Norwegian cooks up a storm at ‘mee goreng’ stall

GEORGE TOWN: Hawker stalls selling Western food are common in Penang – but a Westerner preparing local favourites at a hawker centre? Norwegian Mohamad Thomas Cook Broen, 43, has been turning heads by helping his father-in-law, Mohd Sultan Mydin at his mee goreng stall in the New World Park in Swatow Lane for the last six months. His presence at Penang’s famous hawker centre, either when serving food or frying mee, has attracted curious stares and puzzled looks.

Dishing it out: Broen preparing some ingredients for the popular dishes at his father-inlaw’s ‘Mee Sultan’ stall in New World Park.

Broen, who is married to Mohd Sultan’s daughter Habsah Mohd Sultan, 30, said he had his first taste of mee goreng at the popular ‘Mee Sultan’ stall 10 years ago when it was located at the Swatow Lane junction. He said he found the place in the ‘Penang Food Guide.’ “I tried what was recommended and I got hooked on mee goreng, mee rebus and pasumbor,” he said.

Little did Broen, who worked as a lumberjack for about 20 years in Norway, know then that one day he would be donning an apron and frying mee in Penang. As destiny would have it, Broen returned to Penang in early 2009 and met Habsah in a cafe in Batu Ferringhi. After a short courtship, the couple got married in July 2009. They now have a three-week-old baby, Nur Lillian Mohd Thomas Cook Broen.

Broen said he did odd jobs in Penang first before deciding to try his hands at mee goreng six months ago. He said he managed to get Mohd Sultan to teach him the art of frying the famous mee goreng and preparing mee rebus. “However, he still keeps the secret of the sauce preparation to himself,” joked Broen.

-thestar online.