Overview
⭐ Name: Air Itam Curry Mee
📍 Location: 612-T, Jalan Air Itam, Pekan Ayer Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia (Gmaps link)
🗓️ Date of visit: 25 May 2023 (Thursday)
💰 Cost: RM 6 (Small) and RM 7 (Large), RM 5 for drinks
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am currently unsure if the stall we visited was in fact the famous Air Itam Sister Curry Mee. There’s a lot of curry mee in the area and I know we were in the right alley but looking back at the footage, it seems like this was a stall adjacent to the Sister Curry Mee stall which was closed on the day we visited. We had assumed that the only stall open there was the curry mee we were looking for since the Sister Curry Mee stall is only closed on Tuesdays. But I’m not sure. If anyone can clarify, let us know! For now, I have changed the post title to just “Air Itam Curry Mee” because I don’t want to write something untrue.
Food Review
Note: This post is part of a food hunting compilation of all the places we visited in Penang in May 2023. Check out the rest of the series HERE.
Mr Bao was the one who added this to our food hunt. He strongly insisted that we try this because he had seen it multiple times, not just online but also on TV. We took a Grab to Air Itam and mingled with the morning crowd. People were walking all along the narrow streets lined with stalls selling fresh produce and cooked foods. We turned into a smaller road and found the stall!
Curry Mee (RM 6 for small, RM 7 for large)
There’s only one item on the menu and it’s curry mee! It’s a mix of yellow noodles and bee hoon in curry (duh). There’s also tau pok (tofu puffs), squid, beansprouts, and pig’s blood. If this didn’t already look spicy enough, it also came with a dollop of chilli on the side. I ordered a small bowl while Mr Bao went for a large. It looks like the ingredients were all the same but the large bowl just has more.
We tried the soup without mixing in the chilli first and it was tasty! I don’t usually eat curry noodles but there was just so much variety in this bowl that made it interesting. The noodle itself came in two varieties with different textures, with the crunchy beansprouts adding another dimension. After mixing in the chilli, the taste of the soup somehow got even better?!
The tau pok was perfect for soaking up this delicious curry. Then there’s still the savoury squid and of course the pig’s blood. I’m not a big innards gal but I decided to try the pig’s blood since it was how the dish was intended to be eaten. Honestly I didn’t think it tasted of much but maybe it’s because I didn’t try it on its own. If you’re curious to try it for the first time, I recommend eating it together with some noodles and soup to start.
Mind you, this dish was spicy! One wrong move and we would find ourselves coughing from the fiery tingles at the back of our throats. And I say this with 80% confidence because the local uncle was also not immune. 😂 Thankfully, I’d ordered a Hor Ka Sai (虎咬狮), which literally translates to Tiger bites lion, from the drinks stall on the other side of the slip road. It’s actually a mix of Milo and Kopi (Coffee), which my friend had recommended me to try.
Iced Hor Ka Sai (RM 2.50)
I liked it! I’m not a huge coffee drinker, and neither is Mr Bao. While I distinctly remembered ordering an Iced Milo for him, we were served a regular Iced Kopi instead. Mr Bao graciously offered to drink it and said that it goes down surprisingly easily. So that was a yes from him too!
Random conversation
After one of the two ladies there served us our orders, she asked “你们是哪里人?”, which meant “Where do you guys come from?”. I’m not sure what gave us away really: Our giant backpacks, our youthful appearance, or maybe we just had tourist written on our forehead. 😅
After learning that we were from Singapore, she recalled going to Singapore recently and had planned to go to her favourite hawker stall in Bedok. Right after leaving the airport she went straight there by the MRT. But when she got there she realised they were on a break and wouldn’t be back for a week. 😭 She was devastated, because she would be back in Penang by then. I really don’t remember which stall she was referring to, partly because this was some time back but also because my Chinese is admittedly not the best. It’s always interesting though, to see what other people think of Singapore!
Overall verdict
Tasty! Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. It’s quite spicy when the chilli is added so if you’re not ready to sweat, ask for no chilli, or just don’t mix it in first. Alternatively, you can order some Iced Milo, Iced Kopi, or something milky from the stall opposite to counteract the spice. 🥛
Speaking of which, if there’s no queue, just go up to the lady who’s cooking and tell her your order. They probably won’t have time to check and ask you. Just be polite. In terms of seating, we sat at one of the few tables right next to the cooking area. But you can also sit at any of the tables opposite the slip road and they’ll come find you once your food is ready.
I think if you’re going up Penang Hill or visiting Kek Lok Si, that would be the best day to come and try this out. Do check the opening hours on Google though, and plan accordingly. Based on our experience, we found that the Google opening hours were generally quite accurate.
💜 jy
About Food Reviews
My reviews will be based on the date and outlet of the visit, the dishes I tried, and the overall dining experience. Ratings are just for fun and may not be an accurate reflection of a food establishment’s entire repertoire. I just hope to share some food memories with you!