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Economy Noodles And Bee Hoon

November 20th, 2009 - Friday

Economy noodles and bee hoon

Economy noodles, keng chey bee hon, keng chai mai fun – they are all the same description of this tasty breakfast that does not hurt the wallet. Cheap is the keyword here. The fact that they are then wrapped in old newspaper lined with plastic does not put off customers at all. It has been done like this for as long as I can remember.

One packet of economy noodles cost 30 sen in the good old days. That was like thirty years ago. It is RM1.50 now and is still one of the cheapest meals around. They go very well with condiments like pickled green chillies and garlic chilli sauce. Some stalls give tnee cheo (sweet sauce) which makes it even tastier.

On weekends and days when Wuan is on leave, she buys breakfast for me from the wet market in Pandan Perdana. I usually choose between koay kak and economy noodles. When I want something light, I go for economy noodles. Koay kak is only nice when slightly spicy – not a good thing for an empty stomach.

There are several stalls selling economy noodles but I only like a particular one because its noodles taste quite similar to the one I used to eat in Penang. My favourite is yellow noodles and bee hoon with pickled green chillies and deep fried tim chuk (dried sweet bean curd strips) which is crispy and fragrant. Tim chuk is not included anymore nowadays as it is expensive.

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 21:40 and is filed under Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

9 Responses to “Economy Noodles And Bee Hoon”

  1. CLF Says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 22:25

    hahah I miss this simple dish…. always love to add fried egg or a piece of luncheon meat together with it. satisfying weekend breakfast!

    Peter:
    It is not economy lor after you add fried egg or luncheon meat. It has become regular char bee hoon. :)

  2. Jessen Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 06:06

    Still, Roti Canai is the cheapest breakfast solution. However, economy noodle is a better option. :)

    Peter:
    At RM1.60 for two pieces, roti canai is almost as cheap as economy noodles. :)

  3. ex penang boy Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 08:46

    Well,I’m having a double helping of cheap beehoon for breakfast today thanks to your post and photo!On top of that,the missus (poor slave!) is going to fry some of that sweet beancurd strips.
    Another important thing to make the dish really good is freshly pickled green chilli, crunchy and hot!! Amen!

    Peter:
    I am salivating just reading that you had sweet beancurd strips.

  4. wilstroth Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 11:52

    ;) … agreed!!…

  5. wilstroth Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 11:54

    Keng chai mai fan meen… yes! still the best… it reminds me back I was in Form 5… every morning… a friend of mine whose parents works in pasar… he will bring alot of economy noodles pack to everyone…

    Peter:
    You have a very generous friend. :)

  6. Mei Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 13:54

    o, i remember when i was in PEN, we (my siblings and i) used to buy the keng chey mai fun at nite for supper. it was $0.10 only! i still miss those keng chey fun. am feeling nostalgic now.

    Peter:
    10 sen? That must be like 40 years ago! Hope you get a taste of the keng chey mai fun soon. :)

  7. Mei Says:
    November 22nd, 2009 at 06:39

    wow, was it that long ago? I looked at the mirror and noticed lines of wisdom on the reflection. yes, i have aged, hopefully gracefully. Thanks again for the post. It evokes memories that I dont even remember. You have a blessed day!

    Peter:
    You are most welcome.

  8. Billy Yeoh Says:
    November 23rd, 2009 at 06:38

    good old day was 30 cents mee hoon and now 1.50. That time wages was 80 and 90 dollars a month, we lived. I recalled sugar was 25 cents a pound, and we lived in simple life and still happy. Time changed, live moved on, seeking for good life and hoping for the best. Society more advance, so we need more money to fulfill our dream. Some made it some don’t.30 cents was a good memories, just like Indonesia Dollars 30000.00 just a number games.All I want to say is be happy stay happy.

  9. Meng Says:
    November 29th, 2009 at 12:52

    I remembered nasi lemak was 0.10 at my canteen in 1972. I like the economy noodles with the cheong and chilli sauce. I wish I can have a plate of noodles now:)

    Peter:
    I was still in kindergarten in 1972. Having 10 sen in hand then is like having RM1 now.