Sister Curry Mee: A Penang (Malaysia) Institution Serving Curry Noodles Since 1946! (With MICHELIN Guide Recognition)
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This article is part of the Penang Food Trip series. Check out the installments in this series: Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery (MICHELIN-Starred Peranakan Restaurant) | Hameediyah Restaurant (Nasi Kandar) | Kafe Ping Hooi and Tiger Char Koay Teow (Traditional Coffee Shop with Popular Char Kway Teow) | Penang Road Famous Laksa and Teochew Chendul | Sister Curry Mee (Curry Noodles)
Just a thirty-minute drive from George Town is Air (Ayer) Itam, a suburb that’s home to tourist spots Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill. It’s also home to incredible hawkers, including Sister Curry Mee.
Located near the busy Air Itam Market and tucked inside a side road, Sister Curry Mee has been serving Penang-style curry noodles since 1946. For the longest time, it’s run by two sisters Lim Kooi Heang and Lim Kooi Lye. They’ve already retired and have passed on the business to their grand niece.
The busy Air Itam Market area
We went to Sister Curry Mee on a Saturday, as part of our Air Itam itinerary. While they are supposed to be open until 1PM, they were already closed (we arrived at 11:50AM). It’s either they ran out of curry mee or they simply closed for some reason.
Sister Curry Mee
Intermission: Are you planning a Penang trip soon? Can’t decide what activities to do yet? Then check out the activities in Klook!
But Sister Curry Mee is in my Penang food bucketlist and I couldn’t simply give up. So we returned the next day, which was our last day in Penang. We went early this time and our efforts were rewarded!
Thankfully, it's open!
Sister Curry Mee has a MICHELIN Guide recognition:
Sister Curry Mee has a MICHELIN recognition
Sister Curry Mee offers two kinds of noodles—one with soup and one that’s dry. We tried both.
Curry Mee being prepared
The soup version has a complex broth. It’s light, milky (though I believe there’s no milk in it), slightly sweet, and a bit salty. The sambal adds a kick and umami to it. And the more I sip the broth, the more I appreciate its complexity.
Curry Mee (MYR9)
There are two kinds of noodles: Thick egg noodles and thin rice noodles. While I wish that the egg noodles could be chewier, both noodles add nice textures.
Two kinds of noodles are used in the Curry Mee
The curry mee is topped with blood cakes, sliced cuttlefish, and tau pok (tofu puffs or fried beancurd). The toppings provide additional textures, and the tau pok absorbs the broth.
Left to Right: Blood cakes, sliced cuttlefish, and tau pok
Let’s turn to the dry version, which isn’t totally dry at all because there’s still some broth in it.
Dry Version (MYR9)
The dry version still has broth
It’s on the sweeter side. My guess is that the noodles are stir-fried in dark soy sauce. I think I like the soup version better!
Sister Curry Mee makes good Penang-style curry mee. If you’re visiting George Town (and most likely would drive to Air Itam for Kek Lok Si Temple and/or Penang Hill), you might as well drop by Sister Curry Mee. Just come in the morning so you wouldn’t miss it. I highly recommend it to you!
Address: Alley Off Jalan Paya Terubong, Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 7:30AM-1PM (Note: Visit as early as you can) | Facebook
Don’t forget to book your activities at Klook!