While most fishball stalls use regular fish or flour-heavy balls, Pitt Street Koay Teow Soup in Penang uses local eel meat to make theirs.
It is a traditional Teochew method that is slowly becoming a lost art, because of the sheer effort required to process the eel meat.
Despite the name, Pitt Street Koay Teow Soup 椰腳粿條湯 is no longer on Pitt Street, and is now found at Lebuh Carnarvon in George Town instead.
A basic bowl of Koay Teow Soup (RM 7.50) is the starting point, but you can add Fishballs (RM 9.50), Meatballs (RM 9.50), or Pork Intestines (RM 9.50) to the mix.
For those who want everything, the Koay Teow Soup with Fishballs and Meat (RM 13) is the recommended choice.
When the bowl finally arrived, the soup looked deceptively simple.
It was clear and light, with a clean sweetness, though I didn’t seem too impressed at first.
However, the real deal was the eel fishball.
Unlike the bouncy, rubbery factory-made versions, these had a slightly rougher and more natural texture.
They were incredibly soft and had a subtle earthy flavour that felt unique to eel meat.
The meatballs were not bad either. They were soft and well seasoned without feeling too heavy.
The rice noodles were silky and slid down easily, while the crispy lard bits and fried garlic added pops of fat and aroma.
If you are looking for a drink, they offer some local mixes like the Milo Mix White Coffee Iced (RM 6.50) or a High Fiber Green Soya (RM 7).
During weekends, you might be lucky enough to catch their Penang Char Kway Teow (RM 12 for the special version), which is served on a small plate with a banana leaf.
The Char Kway Teow was just decent (by Penang standards), though the star of the show remains the fishballs that made them famous in the first place.
On a side note: while I know most kopitiams are bustling, it can get rather loud here due to the chatter of hungry diners and maybe 老板娘 (I assume she is the boss).
She is the famous “shouting lady” of the shop, and I noticed orders being called out loudly across the space.
Something fun to watch is how she calculates the bills for every table with incredible speed and vocal volume, ensuring that everyone in the shop knows exactly what the total is.
Some may see it as part of the entertainment during a simple lunch, though others may find it too rowdy (I also read some Google reviews with feedback about the volume and service.)
Pitt Street Koay Teow Soup 椰腳粿條湯
183, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 8am – 1pm (Tues – Fri), 8am – 12:30pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon
Google Maps – Pitt Street Koay Teow Soup
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