Prawn Mee (Hokkien Prawn Soup)

Penang's prawn mee — yellow noodles in a rich prawn shell and pork rib broth, topped with prawns, sliced pork, bean sprouts, and kangkong water spinach, with a ladle of fiery sambal on the side — is a soup of extraordinary umami depth achieved by roasting prawn shells until almost black before simmering them for hours. The best versions in Penang, at markets like Batu Ferringhi and Gurney Drive, require arrival before 8am.