Char Kway Teow at Cecil Market, Penang, Malaysia

Char Kway Teow, or Stir-Fried Rice Cakes

at Cecil Market, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

It was a rainy afternoon in Georgetown, the main city on the island of Penang, Malaysia. I was tired and hungry after a day of exploring the historical old town and wanted to get out of the rain. I stepped under into Cecil Market, a large covered market with dozens of hawker stalls, restaurants, and food shops, to dry off and enjoy a late lunch.

I decided to order char kway teow, one of Penang's most iconic dishes. This Chinese-Malay dish is super flavorful, hearty, warm, and filling, and is one of my favorite things to eat when I'm visiting northern Malaysia.

char kway teow, or stir-fried Malaysian rice cake

Char kway teow is a dish that evolved over the centuries from the food brought to peninsular Malaysia by Hokkien and Teochew Chinese merchants and traders.

The dish starts with cubes of rice cake which are stir-fried in lard in a hot wok with bean sprouts, fried eggs, garlic, light and dark soy sauce, chili paste, and other aromatics and sauces. When you place your order, it's quite interesting to watch the vendors preparing the dish, throwing spoonsful of various sauces and ingredients into the sizzling wok until the dish is completed.

The dish is smoky and filling. I like the chewy texture of the fried rice cakes and the complex flavors of all of the sauces that the dish is stir-fried in.

In Penang, char kway teow is traditionally served on top of a banana leaf, which is supposed to enhance the dish's flavor.

Location

Cecil Market is located at 24, Lebuh Cecil, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The market is busiest in the morning, and stalls begin closing down after lunchtime. Most stalls finish serving food by 3:30pm, with the market closing around 6pm. Arrive for breakfast or lunch in order to enjoy the most variety of foods.

a man cooking at a char kway teow stall at Cecil Market, Penang, Malaysia