Mee Sotong – Famous Malaysian Cuisine
The Malay Peninsula is known for its beaches, so it makes sense that seafood features in Malaysia’s menus. A must-try seafood dish is Mee Sotong Mamak, a Penang-style noodle dish that’s a favourite with locals and tourists alike.
Mee sotong mamak is based on thick yellow noodles (mee), drenched with chilli paste gravy and mixed with fried shrimp paste (belacan), squid pieces (sotong), cockles (kerang) and bean sprouts (taugeh). The stir-fried combination is usually topped with crisp-fried shallots for added crunchiness.
This dish originated in the Indian Muslim community and fast became a national hawker-stall staple. The term “mamak” is Tamil for maternal uncle and is used as a respectful name for food vendors. Over time, it’s come to describe a branch of hawker cuisine.
When ordering mee sotong mamak, opt for “medium spicy” for the perfect balance between sweet and spicy flavours. The steaming mound of noodles and seafood that arrives on your plate can be brownish or reddish, depending on the amount of chilli paste and soy sauce used. Sometimes the colour comes from tomato ketchup!
As with so many Malaysian dishes, there are stalls and eateries specialising in mee sotong mamak. Some serve it with rice or other side dishes like fried chicken or fish cakes, which are typically available at most Mamak stalls.
Shop Name:
Hameed Pata Mee Sotong
5, Esplanade Park, Lebuh Light,
10300
George Town
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