Breakfast Pit Stop One Corner Cafe at Jalan Bawasah Penang
The local Breakfast Pit Stop One Corner Cafe at Jalan Bawasah Penang was once a pet shop in the 80s. The popular kopitiam at the breakfast crowds is full as early as eight in the morning.
The diehard diners will come early, sit and wait patiently for their favorite Super Hokkien Mee. This Hokkien mee was behind the defunct supermarket called Super at Rangoon Road. This stall has dished out the soupy prawn based noodles for decades and famous in George Town.
One Corner Café is packed with waiting for diners eyeing the tables.
With a waiting time of up to one solid hour, many impatient patrons would opt to eat other types of noodles. The thing to do is order ahead. And still, get to wait!
Munchies While We Wait
We had a great breakfast outing. Hwa brought some sio bak from the Pulau Tikus market. There are two types of sio bak, one is from a whole roasted pig and the other is from roasted slabs. The ones she bought were juicy, meaty, and not salty.
We munched on the sio bak as we waited for the Super Hokkien Mee. The noodles are blanched just right and are springy, not limp. The garnish is the prawn, pork slice with loads of fried crispy shallots and bak ewe pok or lard crackling. The soup is flavorful and tastes of prawns.
Sometimes I would order the nice Lor Mee which is nicely thick and gooey.
There are several other popular stalls with a steady and consistent crowd as the hawker food here is generally tasty and good.
Come lunch, the chicken rice, economy rice, noodle stall, and western food stall enjoy brisk business.
Glorious sio bak is still warm from freshly cut roasted whole pig! This is near the ribs and makes the best type of bone in solid munchies!
That’s the stall. It’s also called the “SUPER LOOOOONNNNNGGGG WAIT” Super Hokkien Mee.
I have a penchant for black soy-based noodles. You either love it or hate it. I normally order the bee hoon with extra braised eggs!
Signature Indian Laksa
Another favorite is the Indian Laksa and Nyonya kueh. In the 50s, 60s, and 70s the Indian kueh seller would carry his kueh in two baskets on a kandar stick. One basket has the Nyonya kueh, the other a little charcoal stove with brimming laksa soup, the rice noodles, and the condiments.
The uncle who used to sell his kuehs had a little motorcycle stall. He would sell in the morning market at Taman Free School before moving to the backline at Giant supermarket (formerly FIMA) His last stop is at One Corner Café.
Uncle’s signature serving include deep-fried popiah in Laksa soup. There’s an assortment of deep-fried snacks that tasted great doused in a homemade sweet chili sauce. Those were good old days when a piece of santan rich kueh was just a few cents.
Tony and his wife Vanessa runs the stall now. Vanessa is Uncle’s daughter.
Uncle’s Motorcycle Stall
I remember eating my bowl of mouth-watering Laksa standing around his motorcycle. His Asam Laksa has all the essential ingredients for a lip-smacking bowl of pungent fish soup noodles.
After I finish the noodles, I would add on fried crispy popiah which I used to mop up the sweet, watery Asam gravy soup.
Many of us remember Uncle and would drop in the One Corner Café for tea time treats for the attractive variety of snacks. The mid-afternoon crowds are office workers on breaks or even shoppers who would nip over from Giant to have a snack and a cuppa.
We miss Uncle. He wouldn’t tell me his name, he would say, just call me Uncle. Most Penangites admire his strength, resilience, and tenacity. If I remember correctly, he hardly took a day off. Perhaps just one day a month. He was the last bastion of the unsung heroes of a vanishing trade.
I found out from Tony, his son-in-law that Uncle’s name is Pandi. He started trading in 1963 with his Chinese wife who cooks the laksa for him to sell. The laksa, nasi lemak and rojak sauce is homemade. The Nyonya kuehs sold here are from Nyonya kueh makers.
The rice laksa noodles with fresh veggies and the garnish of torch ginger and mint leaves.
Indian Laksa photo Tony Anthony
Homemade Sambal Rojak photo Tony Anthony
After one long arduous hour’s wait, the Super Hokkien Mee appeared in all its glory. We wolfed that down with sio bak and thick kopi!
Conclusion
It is no wonder that we constantly fill One Corner Café with diners throughout the day. Good location, great food made by decades-old hawkers. The kopitiam is packed daily, so go early and wait for your Super Hokkien Mee or try this stall at night.
The girls chow down on roast pork as they waited. The husbands are at a separate table with an identical packet of roast pork!
Where to Park if You Want to Have Your Breakfast Here
Parking is limited. There are ample parking lots in nearby Penang Plaza and New World Park. I find that taking a Grab here is the best option.
Breakfast Pit Stop One Corner Café at Jalan Bawasah Penang
One Corner Cafe | 4, Jalan Bawasah (Behind Penang Plaza) Penang | Business Hours: Start 7.30 am until late afternoon
Laksa Stall | Kueh starts at 7.30 am | Laksa & Pohpiah start at 9.30 am | Contact Tony 016-4596198 | Open Tuesday to Sunday. Close every Monday.
