said to be must-order. 

Address

94, Jln Macalister, Sunshine City, 

10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Total - RM 24.00

Additional Information

Plenty of parking space, if you are driving.

Click here for my Five Days 

Itinerary to Penang in 2024