Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel

There used to be this roti canai stall (Gerai Sheikh Usman) along Argyll Road in Penang that impressed me upon the very first visit. Their rendition of a dense “Malaysian pancake” filled with an omelette wrapped within an extremely thin (almost filo-like) crispy layer of dough (I had their roti telur), and paired with a tremendous beef curry was second to none.

At this roti canai stall along Transfer Road; the speed of churning out the flatbreads is a delight to watch

Then that stall moved to a shop and seemingly (from word-of-mouth, not 1st hand experience), the quality dwindles.

A recent sojourn to Penang led us to this other stall along Transfer Road; within a stone’s throw away from the aforementioned stall on Argyll Road. Difference is that; this by-the-sidewalk stall can seat an astounding capacity crowd of easily 50 or more. 

This roadside stall has a very peculiar seating arrangement. Long steel tables are lined parallel to each other, facing the Transfer Road. Benches are positioned on one side of the table only; hence everyone is granted an unobstructed view of the busy camaraderie from the streets; while happily tucking into their breakfast.

Aside from the shack where the main ‘dining hall’ is, you can also choose to be seated at the front yard of a mosque (seriously), or further up the road in front of the shops.

Ordering here is made simple. Grab a seat, and WAIT for them to come to you. No menu here (duh), but would be safe to ask for recommendations (if you’re a foreigner), or go with the flow; point to what the next table’s having.

They are good for their roti canai (plain), roti telur (with eggs), or opt for the roti canai banjir (banjir = flood in Malay). Then pick your curries (chicken, beef, mutton) or dhall. For drinks; of course go for a cup of ‘teh tarik’; the ubiquitous Malaysian beverage of pulled milk tea with the unmistakable layer of froth on top.

Many patrons also had the very fresh and different version of egg toast; featuring thick, Benggali bread roasted on the charcoal grill.

Verdict? The chicken curry was a large chunk of meaty cut, bathed in a devilishly-red and spicy curry. However, this paled in comparison to Argyll Road’s beef curry which was in a class of its own. The roti canai although crisp and fluffy, the overload of grease (from the ghee used) was cloying to some extent. Good ambience for a very-Malaysian breakfast experience by the roadside, though the roti here needs some convincing. What do you think?

You can find fresh loaves of traditional Benggali breads (or Hainanese loaf… are they the same?) from the bakery across the road. The name of the bakery is Maliia Bakery.

Transfer Road Roti Canai Stall
56 Jalan Transfer,
Penang, Malaysia
Business Hours : 6.30am – 1pm & 3.30pm – 7pm
*details picked from What2See’s post