Secret behind Penang Char Kway Teow. Sang Yoon Noodle Factory 生源

The Penang style of char kway teow is well loved in Malaysia and Singapore. Personally, the top three things that make a good Penang char kway teow are quality kway teow (rice noodles) infused with a tasty sauce seared in with good wok hei 鑊氣 by skilful frying.

If I must choose the most important one, my vote goes to rice noodles because when the kway teow is bad, even the best wok hei and most special sauce can't do much to save the dish.

Penangites are so lucky with food - thanks to their water quality, Penang (together with Ipoh) makes the best rice noodles in Malaysia.



I was lucky to have the chance to visit Sang Yoon noodle factory, one of the leading kway teow manufacturers in Georgetown, Penang.

We had to be there before day break as the noodles are made overnight, ready to supply the food stalls and restaurants with fresh noodles every morning. Many of Penang's famous char kway teow stalls serve fresh rice noodles from Sang Yoon.

You are likely to have enjoyed Sang Yoon's noodles before, without knowing it 😄



Steven now runs Sang Yoon, which was founded by his uncle Leong Seng Yoon 60 years ago in 1957.



Making kway teow starts with rice. At Sang Yoon, they use Thai rice. 

The logic is inescapable - there can be no good rice noodles without good rice. Period.



The Thai rice grains are ground to a fine watery gruel which is then spread out thin on a rolling cloth belt and cooked by steaming. Inside the factory, it is hot and the humidity is stifling like a sauna 😄 The factory is filled with the comforting aroma of rice.



The cooked rice sheets are machine cut into various widths - silky ribbons of kway teow.



The kway teow are bagged by weight, ready for market.



Besides their famous kway teow, Sang Yoon makes over 20 other types of noodles. This cutting machine is rolling out yellow noodles.



Pressing the dough infused with pandan puree for green noodles.



Yee meen production area.



The large bricks of yee meen noodles are deep fried.



Bagging the bricks of Yee Meen. Going to a zhi char place near you (if you are in Penang lah 😄).



Sang Yoon noodles are still delivered to hawker stalls before day break by Sang Yoon's fleet of motorbikes and delivery vans - they are committed to freshness. Penangites are so blessed lor - even basic little things like noodles are fresh! and it makes all the difference.



I so love my blogging journey, grateful for the opportunities to learn more and understand the food and beverage industry better. 

Thank you Steven for the letting me have an insight into why Penang char kway teow is so well loved. Number 1 to many of us.



👆 Some Penang char kway teow stalls loved by locals.

🍜 Sang Yoon Food 
Address: 81, Jalan Patani, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +6042292089 | +6042292097 | +6042269707

Sang Yoon noodles are certified HALAL

Date: 3 Sep 2017

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