Granny’s Hokkien Mee (奶奶福建面) is a new shop at Taman Lip Sin. Its bright red facade stands in contrast to other eateries along this row of shops.
As the store is very small in size, there is just so many tables that can be cramped in. Due to the sheer number of customers on weekends, finding a vacant seat can be a daunting task.
As the name implies, the signature dish of this shop is Hokkien Mee (福建面). In fact, it is the only dish available here. However, there are several versions of Hokkien Mee with differing types of ingredients.
In order to sample all ingredients, I opted for the highest-tiered one for RM5.50 per bowl. In line with tradition, the choice of noodle is rice vermicelli (米粉) mixed with yellow noodles (面条).
To start off, the broth itself deserves due respect. You can almost say that it is saturated with prawn goodness, making each sip heavenly indeed. The level of spiciness is also adequate; what’s the purpose of enjoying Hokkien Mee without spicing it up?
As for ingredients, they are relatively lackluster. There are several pieces of prawns (虾), but these are quite small in size and nothing nearly as large as the picture in the menu. After all, the picture is “for illustration purpose only”.
The pork slices (猪肉片) and pork ribs (排骨) are quite lacking in flavor. I prefer them to be juicier and better flavored like the broth itself. The pig’s intestines (猪肠) are not too impressive too.
My serving of Hokkien Mee is supposed to include pig’s heart (猪心). But alas, it is absent from this bowl. I am not sure whether this omission was a mistake, or the kitchen ran out of this of this ingredient and preferred not to inform customers.
Finally, other ingredients in this bowl of Hokkien Mee are a piece of boiled egg (鸡蛋) and small amount of kangkung (water spinach, 空心菜).
Just as the Hokkien Mee broth is saturated with prawn essence, the cup of Kopi (咖啡, RM1.20) is saturated with sugar. Seriously, there is a layer of undissolved sugar granules at the bottom of the porcelain cup no matter how your stir the drink. In the interest of cutting cost, I think the shop should really cut down the amount of sugar.
What is my verdict on Granny’s Hokkien Mee? The Hokkien Mee broth is well-prepared, but the ingredients pale in comparison. I suggest that you give it a try at least once, then be your own judge whether it suits your taste.
Given a choice, I still prefer the other Hokkien Mee stall at Kedai Kopi Bobo (宝宝茶室) down the same block. Its quality is similar but the price is more affordable.
Address: 2-G-7, Lengkok Nipah, Taman Lip Sin, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 012-471-5945
Business hours: 7:00am-2:30pm, closed on Mondays
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