A Good Time for Wantan Mee

Hello, food hoppers. I'm dropping by for a quick blog post about one of my favourite Penang hawker food dishes, the wantan noodle. 

Behold its dark majesty

The wantan noodle (or wantan mee) is an unassuming dish that is often enjoyed for breakfast, brunch or supper. Often times, Penangites will also have it for a light dinner or accompanied with other dishes such as lor bak or dim sum. 

It's put together pretty easily: egg noodles, greens, some sliced char siew (bbq pork) and some wantans/wantons or pork dumplings on the side. The secret is in the sauce. It's built from pork fat, sesame oil and sweet soy sauce. Different vendors will then other flavour components to build a flavour profile that is unique. Some use flavours from spices like cinnamon or star anise, others take a more exotic route with oyster sauce, molasses or vanilla extract. 

There are a few vendors who take a completely different approach. Instead of focusing on the sauce, they focus on the ingredients. The noodle is one place that a vendor can really create some unique flavours with just a slight change. Some specialise in springier, tastier noodles while others have complex processes to control the alkalinity and texture of the noodle. 

I'll put together a more detailed post about all these different options soon. For the time being, visit as many wantan mee shops as you can and enjoy them all!