In downtown Alor Setar, one of the most prominent Chinese hawker centers is located at Sudut Selera Tanjung Chali, better known to locals as Hai Tao Ki (海头街). Most hawkers used to operate at Pekan Cina on the other side of Kedah River (Sungai Kedah). The current location is next to the now-defunct Looking Good supermarket at Jalan Dato Mohammad Samad.
There are approximately 20 hawker stalls in total. According to locals, popular dishes here include Tua Pan (大板, local name for Yin Yong 鸳鸯), Lor Mee (卤面), Wan Tan Mee (云吞面), Loh Bak (卤肉) and Fried Oyster (蚝煎).
One of the busiest stalls is Mr. Lim’s Loh Bak (五香卤肉). During weekends, there is a long queue in front of his stall. My waiting time today is about half an hour – awfully slow considering the fact that food has been prepared upfront and only requires brief deep-frying before being served.
Loh Bak (卤肉, RM1.70) contains minced meat that is seasoned with five-spice powder (五香粉). Each piece is rolled in tofu skin, and then deep-fried in hot oil so that it becomes crispy. The dipping sauce is a mixture of thick sauce made from corn starch, and chili sauce of moderate spiciness.
Meanwhile, Pandan Chicken (香草鸡, RM3.60 per set of 6 pieces) is rich in savoriness due to flavorful marinade. Other fried food include Salted Egg Roll (皮蛋卷, RM2.50) and Prawn Fritter (虾煎, RM1.00).
Drinks are vended by another stall. A unique drink here is Cin Cao (青草, RM1.40), which is made from centella (pegaga) leaves. I find the grass-like taste quite appealing.
Address: Jalan Dato Mohammad Samad, 05050 Alor Setar, Kedah
Contact: 019-455-5522
Business hours: 6:00pm-12:00am