Padang Kota Lama Food Court – Hameed 'Pata' Special Mee Sotong, Coconut Shake

Mee Sotong (RM4.00 to RM6.00)

The funny thing about studying abroad – it’s almost impossible to truly appreciate one's hometown until one leaves it. In my case, the same goes for Penang Mee Sotong (Spicy Fried Noodles with squid). Given that I was not a big fan of the yellow noodles, the term ‘Mee Goreng’ was virtually missing from my vocabulary. However, I told myself that this time I would give the famous Hameed Mee Sotong a shot and indeed I did. From the first bite, I was in heaven. The dish had a perfect balance of salty, sour, spicy and with generous amount of sauce, topped with fried squid. The noodles themselves had a gorgeous ‘slightly burnt’ aroma yet not too dry. 

Squeezing the lemon wedge over the dish is an absolute must as it brings out the flavours and adds a contrasting tartness.

It was as early as 1942 that Hameed’s father started selling Mee Rebus and Mee Goreng. Since taking over his father’s buisness, Hameed had been working on creating the perfect Mee Goreng. The secret that puts his Mee Sotong above the others is the addition of fried sotong (squids) in a thick sauce adding moisture and packed with irresistible flavours.

3pm, well passed lunch time and the long queue of people eagerly await their plate of Mee Sotong. Look at the crowd!! 

Coconut Shake (RM3.00)

Lured by the thought of fresh coconut water and silky coconut flesh topped with a scoop of milky vanilla ice cream, I can’t resist not ordering this drink. If you find that the Mee Sotong is too spicy for your palate, this cup of icy cold coconut shake is tailor made for you.

Almost overshadowed by the grandeur of Fort Cornwallis this food court can be easily overlooked by many but I must say that one bite of Hameed’s Mee Sotong is enough to tempt you back for more. I for one will most certainly add this to my list of Penang Must Eats.

Address: Padang Kota Lama/ Esplanade Food Court. Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah Road, Penang.

Opening hours: 12pm – 8pm, Monday to Saturday; closed on Sundays.

Nearby sites: Fort Cornwallis, Penang Clan Jetties, Peranakan Mansion