Kafe Ping Hooi — Restaurant in George Town

At the corner of Carnarvon Street and Melayu Street, Ping Hooi is quite a popular haunt for breakfast and mid-morning diners. It has a variety of Penang favourites there, and the Tiger Char Koay Teow is located in this brightly coloured coffee shop.

Parking is literally non existent unless you get very lucky and park along Carnarvon or the adjoining roads around it. You might get lucky after a few rounds, so do keep trying your luck.

The early morning stalls include Hokkien Mee, Lor Bak, Duck meat beehoon soup and others, and are all very good, with the exception of the lor bak, which , to me, was evident that sugar was a key ingredient in the deep fried offerings.

For a coffee shop that's almost 65 years old, it still looks good, and even has the old fashioned booth sitting by the side wall, so retro - but it just lends a charming vibe to the whole place.

I also loved the back area of the coffee shop, being so colourful and even has plastic mobiles hanging on it (see video) which was such a hoot!

Nice place to come and savour some of Penang's delights and immerse yourself in a really old...

Compared to popular hawker dishes like Hokkien Mee or Koay Teow Th’ng, Ark Tui Mee Suah (Duck Drumstick Vermicelli) is a lesser option in Penang. It’s a delicious dish, but its complex preparation might be why fewer stalls serve it. And like many local delicacies, every Ark Tui Mee Suah stall has its own unique twist!

The key difference? The broth. Unlike other noodle soups cooked in large pots, its broth is prepared individually for each serving, infused with flavours from the meat and a blend of herbs.

At Ping Hooi Coffee Shop, the soup has a lighter herbal taste—perfect if you prefer a milder herbal profile. 🥢

Despite the name Ark Tui Mee Suah which literally means Duck Drumstick Vermicelli, these stalls often offer other protein options like chicken and pork ribs, as well as different noodle choices like...

Been visiting this place since 2014 when we drop by Penang for food trips. Saw the signboard turn from white to brown 🥹

Tiger CKT is still good. At RM10/plate for duck egg, while it does not have lap cheong, it’s served with 2 large prawns and full of wok hei. It doesn’t have the alkali taste of the kueyteow compared to some places. Random note: CKT is served on fattylohchickenrice’s plate.

Lobak King is one of the best! The loh gravy is thick and unbeatable. Go for the prawn cracker, lobak, deep fried pork belly and foochook combination. You have an option to order the generic plate or customise the ingredients you want. Our plate...