Despite how simple it is, mee goreng is likely one of the most eaten dishes in Malaysia on any given day. Found in almost every mamak shop, it is a dish with few frills. Yet, that does not change just how popular Penang’s Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng is.
Since the 1940s
Image Credit: Famous Penang Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng on Facebook (Left), Goh Wah on Google Review (Right)
Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng has the honour of being one of Penang’s longstanding favourites. It is not always that a business can claim to have survived since the 1940s, but this one can. For all you know, this noodle stall is older than your grandparents!
Located in New World Park, the stall is sometimes run by Mahboobin Zakaria, a 71-year-old whose father was the man who started Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng. It is hard to miss the mamak uncle, who will be working hard at the wok together with his son, Sabik Ahamed.
How Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng survived
Image Credit: KF Yap on Google Review (Left), Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng on Google Review (Right)
If you manage to strike up a conversation with Mahboobin, do so in Hokkien. The man is fluent in the Chinese dialect, as well as in English and Malay. No doubt this multilingualism has helped his business flourish as much as it has!
At the age of 15, Mahboobin started working part-time at his father’s stall after school. This was where and how he learnt his father’s recipe for delicious mee goreng. The recipe has hardly changed over the years, and different generations of customers still love it.
The noodles themselves
Image Credit: Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng on Google Review (Left), Jakenach on Google Review (Right)
Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng uses both wheat noodles and mee hoon, which are cooked together in a heated wok. Afterwards, the noodles are then doused in three different gravies before being tossed around with a spatula.
What makes the mee goreng here special is the homemade sauces used. These are made fresh daily, early in the morning, by Mahboobin himself. He personally tests them to ensure that they are up to his standards.
Once the noodles are properly infused with flavour, generous amounts of sides are added to the mix. These include potatoes, bean curds, squid and taugeh. For the final touches, lettuce and half a lime are added to give the noodles a crunch and a possible sour twist.
The verdict
Image Credit: Satrio G Nugraha on Google Review
If you have ever eaten mee goreng before, eating at Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng will completely change your expectations toward the dish. The mee goreng here is not greasy, but flavourful, with your taste buds lighting up with each bite.
You got the sweet gravies, tangy lime and savoury noodles fighting for your attention with every mouthful. The lettuce and the taugeh are also a nice touch, giving a needed crunch to the otherwise soft and chewy noodles.
Worth your time?
If you are salivating at this description, fret not about not being in Penang. Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng has a branch in USJ, so you can enjoy this delicacy without leaving the Klang Valley. That said, visiting the original can never do you harm and will only leave you feeling satisfied.
Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng
Address: 102-H-19, New World Park, Jalan Burma, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening Hours: 9 am – 6 pm Tuesday – Sunday | Closed on Monday
Contact: 016-4970630
You should also check out: Are these Penang’s most famous sisters? They have been selling curry noodles since the 1940s
Feature Image Credit: Docs on Vacay on Google Review (Left), Niran Noor on Google Review (Right)
