PENANG's BEST POPIAH

with CK Lam, Taukwa and Uncle Smart

Popiah Stall
Lot 17 Padang Brown Hawker Centre
situated junction of Dato Keramat Road and Jalan Perak
Having enjoyed many of Penang superlatives in best Char Kway Teow, best Lorbak etc we had to tweak our to-do-things and this was not in the list that taukwa has conscientiously detailed in his scribbled, handwritten notes but he was very obliging to let me have my say for the day. We must have Popiah, he heard me say and there's no parallel to what this stall offers and I wanted very much try what Penang's Popiah is like when doused with gravy. Doubts casted over our minds like will it be too mushy for our likings etc? 


Wet popiah or spring roll is unheard of in Singapore and in fact, once I was flabbergasted to be served such wet popiah in a Penang restaurant in Singapore and reminded myself that I must compare with the real thing in Penang to demystify my curiosity that I am not being offered substandard dish. Not everyone takes a liking to having a wet popiah but I certainly enjoyed this savoury spring roll and the sweetness comes from the rich crab stock and the sengkuang or white turnip. The feeling likens to one enjoying popiah and crab bisque and you can extrapoliate that to lobster bisque for a higher order.




Ong Leng Hin's popiah has been enjoyed by Penangites for a long time as he is the second generation to continue the family business since it was started by his father at the same spot since 1950s. A roll cost RM1.30 but at RM2.30 you got more than you can bite; a mantis prawn to value add to ingredients. For us, we get to enjoy the passed down receipe, unsure if the tradition will continue in the future for one to enjoy.



Ong is able to prepare at least 10 popiahs at one table setting and he has a long wooden plank on his workstation to cut up the popiahs that lined it as he prepared them on the spot.



I am pretty fussy how the sellers wrapped the popiah such that when you picked a piece up with chopsticks, the roll is still tucked neatly without the ingredients falling out. That by itself is a skill. I did my chopstick test and it passed. The julienned sengkuang was juicy and moist and overall the crab stock lent the savoury popiah the sweetness. 

Having enjoyed many of Penang superlatives in best Char Kway Teow, best Lorbak etc we had to tweak our to-do-things and this was not in the list that taukwa has conscientiously detailed in his scribbled, handwritten notes but he was very obliging to let me have my say for the day. We must have Popiah, he heard me say and there's no parallel to what this stall offers and I wanted very much try what Penang's Popiah is like when doused with gravy. Doubts casted over our minds like will it be too mushy for our likings etc? 




Thanks to CK's good guide, we managed to track down famous stalls to fulfill our to-eat-list and Ong Leng Hin's is one such stall that we found and enjoyed and will come back for it again in the near future.



PENANG POPIAH WITH A TWIST, DOUSED WITH GRAVY, THAT YOU CAN SLURP IT !
Thanks to CK's good guide, we managed to track down famous stalls to fulfill our to-eat-list and Ong Leng Hin's is one such stall that we found and enjoyed and will come back for it again in the near future.


PENANG POPIAH WITH A TWIST, DOUSED WITH GRAVY, THAT YOU CAN SLURP IT ! 

Opens Daily 2.00 - 6.30pm except Thursday