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SATISFIED STOMACHS: Long queues, rude owners are some of the things customers put up with in this foodie heaven, writes Looi Sue-Chern

RESILIENCE is a central feature of the craving for Penang food, characterised by long queues everywhere, odd hours and irascible stall owners.

Next to Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling is Nasi Kandar Beratur featuring “original recipes” — since 1943.

It opens from 10pm to 9am the next day. Hour-long queues are common but they are also deceptive because those standing in line may represent something like 10 others not in the line.

It is normal for customers — many are from Kuala Lumpur — to snap a photograph as a record.

At Nasi Kandar Line Clear, it is often about braving the sun. On Friday, two Kuala Lumpur women, Sheena Fong and Michelle Tam, said they heard about the famous outlet from a friend.

“We were told we might have to queue and wait before getting served. But we don’t mind since the food is so good,” said Tam.

Not many outsiders know of a nasi tomato outlet at the Taman Seri Damai flats opposite the Batu Lanchang market.

The food is said to be so delicious that every single dish and grain of rice is wiped out under two hours.

The most sought-after item is the fried chicken. It is first fried over a charcoal stove before it is transferred to a gas stove.

Proprietor Mohamad Tajularus Abdul Wahab, 29, said it was hard to estimate the number of people at his outlet daily but he used up 30kg of rice and 15 dishes are cleared.

“As we are not operating around the clock like nasi kandar outlets, we prepare just enough for our customers to prevent waste.

“Only during weekends, we cook more rice, up to 50kg,” he said, adding that his family’s nasi tomato business was about 20 years old.

When his parents began the business, he said they started at 5am but to accommodate factory employees from the early morning shifts, the opening hour was changed to 3am.

Tajularus said they later received requests to open earlier because many felt 3am was way too early.

“We have been opening at midnight for the last two years now.”

At Jalan Sungai Pinang’s Mama Nasi Campur, queues form during lunch time on working days from around noon to 2pm.

The food does not not run out as fast because the outlet runs from 10.30am to 8pm and serves more than 60 dishes, including fried chicken, balitong, kerabu, and quail that are favourite picks.

Its location at a busy road has been a boon for owner Faridah Mohd Yusof, 55, who had moved around in Pulau Tikus, Green Hall and Jalan Datuk Koyah.

“We started out as a simple hawker stall. Then we found this place eight years ago and business has never been better.

“We get many dine-ins and take-out orders. We have to cook and serve fast to clear the crowd,” Faridah said.

At Lorong Selamat’s Heng Huat Cafe, patrons sometimes have to wait 11/2 hours for a steamy plate of char koay teow served with big prawns, which starts from RM7.

Last month, the cafe was packed at lunch time. At 1pm, it took 90 minutes for a plate to be delivered and people were hovering around other patrons’ tables.

“The long wait does not put people off. The char koay teow is worth the wait,” said businessman Vincent Lim, 35, as he waited for his order.

Lim said the char koay teow at the cafe was the best in the state because of the big prawns.

Although he lived in Butterworth, he thought that it was worth crossing the channel and waiting a long time for a plate of noodles.

Easily the most expensive in town with a ridiculous waiting period, the char koay teow there is “to die for” with fans also putting up with the rude stall owner.

This particular char koay teow cook, Soon Suan Choo, 64, is famous and infamous because of her sharp tongue.

If patrons do not want to get snapped at by Soon, they should learn to shut up.

Soon was accused of berating an elderly woman in August last year, who had commented that her char koay teow was too expensive.

The incident inspired an online boycott campaign against her.

However, it is clear that the campaign had had little or no effect on Soon’s business. She sells more than 200 plates a day.

“People cannot rush (me). Cooking the prawns, making sure they are right, takes a lot of work.

“People must understand that there are a lot of orders.”

Earlier, she snapped at a customer, who changed his order.

“If you change your mind, we may forget to make yours,” she grumbled. [Article link]

Posted by admin on December 19, 2011 under Street Food.