When people think about Penang food spots, most immediately think of places in George Town. Did you know that Penang is more than just George Town? If you look beyond Penang’s capital, you can find many underrated food spots like BM Cathay Pancake.
A Michelin-recognised pancake stall?
It is not every day that you can find a simple hawker stall like this being recommended by Michelin! Yet, BM Cathay Pancake can boast just that, receiving the prestigious recognition in 2024. A red sticker acknowledging this feat is plastered on a front-facing glass pane of the stall.
A long history
Image Credit: Sean Lee on Google Review (Left), Kin Chan on Google Review (Right)
The humble stall is located at Cathay Food Court on Jalan Aston, Bukit Mertajam. There is a bit of history to this business, which sells traditional Chinese pancakes or Ban Chien Kueh. In fact, this business started a whopping 63 years ago!
It was started by a certain Mr. Ng Weng Hian, who had spent time perfecting his craft. He sold his pancakes at the Bukit Mertajam market every morning. Come afternoon, he would move his hawker cart to its present location.
In 2005, the business and its delicious secrets were passed to Mr. Ng’s son, Mr. Ng Kim Song. To this day, Ng Junior can be seen running the place, often assisted by his wife, Lee Yen Ching. Aside from the hawker himself, little has changed with the business over the years.
How is it unique?
Image Credit: M Mixue on Google Review (Left), Flying Fox on Google Review (Right)
Ban Chien Kueh is not exactly rare in Penang, so what makes BM Cathay’s stand out? Firstly, it is baked using traditional methods. The pancake is cooked in a massive pan with nothing but sugar and crushed groundnuts sprinkled onto the batter.
If you observe him at work, you may notice Mr. Ng is using a charcoal stove instead of gas. It is a rarity these days. Each pancake is carefully cooked over hot coals, without any flames visible. This slow cooking method ensures the pancake is crispy, golden-brown and fluffy inside.
Love and care
You can clearly see that there’s a lot of care poured into the process. Mr. Ng carefully pours the batter to ensure it evenly coats the edges of the pan. Notice how his cart stands out for its cleanliness, with no stray sugar or spilt groundnuts in sight.
Should you be in a hurry, you might be in the wrong place. Mr. Ng never rushes with his craft. Even when there’s a line of customers, he doesn’t cut the pancake into small triangles immediately. He first lets it cool for ten minutes, which gives the pancake the best texture.
How is it?
Image Credit: Zoe Tan on Google Review (Left), Catherine Ho on Google Review (Right)
Before you even bite into the pancake, the aroma alone tells you how good it is. He then finely crushes the groundnuts, ensuring a smooth, even texture inside the pancake.
The sweetness is just right, and there’s an incredibly satisfying crunch. Did we mention each piece of pancake is only RM1.20? Quite the steal!
Different types
There are several variants of pancake which you can order. The most classic is the peanut pancake, with melted sugar, crunchy groundnuts wrapped inside a shell with the most perfectly crisp shell.
Alternatively, the corn and cheese version is worth a try. The salty cheese balances the sweet corn, creating an addictive snack. Do try the chocolate and banana pancake, with rich chocolate blending well with the natural sweetness of bananas.
Worth your time?
Image Credit: Dian Miao Ling on Google Review (Left), Willi Ooi on Google Review (Right)
BM Cathay Pancake guarantees satisfaction by making everything fresh to order. Thus, it is nice to see such an old business continuing to this day and age. The next time you’re in the area, treat yourself to a well-made snack.
BM Cathay Pancake @ Cathay Food Court
Address: 8, Jalan Aston, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang
Opening Hours: 12 pm – 5 pm daily | Closed on Mondays & Fridays
Contact: 016-4111381
Halal Status: Pork-free
You should also check out: Have you really visited Penang if you haven’t been to ChinaHouse, the island’s longest cafe?
Feature Image Credit: Dylan Phiong on Google Review (Left), Cristal Yeoh on Google Review (Right)
