Image of a city guide banner for an article about eating and drinking in that particular place.

Best Char Kuey Teow In Penang

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST CHAR KUEY TEOW IN GEORGETOWN

Ask any local and the first thing they'll demand from their CKT is "Wok Hei". This happens when the char kuey teow is cooked in a searing hot wok, not too many portions at a time (ideally 1), so that the noodles get a lovely smokey sear on them adding that depth of flavour.

Another thing, never ask two locals at the same time which is the best in town because you'll end up witnessing a fist fight. Local Penangites are violently protective about their favourite spots. One prefers greasier style, others like dry style, some thing cockles should be added, others not, some go for duck eggs, others think it's too rich, others still love the old school charcoal cooking, some swear by gas.

Whatever the reasonings are behind their decisions, one thing is clear: Georgetown residents love their CKT.

The Mouth's editor has been eating this dish for over 20 years in and around Georgetown and decided it high time to make a list of his personal favourites. Before you shoot the messenger, just use this as a guide and find your own spots.

Pho Quynh Best Pho Saigon

#THEMOUTHSCHOICE

JIN CAFE

70+ year old legend still churns out the best CKT in town by preparing one portion at a time to guarantee that "wok hei". The plate is perfect. Seasoned, not too oily, full of flavour and served with a smile. If you only eat one plate of Char Kuey Teow in Penang, make it this one.


p.s. Thanks to Peter Yeoh for the tip!

GOOGLE MAPS
Pho hung Best Pho Saigon

TIGER CHAR KUEY TEOW

One of the better stalls downtown, their CKT is flavourful and comes with large shrimp.

GOOGLE MAPS
Pho Hai Best Pho Saigon

AH SOON

More reminiscent of a Thai Phad See Ew perhaps, this wetter version of CKT still packs a good flavour punch. The location is a bit out of the way, but people visiting the beaches can pop in for lunch.

GOOGLE MAPS
Pho Phu Vuong Best Pho Saigon

UNDER THE TREE

This auntie cooks a mean CKT along Lengkok Burma in the outdoor food court. Grab a plate and head behind to find seat in the shade. Legit stuff!

GOOGLE MAPS
Pho Ha Best Pho Saigon

AH LENG

Most locals swear by Ah Leng, and if the long lines are anything to go by it's one of the most popular in town. Whilst the plates are very good here and the prawns are huge, the only thing we didn't personally prefer is the mushy chinese sausage on top. We prefer it cut in pieces with some bite.

GOOGLE MAPS
Banner artwork for article on coffee in chiang mai, featuring a table and coffee machine.

Coffee Guide | Chiang Mai

By Tremor Christ • July 30, 2025
The Mouth's comprehensive guide to drinking coffee in Chiang Mai. Focusing mainly on locally sourced and grown Thai coffee, we followed insider trading tips to find you the best places. From tranquil roasteries by rivers in the suburbs, to busy downtown brew houses with laptop addicts in tow, this guide will seperate the wheat from the chaff and have you sipping some delicious cups.
Coffee Guide Istanbul

Coffee Guide | Istanbul

By Benjamin Sand • July 17, 2025
Istanbul is more than a sludgy cup of gritty coffee. For the past decade the third-wave coffee entrepreneurs have been hard at work creating some cafes that are truly worthy of detours. The Mouth's editor spent months researching and visiting almost every cafe conceivable before coming up with this hand-picked list.
coffee copenhagen image

Coffee Guide | Copenhagen

By Benjamin Sand • July 7, 2025
Newer to the specialty coffee world than upstairs neighbour Norway, Copenhagen has come leaps and bounds in the past few years. Still relatively thin on the ground in terms of choice, the few good coffee shops in town do a solid enough job that you can keep them on rotation and not be too fussed about more options, for now.
Coffee Guide Main Image

Coffee Guide | Bangkok

By Tremor Christ • July 6, 2025
Where to find the best coffee in Bangkok. Follow our guides to discover places that normal vloggers or influencers miss, these places are hand-picked by our writers who have spent months, if not years, in the city hunting with local foodies and experts.
Coffee

Coffee Guide | Hua Hin

By Benjamin Sand • May 19, 2025
Even the innocuous seaside town of Hua Hin has some heavy hitters in the coffee business. Rest assured we did our homework to make sure you can drink some mighty fine brews in between swims and feasting.

Hario x Monin KL 2024

By Benjamin Sand • March 8, 2025
The Mouth visited the Hario x Monin expo in Kuala Lumpur, trying 20 different coffee's per day and participating in numerous cupping sessions. It was a shaky weekend, but we lived to tell the tale.
coffee photo

Coffee Guide | Trang

By Benjamin Sand • February 12, 2025
Trang is an often-overlooked stop on the backpacker route south, most travellers opting to fly into Krabi or Phuket before taking ferries down to Malaysia. To their detriment, they are missing out on one of Southern Thailands most caffeine addicted cities. Home to everything from Modbar espresso houses, pourover hipster cafe's in old houses, and neighborhood caffeine dealers, spending a few days in this sleepy town is an eye-opening experience.