My Saturday started brunch at Bee Hwa Cafe (镁华茶室), a down-to-earth coffee shop at Dickens Street (Lebuh Dickens) just opposite the police headquarters.
The food choices here are mostly noodle- or rice-based. The pricing is uniform for all dishes: RM5.00 for a small portion, RM6.00 for a large serving.
The large plate of Char Koay Teow (炒粿条, RM6.00) contains three large shrimps, several pieces of fish balls, and a handful of cockles (血蚶). This dish also contains crabsticks (蟹柳), which is not so common in Penang yet not unheard of.
The taste is acceptable although not particularly impressive. I think what’s lacking is “wok hei” (镬气) or “fiery sensation”. Because the wok is not sufficiently hot, the koay teow (粿条) is still slightly soggy despite the fact that the outer layer is cooked. In addition, more spiciness and garlic flavor are my personal preferences.
On the other hand, the large bowl of Hokkien Mee (福建面, RM6.00) is quite commendable. I like the rich savory flavor of broth which is tasty to the last drop. Additional chili is also provided in the spoon, and I personally prefer to add all in.
The ingredients in this bowl of Hokkien Mee are not lacking in quality too. Three large pieces of succulent shrimp have lovely crunchiness, a telltale sign of freshness. Also present are fish balls, fish cakes, boiled egg and Chinese chives (韭菜).
The noodles used are rice vermicelli and yellow noodles (米粉面). This is the default choice but I sometimes opt to omit the yellow noodles.
The Curry Mee (咖哩面, RM6.00) is white in color before chili paste (sambal) is added. Once again, my personal preference is to add the spoonful of chili paste such that the soup becomes bright red. Like the previous dish, this dish is best served with a mixture of rice vermicelli and yellow noodles.
As for ingredients, the Curry Mee has two lovely pieces of shrimps, squid, fish balls, crab sticks and bean curd puff (豆腐卜). Mint leaves are used to provide a refreshing sense of breath.
Sang Mee (生面, RM6.00) uses wan tan noodles (云吞面) that contain eggs. Although more expensive, egg-enriched noodles give more satisfying flavor than regular ones. Noodles are deep-fried to provide crispiness, then topped with starchy gravy made from beaten eggs. Except for the choice of noodles, this dish is similar to Wat Tan Hor (滑蛋河).
Other key ingredients for the Sang Mee are shrimps, chicken, fish balls, crab sticks, julienned carrots and choy sum (菜心). Pickled green chili is provided too, but I personally feel that it does not as very well with this dish.
For drinks, I ordered a cup of Kopi (RM1.30), which is the old-fashioned style of black coffee sweetened with condensed milk. Faithful to tradition, porcelain cup and saucer are used.
The atmosphere at Bee Hwa Cafe is rather lively thanks to the warm personality of the proprietor, Ms. Angie. As for pricing, the food here is on the high side compared to other coffee shops of similar category.
Address: 10, Lebuh Dickens, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-263-6092
Business hours: 7:00am-5:30pm (Monday-Friday), 7:00am-3:30pm (Saturday), closed on Sundays
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