Penang 2016 - New Lane Hawker Centre

New Lane Hawker Centre is one of the most popular street food venues in Penang. Located on Lorong Baru - the street is closed to traffic after 4.00p.m. when the stalls set up for business. First-timers may be surprised to find that this is not actually a hawker centre - but a street lined with hawker stalls. All the famous Penang street food can be found here - char kueh tiaw, Penang laksa, oyster omelette, BBQ chicken wings, grilled fish, etc. Whether or not they are the best in Penang depends on your taste buds - but it is exciting to eat right on the street and surrounded by so many people and hawkers.

With so much variety - where do you start! It is best if you have a big group so you can try more varieties. I always start with Penang laksa - one of my favorites. The version here is very good - with a fresh and tangy sauce full of bits of shredded fish.

The oyster omelette is also very good - filled with lots of fresh plumb oysters.

Next was the char kueh tiaw. Not the best version but passable.

The Penang Prawn Mee is very good - with a rich prawn broth. But the prawns are quite tiny.

I have never been a fan of Curry Mee - finding the combination of thick curry sauce and noodles to be a bit too heavy on the palate. But here the curry mee is a bit different - the soup is quite light and yet still have the fragrance of curry. I quite liked it.

Loh Bak is always great to have on the side. I like to dunk the crispy bits into the laksa sauce.

Being so popular and crowded - it is best to go in a group where some can snatch a table while others go and hunt for food. It is not easy if you are a lone food hunter - with no way of reserving your table or seat. Being such a popular place - the prices here are a bit higher than other venues in town - but still, a bargain compared to other main towns in Malaysia.