Choon Prawn Mee House (Part 2/3)

Natalie Ng
Apr 5, 2023
2 min read

Photo credits: Kathleen K.

Prawn Mee is one of Penang's greatest kopitiam staples, if not THE greatest. Originating from Fujian, China it is also known within Penang as Hokkien (the name 'Fujian' in its dialect) Mee - not to be confused with the KL Hokkien Mee which is a completely different noodle dish stir fried in dark soy sauce, nor with the Singaporean Hokkien Mee which is less-soupy noodles with similar toppings in a much paler stock. According to Googled sources, Penang's prawn mee most closely resembles the Xiamen prawn noodle.

Fried prawn heads and shells are boiled and simmered in chicken and pork bone stock over countless hours to yield a robustly umami broth. The broth is strained, and a fragrant sambal paste is stirred in to be the gospel choir that really makes the soup sing. Lean pork meat, shrimp, beansprouts, kangkung, hard-boiled egg lie atop a neat bundle of noodles in a bowl.

Signature prawn mee aside, dish no.2 listed on the main page of Choon's menu is Penang Lor Mee. In contrast to the smooth soupiness of prawn mee, lor mee is noodles in a thick, darker-coloured soy-sauce based gravy - almost like a Chinese/Hokkien version of mee rebus. Built upon the same chicken and pork bone base stock, the gravy carries a mild but distinct taste of five-spice and star anise. The accompanying condiments are what completely lift the dish - a loose chilli boh (blended chilli paste) and finely blended garlic in white vinegar, adding a slight kick of clean heat and pickle-y tang, respectively.

Dish no.3 (pictured above) is my favourite order - the "Hokkien Lor". As you may have guessed, it’s the best of both worlds, a combination striking the perfect balance between flavours and textures. The optional add-ons to each of these three noodle variations at Choon's are the same: abalone slices, pork skin, pork slice, pork rib, pork tail, pork intestine, king prawns, fried sambal prawn, squid. Of these, I highly recommend adding on tender, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs.

Mains aside, do try Choon's homemade loh bak / ngor hiang / five-spice meat rolls - minced pork and jicama marinated in five-spice powder, wrapped with bean curd skin and deep-fried. They have a platter option which includes loh bak, century eggs, and fried tofu.