Top In Asia | 77 Food Yard, Penang

77 Food Yard (formerly Kwai Lock) is our go-to breakfast spot whenever Jien and I are in Penang. This coffeeshop houses quite a few Penang hawker stalls and majority are decent or above average – so you get to enjoy a variety of Penang favourites under one roof.

Clockwise from left: Duck leg herbal soup mee suah, poached chicken hor fun, curry mee and duck egg char kuay teow

Poached chicken hor fun (dry style)

Jien and I like 77 Food Yard as it caters to our palate. His go-to order is always the duck egg char kuay teow while I alternate between the duck leg herbal soup with mee suah (Astry meah) and Penang hokkien mee. When our little girl tag along, we’d order the poached chicken kuay teow or kuay teow th’ng for them.

Best to get to 77 Food Yard before 9am as it gets pretty crowded, both indoor and outdoor.

Some of the stalls have come and go over the years but the stalls that remain strong and rooted at 77 Food Yard are the char kuay teow, char hor fun, curry mee and apam balik van (right outside the coffeeshop).

We’ve been ordering from this aunty for more than 15 years!

Duck Egg Char Kuay Teow

Good dose of wok hei

The duck egg char kuay teow has a good dose of wok hei so the noodles are aromatic and rich from the egg. You can customise your level of preferred spiciness – we always opt for slightly spicy so that the chilli doesn’t overpower the overall flavour of the char kuay teow. We’ve been ordering from the aunty for years so she knows our spice ratio.

Duck leg herbal soup stall

Limited portions available daily so go early.

I like the duck leg herbal soup with mee suah here. On weekends, they run out as early as 9am so it’s best to come earlier. Otherwise, you can always settle for the chicken leg herbal soup, which is also tasty, but nothing quite like the duck leg version which is deeper and richer in flavour. Broth is strong in herbal flavour but also light enough to complement the mee suah; quite comforting on the stomach if you’re not keen on starting your day with something spicy or greasy.

This was our breakfast in June 2024. Penang prawn mee stall has changed hands, I believe.

Another shot of our breakfast the following day in June 2024. Kuay teow th’ng was for the kids.

The Penang hokkien mee (Prawn Mee) is a popular option at 77 Food Yard but on our most recent visit earlier this year, the person operating the stall is different. It used to be an elderly uncle, but a lady was manning the stall this time around. In terms of taste, it’s also not the same as what I remembered.

The prawn mee stall has changed ownership and I’m not a fan.

Broth is lighter and more on the sweet side.

This version is lighter overall, and the pork ribs I added on (RM7 for 3 pieces) barely added flavour or oomph to the noodles. I’d say this is suited for the locals (light and clean) but I prefer my prawn mee to have a balance between sweetness (prawn head) and depth (pork bones) in the broth. I much prefer the previous version from the uncle.

Char hor fun stall at the front of the coffeeshop

I ordered the char hor fun that morning as we were early so there weren’t many orders to prepare. Else, one would have to wait 15-20 minutes (sometimes longer) to get their char hor fun. When the uncle isn’t rushing, the char hor fun is delicious. Good amount of wok char and the gravy isn’t overly starchy.

Penang curry mee is not the best, but it’s decent enough to enjoy without much complaints.

Apam balik van is located right outside 77 Food Yard.

Occasionally, I’d order the curry mee which I feel is decent. While it’s not the best one can get in Penang, it’s a nice option to have without the hassle of driving to a specific shop just to eat it. The apam truck has been at 77 Food Yard since I started eating there – they offer Chinese-style apam balik with various options for filling. Jien and I like the plain version best but I also like the egg apam and for him, the chocolate apam.

Bits and bobs of what I’ve eaten over the years at this coffeeshop. The white bowl is minced pork noodles in sour vege soup from the Sabah pan mee stall.

Overall, I feel 77 Food Yard offers a good variety of Penang hawker favourites under one roof. If you’re driving, I suggest parking at Moulmein Rise Shoppes just nearby the coffeeshop and walk across.

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Ambiance: 5/10

Price: 6/10

Food: 7/10 (Non-Halal)

Verdict: Try the duck egg char kuay teow, duck leg herbal soup mee suah and poached chicken kuay teow (opens after 8.30am only).

Do you have a food recommendation? Tell us!