White Curry Mee by Hot Bowl White Curry, Penang, Malaysia (Georgetown's Michelin award-winning white curry)

White Curry Mee

by Hot Bowl White Curry, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

I'm thrilled to be back in Georgetown on the island of Penang, Malaysia. Penang is one of my favorite places in all of southeast Asia, and one of the best places in the world for food lovers! To emphasize how big the food culture here is, I just want to point out that the current Michelin Guide to Malaysia covers exclusively Kuala Lumpur (the capital city of 8.8 million) and Penang (with around 1.7 million) ... and the Penang portion takes up a disproportionate amount of space in the book.

For my first meal back in Malaysia, I decided to visit Hot Bowl White Curry for a bowl of their legendary and award-winning white curry mee. This unique curry is made with a savory coconut broth and stuffed full of thick egg noodles and other delectable ingredients.

a bowl of Michelin award-winning white curry mee by Hot Bowl in Penang, Malaysia

I ordered the restaurant's famous white curry mee (with all of the toppings) and sat down at a small table. It wasn't long before my food arrived.

As its name suggests, the curry is white, making it significantly different from any other type of curry I've ever had. The color is due to the savory coconut milk base. The broth takes over two hours to prepare and must be constantly hand-stirred as the various spices, dried shrimps, and chilies are added.

The signature white curry mee is served with thick yellow egg noodles, chewy tofu-like bean curd, cockles, and squid. This is truly a dish that evolved here on Penang Island!

The bowl of curry is served with a side of chili paste to add a bit of a rich spicy kick to your dish. you can enjoy the white curry on its own or add as much chili paste as you like according to your heat tolerance. It's delicious either way! I ended up adding just a spoonful of the chili paste into my broth, which was perfect for me.

Malaysian white curry mee with bean curd, cockles, squid, and chili paste

When I was ordering, the staff asked me if I also wanted to try their famous steamed chicken. Since it's another one of Hot Bowl's signature dishes, of course I said yes. the steamed chicken is so tender that it dissolves in your mouth. It's marinaded and served with a delicious soy sauce-based sauce along with green onions and slivers of cucumber. It's a really nice dish to pair with the white curry mee.

delicious, savory, and aromatic steamed chicken

 Location

Hot Bowl White Curry is located at 58C, Jalan Rangoon, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang. It's easy to access by taxi or by foot from most of Georgetown.

Hot Bowl White Curry Mee in Penang, Malaysia

The restaurant is always busy, but if avoid major rush times you should be able to find a table. The staff speak English, and there is an English menu as well, so it's easy to order.

Hot Bowl White Curry is open from 8:00am until 2:30pm Tuesday through Sunday. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.