Duck Meat Koay Teow Soup @ Pulau Tikus Market

It's been raining consistently for the past few days in Penang and anything soupy and hot is a welcome relief from the cold.

A hot bowl of hearty duck meat koay teow soup is just perfect. The best duck meat koay teow soup on the island can be found in the Pulau Tikus market. There are other stalls on the island, but so far, this one stood out because of the rich and sweet broth.

Business is brisk as usual

This unassuming stall nestled between a satay stall and a stall selling all types of bread and pastries has been enjoying brisk business for as long as I can remember. It is run by a family consisting of father, daughter and son, but it is the daughter who calls the shots.

The pretty lady who runs the stall

Customers waiting for their orders to go will be amazed by this pretty lady's almost photographic memory. She can remember who ordered what, what they wore, the toppings that they want, what they don't want, etc.

 The father told me once that the secret to the sweetness of their broth is rock sugar. For the base, I noticed carrots and yam bean in the boiling soup.

Duck meat koay teow soup with added meat balls

Of course mine came without the vegetables ;)

The brown bits on top are "bak ewe phok", bits of fat that have been fried till crispy and fragrant. I asked for additional meatballs besides the usual fish balls, duck meat (it's duck meat koay teow soup) and pork. The meat balls have a very distinct hint of cuttle fish. I passed on the coagulated pig blood, though.

 The whole dish came up to RM4.50, which is still pretty reasonable.

They also serve char koay teow, but it's nothing much to shout about. The brother used to be the one who takes care of the char koay teow part of the business, but of late, I noticed that it is the lady boss who mostly runs the stall.

A tip: Never buy from them if you don't see the pretty lady around. Somehow the consistency is just not there when she is not around to prepare the dish. There was once when she went away for her honeymoon, leaving her father and brother to hold the fort. The soup I got was tasteless. Needless to say, I waited for her to get back before returning for my duck meat koay teow soup fix.

They only sell in the evenings and are closed on Fridays.