Penang Prawn Noodle is Penang Hokkien Mee

In Singapore, it is commonly known as just Prawn Noodle. For this dish, you get prawns, slices of pork, fishcakes, beansprouts and noodles in soup version and doused in black soya sauce/ketchup/chilly in the dry version. In some, they may add some Pork Ribs, Intestines, Pig Tails or other parts of Pork.

In Penang, this is a popular hawker dish, commonly known as Hokkien Mee. Hokkien Mee in Penang comes in soup version. Nope, you can't get a dry version of Hokkien Mee, for all I know. But, I've also heard from elderly Penangites that there were rare instances in the olden days, a dry version was also available.

In Kuala Lumpur, it is also known as Har Meen or Mee Yoke.

In general, Hokkien Mee of course originates from Fujian province, in China (Fujian = Hokkien). Penang version is an enhanced and spicier version. If you were to tell the Singaporeans about Hokkien Mee, it is most often they will think about Fried Hokkien Mee. But if you tell them it is a soupy version, then a darker coloured broth conjours up in their mind.

Penang Hokkien Mee will NEVER BE COMPLETE without Sambal

On the other hand, Penang Hokkien Mee, has a lighter colour broth and the taste is somewhat more concentrated in prawn flavours, compared with Singaporean style - the broth has a stronger pork flavour. Penang Hokkien Mee - by default, comes in a Beehoon and Yellow Noodle mix version, with slices of fried shrimps, lean pork slices, beansprouts, kangkung (water spinach), wedges of hard boiled egg in Prawn broth and garnished with lots of Fried Shallots and Sambal. Without THE Sambal, there is no kick at all. Penang Hokkien Mee will NEVER BE COMPLETE without Sambal. Authentic Penang Hokkien Mee has sambal added into the soup. So do add Sambal into your soup for that extra oomph. Fishcakes are optional but in recent years more stalls use fishcakes as habits of consumers change. There are also versions that has Pork Ribs but due to expensive price of fresh pork, many stalls prefer not to carry this product.

At 133 Penang Authentic stall, Penang Prawn Noodle has been specially cooked with the chilly sambal separated so kids of any age can enjoy this dish.