Nameless But Famous (Sort Of)

Humble yet Tasty Indian Food

Update Nov 2025: Not sure if still open, do leave a comment if it is.

I'm always on the lookout for eating places that are off the beaten path. But that doesn't mean I have, or want, to climb mountains and swim oceans to get there*. Just eating places which, for the better part, remain unknown to the public. Or as far as I am concerned, remain unknown to me; the eater.
*I don't mind if someone else is doing the climbing or swimming though.

Now, there's this Indian coffee shop at Lintang Pasar which I have passed by countless times whether on my way to work or sending my wife to work. The quaint shop is sandwiched between a bookstore and a private residence along this very short street which also houses a small market. I think that's why the road is named thus. Despite passing it so often I never did have the opportunity to stop until very recently. And boy, was it worth the wait. Parking there is at a premium - can't have it for money or love; just luck - but thankfully a spot was a found and some skillful maneuvering later, my car was parked at a lane opposite the shop.

Now, calling this eatery a shop is a mild misnomer. The shop is more like a hole in a wall. An empty space between the two aforementioned buildings with a roof over said empty space is the best way to describe the place. There is no signboard but it is the only eatery along the street so there shouldn't be any confusion. My wife and I were not put off by the humble surroundings and quickly found a seat. Even though the time was already closer to brunch than breakfast, the place was teeming with people ordering, eating and packing food to go.

Before proceeding any further, it must be noted that this place only serves vegetarian food. Yes, laugh but sometimes, just sometimes, it's good to take a break from meat just to cleanse the palate. Anyway we quickly placed our orders for a cup of teh tarik, puri and tosai. All these arrived about five minutes, give or take. Impressively quick service.

The teh tarik arrived first. Steaming hot and freshly pulled, the beverage had the distinctive milky froth on top demonstrative of a good long pull through the air. A sip confirmed my suspicions - good to the last drop. Many stalls serving teh tarik ruin this Malaysian specialty by over-sugaring the drink. I am glad to say that there is none of that diabetic-inducing practice here. A restrained hand with the sweetened condensed milk allows the tea's taste to come cleanly through, providing a sweet balance to the tea's natural astringency.

My puri arrived soon. Per my understanding puri is deep fried chapati*. My dish was served with a very light potato curry. The puri was light and airy, nicely fried without any of the oiliness so associated with poorly fried food. The curry was more spice than chillies but it provided the perfect foil to an otherwise potentially greasy dish. For the record, I ate it with my hands because food tastes better when eaten that way. Why? Because it is so.
*Please correct me if I am wrong

My wife's dosai arrived moments after my dish. The thin fermented rice-based pancake was served unadorned so she helped herself to the various lentil curries served inside metal containers. The dosai smelled good. In fact, it smelled great. Redolent of sourish-ness and reminiscent of a good yogurt-tang, it tasted just as it smelled. Lightly griddled until golden brown, the thin pancake was light but surprisingly filling. Satiated but still willing to try one more item, we went for the vadai. The crumbly but crispy "savoury doughnut" was crying out to be dunked and soaked in curry. We duly obliged.

True, it might not be exactly off the beaten path for many but it was for me. I hope I have the chance to go back again as it's hard to find such a light, satisfying meal for only RM4.20 in 21st century Penang.

Contact and address N/A but please use the maps function on Google to find Lintang Pasar, Penang.