GEORGE TOWN, Jan 6 — Although I’m not personally a big fan of pan mee, it appears to have become quite a fixture in the Penang food scene. Many places which serve variations of these flat doughy noodles are springing up all over the island.
Take the i Mum Mum outlets, for example. This chain of casual eateries started life as a humble stall in Pulau Tikus.
The name is a clever play on words, making it both trendy yet colloquial; “i” can be interpreted as “want” and “mum mum” being what a child says when it wants to eat.
“My husband Choo Piing Luen learnt how to make pan noodles from his uncle,” explained proprietor Carmen Goh, “then sold it from his parents’ kopitiam on Burmah Road.”
Then it was hard going – each bowl had to be prepared practically from scratch, a square of home-made dough rolled into thinner and thinner sheets which were then either torn or cut into strips and cooked in boiling water.
Luckily, there were only two types of pan mee on offer: Wet (with an ikan bilis base soup) or dry, both served with minced meat, crunchy bok nee (black fungus), crispy deep-fried ikan bilis (anchovies) and topped with a handful of fresh green sayur manis (sweet leaf).
However, all the hard work all paid off. Choo’s pan mee became so popular that when the kopitiam closed down several years ago, they were able to open up their first outlet in Pengkalan Weld.
Although it no longer exists, they now have four — one is franchised — and will be venturing out to Kuala Lumpur soon.
This outlet in the fairly new All Season mixed development “lifestyle destination” in Air Itam is simply furnished with black utilitarian tables and stools.
Despite the fact that it’s past lunch hour, the place was packed with hungry families and office workers who recognise when they get value for money — the simple menu is very reasonably priced, offering pan noodles served with different sauces from just RM4 a bowl.
The original two are still there, and still very popular, and the noodles are still hand made, but are now dispensed from their central kitchen which is looked after by Choo. “This is to ensure all our outlets serve the same quality food,” the enterprising Goh said.
Over the years, they have added more varieties. There are two soups, one with mushrooms, and the Crispy Pork Pan Mee is now their best seller.
The noodles, tossed in a tomato and minced meat sauce — which gives it a just discernible tartness — come with slices of deep-fried battered meat.
The Spicy Pan Mee, served with half a kalamansi lime, chilli flakes, vegetables and meat balls, are also popular. You can even have them served with Chicken Curry.
All their condiments are home-made and they are rather particular about which one goes with what – the original dry Pan Mee goes with sambal belacan, as does the original soup version, and the crispy pork is eaten with their fried chilli paste.
Side dishes are available and these include dumplings, fried ikan bilis and other munchies, and they serve a variety of home-boiled drinks too.
i Mum Mum
6G-1-8 All Seasons Place
Lebuhraya Thean Teik
11500 Air Itam
Tel: +604 827 1802
Opening Hours: 10am-11pm daily except two days of Chinese New Year
Other outlets (Perak Road, Chain Ferry Butterworth and Farlim) open up to 10pm.
