Was looking for Koay Teow Soup downtown and my uncle brought me to this coffee shop to give it a try. Eng Loh Coffee Shop is located at Church Street and time seems to come to a stand still as there was no indication that the coffee shop was renovated. It must have seen it’s best in the early part of their business. Parking around Church Street is rather limited (it is the same all over Penang) as such will need to park a few streets away and walk to the coffee shop. However, if you are out exploring the area you would be able to see the coffee shop from afar and I believe this is the only coffee shop around the vicinity.

Eng Loh Coffee Shop sells a variety of local Penang delights such as Wantan Noodles, Char Koay Teow, assorted toast with Kaya (Coconut Jam) and butter, Fried noodles, Economical rice (I believe) and Koay Teow Soup.

It was not very crowded when we arrived around 9ish in the morning and the crowds started streaming in around 10ish and in no time the coffee shop was brimming with hungry tourists.

Ordered Koay Teow Soup + Char Koay Teow and I am looking forward to it. First to arrive was Char Koay Teow. On first impression – RM 7 (large) the portion is kinda small. Penang local food is getting expensive and the portion size is shrinking. Whereas in Singapore, though price may remains the same the portion size is also shrinking. Only in hawker center or coffee shops around the neighborhood can we get decent portion size and feel contented after a meal. Food court is totally out of the picture, for the price they charge at times the meal it is not even satisfactory.

Apart from the small portion, this plate of Char Koay Teow tasted so much better than the one I tried at Astaka Hillside Food Court. There is the “Wok Hey” taste to the noodles, the Koay Teow is not clumpy, the chilli can be slightly spicier although I have requested for extra spicy. Decent amount of bean sprouts (it is crunchy) though I am not a huge fan and tend to pick it away.

In fact, there are many stalls in Penang selling Char Koay Teow, claiming their version is the best. As taste is very subjective, it all depends on the people who patronized the stall and whether it suite your palate. Overall, I would say if you are around Church Street it’s worth giving it a try.

Next up – Koay Teow Soup. On first impression, the bowl of broth is clear, Saito (Wolf-herring) fishball is big and the meat portion could be a bit more generous. Tried the soup first and I must say is rather flavorful. I do not feel thirsty after drinking the broth so not much MSG was added to the broth. The Saito fishball is juicy, not salty and have a slight bouncy effect after taking a bite. Tried other stalls and their Saito fishball tends to be saltier. The Koay Teow is thin and slippery and can easily slurp the noodles together with the broth. Overall, I do enjoy this bowl of noodles.

We also tried the Wantan noodles it tasted normal, nothing in particular to rave about it. Something seems to be missing which I cannot point my finger to what is missing. Unfortunately, this dish did not hit the spot for me.

XOXO

Disclaimer: This is based on my personal preference. Do give it a try and let me know what you think.