Local delight: Mohd Syafiq holding a plate of mee goreng at the Batu Lanchang food stall complex in George Town, Penang. —ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: While foreign workers are in charge of the wok in eateries in many states, Penang is and will remain the exception – its hawkers take charge of the cooking themselves.
This is mainly to ensure that the Pearl of the Orient, known worldwide as a food paradise, preserves its authentic street food such as char koay teow and mamak mee goreng.
Here, foreign hands only mainly carry out serving, cleaning and washing duties.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has identified 13 types of hawker fare as the state’s iconic street food which foreigners hired at stalls are not allowed to cook.
If the proposal is approved by MBPP, the rule will be enforced at the beginning of 2025. This is not altogether new as foreign workers have not been allowed to cook local delights in food courts and hawker centres managed by Penang’s local authorities since 2016.
But this time, the ban is set to be expanded to cover hawker stalls, food courts and coffee shops managed privately.
The ban will not affect cafes, restaurants, hotels and franchises.
Mohd Syafiq Mohd Shariff, 34, whose family operates a popular mee goreng stall in Batu Lanchang here, said his customers do not want foreign workers “to come anywhere near the heat”.
“Customers still want to know who is behind the spatula. We used to employ a foreigner, now we do everything ourselves,” he said.
Syafiq said he and his brother are managing well, with his brother handling the cooking while he does the serving.
“Sometimes, customers collect their food themselves if they’re seated too far away,” he said when met at the Batu Lanchang food complex.
Hawker Lim Poh Kean, 61, prefers to cook the char koay teow himself although his children do help out at times.
“I’m particular about ensuring that each plate is made just right. I have a self-service sign, so customers come to collect their plates of char koay teow,” he said.
