A clear-broth counterpoint to the fried classic: flat rice noodles in chicken and pork stock with fish balls, shredded meat, garlic oil and a scatter of scallions.
Koay teow th'ng, literally noodle soup in Teochew, is the gentle sibling in Penang's noodle canon, built on clarity where char koay teow is built on smoke. Teochew cooks judged each other on broth transparency and springy hand-made fish balls; stalls like Pitt Street have made theirs from sea eel daily for over 60 years, and Ah Boy on Lebuh Clarke carries a second-generation recipe. It is the bowl Penangites call comfort, breakfast and convalescence food in one.
4 editor picks for Koay teow th'ng in Penang, ranked by editorial score. All Penang signature dishes · Koay teow th'ng across every city.
Pitt Street Koay Teow Soup ★ 4.3
george-town · 183 Lebuh Carnarvon, 10100 George Town, Penang
Pitt Street Koay Teow Soup has made eel fish balls daily for over 60 years, the morning Penang bowl the Michelin guide tracked to Carnarvon Street.
Super Star Koay Teow Soup ★ 4.3
george-town · 78 Lebuh Kimberley, 10100 George Town, Penang
Super Star Koay Teow Soup has run its Kimberley Street cart since 1960, a third-generation Bib Gourmand bowl that keeps Penang dinners under RM10.
Ah Boy Koay Teow Th'ng ★ 4.2
george-town · 1 Lebuh Clarke, 10050 George Town, Penang
Ah Boy Koay Teow Th'ng simmers chicken and pork-bone broth on Lebuh Clarke, a second-generation Bib Gourmand breakfast from RM5.50 in Penang.
Fook Cheow Cafe ★ 4.2
pulau-tikus · 122I Jalan Hutton, 10050 George Town, Penang
Fook Cheow Cafe ladles morning-only koay teow th'ng with mackerel fish balls on Hutton Lane, a Penang local secret listed in the Michelin guide.