BY CK LAM

Fish head curry is an all time favorite delicacy for many. The fish head curry is categorized into many different styles of cooking with their respective combination of spices: Indian style, Nyonya, Chinese and Malay! Some are cooked in sourish curry gravy and others laden with thick coconut milk (santan).

There are many stalls and eateries to enjoy a good fish head curry meal and one popular outlet is at Chee Wah, located right in the heritage zone at Lebuh Melayu.

When it comes to fish head curry, Chee Wah has a fine version, with the fish head cooked in an Indian-style curry sauce with a generous dose of spiciness without the usage of coconut milk. The commonly used fish for the curry is “kalak”, which is also known as the gold band jobfish. There are also add-on seafood ingredients of prawns and squid.

The fish head curry is served in a clay pot, garnished with toppings of fragrant mint leaves and raw pieces of onions which enhanced the flavor of the curry. It was warmly spicy and delicious coupled with tomatoes and young tender lady’s fingers. The aromatic curry sauce has the distinctive fragrance of the curry leaves.

Beside the fish head curry, it is worthwhile to try the fried garlic chicken and the deep-fried prawn fritters. Chee Wah also offers a decent choice of greens with Choy Sum and Yau Muk stir fried with garlic.

While the fish head curry is arguably the most popular dish in this restaurant, the economy rice counter does attract many customers too.

Chee Wah Fish Head Curry
68 Lebuh Melayu
10100 Penang

Tel : 012 5607042 (Loke Chee Wah)

Business Hour : 11am – 3pm

Closed on Sunday

Written by CK Lam, food review writer and editor of http://www.what2seeonline.com ; featuring the Best of Penang Food. She constantly combs Penang for the best gastronomical delights and loves promoting Penang Cuisines, Culture and Heritage.